Celebrity Death

Henry Winkler is applauding legendary producer Norman Lear for making an enormous impact on America's TV landscape, and even bigger ... on American society.

Being a TV icon himself, "The Fonz" joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live," and admitted it's not easy to find the right words to describe someone like Norman, who accomplished so much in life, with "grace, intelligence, and fun."

Henry shared an anecdote about Norman's 101st birthday party, where someone asked how he felt about reaching that age, and he wittily responded ... "Not as good as I'll be at 102!"

His point being, Norman -- who passed away Tuesday -- was always a forward-thinking guy, who used his art to help Americans see the best and worst in themselves ... tackling topics like homosexuality, racism, the Vietnam War and women's rights -- which had never been done before on TV.

As for Henry ... well, his memoir, "Being Henry: The Fonz ... and Beyond," is approaching one month on the New York Times Bestseller list -- and after 50 years in showbiz, he told us why he's just now discovering his true self.

Norman Lear, el icono de la televisión que tuvo un impacto sísmico en la cultura estadounidense y el cambio social, ha muerto.

Lear murió en su casa de Los Ángeles el martes por causas naturales, según su publicista.

No hay manera de exagerar la importancia de Lear en los medios de comunicación y más allá. Él creó "All in the Family" y fue más que innovador cuando se estrenó en 1971 ... un espectáculo sobre un intolerante, tipo de cuello azul con una familia que no se alinean con sus puntos de vista. El personaje que creó, Archie Bunker, era a la vez despreciable y, en ocasiones, adorable.

La serie abordó temas nunca antes tocados en televisión... como la homosexualidad, el racismo, la guerra de Vietnam, el racismo y los derechos de la mujer. Archie se enemistó con George Jefferson, que se hizo tan popular que Lear creó otro éxito monstruoso: "Los Jefferson". Asimismo, otro personaje, Maude, interpretado por Bea Arthur, se convirtió en otro spinoff de éxito.

Esa es sólo una pequeña lista de los éxitos de Lear... otros incluyen "Sanford and Son", "Good Times", "One Day at a Time" y "Diff'rent Strokes".

Lear tenía un don único para crear humor en torno a temas sociales y políticos delicados. En resumen, cambió la televisión y la cultura estadounidense.

Fue un activista hasta su muerte... un liberal acérrimo que en su día se enfrentó a la conservadora Mayoría Moral. Fue un crítico acérrimo de Donald Trump.

Su familia dijo en un comunicado: "Gracias por la conmovedora efusión de amor y apoyo en honor de nuestro maravilloso esposo, padre y abuelo. Norman vivió una vida de creatividad, tenacidad y empatía".

Amaba profundamente a nuestro país y pasó toda su vida ayudando a preservar sus ideales fundacionales de justicia e igualdad para todos. Conocerle y quererle ha sido el mayor regalo".

Lear deja atrás a su tercera esposa, Lyn Davis, seis hijos y cuatro nietos.

Lear tenía 101 años y los vivió bien.

Norman Lear, the TV icon who had a seismic impact on American culture and social change, has died.

Lear died at his home in L.A. Tuesday of natural causes, according to his publicist.

There is no way to overstate Lear's importance in media and beyond. He created "All in the Family" and it was more than groundbreaking when it debuted in 1971 ... a show about a bigoted, blue-collar dude with a family that did not align with his views. The character he created, Archie Bunker, was both despicable and, at times, loveable.

The show tackled issues never touched before on TV ... including homosexuality, racism, the Vietnam War, racism and women's rights. Archie became frenemies with George Jefferson, who became so popular Lear created another monster hit -- "The Jeffersons." Likewise, another character, Maude, played by Bea Arthur, became yet another hit spinoff.

That's just a short list of Lear's hits ... others include "Sanford and Son," "Good Times," "One Day at a Time," and "Diff'rent Strokes."

Lear had a unique knack for creating humor around touchy social and political issues. In short, he changed TV and American culture.

He was an activist until he died ... a staunch liberal who once took on the conservative Moral Majority. He was a die-hard critic of Donald Trump.

