Celebrity Death

Paul Hornung -- a man Vince Lombardi once deemed maybe "the best all-around back ever to play football" -- has died, the Pro Football Hall of Fame just announced.

He was 84 years old.

Hornung had battled dementia for years, according to the Louisville Sports Commission, and passed away in Kentucky on Friday.

Paul is one of the most legendary football players EVER -- the guy is the only person on earth to win a Heisman Trophy, an NFL MVP award, be selected first overall in the NFL draft, AND be inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Hornung first made a name for himself at Notre Dame in the '50s ... where he was nicknamed "The Golden Boy" for his blonde hair and incredible game.

He was the team's star quarterback --- and ultimately won the Heisman Trophy in 1956.

Hornung went on to play for the Green Bay Packers and Lombardi ... and he was a superstar there as well -- winning the NFL's first-ever Super Bowl in 1967 and four other league championships prior to that.

Hornung was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986 ... and later, college football named its award for the most versatile player in the game after him.

"The entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Paul Hornung," Pro Football Hall of Fame President and CEO David Baker said in a statement "He was an outstanding player and an incredible man."

Kobe Bryant is still a titan of industry -- even in death -- so says Forbes which just ranked him #6 on its "Highest-Paid Dead Celebrities of 2020" list.

The NBA legend passed away on Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash -- but in the months that followed, his estate pulled in an estimated $20 million in earnings, Forbes says.

The main source of income is from shoes and apparel -- with Nike reportedly raking in around $250 mil annually from Mamba items.

In addition to sneakers, Kobe's 2018 autobiography, "The Mamba Mentality: How I Play" sold more than 300,000 copies this year --TEN TIMES the number of copies it did in 2019, Forbes says.

There's more ... after the Lakers won the NBA championship in October, Bryant's jersey was the #2 seller for the organization, behind Finals MVP LeBron James.

As for the rest of the Forbes list ... Michael Jackson is still #1 with $48 mil in earnings in 2020. Dr. Seuss is #2 with $33 mil. Peanuts creator Charles Schulz is #3 with $32.5. Arnold Palmer is #4 with $25 million. And #5 is Elvis with $23 mil.

Elvis' estate has lost a ton of money this year because of the COVID pandemic -- tourism at his legendary home Graceland is a big moneymaker, but it's been hit hard by the shutdowns.

Quando Rondo didn't come looking for trouble when his crew got into a violent altercation with King Von that ended in a fatal shooting ... at least according to Quando's camp.

Sources close to Quando Rondo tell TMZ ... the rapper wasn't seeking out a fight with King Von the night Von was shot dead outside an Atlanta hookah lounge, and they say Von was acting as the aggressor in the brawl that preceded gunfire.

Our sources say Quando was napping in a car outside the club and when he woke up, Von's crew was there, and things suddenly got tense. We're told Von approached Quando and his crew with anger, which led to the brawl.

New footage from outside the club appears to show King Von throwing punches at Quando Rondo's crew, and our sources claim Quando's camp was just defending itself. We're told Quando didn't know what was going on and believed his life was in danger.

As we reported ... police also opened fire while confronting the gunmen, but cops say King Von was shot during the initial shootout with Quando Rondo's group.

One of Quando Rondo's crew members was arrested for felony murder, and our law enforcement sources tell us QR is NOT under investigation and cops consider the case closed.

Rapper Mo3 is dead after being gunned down on a Texas interstate ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Mo3 was shot just before noon Wednesday on I-35 in Dallas and was transported to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Our sources say the fatal shooting went down like this ... the gunman and Mo3 were both traveling northbound on I-35 when the trigger man got out of his car and approached Mo3's. The rapper got out of his car and started running, with the gunman giving chase, firing multiple rounds and hitting Mo3 in the back of the head.

We're told the gunman also shot an innocent bystander who was sitting in his vehicle, and the second gunshot victim was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Dallas-based rapper claimed he'd survived a shooting last year. He was also arrested back in 2017 in connection with a Dallas-Fort Worth nightclub shooting that left one person dead.

Mo3 is most famous for his 2019 collab with Boosie Badazz, "Errybody (Remix)." He released a couple new songs earlier this year and has recorded 3 albums.

He was 28 years old.

