Celebrity Death

Matthew Perry went to rehab scores of times but it never stuck, and a new TMZ documentary explores how some of these facilities can do addicts way more harm than good.

TMZ Studios has a new documentary -- "TMZ Investigates Matthew Perry and the Secret Celebrity Drug Ring" -- which airs on FOX Monday night at 9 PM ET and drops Tuesday on Hulu.

The documentary exposes how a ring of doctors, enablers and rehab centers fuel the addiction of celebs, who pay them all a fortune for services that are the opposite of helpful.

Shelley Duvall returned to acting for the last time after two decades away as her health rapidly declined ... 'cause she knew it would offer her unique solace, TMZ has learned.

As we reported, the trailer for the gory indie flick "The Forest Hills" dropped on Friday ... and fans were both psyched and bummed -- seeing the iconic actress in one last flick after her July death.

Her longtime partner Dan Gilroy tells TMZ ... she stepped in front of the camera again because she wanted to feel like an actress a final time -- knowing it would help lift her spirits amid her health battle.

Michaela Mabinty DePrince -- a ballerina who went from war-torn Sierra Leone to international dancing fame -- has died ... according to a statement posted to her Instagram.

A black and white pic of the star was posted to the account ... with a long caption focused on Michaela's "grace, purpose and strength" -- adding she poured her efforts into both her dancing and her humanitarian efforts.

Her team notes how she was only alive for a short time ... but, her legacy will continue to live on with all those who knew her. No cause of death was noted in the post.

Legendary actress and iconic horror star Shelley Duvall made a thrilling comeback in the gory indie flick "The Forest Hills" before her July death -- her first acting gig 22 years after announcing her retirement.

Just in time for Halloween season, the movie's newly released trailer unveils the chilling tale of a man haunted by nightmarish visions of becoming a werewolf, and his strained relationship with Mama -- played by Duvall -- after suffering head trauma camping in New York's Catskill woods.

Shelley told the New York Times earlier this year she'd been itching to return to acting after her 2002 retirement ... and when director Scott Goldberg kept hitting her up about his new project, she decided to sign up.

Sean Higgins just learned he will remain behind bars without bail for the foreseeable future ... following allegations he killed NHL superstar Johnny Gaudreau and his little brother in a drunk driving incident last month.

Judge Michael Silviano made the order just minutes ago inside a New Jersey courtroom ... after an hour-long hearing that featured arguments from prosecutors as well as Higgins' attorneys.

State officials told the judge Higgins should stay in jail ... alleging he's a danger to the community. They stated he has a history of road rage, anger issues and drinking problems ... and they also claimed he might be at risk of self-harm if he were let out.

Benji Gregory's cause of death has been revealed -- ruled an accident by an Arizona medical examiner ... TMZ has learned.

According to the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner, the former child star -- best known for his time on the sitcom "Alf" -- died from heat exposure in the setting of hepatic cirrhosis.

Basically, the hot Arizona sun led to BG's death ... but, he also had scarring of the liver caused by long-term damage to the organ. It's not clear at this time what caused the cirrhosis.

Brooke Mueller hit the tennis court with serious energy this week ... after a tough time recently, with her name tangled up in Matthew Perry's ketamine death investigation.

The actress was rocking full red tennis gear in Malibu, looking like a pro and soaking up the sunshine, showing off her skills on the court.

Brooke was all smiles, serving up aces and sunshine -- her sighting coming after we revealed she was in a rehab facility at the same time with Matthew Perry and Jasveen Sangha -- AKA "Ketamine Queen" -- the woman who allegedly sold the fatal dose to the "Friends" star.

Chad McQueen, who famously played Dutch in the 'Karate Kid' movie franchise, is dead ... TMZ has learned.

Chad died Wednesday at his ranch in Palm Desert, CA as a result of organ failure ... according to his longtime attorney, Arthur Barens.

We're told he had an injury a few years ago which led to progressive organ failure and ultimately killed him.

Johnny Wactor's mom is devastated over the potential 5-year sentence one of the suspects in her son's murder case is facing ... telling TMZ she believes he's got zero remorse for his alleged role in the crime.

Scarlett Wactor tells TMZ she fears Leonel Gutierrez, 18 -- who pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and grand theft charges in connection with the case -- was merely charged with whatever was available for his alleged participation. But, she thinks that's not good enough.

Scarlett believes he'll probably only end up serving 1-2 years due to prison overcrowding ... and then will walk free to live a full life -- something Johnny will never get the chance to do.

Detroit Lions legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Schmidt passed away on Wednesday, the team announced. He was 92 years old.

"Joe Schmidt had the heart of a Lion," team owner Martha Firestone Ford said on Thursday ... "which made it appropriate that he was also the heart of our team."

"Joe was a key part of our Championship seasons and continued to be an important part of our organization until his passing."

Illia "Golem" Yefimchyk -- known by many as "The Mutant," and dubbed the "Most Monstrous Bodybuilder" -- has sadly died following a heart attack.

According to local media in Belarus, "Golem" suffered a heart attack on September 6 while at home with his wife, who tried all she could to save her husband ... performing chest compressions while waiting for first responders to arrive.

Yefimchyk was flown to the hospital by helicopter, where he slipped into a coma. His death was confirmed on Wednesday on social media by @whoisthebestbb.

One of 4 suspects charged in the Johnny Wactor murder case has pled guilty to attempted robbery and grand theft charges.

Leonel Gutierrez, 18, is free on bond while he awaits sentencing in November ... and faces up to 5 years in prison.

The "General Hospital" actor was shot and killed back in May after leaving his job as a bartender in downtown L.A. Prosecutors say he was shot by one of the suspects, Robert Barceleau, in the chest after confronting a group of men allegedly trying to steal the catalytic converter from his car.

Frankie Beverly, the legendary soul singer and founder of the funk band Maze, has died.

The singer’s family announced his death on Facebook Wednesday ... keeping the cause of death private and asking for space as they grieve.

Beverly's said in their statement, "He lived his life with pure soul, as one would say, and for us, no one did it better. He lived for his music, family and friends. Love one another as he would want that for us all."

Peter Renaday -- best known as the original voice of Master Splinter on the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" animated TV show -- has died, TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement tells TMZ cops did a welfare check at Peter’s Burbank home Sunday after receiving a call, and they found him dead inside. The death appears to be natural and isn’t being handled as a medical examiner case.

Peter's niece, Mindy Zachary tells TMZ his cause of death is unclear, but she notes Peter's air conditioning had been out, and with Los Angeles’ recent heatwave, temperatures inside his home in the Valley had reached the 90s.

WWE's Monday Night Raw went down live in Calgary on Monday ... and the wrestling promotion and one of its Superstars paid tribute to the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, after an alleged drunk driver tragically killed the brothers.

The emotional tribute in Calgary -- where Johnny spent the first seven years of his NHL career -- started off with Sami Zayn rockin' a Flames jersey with Gaudreau's number 13 as fans in the arena sang along to his music.

It didn't stop there ... after a segment involving Zayn, WWE kicked it to reporters outside the arena, showing off a massive display fans created outside the arena in honor of the brothers.

Chester Bennington's son Jaime says he's getting death threats from Linkin Park fans after criticizing the band’s controversial lead singer, Emily Armstrong.

Jaime claimed in an IG vid Monday people have been sending him nasty messages, including some telling him to kill himself and questioning whether he truly understands what his dad would want if Chester were alive today.

Jaime highlighted the hypocrisy in their messages, saying if they really understood how his dad died, they’d realize their trolling comments are inappropriate, and way off. Chester died by suicide in 2017.