Last Days Podcast

In honor of International Podcast Day these famous podcasters -- who've plugged into platforms and tapped into the talking trend -- deserve a shout-out! Not only are these Hollywood hosts racking in ratings and follows, but they're laughing all the way to the bank!

Kicking things off with some OG's ... Joe Rogan launched his podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience", back in 2009, Alex Cooper's "Call Her Daddy" has been making big waves as a top-pod on Spotify since 2018, and Joe Budden's "The Joe Budden Podcast" became such a hit, he retired from rapping.

Celebs-turned-podcasters Dax Shepard and Bethenny Frankel joined in with their respective pods and have found the convenience of connecting to viewers and fans from the comfort of a nearby studio ... or even their homes!

Also up on the pod are icons Oprah and Martha Stewart ... so podcasting MUST be where it's at!

You've listened to these celebs spill the tea and drop some mics, but take an even deeper dive into Hollywood's hottest topics and join the conversation with our TMZ podcasts ...

Accompanying TMZ's edgy and exclusive content, "The TMZ Podcast" will inform you on everything surrounding the biggest stories in pop culture. Join Charlie Cotton and company as they deliver the latest on the stories everyone is talking about!

"TMZ Verified" covers the internet's most talked about stories. From viral trends to influencer drama, VERIFIED is your one-stop shop for all things trending. Each week, Wyld Young and Steph Williams breakdown the biggest social media stories, with some of the most popular internet influencers.

Explore the final moments of some of the biggest icons in sports and entertainment with "Last Days"... where the TMZ lawyers break down precisely what led to the passing of figures who were larger than life but somehow even bigger in death.

Pour out a margarita for Jimmy Buffett, the legendary musician is dead.

The "Margaritaville" singer died Saturday surrounded by his friends, family, music and dogs, according to an announcement posted on his website.

The statement read ... "He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many."

We're told Jimmy had been sick for a while, and he was recently receiving hospice care.

As we reported ... Jimmy was forced to cancel a May show in South Carolina after being hospitalized at the last minute for an issue requiring "immediate attention."

The idol of all parrot heads everywhere, Jimmy was also forced to cancel a ton of gigs in 2022 because of health issues and a different hospital stay. He played Jazz Fest in New Orleans in May 2022 but had not been on stage a lot since.

In addition to "Margaritaville," Jimmy's been cranking out hits since the 1970s with classic tunes like "Come Monday," "Cheeseburger in Paradise," "Volcano," "A Pirate Looks at Forty," "Fins," "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" and "Why Don't We Get Drunk" ... just to name a few.

JB also collaborated with Alan Jackson for another huge hit folks love listening to when they pour a drink ... "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere."

Jimmy's brand reached way beyond music and his huge concert following ... he was also the face of the hotel and restaurant chain Margaritaville, and he even turned the experience into a cruise line.

Jimmy was 76.

RIP

Paul Reubens -- the comedic actor best known for playing Pee-wee Herman -- is dead after a private battle with cancer.

Paul died Sunday night, according to a statement posted Monday on his Instagram account ... a statement that revealed, for the first time, the medical crisis with which he'd be dealing -- "Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit."

We're told he had a brain tumor 6 years ago, but doctors were able to surgically remove it ... and it was considered a successful procedure. It's unclear what kind of cancer he'd been diagnosed with most recently.

The comedic icon will forever be remembered for his Pee-wee Herman character, which Paul created in 1978 during an improv exercise with The Groundlings. Paul worked with another comedy legend, the late Phil Hartman, to develop the character.

That led to the eventual launch of the "Pee-wee's Playhouse" TV show in 1986 ... and although it was Saturday morning programming, it became a huge hit with kids and adults.

He also brought the character to the big screen with the film, "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," which was a huge commercial success.

The movie featured a scene with Pee-wee dancing to the 1958 hit song, "Tequila" by The Champs. The character, and that dance, were so beloved ... you can't hear that song without thinking of Pee-wee.

While Pee-wee is his most iconic role, Paul had been doing live comedy routines long before that. In addition to his time in The Groundlings, he made 14 appearances on "The Gong Show" back in the '70s.

He's also done a ton of acting unrelated to Pee-wee -- having roles in movies, like "Blow," "Batman Returns," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Doctor Dolittle" ... as well as hit TV shows like "Murphy Brown," "Ally McBeal" and "Everybody Loves Raymond."

As for his cancer battle -- Paul addressed it in a note he'd written, saying ... "Please accept my apology for not going public with what I've been facing the last six years. I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you."

Paul was 70 years old.

RIP

Sinéad O'Connor's death is prompting an outpouring of love from other artists ... like Pink and Brandi Carlile, who paid their respects with an incredibly moving duet of her signature hit.