Titus Davis -- who broke Antonio Brown's WR records at Central Michigan -- has died after battling a rare form of cancer.

He was only 27.

Titus -- older brother of Tennessee Titans wideout Corey Davis -- went public with his diagnosis in July, revealing he was suffering from a rare and aggressive kidney cancer called Renal Medullary Carcinoma.

He underwent chemotherapy to battle to illness -- but ultimately passed away on Wednesday. He's survived by his 2 sons.

Titus was a monster during his 4 years at Central Michigan from 2011 to 2014 -- racking up 3,700 receiving yards and 37 TDs during his career, setting school records in both categories.

He's the only player in college football history to have 8 or more touchdowns in four different seasons.

Titus signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2015 -- where he was a member of the practice squad. He also spent time as a practice squad player with the NY Jets, Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills.

Titus' former college coach Dan Enos issued a statement on Davis' passing -- saying he's "heartbroken."

"On the field, he was a phenomenal athlete and competitor. He was also a great friend and teammate to many."

"From the first moments we started recruiting him, we at CMU football knew he was something incredibly special. He was a joy to coach and to be around. My deepest sympathies are extended to his family during this difficult time."

Lucille Bridges, who made a historic walk with her 6-year-old daughter, Ruby Bridges, in 1960 -- into a segregated New Orleans public school -- has died.

Ruby announced her mother's passing Tuesday night ... calling her a hero and "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement." Lucille's cause of death is unknown but Ruby paid a touching tribute to her saying, "Today our country lost a hero. Brave, progressive, a champion for change. She helped alter the course of so many lives by setting me out on my path as a six year old little girl."

Lucille -- who gave birth to Ruby the same year as the landmark decision of Brown vs. Board of Education to end racial segregation in schools -- is memorialized alongside Ruby in Norman Rockwell's famous painting, "The Problem We All Live With" ... which shows Ruby carrying her school supplies as U.S. Marshals escort her.

When the NCAAP requested Ruby attend the all-white William Frantz Elementary School as a first-grader in 1960 ... Ruby's father, Abon Bridges, was reluctant. But, according to the National Women's History Museum, it was Lucille who insisted because she wanted Ruby to have the education she herself missed out on. Lucille walked Ruby to school every day amid hateful and racist rhetoric spewed in their direction.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said, "Lucille's strength was unbounded during this period. Lucille insisted, seeing the action as an opportunity to help all Black children, and walked Ruby, with federal marshals, past chanting and taunting white protesters and to the schoolhouse. Mother and daughter both revealed their character and courage."

Rockwell's painting came back into the spotlight during the run-up of the presidential election ... with an adapted version showing now Vice President-elect Kamala Harris walking with Ruby's shadow cast on a white wall. The painting's been dubbed "That Little Girl Was Me."

Ruby wholeheartedly approved the image saying, "I am Honored to be a part of this path and Grateful to stand alongside you, Together with Our fellow Americans, as we step into this Next Chapter of American History!"

Lucille had 5 children. Her husband died in 1978.

She was 86.

The answer to "Who is Alex Trebek?" is not a short one, but the good folks of Greater Sudbury, Ontario want it to be known he's their hometown hero ... in the form of a memorial.

We broke the story ... the iconic "Jeopardy!" host died Sunday morning after battling pancreatic cancer. The Canadian city where he was born and raised is honoring him by flying flags outside its City Hall at half-staff and creating a virtual condolences book where residents can leave messages for the Trebek family.

Brian Bigger, Mayor of Greater Sudbury, tells TMZ they want to honor him in a much bigger way ... and there are already a few leading ideas on how to do so.

Mayor Bigger says proposals on social media include some type of public work of art -- either erecting a statue of Alex or putting up a mural -- or ... possibly linking Trebek to Sudbury's public library set to be built over the next few years.

The Mayor says the library idea makes a lot of sense considering the TV legend was so involved in education, but he makes it clear ... this is just wishful thinking at this point.

Bigger tells us nothing has been decided -- this is just preliminary planning -- but he will bring the ideas to the next City Council meeting to get the ball rolling.

Mayor Bigger adds that Trebek's family should have a say in the matter, but he's waiting to reach out to them so they have the proper time to grieve first.