His family said in a statement, "Thank you for the moving outpouring of love and support in honor of our wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Norman lived a life of creativity, tenacity, and empathy.

They continued, "He deeply loved our country and spent a lifetime helping to preserve its founding ideals of justice and equality for all. Knowing and loving him has been the greatest gift."

Lear leaves behind his third wife, Lyn Davis, six kids and four grandkids.

Lear was 101 and lived those years well.

Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female justice on the Supreme Court, has died.

Justice O'Connor passed away Friday morning in Phoenix, AZ ... the court announced her death in a statement, saying she died, "of complications related to advanced dementia, probably Alzheimer’s, and a respiratory illness."

O'Connor made history in 1981 when she was appointed to the High Court by President Ronald Reagan. She was considered a moderate conservative, and often made the difference on the 9-person Court when it came to momentous decisions.

The Stanford Law School grad tackled the biggest social issues in the country, including abortion, affirmative action, and even presidential elections. She voted in 2000 to stop the recount in Florida in the race between Al Gore and George W. Bush ... her vote was part of the majority that secured Bush's election.

After leaving the Court in 2006, she bemoaned how it had swung way to the right, undoing some of her decisions over her 24-year tenure.

Chief Justice John Roberts said of Justice O'Connor, "A daughter of the American Southwest, Sandra Day O’Connor blazed an historic trail as our Nation’s first female Justice. She met that challenge with undaunted determination, indisputable ability, and engaging candor.”

Five women have followed in O'Connor's footsteps ... Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

O'Connor was 93.

Shane MacGowan, founder and frontman for The Pogues, is dead ... according to his wife, Victoria Mary Clarke.

Victoria announced Shane's death early Thursday morning. Although she hasn't mentioned a cause of death, Shane had reportedly been recently diagnosed with encephalitis and discharged from a Dublin hospital.

Shane formed The Pogues in 1982, amid London's punk scene, with fellow members Peter "Spider" Stacy, Jem Finer and James Fearnley. The original band name was Pogue Mahone, a Celtic phrase that translates to "kiss my arse" -- as the name portends, they played Celtic folk music, but with a punk attitude.

The band first gained popularity opening for The Clash in 1984, and eventually worked with Elvis Costello ... who produced some of their early records. The Pogues' biggest mainstream success came with their hit, "Fairytale of New York" in 1987.

The Christmas-themed track has become a holiday staple -- especially in the UK -- so, there's something poetic about Shane passing at this time of year.

He was actually kicked out of the band in 1991, following a legendarily chaotic live performance at a festival in Japan -- and, after recording one more album, The Pogues broke up.

Shane eventually got the band back together for a successful reunion tour in 2001.

Victoria said of Shane, "I am blessed beyond words to have met him and to have loved him and to have been so endlessly and unconditionally loved by him.”

Shane was 65.

Former child star Evan Ellingson's official cause of death has been revealed ... and fentanyl is to blame.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department finished its investigation, telling TMZ the late actor died from an accidental fentanyl overdose.

We broke the story ... Evan was found dead Nov. 5 at a sober-living home in San Bernardino County, officials said there was no foul play involved and law enforcement found drug paraphernalia at the scene.

Cops looked at the case as a possible OD ... and Ellingson's autopsy and toxicology report revealed fentanyl as the culprit.

While Ellingson struggled with drugs in the past, his father Michael told us he was doing better as of late.

Evan is best remembered starring opposite Cameron Diaz in the 2009 movie, "My Sister's Keeper," where he plays her teenage son. Ellingson was also famous for his recurring role as Kyle Harmon on "CSI: Miami" ... appearing in 18 episodes over 3 years.

La causa oficial de muerte de la ex estrella infantil Evan Ellingson ha sido revelada y el culpable es el fentanilo.

El Departamento del Sheriff del Condado de San Bernardino terminó su investigación y le dijo a TMZ que el fallecido actor murió de una sobredosis accidental de fentanilo.

Fuimos los primeros en contar la historia, Evan fue encontrado sin vida el 5 de noviembre en una casa para personas que lidian con la adicción al alcohol en el condado de San Bernardino. Las autoridades dijeron que no había delitos violentos involucrados y la policía encontró parafernalia de drogas en la escena.

