Celebrity Death

Shannen Doherty -- best known for her starring role in "Beverly Hills, 90210" has died in Malibu, California, TMZ has confirmed.

Her rep, Leslie Sloane, tells TMZ ... "It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease."

Sloane continued ... "The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace."

12:18 PM PT -- The Jones family just released a statement to the NFLPA that Jacoby died "peacefully" at his New Orleans, Louisiana home.

"The family, including his mother, Emily and his son, Little Jacoby, are together and are asking for your prayers, privacy, and support as they navigate through this difficult time."

Former NFL star receiver Jacoby Jones -- who won Super Bowl XLVII with the Baltimore Ravens -- has passed away. He was only 40.

Ex-NFL quarterback Matt Leinart, and Jones' former teammate, confirmed the devastating news on Sunday, saying he's heartbroken over Jacoby's death.

"His laugh and just bigger-than-life personality will be something I'll always remember," Leinart said, "RIP brother."

Shifty Shellshock's loved ones are honoring him in a big way ... with plans for his celebration of life underway, TMZ has learned how they're going to show their love.

Ilya Krokav -- a close childhood friend of Shifty -- tells TMZ ... they're holding the celebration sometime in the next month or so in Los Angeles for friends and family ... but it will also be open to fans.

They're still searching for a venue, and looking at places that will hold a few hundred people. We are told they have not yet finalized what the musical tribute is going to look like.

2:46 PM PT -- We're told Richard Simmons fell in the bathroom in his home, though it's unclear if that's where the housekeeper found him.

LAPD's elite Robbery Homicide Division responded to his house because this is a high-profile death though they still do not suspect foul play.

2:10 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources say Richard took a fall last night, which may be connected to his passing.

Richard Simmons -- the legendary fitness guru -- has died at 76 ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... police and fire responded to a call from his housekeeper just before 10 AM Saturday and pronounced him dead at the scene. We're told no foul play is suspected at this time, and cops are investigating it as a natural death.

Shockingly, RS posted multiple times on Facebook recently ... including thanking fans for all the birthday wishes he received.

Ruth Westheimer -- better known as the legendary TV sex therapist Dr. Ruth -- has died in New York City.

The German-born, Jewish Holocaust survivor passed away at her home on Friday, according to her rep, Pierre Lehu, who declined to give a cause of death.

In the '80's, Dr. Ruth had a huge following on NYC radio network WYNY with her first call-in show, "Sexually Speaking," which led to her success in television as well.

The feds probing Matthew Perry's death are "confident" they have the goods to take down the people who helped him obtain the ketamine that contributed to his death ... TMZ has learned.

DEA agents launched their Perry death investigation after the L.A. County Medical Examiner determined the "Friends" star died from drowning in his hot tub after taking ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic that has some hallucinogenic effects.

Our sources tell us ... the feds are aiming to charge the suspects with drug distribution resulting in death or great bodily injury, which carries a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison.

The 2024 ESPYs paid tribute Thursday night to the many great athletes who passed away in the last 12 months ... but one name was notably left out -- O.J. Simpson.

The annual award show took place at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles ... and as they do every year, ESPN officials ran their "In Memoriam" segment to reflect on the stars the sports world lost since the last iteration of the event.

Willie Mays, Jerry West, Larry Allen and Bill Walton, among others, were shouted out during the impactful portion of the show. Simpson, however, was not.

Dave Loggins, a country singer and songwriter who wrote the theme song for the Masters golf tournament, is dead.

Dave died Wednesday in Nashville ... according to an obituary in The Tennessean.

The cause of death is unclear, but Dave was said to be in hospice care when he passed.

Shelley Duvall, who famously co-starred in "The Shining," is dead after a painful battle with diabetes.

Dan Gilroy, Shelley's life partner for decades, tells TMZ ... he found Shelley unresponsive in their home in Texas at 7 AM Thursday. He says Shelley had been under hospice care, and bedridden, for the last few months while dealing with complications from diabetes. He says she died in her sleep.

Shelley had the unforgettable role of Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" -- she was on the other side of the door when Jack Nicholson smashes through the door with an ax, yelling ... "Here's Johnny!"

Benji Gregory -- best known as the child star on the sitcom "Alf" -- has passed away ... TMZ can reveal.

The actor's sister Rebecca tells TMZ her brother was found dead in his car at a Chase Bank parking lot in Peoria, AZ, on June 13.

His death certificate confirms that date, and the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office tells us Benji's cause of death is still pending.

Sam Rubin had a massive blockage of his coronary artery ... according to the L.A. County Medical Examiner's report on his death.

The M.E.'s Office says it determined KTLA's famed entertainment reporter officially died of ischemic heart disease due to atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. Translation: Sam suffered a heart attack due to the blockage.

As TMZ first reported ... Sam was rushed to UCLA West Hills Hospital back in May, and we were told he had gone into full cardiac arrest while at home.

Joe Bonsall, the longtime tenor for the iconic country/gospel group The Oak Ridge Boys, is dead.

Joe died Tuesday as a result of complications from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) ... according to a statement from his band.

He had been battling ALS -- also known as Lou Gehrig's disease -- for more than 4 years ... and in January he announced he was dropping out of the group's farewell tour.

Joan Benedict -- known for TV favorites like "General Hospital" and "Candid Camera" -- has died.

A family spokesperson announced Monday that Joan, who was the widow of actor Rod Steiger, died on June 24 at L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center due to complications from a stroke.

Joan had a remarkable career, kicking things off in the 1950s with "Candid Camera" ... where one of her most famous moments was playfully tickling men with her feathered hat as they sat next to her.

Sam Worthington's showing love for the late, great producer Jon Landau ... lauding his leadership abilities -- and, referring to their hit movie "Avatar."

The actor shared a statement with Deadline early Sunday in honor of producer Jon Landau who passed away Saturday ... saying JL was a passionate producer who led with humor, strength and compassion.

And, Worthington's honoring him through what they made together too ... writing, "The People say all energy is borrowed and someday you have to give it back. I see you, Jon.” The Na’vi -- the main alien tribe from their hit movies "Avatar" and "Avatar: The Way of Water" -- are also known as "The People."

Judy Belushi-Pisano -- an actress and producer who was married to legendary comedian John Belushi -- has died ... according to posts on John's official social media.

A Facebook and Instagram post shared early Saturday morning announced the tragic news ... saying Judy recently passed away while lauding her for her creative genius and for honoring John in the decades following his overdose death.

The social media posts also mention Judy's involvement with "The Blues Brothers" -- the iconic musical-comedy film starring JB and Dan Aykroyd which Judy was helping to make into a television series, according to IMDb. No cause of death has been revealed.

A piece of Willie Mays' historic career is hitting the auction block ... and the winning bid could end up being a fortune!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... Mays' game-worn and autographed threads from the 1969 All-Star Game -- when Mays played for the San Francisco Giants -- are up for grabs via Heritage Auctions.

The No. 24 gray, orange and black jersey features the SF name on the front ... with a sweet John Hancock from the "Say Hey Kid" himself. It also has "Mays 42/3 1969" and the "W.A. Goodman & Sons" label on the front tail.