Celebrity Death

"America's Got Talent" standout Jay Jay Phillips -- whose big hair gained as much attention as his talent -- has died from complications related to COVID-19.

A family member tells us Jay Jay was battling the disease at home Thanksgiving week. We're told family and friends were continuously checking in with him over the phone, and he took a turn for the worse the day before the holiday.

Jay Jay's family urged him to go to the hospital, but he just told them he needed more sleep ... and that was the last time they heard from him.

We're told Jay Jay's girlfriend and her mom -- who is a nurse -- went to check on him Thanksgiving Day and found him dead. The family member tells us Phillips was not vaccinated, but just before he got sick had started to tell people he planned on getting the shot soon.

Phillips' dad, who he lived with, is currently hospitalized and fighting for his life on a ventilator.

Jay Jay first made an appearance on season 4 of the talent competition, but was eliminated early. He came back during season 12, but was eliminated in the judge cuts just before the quarterfinals.

Phillips was 30.

Young Dolph will be forever remembered in the Memphis neighborhood where he grew up ... because the city is naming a street after him.

The City of Memphis just announced plans to change a street name to something in his honor, and the unveiling is set for Dec. 15 at an intersection near the Memphis Depot Industrial Park.

The effort is being led by city councilman JB Smiley and we're told he wanted to wait until getting the green light from the family before honoring Dolph with the gesture.

Young Dolph's family says the street name will serve as a reminder to folks in the Castalia Heights community of someone who embodies hard work and perseverance.

The family sums it up like this ... "He sent the message that someone who went to the same schools as them, and walked the same streets that they do, was able to not only create a successful legacy for himself, but also prioritized family and community."

As we reported ... Young Dolph was gunned down last month while he was inside a Memphis cookie shop.

Billy Dee Williams thinks America is in one of its darkest periods ever ... referencing the latest act of violence against his dear friends.

We got Billy Dee Thursday in WeHo and asked about the murder this week of Jacqueline Avant, wife of music legend Clarence Avant.

Billy Dee is clearly upset, saying, "There's a dark energy that's permeating our lives right now.  I call it Lucifer."

The legendary actor seems to think this is a tipping point, wondering what's going on in America with all the violence and insanity?"

Billy Dee is fatalistic about his own safety in a city -- Los Angeles -- that is becoming treacherous on so many levels.

Virgil Abloh's newest Nike collab has reportedly been postponed ... this, after the death of the beloved fashion designer.

The Off-White x Nike Blazer Low was originally set to release on Dec. 7 ... but now won't be available to purchase until later into 2022, according to Nike Kicks.

As we previously reported, Abloh -- the founder of Off-White and creative director of Louis Vuitton -- passed away after a private battle with cancer on Nov. 28.

Just hours after his death, a massive demand hit the resale market for the Off-White sneaker collection ... with over 40 pairs of the popular Air Jordan 1 "Chicago" Nike collab selling for prices ranging from $6,565 to $10,500 on StockX.

So far, no word on what will happen with the Off-White Air Force 1 Mid (expected to launch in 2022) or any of his unreleased work.

Abloh was the first Black American creative director at Louis Vuitton and was known for his amazing fashion sense -- especially in the sneaker culture -- creating some of best kicks in the game, like 'The Ten' collection.

The 41-year-old also designed Nike kicks for Serena Williams for her 2018 US Open.

"Since 2016, Virgil has been a beloved member of the Nike, Jordan and Converse family," Nike said in a statement after his death.

A suspect has been taken into custody in the shooting death of music legend Clarence Avant's wife, Jacqueline ... TMZ has learned.

Family sources with direct knowledge tell us a man has been arrested in connection to the murder.

TMZ broke the story, 81-year-old Jackie was shot and killed inside the couple's Trousdale Estates home in Beverly Hills Wednesday morning. At the time, we were told at least one suspect made it into the home. A smashed glass door appeared to be the point of entry.

What's more ... a private security guard for the Avant's was on duty, and was shot at, but was not struck and did not return fire. It's not known if the guard was armed.

Clarence was not injured during the attack..