The 2 singers joined forces Wednesday night in Cincinnati, where they marked Sinéad's passing by performing "Nothing Compares 2 U" for the crowd at Pink's Summer Carnival tour.

It's a pretty emotional live performance -- the track, written by Prince, is about heartbreak and the feeling of being alone after losing someone ... a fitting song in light of Sinéad's death.

As we reported, Sinéad was found dead in a London home Wednesday morning -- Scotland Yard says cops responded to a report of an unresponsive woman, but nothing was able to be done to save her once they arrived.

Sinéad faced tragedy in recent years, including the death of her 17-year-old son, Shane, who died by suicide last year. A cause of death for the 56-year-old singer has yet to be determined.

Sinéad O'Connor, the acclaimed singer behind "Nothing Compares 2 U" has died.

The Irish Times was first to report the news, without much detail, it's unclear where O'Connor died or the circumstances surrounding her death.

The last few years of Sinéad's life were marked with tragedy, including the death of her son, 17-year-old Shane, who died by suicide in January 2022. Prior to his death, Shane was on suicide watch inside an Irish hospital ... but he'd gone missing from the hospital just two days earlier.

After his death, Sinéad released a statement saying, "My beautiful son, Nevi’im Nesta Ali Shane O'Connor, the very light of my life, decided to end his earthly struggle today and is now with God. May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace."

Sinéad has had her own personal struggles with mental health, she was reported missing and suicidal in Chicago back in 2016 ... but was later found safe. In an interview with Dr. Phil, Sinéad admitted she'd attempted suicide 8 times in one year.

Sinéad's music career kicked off in a big way with the release of "The Lion and the Cobra" -- her first album -- back in 1987. The album earned her a Grammy nom for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and reached gold status.

However, Sinéad's 1990 album, "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" -- which contained her biggest hit, "Nothing Compares 2 U" -- propelled her to stardom. The single, written by Prince, scored her a win for Video of the Year at the MTV Video Awards.

Sinéad continued to record, release and tour music over the next several decades, but announced she was postponing all of her tour dates in 2020 until 2022 to enter a one-year trauma and addiction treatment program. At the time, she stated, "I had a very traumatic six years and this year was the end of it but now recovery starts."

Sinéad announced her retirement from music in June 2021.

She's survived by her three children, Jake, Roisin and Yeshua.

Sinéad was only 56.

RIP

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Conor McGregor was devastated to learn of the passing of musical icon Sinéad O'Connor on Wednesday ... telling TMZ Sports he considered her "an international star and an Irish treasure."

The UFC fighter grew close to the singer throughout his career in the Octagon ... particularly after she sang during his walkout at UFC 189 in Las Vegas.

You'll recall ... during the July 2015 performance, she belted out "The Foggy Dew" -- and many have since considered it one of the best entrances to a UFC fight ever.

In fact, McGregor himself called it "an honor to go out to that" ... adding that it was "go-to-war music."

Following her death this week, McGregor told us in a statement he was absolutely heartbroken.

"The world has lost a beautiful voice and an even more beautiful person," he said. "I am honored to have known her, to have played her music both in and out of the Octagon. God rest Sinéad."

He later added in a tweet, "Ireland has lost an iconic voice and one of our absolute finest, by a long shot."

The Irish Times was first to report the news of O'Connor's passing ... though the circumstances surrounding her death are still unclear.

She was just 56 years old.

Sinéad O'Connor was a mother in agony in the days leading up to her death ... expressing her heartache over her 17-year-old son's suicide, and revealing she was living as an "undead night creature."

O'Connor was very open with her emotions on social media, opening up about Shane's 2022 suicide in a post on July 17. Sinéad wrote, "Been  living as undead  night creature since. . He was the  love of my life, the  lamp of my soul.  We were one soul in two halves. He was the only person  who ever loved me unconditionally. I am lost in the bardo without him."

Shane was clearly always on her mind, in a video posted July 8, the singer showed off her apartment, making note of her own appearance, saying, "I look like s*** either way, which is why I didn't want to make a video ... but you know, the way your kid unfortunately passing away it isn't good for ones body, or soul to be fair."

Shortly after his death in 2022, Sinéad released a statement, saying, "My beautiful son, Nevi’im Nesta Ali Shane O'Connor, the very light of my life, decided to end his earthly struggle today and is now with God. May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace."

As we reported, Sinéad's family told The Irish Times of her death Wednesday in a statement that read, "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”

The singer's had her own battles with mental health over the years, including an incident in 2016 where she went missing and was suicidal in Chicago. She was later located safe.

Sinéad's cause of death is currently unknown.

The father of late music icon Selena Quintanilla is going after a cruise company ... claiming it had no right to set sail as a tribute cruise to his daughter and her legacy.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Abraham Quintanilla Jr. is suing Catalina Classic Cruises over its Cumbia Cruise L.A. trips -- something he says has been dubbed this year as a "Tributo a Selena."

