Anne Heche Dead at 53

UPDATE

11:46 AM PT -- A rep for Anne's family tells TMZ ... "We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend. Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact."

Anne Heche has died from injuries she suffered last Friday after driving her car through a Los Angeles home ... her rep tells TMZ Anne is "brain dead" and under California law that is the definition of death.

The rep adds life support machines are keeping Anne's heart beating for the purpose of preserving her organs for donations, however, the rep made it clear ... Anne has no brain function.

The actress died Friday at an L.A.-area hospital ... she was rushed there in a coma, in critical condition and never regained consciousness. We're told she suffered a severe anoxic brain injury -- complete oxygen deprivation to the brain.

Anne had a long and successful career in Hollywood, getting her start playing Vicky Hudson and Marley Love in the soap, "Another World," winning a Daytime Emmy.

When Anne moved over to the big screen, she landed roles in some huge movies ... including "Donnie Brasco," "Volcano," "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Six Days Seven Nights," "Return to Paradise," the "Psycho" remake and "Wag the Dog."

Anne also starred in a number of TV shows, like "Men in Trees," "Hung," "Aftermath" and "The Brave" ... and she also did voice work for the animated TV series "The Legend of Korra."

During the first year of the pandemic, Anne was a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars."

Anne famously dated Ellen DeGeneres back in the day ... starting in 1997 until their highly-publicized split in August 2000 ... she ended up marrying cameraman Coleman Laffoon, whom she met on Ellen's stand-up comedy tour.

Heche had a child with Laffoon, but their marriage ended in divorce. Her next relationship was with her "Men in Trees" costar, James Tupper, with whom she had her second child. They split in 2018 after 10 years together.

TMZ broke the story ... LAPD sources say Anne was under the influence of cocaine and possibly fentanyl on Aug. 5 when she committed at least 2 hit-and-runs before crashing through a home and causing a fire.

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Anne sustained significant injuries in the crash, including severe burns and lung damage.

Anne was 53.

RIP

Originally Published -- 11:19 AM PT

Whitney Houston Naomie Ackie Films New Scenes ... Hops In Porsche For Biopic

Naomie Ackie looks like she's enjoying the hell out of playing Whitney Houston for an upcoming biopic on the late singer ... tooling around town in a sportscar during filming.

The British actress couldn't hold back a huge grin as she shot some scenes Thursday in Los Angeles, riding shotgun in a Porsche and eating french fries. Honestly, it sounds hard to do without smiling.

Whitney's fashion sense looks like it will be on full display in "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" ... Naomie's wardrobe is straight out of the late 80s and early 90s ... those animal print shorts sure are something else.

We gotta say, Naomi looks a lot like Whitney ... she's definitely got the singer's trademark hair down.

Naomi's been shooting a bunch of scenes in L.A. this week, with filming locations also taking her down to the marina to film on a boat.

Like we said, Naomi's loving every minute of her job.

MLB Honoring Ray Liotta ... 'Field Of Dreams' Game Tribute On Tap

UPDATE

4:28 PM PT -- Multiple packages featuring Liotta were aired just before the game began. One of the pieces featured Liotta's famous scene as Shoeless Joe Jackson, where he asked on the field, "Is this heaven?"

UPDATE

The corn rows out at the "Field of Dreams" game won't be without the late Ray Liotta after all -- the actor who starred in the 1989 film will be recognized during the MLB's big event, TMZ Sports has learned.

Our sources tell us ... there's going to be some sort of homage to Liotta during the Reds vs. Cubs game on Thursday night in Dyersville, Iowa.

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Unclear exactly what the nod will feature ... but Liotta, who played Shoeless Joe Jackson in the movie that the stadium and game are based on, is going to have some kind of presence at the field.

Liotta has already received some "Field of Dreams" love this month -- Kevin Costner, who starred alongside Ray in the movie, penned a sweet message to his friend on his Instagram earlier this week, remembering him and his famous role.

"In honor of MLB at Field of Dreams this week, I wanted to share some memories from the movie," Costner said in the post, "but more importantly remember the amazing Ray Liotta."

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"'Shoeless Joe Jackson' will be out there with all of us for a great night of baseball in the fields of Iowa."

As we reported, Liotta sadly passed away in the Dominican Republic in late May. He was 67 years old.