During a press conference Wednesday, Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook shared a message from the family, but wouldn't share details on the investigation or who was involved.

Among tributes to Jacqueline was one from former President Bill Clinton, who said, "Jackie Avant was a wonderful woman, a great partner to Clarence and mother to Alex and Nicole, an active citizen & a dear friend to Hillary and me for 30 years. She inspired admiration, respect & affection in everyone who knew her. We are heartbroken. She will be deeply missed."

Eddie Mekka, who most famously played Carmine, the "Big Ragu," on "Laverne & Shirley" has died ... TMZ has learned.

Eddie's brother, Warren Mekjian, tells TMZ ... Eddie was found dead at his home in Newhall, CA on Saturday. We're told friends and neighbors became concerned when they hadn't heard from him in a few days and called cops to go over and check on him.

Warren tells us Eddie had recently been hospitalized for blood clots and could barely walk ... there's no indication his death was suspicious or that there was any foul play involved.

Eddie played Carmine Ragusa -- Shirley's boyfriend on the show from 1976-1983. Carmine would regularly sing on the show. Eddie also had a role on one of "Laverne & Shirley" producer Garry Marshall's other shows, "Blansky's Beauties" -- and he'd been nominated for a Tony Award for his role in "The Lieutenant" ... prior to his TV career taking off.

Like a lot of 70s and 80s TV stars, Eddie also had guest roles on "Fantasy Island" and "The Love Boat" ... and later he was on the ABC hit, "Family Matters."

Eddie has one daughter, Mia, with Yvonne Marie Grace who he married in 1994.

He was 69.

Jonshel Alexander, the former child actor who co-starred in the Oscar-nominated film “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” is dead after a shooting in her native Louisiana.

Jonshel -- who was 12 when she got the role in the 2012 film -- was sitting in a vehicle with a man last Saturday in New Orleans when someone opened fire on them. Jonshel was pronounced dead on the scene, her friend survived and went to a hospital for treatment.

Police have released a photo of a person of interest -- a Black male wearing a ski mask -- and are asking the public for help identifying and locating him.

Jonshel played Joy Strong in 'Beasts' ... a drama filmed in Louisiana about a struggling bayou community, which also had then-6-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis in the lead role. The movie got 4 Oscar noms, including Best Picture, and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Director Benh Zeitlin has said he pretty much created the role of Joy specifically for Jonshel. As he put it, “A lot of the lines were written by her, and so much of the character grew out of who Jonshel was. Her character in the film is named Joy Strong, which always seemed like a perfect description of Jonshel. She was a really bright burning light.”

'Beasts' was her only acting role. After graduating high school, Jonshel worked as a hostess in restaurants and had a daughter ... according to the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate.

Jonshel was 22.

Neighbors of Clarence and Jacqueline Avant have been alarmed by the crime wave in Beverly Hills and L.A. ... so much so they hired armed guards before Wednesday's fatal home invasion.

Residents in Trousdale Estate tell us just last week a bunch of neighbors got together and hired a private security firm. Law enforcement tells us there has been a spike in home and vehicle burglaries in Trousdale ... and it's got residents scared stiff.

Our source tells us the neighbors pooled cash and hired the security company ... problem is, the guards hadn't started patrols yet.

Some residents are so concerned after Wednesday's home invasion ... they've individually hired armed guards. And, on top of that, sources at the Beverly Hills PD tell us they will be measurably increasing patrols in the area. The PD has also hired a private security company to make sure the area is adequately covered.

Our BHPD sources tell us as far as they can see there is no connection to the smash-and-grab robberies in Beverly Hills and L.A. Louis Vuitton and Saks Fifth Avenue were both hit recently in Bev Hills.

TMZ broke the story, Avant was killed in her home early Wednesday morning. We know at least one suspect made their way into the home where Jackie was shot in the stomach ... she was awake and alert when paramedics arrived, but later died at the hospital.

Virgil Abloh was a game-changer in the fashion world, but not only for his designs -- he was also committed to bringing diversity to the industry ... according to Billy Porter.

BP was at Dulles Int'l Airport Tuesday when we got his thoughts on Virgil's passing ... which rocked the fashion world and beyond. Like mostly everyone else who got the sad and sudden news, Billy was equally shocked.