Los policías miraron el caso como una posible sobredosis y la autopsia de Ellingson y el informe toxicológico reveló que el fentanilo fue el responsable.

Aunque Ellingson había estado luchando con las drogas en el pasado, su padre Michael nos dijo que estaba mucho mejor en el último tiempo.

Evan es mejor recordado por la película junto a Cameron Diaz, "My Sister's Keeper", de 2009, en donde interpreta a su hijo adolescente. Ellingson también fue famoso por su papel como Kyle Harmon en "CSI: Miami". Apareció en 18 episodios en 3 años.

8:23 PM PT -- TMZ has confirmed Jean passed away Wednesday, and we've confirmed the authenticity of the press release circulating on social media ... which we're told comes from her family. Her publicist also tells us Jean died from natural causes.

Her family released a statement, which notes her long storied career which started at JetStream Records and eventually jumped to Stax Records ... and all the tunes she produced in between, ending with her starting her own label (Comstar).

The statement ends ... "Jean Knight's legacy is not just a musical one; it is a testament to the enduring love between an artist, her hometown, and the fans who adored her. As we bid farewell to this iconic soulstress, New Orleans and her global fan base join together in gratitude for the indelible mark she left on the world." The family requests privacy at this time.

Jean Knight -- most famous for her hit 'Mr. Big Stuff' -- has died ... this according to reports.

An unattributed press release purporting to be the soul singer and New Orleans native's obituary is making the rounds online -- and if it's to be believed ... it says JK passed away last Wednesday, although the circumstances surrounding her death are unclear for now.

Knight's 1971 song is easily her biggest claim to fame, but it's a huge contribution to music and pop culture. 'Mr. Big Stuff' not only performed incredibly well on the charts when it came out -- including five weeks at #1 on the Billboard Soul Singles chart, and peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 -- but it ended up being featured in numerous films and TV shows.

Just a handful of series that used 'MBS' ... 'Family Guy,' 'black-ish,' 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,' 'Everwood' and 'The Deuce' -- just to name a few. On the movie front, it got played in Will Ferrell's 'Semi-Pro.' Beyond that ... the track got remixed/sampled a ton over the years.

Some of that notable acts who flipped this gem ... Heavy D & The Boyz, Eazy-E, TLC, Queen Latifah, Everclear, Girl Talk, Beastie Boys and John Legend. 'Mr. Big Stuff' had also been covered a handful of times ... famously by Precious Metal, Lyn Collins and many others.

Jean had recorded lots of other songs throughout her career ... but none ever reached the success of 'Big Stuff.' Some of her other notable singles ... "My Toot Toot," "You Think You're Hot Stuff," "Carry On," "Helping Man," "Do Me," "Jesse Joe (You Got to Go)" ... and more.

She was 80.

RIP

John F. Kennedy fue asesinado hace 60 años, e incluso con todos los años que han pasado la gente sigue fascinada por la historia y algunos están dispuestos a pagar mucho dinero por algunos recuerdos morbosos del suceso.

Algunos objetos relacionados con el caso salieron recientemente a subasta a través de RR Auction, y un puñado de ellos se vendieron por mucho dinero, estamos hablando de cinco cifras. Un objeto en particular se vendió por mucho e incluía muestras de cuero manchado con sangre de la limusina de JFK.

De hecho, dos grandes parches que fueron cortados directamente desde el interior del carro donde fue baleado el presidente Kennedy, y que estaban cubiertos de sus fluidos corporales, terminó vendiéndose por una tonelada de dinero. La cantidad final... ¡46.865 dólares!

Hubo otros recuerdos que se fueron por una buena suma, como el revólver de propiedad personal de Lee Harvey Oswald ($31k) e incluso la bala con que Jack Ruby le disparó a Lee Harvey Oswald ($18k).

También se subastaron objetos un poco más extravagantes, como por ejemplo, una sección de la valla que estaba alineada con el infame montículo de hierba que ha estado en el centro de las teorías conspirativas del asesinato de JFK... y estos viejos palos alcanzaron la suculenta suma de $13.740.