The evening boat cruise apparently takes passengers across Long Beach Bay with music bumping, which presumably would include Selena's hits. The party at sea is fit with 2 dance areas, food, and a couple of full bars.

Abraham says the company's a repeat offender ... claiming it called last year's trip “Cumbia Cruise Homenaje a Selena y La Sonor Dinamita por Maritza y Su Sonora.”

Abraham insists he still controls the rights to Selena's trademarks, name, voice, signature, and likeness in connection to merch and ads, among other things ... and he claims the company never got permission to use them.

He says the use of Selena's name on the cruise has caused substantial confusion and even deceived people into thinking her estate approved the usage -- which he says just isn't true.

Abraham's now seeking to block the use of his famous daughter's name and trademarks and wants the company to fork over any profits the tribute cruises made with her name.

"I love you, Sheik. I love you forever."

That's Sgt. Slaughter on the death of his rival turned stable partner, and most importantly close friend, The Iron Sheik ... who passed away at the age of 81 on Wednesday.

TMZ Sports talked to the WWE Hall of Famer about his friend's passing ... from Sheik's impact on the sport (and some of its biggest stars like Hulk Hogan) to how they met decades ago.

"I met [Sheik] when he was going through the training camp in Minnesota with Verne Gagne, along with Ric Flair," Slaughter explained, talking about his first interaction in the 1970s with the Iranian-born wrestler.

FYI, Gagne was a trainer and promoter who ran the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association (AWA).

Sgt. says he became fast friends with Sheik and the guys even worked together at his dad's roofing company.

The Iron Sheik was one of the greatest heels pro wrestling has ever seen and, although he was playing a character, fans take this seriously. We asked Slaughter if the hate ever got to Sheik.

"Never difficult [on Sheik]. It fueled the fire. It just fueled the fire," the HOF told us.

Slaughter also talked about Sheik's love for his family -- his wife and kids.

"He was a character. I was a character. But we both had families and we loved our families."

Tragically, Sheik lost one of his daughters in the early 2000s ... and despite missing his friend, Sgt. Slaughter, fighting back tears, says he's happy knowing he'll finally be reunited with his child.

"God bless him. He's finally gonna see his daughter that he lost. Love you Sheik. Love you forever."

There has been a slew of tributes to the great Tina Turner in the last few days, but one that really landed was from the man who wrote the song that put the legend front and center for the world to see.

John Fogerty, the frontman for Creedence Clearwater Revival who penned and sang "Proud Mary" -- a big hit for the group in 1969 and a year later a monster hit for Tina -- paid homage to her at a concert in Manchester, England ... and the audience went crazy.

Fogerty and his son, who is on tour with him, sang "Proud Mary" to a packed venue.

As you know, the Creedence version was powerful and steady, while Tina's version was gripping and wild. It's one of her biggest hits and conventional wisdom is that it's the best performative song in Tina's enormous string of iconic hits.

It's pretty amazing ... when Tina was in her 50s, the backup singers/dancers 3 decades younger sometimes had trouble keeping up with her! She was incredible.

Jim Brown, arguably the greatest football player of all time, has died at the age of 87, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

"It is with profound sadness that I announce the passing of my husband, Jim Brown," Monique Brown tells us. "He passed away peacefully last night at our L.A. home. To the world he was an activist, actor and football star."

"To our family, he was a loving and wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Our hearts are broken."

We're told Jim hadn't been doing well ... and was recently visited by several of his close friends including Marshall Faulk, Eric Dickerson and Flavor Flav.

Brown, a first-round pick in 1957 (6th overall), went on to win 3 NFL MVP awards. Jim was named to 8 First Team All-Pro teams over the course of his incredible career. He led the NFL in rushing 8 times, and rushing touchdowns, 5. He won a championship in 1964.

Aside from his prowess on the football field, Brown was also a legendary lacrosse player at Syracuse, where he earned All-American honors.

After his athletic career, Jim went on to star as a Hollywood actor ... in films like "The Dirty Dozen" and "Any Given Sunday."

In addition to his incredible athleticism and talent on the big screen, Jim was also one of the most prominent voices on the civil rights scene.

Brown held the Cleveland Summit in June 1967, in support of Muhammad Ali, who refused to serve in the Vietnam War.

Brown was joined by Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), and others.

The Cleveland Browns released a statement on Friday ... saying, "Legend. Leader. Activist. Visionary."

"It's impossible to describe the profound love and gratitude we feel for having the opportunity to be a small piece of Jim’s incredible life and legacy. We mourn his passing, but celebrate the indelible light he brought to the world."