Alex met with the mayor during his last visit to Sudbury in 2015, and Bigger says he was very interested in growth and development in the community ... and it's no surprise he's beloved there.

The same goes for Canada as a whole. Get this -- Alex was honored with a key to the city of Ottawa in 2016 and received the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honor, in 2017.

Alex Trebek is getting a bittersweet send-off from the game show that made him famous ... "Jeopardy!" just said goodbye to the late host with a touching tribute.

"Jeopardy!" executive producer Mike Richards honored Alex before Monday night's episode, pausing to remember Trebek as an inspiring figure and thanking him for everything he did for the show during his long run as host.

Mike said Alex "will forever be an inspiration for his constant desire to learn, his kindness and for his love of his family."

As we first told you ... Alex, who was battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer, passed away at his home Sunday morning, surrounded by family and friends.

Alex's death was an enormous loss for "Jeopardy!" staff and crew, as well as his family and millions of fans, Mike said, adding Alex "loved this show and everything it stood for."

Mike reminded viewers Alex was in the studio taping "Jeopardy!" only two weeks ago in October, and Alex hosted episodes that will air through Christmas day.

"Scooby-Doo" co-creator Ken Spears has died ... less than 3 months after his animation partner also passed away.

Spears reportedly died Friday after complications related to dementia. His son, Kevin, told Variety, "Ken will forever be remembered for his wit, his story-telling, his loyalty to family, and his strong work ethic."

Kevin added, "Ken has not only made a lasting impression on his family, but he has touched the lives of many as co-creator of ‘Scooby-Doo.’ Ken has been a role model for us throughout his life and he will continue to live on in our hearts."

As we reported ... Ken's animation partner, Joe Ruby, died of natural causes back in August. Ken and Joe, both of whom worked for the famed Hanna-Barbera Productions, also created the popular series "Dynomutt" and "Jabberjaw." But, undoubtedly they were most famously known for creating 'Scooby.'

The popular animated series first aired on CBS in 1969 ... with Joe and Ken writing the first 5 episodes ... then editing and supervising the rest of that inaugural series. 'Scooby' aired until 1976, but there have been TONS of spin-offs, reboots and movies.

Ken -- born on March 12, 1938 -- grew up in L.A. and would end up befriending the son of William Hanna. Ken ultimately got hired at Hanna-Barbera in 1959 as a sound editor. It was during his time there when he met Joe ... turning a working relationship into a lifelong partnership.

Ken and Joe supervised CBS' Saturday morning cartoons lineup in the early 1970s. They were tasked with the same role at ABC. The duo created their own production company and produced a slew of animated series such as "Superman" and "Alvin and the Chipmunks" among others.

Ken wasn't limited to just cartoons either. He was also a story consultant for the 1974 TV series, "Planet of the Apes."

Ken is survived by his 2 sons, 5 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

Dr. Jill Biden is paying her respects to Alex Trebek, and remembering her time with the late "Jeopardy!" host.

The First Lady-elect just posted a picture of her and Alex on the game show set, a throwback to 2016 when she was the Second Lady and a special guest presenting the Final Jeopardy clue. Jill captioned the pic, "Rest In Peace, Alex ❤️."

Jill's 'Jeopardy' appearance came about 3 years before Alex announced he was battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer. As you know, Alex didn't let his cancer diagnosis and chemo treatments stop him from hosting his game show ... just as impressively as ever.

As we first reported, Alex passed away peacefully at his home Sunday morning, surrounded by friends and family.

Alex's death came the morning after Joe Biden was announced the projected winner of the Presidential election -- a very emotional weekend for Jill, and America.

Bert Belasco -- famous from BET's "Let's Stay Together" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Bert's father, Bert Sr., tells us his son's body was found Sunday inside a hotel room in Richmond, VA -- where we're told he was about to start on a project for a new movie role. Bert Sr. says Bert was required to quarantine at the hotel before he could come on set.

While the circumstances of his death are unclear, we do know Bert's girlfriend couldn't get a hold of him and eventually asked hotel staff to check on him. We're told when he was discovered, there was blood on the sheets -- the family is awaiting autopsy results.

His father tells us he believes his son suffered a fatal aneurysm.