We asked Billy what Virgil meant to the culture, and he told us there's a big shift right now in the fashion industry toward more diversity and inclusion -- and he's giving Virgil big props for sparking it.

Seeing how Virgil was the first Black man in history tapped to head up Louis Vuitton's menswear line, it goes without saying he did so much in that regard ... and Billy emphasizes that here.

BTW, Billy had just touched down from overseas, where it sounds like he attended a fashion award show -- and it seems folks there were just as somber about Virgil's passing as here in the States.

Clarence Avant, a legendary music exec who was just inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, had a tragedy at home Tuesday night ... a home invasion where his wife of 54 years -- Jacqueline Avant -- was shot and killed ... TMZ has learned.

It happened in the Trousdale Estates ... a high-end area neighboring Beverly Hills. Law enforcement tells TMZ, Beverly Hills PD got a call at 2:30 AM for a home invasion. The caller told the dispatcher someone had been shot. By the time they arrived, Jackie had already been rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A family source tells us the people who broke into the house fired shots and hit Jackie. Clarence was home at the time. We do not know if he was hurt.

Jackie and Clarence's daughter is Nicole Avant, who is married to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos.

Clarence is known as the Godfather of Black Music. He's been regularly celebrated by the likes of Jay-Z and Diddy, L.A. Reid and Babyface. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame back in October.

Jackie served as the President of the Neighbors of Watts, a support group that focused on child care. She was also on the Board of Directors of UCLA's International Student Center.

Jacqueline was 81.

RIP

Dave Draper -- one of the most legendary figures in the history of bodybuilding -- has died ... and Arnold Schwarzenegger says he's torn up over the news.

Draper's wife announced the passing on her Facebook page on Tuesday, saying, "Dave died early this morning."

"I was with him and it was calm and peaceful," Laree Draper added. "It, as his doctor told me a little while ago, was a good death."

Dave was 79 years old.

Schwarzenegger took the news hard ... writing on his social media page Tuesday afternoon that Dave was one of his biggest inspirations.

"In Austria," Schwarzenegger said, "I kept his photo on the wall above my bed for motivation."

In fact, Schwarzenegger said when he eventually moved to the United States, he met Dave and they became pals and training partners.

"He couldn't have been more welcoming, and he always pushed everyone around him in the gym to be better," Schwarzenegger said. "He was an amazing writer and a great family man."

"I will miss the Blond Bomber, but his memory will always be with me. My thoughts are with Laree and the family."

Dave began bodybuilding at a young age -- and famously won the Mr. New Jersey title in 1962, when he was just 21 years old.

Dave went on to win a Mr. Universe crown in 1966 ... and later starred in a bunch of TV and movie roles, including Sharon Tate's famous 1967 flick, "Don't Make Waves."

Virgil Abloh was honored by some of his closest friends -- including Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and Kid Cudi -- along with fashion industry titans during a beautiful show in Miami.

The Louis Vuitton runway show titled "Virgil Was Here" just wrapped, featuring all-new looks from the brand directly inspired by the late creative director. Ye, who was one of Virgil's closest friends, had a front-row seat next to North, followed by Kim ... and Kid Cudi, who was also close to Virgil, walked as a model in the show.

The show opened with words from Virgil, talking about how he'd encourage adults to create like they were children ... Quavo, Pharrell, Gunna, Lil Baby, 21 Savage and Joe Jonas were also in attendance.

Kim posted a touching tribute to Abloh Monday, saying, "God doesn’t make mistakes. I know that but I still can’t help but ask why. Why Virgil?! Why him so soon? it’s simply hard to understand why. I have a hard time understanding why so many pure souls were taken away so early."

The show wrapped with the LV design team, some in tears, getting a standing round of ovation from those in attendance followed by Virgil's voice saying, "Life is so short that you can't waste a day subscribing to what someone thinks you can do vs. what you CAN do." and a beautiful firework show with the city of Miami as the backdrop.

"Virgil Was Here" comes less than a week after the 41-year-old's sudden and tragic death.

