Celebrity Death

Ruth Bader Ginsburg's gravesite namesake has surfaced a year after she died -- following in a tradition established by her religion ... with her plaque sharing space with her late husband's.

The Supreme Court Justice's headstone was unveiled this weekend at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia -- lying right underneath her hubby's, Martin Ginsburg, who died in 2010. Now, RBG's info has been added ... making for a tall, impressive slab above where they're buried together.

Ginsburg's tombstone lists her DOB as March 15, 1933 and her death as September 18, 2020. She's described as an Associate Justice to SCOTUS, having served since '93 -- and the Supreme Court seal is even emblazoned up top.

The reason we haven't seen this earlier ... it's Jewish tradition to keep a tombstone hidden until sometime after the mourning period following someone's death, and the one-year anniversary of their passing. That won't be until next weekend, but this fits the window.

Ginsburg died of pancreatic cancer, and Marty also died of cancer. They were 87 and 78, respectively.

Kate Quigley has come out the other side of a scary overdose incident that claimed 3 of her friends' lives -- and the first thing she's doing as she continues to recover ... honoring them.

The comedian -- who was one of 4 people who apparently ingested a bad batch of coke last weekend -- broke her silence Saturday on the passing of Fuquan Johnson, Rico Angeli and Natalie Williamson ... all of whom suffered suspected ODs while partying in the Venice neighborhood of L.A.

Quigley was with them, of course, but miraculously survived the ordeal -- and now, she's remembering her late pals after a whirlwind week of overdoses affecting Hollywood.

She starts out by thanking everyone who reached out to her with words of encouragement as she healed in the hospital, while also giving a s/o to the docs, nurses and first-responders who treated her and, as she puts it, saved her life. Quigley has since been released.

KQ also writes, "I am still shocked & devastated by the loss of my friends Fu, Rico and Natalie. Words cannot describe the pain I am feeling & I will be changed forever by their passings. Fu was a generous, loving soul ... Rico was always filled with enthusiasm & Natalie was so kind and endearing." She says they all left a mark on her life, and she'll miss them.

"Tiger King" zookeeper Erik Cowie doesn't have any family ... meaning his body could go unclaimed at the medical examiner's office following his death. Enter Jeff Lowe.

Jeff tells TMZ ... he does NOT want Erik's body to be dumped in a mass grave just because he doesn't have a family. Jeff says he plans to give Erik a proper sendoff and will do so by claiming his remains.

We're told Jeff and Lauren plan to pay to have Erik cremated once the autopsy is completed. Soon after ... Jeff wants to have a memorial service at his zoo in Thackerville, Oklahoma.

They're considering having the memorial service streamed on Facebook Live so friends and fans can take part. The plan then is to spread Erik's ashes with his favorite cat that died last year. The Liger's name is Django.

We checked New York Law and it does indeed provide that when there's no family, a close friend can claim a body. Erik's remains have not been claimed as of Saturday at 9:58 AM ET.

TMZ broke the story ... Erik was found dead last week in NYC. Erik, a fan favorite on the Netflix documentary, was in town visiting a friend when he was found at her apartment.

Pop Smoke's gravesite was found utterly destroyed this weekend -- this after apparent vandals smashed his crypt ... and apparently tried dragging his casket out.

TMZ has obtained photos of what an eyewitness says they stumbled upon Saturday morning at the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY -- where the rapper was buried and laid to rest last year following his murder in early 2020. As you can see ... it's a complete mess.

We're told Pop Smoke's spot on the outer wall of a mausoleum within the grounds seemed to be singled out and horribly vandalized ... with his marble plaque cracked and broken through, almost completely. You can see his full name displayed ... Bashar Barakah Jackson

There was other debris left scattered on the ground ... including what we're told looked like burned and discarded joints, as well as flowers.

The worst part is that there seems to be drag marks left on the ground ... and another shot of what we're told was right across from the mausoleum appears to indicate the perps might've actually gotten into Pop Smoke's tomb ... either pulling something out, or trying to.

The eyewitness tells us this door-looking thing seemed to be a concrete slab that would presumably sit over PS's casket, separating his body from another right above him. The black rectangular object, we're told, also looked to be part of Pop Smoke's wall enclosure.