"Our hearts are with Jim’s family, loved ones, and all those he impacted along the way."

Brown, whose #32 was retired by the Browns, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 ... and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995. He's also a member of the Lacrosse HOF.

Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter also spoke on Brown's passing ... saying, "When Jim Brown’s name was announced in a room, other Hall of Famers stood and applauded him."

"His persona has stood the test of time -- a fearless and dominant football player. Jim will always be remembered as one of pro football’s greatest individuals."

Brown was last seen out in public during Super Bowl weekend ... appearing at the NFL Honors ceremony, where Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders announced the league's annual rushing trophy would be named in his honor.

Flav shared a picture with Brown from that night in his tribute to the legend ... saying, "Today, I lost my mentor and hero. RIP Jim Brown. My deepest sympathies to your wife, Monique and your entire family."

LeBron James also shared a touching post in Brown's honor ... saying, "We lost a hero today. Rest in Paradise to the legend Jim Brown."

"I hope every Black athlete takes the time to educate themselves about this incredible man and what he did to change all of our lives. We all stand on your shoulders Jim Brown."

Brown's life off the field was not without controversy -- he was arrested over numerous allegations of violence against women spanning several decades. He was charged with rape, sexual battery and assault in 1985, although the case was later dismissed.

Brown was also busted for smashing the windows of his wife's car in 1999 ... and served three months behind bars after skipping mandatory domestic violence counseling.

R.I.P.

We discussed Jim Brown's legacy in a recent episode of the Last Days Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Paul Walker's only child, Meadow Walker, is taking the torch from her late father ... making a cameo in the latest chapter of the 'Fast and Furious' franchise.

Meadow is making her first appearance in one of the 'FF' movies, sharing a preview Thursday of her cameo in the upcoming "Fast X."

Paul's daughter was only 1 year old when the OG "The Fast and the Furious" was released ... and Meadow says she grew up on set watching her dad, Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris and others on the monitors.

Meadow says ... "Thanks to my dad, I was born into the fast family. I can't believe now I get to be up there too. With those who have been around to see me grow up."

Paul's daughter adds ... "I am so blessed to be able to honor my father's legacy and share this with him forever."

Meadow thanked director Louis Leterrier for getting her involved in the franchise. Louis is also set to direct 'Fast & Furious 11' so it will be interesting to see if Meadow gets another cameo.

Jerry Springer and his family chose to keep his cancer battle hidden from the public so his health struggle wouldn't become a burden to many of those who cared so deeply about him ... TMZ has learned.

Jene Galvin, a rep for the Springer family, tells us Jerry was sick for months, running through a series of tests, but only recently found out just how dire his pancreatic cancer diagnosis actually was.

Galvin says Jerry's always been a fairly private person, but he and his family thought it was especially important to keep his cancer private, as they didn't want to worry other people. Instead, Jerry's family shifted their entire focus to aiding with his care, which became extremely time-consuming.

We're told Jerry knew his time was limited -- given the severity and type of cancer -- so he made a point to spend as much time with his loved ones as possible.

Jene says there was only a small circle of people outside of family -- including Jene and Jerry's friend Louis Beck -- who knew about the cancer.

As we first told you, Jerry's longtime friend and partner on TV, Steve Wilkos, told us he and Jerry shared a cigar and some memories about a month ago. Steve says he had no idea Jerry was sick, but looking back on the moment -- he believes it was Jerry's way of saying goodbye.

While Jene tells us Jerry had not designated a specific organization he wanted fans to donate to after his death, he believes a place like The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is doing good work toward finding a cure.

Steve Wilkos is opening up about his final time seeing Jerry Springer -- a night they both got very emotional -- but he says his dear friend never let on that he was battling cancer.

Steve, who spent 10 seasons working on "The Jerry Springer Show" from '94 to '07, joined "TMZ Live" Thursday ... after news broke his longtime boss and close pal passed away.

He says he and Jerry just hung out about a month ago, and while Jerry didn't mention his pancreatic cancer diagnosis ... Steve says he might have "been saying goodbye to me." He told us Jerry "hugged me like he never hugged me before," and they reminisced about the good old times ... something they rarely ever did.

As we reported, Jerry died at the age of 79, Thursday at his home in the Chicago area, and will forever be remembered for his bombastic talk show -- which ran for 27 years and eventually helped Steve start his very own show.

Other than his father, Steve says no one had a bigger impact on his life than Jerry. He credits JS for giving him his career ... and even his wife!

Steve was a retired cop when he was hired, in 1994, as a security guard for the 'Springer Show.' His immense popularity there led to him launching "The Steve Wilkos Show" in 2007, and is now in its 16th season.

Through all the ups and downs, Steve says Jerry was always in his corner, and even at their last get together last month ...he believed his good friend would outlive him.