Otro punto a destacar, el recibo de la llamada telefónica de Oswald desde la cárcel de Dallas que ocurrió después del suceso. Este muestra que trató de llamar a un abogado en Nueva York, con el que nunca pudo contactarse. Luego, recibió un disparo y murió.

John F. Kennedy was assassinated 60 years ago, and even all these years later -- folks are fascinated by the story ... and some are willing to pay big bucks for morbid memorabilia.

Some items tied to the case recently hit the auction block through RR Auction, and a handful of 'em went for a pretty penny -- we're talking five figures here. One particular JFK collectible that sold for a helluva lot included swatches of bloodstained leather ... from the limo.

Indeed ... 2 large patches that were cut straight from inside the car where President Kennedy was shot -- and which were covered in his bodily fluids -- ended up going for a ton of dough. The final amount ... $46,865!

There were other keepsakes that went for a high dollar amount ... like Lee Harvey Oswald's personally-owned revolver ($31k) and even the bullet Jack Ruby fired at LHO ($18k).

Some other standouts, however, are a little quirkier -- such as a section of the picket fence that was lining the infamous grassy knoll that's been at the center of JFK assassination conspiracy theories for years ... and these old sticks fetched a whopping $13,740.

Another highlight ... Oswald's jail phone call receipt from the Dallas jail he was held at in the aftermath. It shows he he was trying to call an attorney in New York, but was never able to reach him -- something he actually paid for before getting shot and killed.

Retired Los Angeles Lakers star Michael Cooper's brother, Mickey Cooper, was tragically shot and killed this weekend at a local L.A. park.

Police in Pasadena responded to the area on Washington Boulevard around 4 AM early Saturday morning, where they found 64-year-old Mickey unresponsive with gunshot wounds.

Law enforcement has not commented on motive ... as they continue to investigate the shooting. No arrests have been made.

Adding to the tragic nature of the incident, Michael says he and Mickey grew up hooping on the court where he was ultimately killed.

67-year-old Cooper was a mainstay for the Showtime Lakers in the 1980s, winning 5 championships alongside teammates like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

In addition to the handful of championship rings, Michael was one of the most accomplished defensive players in the NBA, making 8 All-NBA Defensive teams, and winning the league's Defensive Player of the Year award in '87.

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter -- who'd long been married to former President Jimmy Carter -- has died ... according to the family's foundation.

The Carter Center broke the news Sunday, writing ... "Our co-founder, former U.S. First Lady Rosalynn Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia." In a lengthier statement, they went on to explain that she passed peacefully at home with her family by her side.

The news comes just a couple days after Rosalynn entered hospice care -- which her husband had actually entered as well earlier this year. She'd also recently been diagnosed with dementia.

Rosalynn served the country well while Pres. Carter was in the White House in the '70s -- and her legacy stands as someone with astute political intuition ... not to mention fine work for the American people while in office, especially in regard to mental health awareness.

By most accounts, she was one of the modern First Ladies to truly step into a public role and help shape an administration -- something all First Ladies have continued since.

Of course, her and Jimmy's humanitarian work post-presidency has been widely praised as well -- she and her hubby were the longest married presidential couple in U.S. history.

She's survived by President Carter, their four children and her grandchildren. Rosalynn was 96.

George "Funky" Brown -- the key drummer and one of the founding members of Kool & The Gang -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the legendary musician died from cancer at his home in Los Angeles Thursday night, ending his amazing 59-year career as a songwriter and drummer for the legendary funk band. He'd been battling stage-4 cancer.

A rep for the group tells TMZ, "George Brown died November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles after a battle with cancer. Brown has co-written many of the band's iconic songs, including "Ladies Night," "Too Hot," "Jungle Boogie," "Celebration," and "Cherish." When asked to describe his music, Brown always replied, 'The sound of happiness.'"

GB had been diagnosed with lung cancer, and actually recovered for a while before hitting the road again to tour and perform -- but he suffered another setback this year when the cancer returned. George chronicled his health struggles last month with KCAL News.