It's unclear if the casket was still inside or intact ... but we're told the person who found this notified security, who were supposedly unaware of any such vandalism until being told. The eyewitness also tells us that when they returned to the site some hours later ... Pop Smoke's plaque had been replaced with a blank slab, and there was caution tape around the area. Some of the debris had also been cleaned up -- but it was still quite apparent something terrible had happened.

No word on whether PS's plaque will be replaced, and if so ... who exactly pays for it.

We've got calls in to the cemetery, Pop Smoke's family/reps ... as well as cops to see if this has been reported.

Mick Brigden, a mainstay in the music industry whose work included tour manager for the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, has died.

Mick's wife says her husband was digging a grave for their dog at their home in Santa Rosa, CA when he suffered a medical emergency and was rushed to a hospital, where he died.

The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Mick began his career as a concert promoter and worked with Van Morrison, Joe Satriani, Humble Pie, Peter Frampton and Carlos Santana. He was one of the founders of Wolfgang Records, which released multiple albums by Eddie Money, including his first, self-titled album in 1977.

Outside of music management, Brigden had a passion for winemaking, supplying grapes grown in his Northern California vineyard to make an exclusive Owl Ridge cabernet.

This has been a rough period for the Stones and Stones fans. Charlie Watts, the group's one-and-only drummer for 6 decades, died last month.

As for Brigden ... he's survived by his wife of 34 years, Julia, son Jack, stepdaughter Jessica and grandson David.

Mick was 73.

RIP

Andre Royo -- one of Michael K. Williams' co-stars on "The Wire" -- says the entire 'Wire' family is feeling the loss ... but he's encouraging people to keep spreading the late actor's positivity.

Andre -- who played the drug addict and informant "Bubbles" on the popular HBO series -- was out in NYC Friday when he reflected on Michael's life ... saying he was someone who cared about everybody.

Royo tells us Williams' death was a stunner, but he hopes people will rally together to keep his name alive, remember his work, and shine his light ... because his former co-star was a great person, and clearly left a major impact.

As we reported ... Williams -- who played the beloved character Omar on "The Wire" before going on to star on several other hit shows -- was found dead Monday of an apparent overdose in his Brooklyn apartment.

A 911 caller attempted to get Daffney help while she was still alive and emotionally broadcasting on Instagram Live ... but tragically, cops could not locate her before her death.

The call, obtained by TMZ Sports, reveals a man who identified himself as a friend of a friend of Daffney's trying to get police in Georgia out to the ex-wrestler on Sept. 1 before she could harm herself.

In the audio, the man can be heard saying Daffney -- real name Shannon Spruill -- was on the social media platform, appearing to be suicidal.

"She is on Instagram Live about to commit suicide, reading suicide letters," the man said.

"Talking about where to donate her things. Crying. Won't answer her phone. Certainly needs a wellness check."

The man provided what he believed to be a current address for Daffney, but, sadly, cops tell TMZ Sports it was not a correct one.

Cops say another caller dialed in a short time later with a different address, but said that caller did not have an apartment unit number for the former WCW star.

At 11:25 PM -- some time after the two initial calls -- cops say a caller had found what they believed was Shannon's car at an apartment building ... but still had no answer for which unit she was in.

Cops tell us they tried asking people at the building for the location of Daffney -- but got no answers. They added that they "checked around the building and saw no signs of any disturbance and no one reported anything out of the ordinary" like gunshots or screaming.

Around 12:50 AM, maintenance was contacted and they unlocked a door they believed to be Daffney's, however, an "interior lock was engaged." Police did not believe they had enough cause to force their way into the unit.

Eventually, hours later around 2 AM, cops say they received another call with credible information. Police returned to the address, and had the fire department breach the door, but tragically it was too late.

In a police report, cops say Daffney was found dead at the apartment by officers with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest.

"Certainly this is a tragic situation but our officers did all they could within the boundaries of Georgia law and departmental policies," a spokesperson for the Gwinnett Police Dept. tells us.

"They made a good faith effort to locate Shannon each time they got updated information."

Daffney -- who wrestled in WCW from 1999 to 2001 and later starred in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling from '08-'11 -- was 46 years old.

Art Metrano -- the stand-up comedian known for his role in the "Police Academy" sequels -- has died of natural causes ... according to his family.

Art's son, Harry, tells TMZ ... his father passed at his home Wednesday in Aventura, Florida. Harry says he didn't just lose his dad, but also his best friend and mentor. He adds ... "He was and will always be the toughest man I know. I have never met someone who has overcome more adversities than him."