Bert's career was well on the way up -- even at his young age, he's already racked up 23 acting credits and had starred in a bunch of shows and movies. Obviously, he's perhaps most well-known for playing Charles Whitmore on 'LST' for 52 episodes between 2011 and 2014.

He also appeared on several episodes of "Pitch," "I'm Dying Up Here," and has lots of one-off roles in series such as "American Princess," "Superstore," "The Mick," "The Soul Man," "No Names," "The Big Show Show," 'NCIS,' 'Key and Peele,' 'Justified' and others.

Bert had just turned 38.

Alex Trebek -- the revered and beloved "Jeopardy!" host since 1984, whose calm but witty presence was must-see television for millions of Americans -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

A "Jeopardy!" spokesperson tells TMZ, "Jeopardy is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends."

The TV icon had been battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer since announcing the news back in March 2019. He immediately started chemo after the diagnosis but made no plans to retire and continued hosting his game show ... as impressively as ever.

Trebek powered through for a full year -- despite what he called "massive attacks of great depression that made me wonder if it was really worth fighting on" -- because he said he realized giving up on life would be a betrayal to his wife, God and other cancer patients.

He pointed out the odds of surviving a second year with pancreatic cancer were just 7 percent, but he hoped he'd be able to celebrate that milestone too. Sadly, he took a turn for the worse.

Alex continued to host "Jeopardy!" ... recently beginning his 37th season, and earlier this year, he shot the epic 'Greatest of All Time' tournament on prime-time television.

Ken Jennings, who won that 'G.O.A.T.' tournament reacted to Alex's passing, saying, "Alex wasn't just the best ever at what he did. He was also a lovely and deep decent man, and I'm grateful for every minute I got to spend with him."

Ken's competitor James Holzhauer added, "It was one of the great privileges of my life to spend time with this courageous man while he fought the battle of his life. You will never be replaced in our hearts, Alex."

"Jeopardy!" says Alex hosted episodes will air through December 25th. His last day taping in the studio was October 29.

The shows executive producer, Mike Richards, says, "Working beside him for the past year and a half as he heroically continued to host "Jeopardy!" was an incredible honor. His belief in the importance of the show and his willingness to push himself to perform at the highest level was the most inspiring demonstration of courage I have ever seen."

After his initial diagnosis, there were several ups and downs for Alex. In May 2019, he announced his tumors had shrunk more than 50 percent, obviously a great sign of progress, but his numbers declined and he began another round of chemotherapy a few months later. Still, he maintained a positive outlook ... and did a lot of good throughout his ordeal.

His soothing and reassuring voice was on display when he announced having cancer. Trebek -- who was signed to host the show through 2022 -- joked, "Truth told, I have to! Because under the terms of my contract, I have to host 'Jeopardy!' for three more years!"

His commitment to the game show was a two-way street. When Alex took a brief medical leave in 2018 to have surgery for blood clots on his brain after a nasty fall, "Jeopardy!" never aired episodes with a guest host. He also suffered mild heart attacks in 2007 and 2012.

Alex started his career on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1961 announcing the news, and quickly gained fame after hosting the high school quiz show, "Reach for the Top."

He introduced himself to U.S. audiences in 1973 when he hosted a new NBC show called "The Wizard of Odds." That would lead to work on a variety of game shows ... including "High Rollers" with his trademark curly hair and classic 'stache and a brief fill-in stint for Chuck Woolery on "Wheel of Fortune."

Then, when the "Jeopardy!" gig -- a revival of the old show -- came up, Alex got the call.

The show gained immense popularity with Alex at the helm ... dominating the evening game show biz along with 'Wheel.'

Alex -- winner of 6 Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding game show host -- set a Guinness World record in June 2014 for most episodes (6,829) of a game show hosted. Despite his unprecedented and hugely successful run, Alex never viewed himself as a celeb or the "star" of the show. He said as much to Harvey Levin for an episode on "Objectified."

Alex also told Levin he was seriously considering retirement before signing a contract extension. He seemed serious at the time ... naming 2 potential replacements: L.A. Kings announcer Alex Faust and CNN legal analyst Laura Coates.

Important to note ... "Jeopardy!" producers say they are not announcing a new host right now.

Trebek was born on July 22, 1940, in Ontario, Canada. He majored in philosophy at the University of Ottawa but he had serious ambitions about a career on TV. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1998, but not before running the Olympic Torch in 1996 as it made its way to Atlanta.