George and the rest of the group came together in 1964 to create the supergroup in Jersey City, NJ. The other founding members included brothers Robert Bell (bass) and Ronald Bell (keyboards), Dennis Thomas (saxophone), Robert Mickens (Trumpet), Ricky West (keyboards) and Charles Smith (guitarist).

The band landed their first recording deal with De-Lite Records, cranking out their debut album titled, "Kool & The Gang," in 1969.

But they didn't reach stardom until 1973 when they released their fourth record called "Wild And Peaceful," featuring some of their biggest songs like "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging."

They followed up with a string of super successful records named "Ladies Night" (1979), "Celebrate!" (1980) and "Emergency" (1984), which sold a whopping 2 million albums in the U.S. alone. All three records produced a slew of very popular tunes, including "Celebration," which rocketed to number one on the charts.

Over the years, Kool & The Gang has been widely recognized in the music industry, snagging 2 Grammy Awards, 7 American Music Awards, a Music Business Association Chairman's Award and a Soul Train Legend Award. They were also given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Robert "Kool" Bell is the only surviving original member of the band.

A spokesperson says donations can be made in his honor to the Lung Cancer Society of America.

Brown is survived by his wife, Hanh Brown and his 5 children.

George "Funky" Brown, el baterista y uno de los miembros fundadores de Kool And The Gang, ha fallecido, según ha indagado TMZ.

Fuentes con conocimiento directo nos dicen que el legendario músico murió de cáncer en su casa de Los Ángeles el jueves por la noche, poniendo fin a su increíble carrera de 59 años como compositor y baterista de la legendaria banda de funk. El músico había estado luchando contra un cáncer en fase 4.

Un representante del grupo le dice a TMZ: "George Brown murió el 16 de noviembre de 2023 en Los Ángeles después de una batalla contra el cáncer. Brown coescribió muchas de las canciones icónicas de la banda, incluyendo "Ladies Night", "Too Hot", "Jungle Boogie", "Celebration" y "Cherish". Cuando le pedían que describiera su música, Brown siempre respondía: 'El sonido de la felicidad'".

A George Brown había sido diagnosticado con un cáncer de pulmón, y de hecho se recuperó durante un tiempo antes de salir de nuevo al ruedo para hacer giras y actuaciones, pero este año sufrió otro revés cuando su cáncer reapareció. George hizo una crónica de sus problemas de salud el mes pasado con KCAL News.

George y el resto de la banda se reunieron en 1964 en Jersey City, donde crearon el supergrupo. Entre los otros miembros fundadores estaban los hermanos Robert Bell (bajo) y Ronald Bell (teclados), Dennis Thomas (saxofón), Robert Mickens (trompeta), Ricky West (teclados) y Charles Smith (guitarrista).

El grupo consiguió su primer contrato discográfico con De-Lite Records y en 1969 publicó su álbum debut, titulado "Kool And The Gang".

Pero no alcanzaron el estrellato, sino hasta 1973, cuando publicaron su cuarto disco "Wild And Peaceful", con algunas de sus canciones más importantes: "Jungle Boogie" y "Hollywood Swinging".

Siguieron con una serie de discos de super éxitos, como "Ladies Night" (1979), "Celebrate!" (1980) y "Emergency" (1984). Vendieron dos millones de álbumes solo en Estados Unidos. Los tres discos produjeron un montón de canciones muy populares, entre ellas "Celebration", que se disparó hasta el número uno de las listas de éxitos.

A lo largo de los años, Kool And The Gang ha sido ampliamente reconocida en la industria musical, con dos premios Grammy, siete American Music Awards, un Music Business Association Chairman's Award y un Soul Train Legend Award. También recibieron una estrella en el Paseo de la Fama de Hollywood.

Robert 'Kool' Bell es el único miembro de la banda que sigue vivo.

De acuerdo a un portavoz, se pueden hacer donaciones en su honor a la organización Lung Cancer Society of America.

A Brown le sobreviven su esposa, Hanh Brown y sus cinco hijos.

11:37 AM PT -- Lisa Kudrow just posted her tribute to Matthew Perry, remembering their time on the "Friends" pilot and thanking him for the decade they spent working together on set.