Metrano's career began in the '60s but skyrocketed in the '70s thanks to his performance on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," in which he performed as The Great Metrano ... a hilarious magic act spoof.

From there, the Brooklyn native began working nightclubs all over the country and performing on famous variety shows like "The Dean Martin Show" and "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In."

He made it to the big screen in 1972's "The Heartbreak Kid" and played DaVinci in Mel Brooks' "History of the World: Part I," and would go on to star as Uncle Rico on "Joanie Loves Chachi."

A couple years later, Art landed perhaps his most famous role in the second and third "Police Academy" films ... as the boss, Ernie Mauser.

Sadly, at the height of his career in 1989, Metrano suffered a severe spinal injury that left him paralyzed. However, he made a remarkable recovery and turned his triumph over adversity into a one-man stage show, "Metrano’s Accidental Comedy" ... in which he emerged from a wheelchair to take a few steps.

Art continued acting until 2001, with his more recent credits including "Party of Five," "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" and "Chicago Hope."

Metrano was 84.

L.A. Clippers rookie Brandon Boston Jr. is paying tribute to his friend Terrence Clarke in an amazing way ... by getting a tattoo in honor of his teammate.

Boston and Clarke were inseparable as freshmen at the University of Kentucky this past season ... before both hoopers took their talents to the pro level and entered the 2021 NBA Draft.

However, Clarke was killed in a car accident in Los Angeles on April 22 -- three months before the draft -- and Boston had been training with him prior to the tragedy.

Boston decided to carry Clarke's legacy with him for the rest of his life ... and this week, he got a special ink job to honor his beloved friend.

The rookie guard shared the tribute on Wednesday --with tat artist Wix Tatts immortalizing Clarke's UK basketball photo on the lower left part of his leg ... featuring "TC World" under the image.

The finished product got Clarke's mother's stamp of approval ... with Osmine saying, "This is what you call real love."

"This tattoo is really amazing BJ!"

Many have paid tribute to the 19-year-old since the tragedy -- including NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who selected Clarke as an honorary pick in the 2021 draft.

Logan Williams -- best known for his role on the CW series "The Flash" -- died from a fentanyl OD.

Canada's BC Coroners Service says the 16-year-old Logan died from an "unintentional illicit drug toxicity (fentanyl)." The manner of his death has been listed as "accidental."

According to the coroner's report, obtained by the NY Post, Logan "struggled with mental health concerns and had a history of consuming illicit substances." And three months before his death, Logan was reportedly unresponsive after consuming substances, though the report wasn't specific.

Logan was later resuscitated and diagnosed with a significant brain injury that messed with his ability to function.

Logan, who played a teenage Barry Allen on the CW series, died back on April 1, 2020 in Burnaby, British Columbia. The day he died, the coroner says Logan left a residential care home and was reported missing. Once Logan returned he appeared agitated and under the influence. He went to bed to sleep it off ... and staff checked on him hourly. But, when staff went to wake him up he was unresponsive.

Kate Quigley's gonna be okay after overdosing in L.A. with friends ... an incident that left 2 of her fellow comedians and another woman dead.

The model/comedian revealed she's on the mend, saying ... "I'm still healing physically & mentally. But reading all the positive messages from u guys is makin me cry tnight."

She added she's grateful for all the support and love, and it's helping her recover in the hospital ... slowly but surely.

We broke the story ... Quigley was at a get-together last weekend in the Venice neighborhood where 3 people -- comedian Fuquan Johnson, comedian Rico Angeli and Natalie Williamson -- all died of suspected accidental fentanyl ODs.

Kate was also hospitalized in critical condition, but she's stable now and says she's getting a little stronger every day.

Tiffany Haddish is really going through it, grieving the loss of her friends, Fuquan Johnson and Michael K. Williams -- and while she's sending love to their families, she's also hoping others learn from their tragic deaths.

We got the comedian/actress leaving Jimmy Kimmel's show Tuesday, where she recounted some stories about both Fu and Mike -- both of whom she was close with, and whose deaths rocked her this weekend.

When we pointed out some staggering drug epidemic stats -- which might've been overshadowed by the pandemic for the past year-plus -- Tiffany got emotional remembering her friends and peers.

Tiff also expressed shock about their drug use ... she seemed genuinely surprised at how widespread the opioid crisis has become. So, we asked what, if any, wisdom should be gained from what her friends' struggles -- especially with fentanyl running rampant in the streets.