Tupac Shakur's right-hand man/bodyguard has a treasure trove of Pac-related gems that are seeing the light of day for the first time ... and are expected to fetch a pretty penny.

The late rapper's ex-bodyguard, Frank Alexander -- who has also since died -- once had a computer hard drive in his possession that's said to contain an unspoken amount of content covering all things Tupac ... including unseen photos, unheard music and legal docs giving new insight into his life.

The 83 GB drive -- which is being auctioned off by GottaHaveRockandRoll.com starting Wednesday -- will have an opening bid of $10,000 ... but we're told by people in the know that auction heads think someone will throw down way more for it -- about $600k or beyond.

Why's this thing so dang valuable, you may ask??? It's pretty simple actually ... especially when you get a gander at what's inside.

Among the digital files ... a sea of pics showing Pac and his pals behind the scenes, either hanging out and/or working on music and other projects.

Not just that, but we're told there's also a plethora of legal docs that pertained to Tupac that Frank owned ... such as depositions he gave, lawsuits he was named in, among other paperwork. Bottom line ... it's a very valuable collector's item for any hardcore fan.

Virgil Abloh is getting a nod from his hometown, with nothing less than his own day to be recognized going forward ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for the City of Rockford, IL tells TMZ ... city officials are dubbing Wednesday, Dec. 1, as Virgil Abloh Day. There's no real significance in the day itself, we're told, other than them wanting to pay tribute to the Louis Vuitton artistic director as soon as possible.

The rep says Mayor McNamara will make the official announcement tomorrow, where he'll read the proclamation drafted for Virgil Abloh Day.

As for why they're even doing this in the first place ... we're told Rockford brass feel like it's warranted considering VA's impact on the community, especially the youth. The guy set a great example for citizens there, and they want to celebrate his contributions with something legit.

We're told Virgil's family was notified and thrilled with the news, but it's unclear if they'll be in attendance for Wednesday's ceremony.

Like we told you ... Virgil died over the weekend after succumbing to cancer -- a disease he was battling privately for years. His passing sent shockwaves all over the entertainment industry, as the man had lots of friends and influence in high places.

He was 41.

Former UCF football star Otis Anderson Jr. reportedly died on Monday night ... after he was shot during an altercation in Florida.

He was just 23 years old.

According to News4JAX, Anderson Jr. was shot during a domestic dispute that went down at around 9:30 p.m. in Jacksonville -- and he later died at a nearby hospital.

Cops said, according to News4JAX, that a woman was also shot in the altercation, but survived.

Details surrounding the incident are unclear -- but cops did say, according to News4JAX, that it appears all of the people involved were related.

Anderson Jr. -- who's not related to ex-New York Giants star Ottis Anderson -- was an outstanding football player for the Knights from 2017 to 2020.

Playing both wideout and running back, Otis piled up 2,182 rushing yards, 1,025 receiving yards and 26 total touchdowns. He did not get picked in the 2021 NFL Draft, but did sign with the Rams in the offseason.

He remained with L.A. until he was cut in September.

Reports of his death have hit the NFL community hard, with Rams star Jalen Ramsey saying on his Twitter page Tuesday, "Rest in Heaven Otis. We gotta do better on this earth smh. Big prayers up."

Added Dallas Cowboys star rookie Micah Parsons, "S*** sad!! Sending prayers to all."

Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim enjoyed his final days doing what he loved ... checking out theater productions in person, including one of his classic masterpieces.

TMZ obtained this video of Stephen slowly making his way to his seat inside the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in New York City earlier this month, where he saw "Company."

Stephen famously wrote the show's music and lyrics way back in 1970, and the play is going back on Broadway. He was front and center on Nov. 15 for one of the revived play's preview performances.

Folks who were there tell us Stephen looked a little frail but seemed to be in great spirits ... and as you can see in the video, it was an effort for him to get to his seat.

We're told Stephen needed help getting to his feet for the minutes-long standing ovation at the end of the play, but he clapped along from his fifth-row seat.

Stephen's presence was a big deal ... Patti LuPone, who is playing the part of Joanne, couldn't hold back tears as she told Stephen the cast was dedicating the performance that night to him.