In her social media post, Lisa says ... "Thank you for showing up at work when you weren't well and then, being completely brilliant. Thank you for the best 10 years a person gets to have."

Lisa adds ... "Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for all I learned about GRACE and LOVE through knowing you. Thank you for the time I got to have with you, Matthew."

Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer are following their fellow "Friends" costars in honoring the death of their pal, Matthew Perry ... saying the loss is one that cuts incredibly deep.

The 2 shared their emotional thoughts on Instagram Wednesday morning -- Jennifer says she's been experiencing an "insane wave of emotions" since losing her friend ... adding, "We loved him deeply. He was such a part of our DNA."

She says Matthew loved making others laugh, and shared a screenshot from a conversation they had over text ... in which Matthew sent Jennifer a throwback photo of them on set, with her laughing while they talked -- writing to her, "Making you laugh just made my day."

Jennifer ends her post, saying "I love you so much and I know you are now completely at peace and out of any pain. I talk to you every day… sometimes I can almost hear you saying 'could you BE any crazier?' Rest little brother. You always made my day ..."

David shared similar thoughts about the late actor -- writing, "You had heart. Which you were generous with, and shared with us, so we could create a family out of six strangers."

He says Matthew's comedic timing and delivery were unmatched ... claiming he could bend a simple line of dialogue and turn it into "something so entirely original and unexpectedly funny it still astonishes."

As we reported, Courteney Cox opened up about Matthew on Tuesday, saying she's "grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day."

Matt LeBlanc did much of the same ... writing, "It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend. I will always smile when I think of you and I'll never forget you. Never."

The entire "Friends" gang was in attendance at Matthew's funeral service earlier this month ... saying goodbye to one of their closest people.

We discussed Matthew's legacy on a recent episode of Last Days, available on all podcast platforms.

11:37 AM PT -- Lisa Kudrow acaba de publicar su homenaje personal a Matthew Perry, recordando su tiempo en el piloto de "Friends" y dándole las gracias por la década que pasaron trabajando juntos en el set.

En su post, Lisa dice: "Gracias por aparecer en el trabajo cuando no estabas bien y luego, ser completamente brillante. Gracias por los mejores 10 años que una persona puede tener".

Añade: "Gracias por confiar en mí. Gracias por todo lo que aprendí sobre la GRACIA y el AMOR al conocerte. Gracias por el tiempo que pude pasar contigo, Matthew".

Jennifer Aniston y David Schwimmer están siguiendo a sus compañeros de "Friends". Los actores también están rindiendo homenaje a su amigo Matthew Perry, diciendo que su pérdida es una que duele profundamente.

Los dos compartieron sus emotivos pensamientos en Instagram el miércoles. Jennifer dice que ha estado viviendo una "ola de emociones" desde la pérdida de su amigo y agregó: "Lo amábamos profundamente. Él era una parte de nuestro ADN".

Dice que Matthew amaba hacer reír a los demás y compartió una captura de pantalla de una conversación que tuvieron por mensaje de texto, en la que Matthew le envió una foto de ellos en el set, escribiéndole: "Hacerte reír, simplemente me hizo el día."

Jennifer termina su post, diciendo: "Te amo tanto y sé que ahora estás completamente en paz y fuera de cualquier dolor. Hablo contigo todos los días, a veces casi puedo oírte decir '¿podrías ESTAR más loca?". Descansa hermanito. Siempre me alegraste el día..."

David compartió pensamientos similares. Dice: "Tenías corazón. Con el que fuiste generoso y compartiste con nosotros para que pudiéramos crear una familia de seis extraños".

Dice que su talento para la comedia y su entrega eran inigualables, afirmando que podía tomar una simple línea de diálogo y convertirla en "algo completamente original e inesperadamente divertido que todavía asombra".

Como informamos, Courteney Cox se abrió sobre Matthew el martes, diciendo que está "agradecida por cada momento que tuvo" con Matty y que "lo extraña todos los días".

Matt LeBlanc hizo lo mismo, escribiendo: "Fue un honor compartir el escenario contigo y llamarte mi amigo. Siempre sonreiré cuando piense en ti y nunca te olvidaré. Nunca".