Her response is straight-forward ... with a Tiffany twist. Of course, she suggests those battling addiction "find another way," but she even had some suggestions.

Tiffany admits she has no idea what it feels like to take hardcore narcotics, but she says the better alternative is to find some more natural highs in life.

Akon is mourning the loss of his good friend Michael K. Williams, and says he's the latest example of how the "facade of success" can send celebrities into a tailspin.

We got the artist Tuesday at Petrossian in L.A., and he said although he was close to Michael, they hadn't seen each other since the pandemic.

Akon has an interesting take, saying the rich and famous go through more issues than the poor. As he says, "More money, more problems."

He also talks about how the pandemic has masked real mental health struggles ... literally with masks that hide emotions.

Akon feels strongly, drugs and alcohol never solve difficult issues ... they send people down a dark path that, in Michael's case, ends in tragedy.

Michael K. Williams' name will live on in the form of a law aiming to reduce mass incarceration ... if a Brooklyn politician has her way.

New York State Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn -- who reps Michael's home neighborhood of East Flatbush -- tells TMZ ... she and her team are working with the ACLU to propose a bill in his honor that would help lower the state's prison population.

We're told the bill will specifically focus on the youth and Black and Latino individuals who make up a disproportionate amount of inmates -- something that was very important to the actor, who was the ACLU ambassador for ending mass incarceration.

Hermelyn adds that she plans to meet with Michael's family about the bill when the timing is right ... fully understanding that they're recovering from a tragic loss right now.

There's more being done to remember "The Wire" star -- Hermelyn says prior to his death, Michael was working with her husband, Edu, and actor Jamie Hector (Marlo on "The Wire") on a back-to-school event where supplies will be distributed to Flatbush kids and parents.

The event is on Sept. 12, and we're told this will now be an annual event in remembrance of Michael.

Hermelyn tells us in light of Michael's passing, and in honor of him, she will continue to fight for arts and cultural programming funds in East Flatbush, and also for at-risk youth across the state.

George Foreman sounds like he was really looking forward to Michael K. Williams acting in his biopic ... telling us the late actor could've carried the entire movie.

The boxing legend tells TMZ ... Michael was the perfect fit to play his trainer and mentor Doc Broadus in his upcoming biopic, and not just because he looked the part.

George tells us he liked the fact Michael could also relate to boxers. George also says once he saw a picture of MKW in a suit, he knew he was going to be the one to anchor the biopic.

As we reported ... Michael was found dead Monday in his Brooklyn apartment, a little over a week after being cast in the Foreman biopic.

George says he didn't have a hand in Michael's original casting and says it's going to be up to producers to fill the role ... but he says he'll be mourning Michael for a few days before thinking about who can play Doc.

Sam 'Bam' Cunningham, former USC and New England Patriots star running back, and one of the forces behind the integration of college football in the 1970s, passed away on Tuesday.

He was 71 years old.

Cunningham -- older brother of longtime NFL QB, Randall Cunningham -- starred at the University of Southern California in the early '70s. He was a consensus All-American in 1972 ... the year he helped USC go undefeated and win a National Championship.

But, more important than the accolades was Cunningham's impact on the game. He's credited with helping diversify the Alabama football team -- under legendary coach Bear Bryant -- and college football as a whole.

As a sophomore in 1970, Sam led USC's all-Black backfield in Birmingham ... routing 'Bama 42-21. Cunningham ran for 135 yards and scored 2 touchdowns.

The following year, Alabama's squad featured Black players (they won the National Championship). The USC-Bama game the previous year was said to have expedited the integration in the south.

After leaving Southern Cali, Cunningham was drafted by the New England Patriots with the 11th overall pick in the 1973 NFL Draft.

Bam played 9 seasons for the Pats ... before hanging up his pads in 1982.

He finished his career with 5,453 rushing yards and 43 rushing TDs.

In 2010, he was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame ... and was also named a member of the team's 50th Anniversary squad.

Pats owner Robert Kraft weighed in on Cunningham's passing, saying ... “We are deeply saddened to learn of yet another loss to the Patriots family this week and our hearts ache for Sam Cunningham’s family and all who are mourning his passing today.”

The other former Pat that Kraft is talking about is David Patten ... a 3x Super Bowl champ who died at the age of 47 on Thursday night following a motorcycle accident.