Alex -- who was named an officer of the Order of Canada in 2017 for his iconic achievements -- married Elaine Kares in 1974 and they divorced in 1981. He married again in 1990 ... this time to Jean Currivan, with whom he had 2 children ... Matthew and Emily.

He was 80.

Eddie Van Halen was honored at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Saturday night ... as one of the greatest guitar players in the history of music.

The tribute is incredible and shows Eddie's miraculous talent.

Some of the greatest living guitarists, including Slash and Tom Morello, paid tribute to the man who was one of 2 guitarists in competition for the G.O.AT. title -- the other, of course, being Jimi Hendrix.

Tom Morello, from Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, called Eddie, "The Mozart of our generation. He had the kind of talent that maybe comes around once a century."

Slash said, "His style and his sound were completely unique to him. He had a massive impact on guitar playing."

The sounds emanating from Eddie's guitar were like none heard before. The ferocious sounds hit like a nuclear bomb and were subsequently mimicked by many -- but no one had Eddie's touch.

You gotta watch the video to remember how inspiring Eddie was on the guitar.

As you know by now, Eddie died last month after a long battle with cancer at 65.

The inductees Saturday night were Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, Notorious B.I.G. and T-Rex.

Supermanager Irving Azoff and producer Jon Landau received the Ertegun Award award.

Norm Crosby, one of the top comedians in the '60s and beyond, has died.

Crosby's wife said her husband succumbed to heart failure.

His moniker was malaprops ... the misuse of words that were absolutely hilarious. He would muse that he went to the tailor for some altercations. And, this is hysterical ... he once joked folks who can't read or write are victims of illegitimacy!

Norm was a staple on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson ... appearing more than 50 times. He made the rounds for sure, also appearing on "The Ed Sullivan Show," "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," "Roseanne," "The Larry Sanders Show," and, of course, "The Love Boat."

Norm recently appeared in "Grownups 2" ... he played a Kmart worker. He was also in "8 Crazy Nights."

And, Crosby was a regular on the roasting circuit, appearing often on Dean Martin's Celebrity Roasts. He was also the host of the TV series, "The Comedy Shop." Norm also helped Jerry Lewis with the hosting duties in his annual Labor Day Telethon.

Norm is survived by his wife, Joan, 2 children and 2 grandkids.

He was 93.

Rapper King Von is dead after a violent confrontation outside an Atlanta nightclub that ended in gunfire ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a deadly shootout broke out early Friday morning outside the Monaco Hookah Lounge in downtown Atlanta, with gunfire being exchanged between 2 groups of men who were arguing with each other.

Our sources say there were off-duty Atlanta police officers working at the club and an on-duty cop patrolling nearby ... and police also opened fire while confronting the gunmen.

In total, our sources say 6 people were shot, including 3 who remained at the scene and were transported to the hospital by EMS. We're told 3 other people fled, but also ended up in the hospital.

3 people died from their wounds, including King Von ... according to one of his close friends.

We're told no cops were injured in the shooting, which is now being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Atlanta Police Homicide.

It's unclear who shot King Von, sources say investigators are trying to sort out who shot who.

King Von was an up and coming rapper from Chicago, dropping his first single, "Crazy Story" in 2018 and was affiliated with Lil Durk.

RIP

The person suspected of shooting and killing "Surface" actor Eddie Hassell has been arrested in Texas ... TMZ has learned.

The Grand Prairie Police Department tells TMZ ... its department and the U.S. Marshal Service North Texas Fugitive Task Force arrested D'Jon Antone on Wednesday for capital murder. The 18-year-old suspect is currently being held in the Grand Prairie Detention Center with bond set at $500k.

Cops say Antone allegedly shot and killed the actor in a random robbery. The case is now being handed off to the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office.

TMZ broke the story ... Eddie was killed last Sunday morning after he was shot in the stomach while outside his girlfriend's apartment. Cops say they got a call about a shooting at 1:50 AM and when they arrived they saw Eddie had suffered from apparent gunshot wounds.

Cops rendered first aid and he was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was best known for playing Phil Nance in the NBC show "Surface." He also starred as Eddie Suarez in "Devious Maids" for a bit.