RIP

Originally Published -- 2:15 PM PT

Anne Heche Under the Influence of Cocaine at time of Crash ... Condition is Dire

Anne Heche was not under the influence of alcohol when she crashed her car into a home last Friday, but she was under the influence of cocaine ... this according to law enforcement sources, and possibly fentanyl as well.

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LAPD sources tell TMZ ... the department has tested the blood they drew after Anne was admitted to the hospital, and in addition to cocaine, they also found fentanyl. However, our sources say fentanyl is sometimes used as a pain med in hospitals, so they need to do more testing and investigation to determine if the fentanyl was in her system at the time of the crash.

We are also told Anne's condition is dire ... it has not improved since she was admitted to the hospital. As we reported, Anne has been fighting for her life and is in critical condition.

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As we reported, Anne was driving her Mini Cooper at an extremely high rate of speed last Friday in a residential area of L.A. when she crashed into a car, a garage and then a house, igniting a fire that severely burned her.

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Iraqi Actress Enas Taleb How Dare You Use My Photo in Story About 'Fat' Women

An Iraqi actress is irate over a story about "fat" women -- a story that used a photo of her to illustrate a point -- so she's suing.

Enas Taleb is a big deal in Iraq ... and she's publicly fuming over the story in the Economist titled, "Why Women Are Fatter Than Men in the Arab World."

The Economist went on to say men often gravitate toward women with "curves" and used a photo of her to make the point. According to the article, "Iraqis often cite Enas Taleb, an actress with ample curves, as the ideal of beauty."

The 42-year-old TV personality says she's going to sue the newspaper ... this according to New Lines mag.

She believes the pic was photoshopped and also says the newspaper had no authorization to run it. That said, it seems her lawsuit will go deeper ... she said, "I am demanding compensation for the emotional, mental and social damage this incident has caused me."

Her grievance goes beyond herself ... calling the story an “insult to the Arab woman in general and Iraqi women in particular.” She asks why the Economist “takes interest in fat women in the Arab world and not in Europe or the USA."

Taleb says she's comfortable in her own skin. The Economist has not responded yet to Taleb's intention to sue.

Steven Seagal Ripped by Pro-Ukraine Orgs ... Over Russia Jail Photo-Op

Steven Seagal's pro-Russia publicity stunt isn't sitting well with orgs dedicated to helping Ukraine ... not in the slightest.

A rep for NOVA Ukraine, a nonprofit that spreads awareness of the war while providing aid to Ukrainians, tells TMZ ... the fact Seagal showed up at a Russian prison site -- where upwards of 50 innocent lives were taken at Putin's behest -- is despicable, especially since it served as nothing more than a photo-op.

They call it a "reprehensible example of how when your career is already tarnished some of us scrape to the lowest levels of Earth to claw back any relevancy, even being paraded around by dictators who oppose the U.S."

The rep adds that those who are flirting with Russia during this dire time -- like Seagal -- deserve to have sponsorships and opportunities stripped from them ... much like how businesses are exiting en masse there in general. SS hasn't had a mainstream Hollywood career in ages, so that wish is already coming true for NOVA.

Michael Capponi -- President of the Global Empowerment Mission, another org that’s working to help Ukraine -- tells TMZ ... Seagal, per usual, is acting as a pawn for Putin and that the guy was clearly given special access to the jail in question.

He continues by saying they've been on the ground there for 5 months, and adds this about the narrative Seagal and Russia are trying to spin ... "The notion or suggestion that Ukraine is doing this to themselves is not only patently false, it's dangerous misinformation and comes solely from Russian propaganda."

Capponi concludes ... "This is nothing but someone drinking too much Kool-aid. It has 0 merit. Ukraine is doing everything it can to defend its sovereignty. Ukraine is not attacking its own people."

Like we said, Seagal isn't earning many new friends by inserting himself in the situation — and may have burned even more bridges that weren't already torched.

Anne Heche Cops Investigating Crash as Felony DUI

Anne Heche's horrific crash into a California home now has the potential to land the actress into even deeper legal trouble ... she's now under investigation for felony DUI.

LAPD sources tell TMZ ... they've now upped the investigation to a felony because the woman inside the home Anne barreled through with her Mini Cooper claims she was injured -- suffering cuts requiring medical treatment.

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Cops believe Anne was driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol ... because she was driving erratically and recklessly, hitting a garage and a parked car before slamming into the home.

Cops also took note of a photo of Anne in the car just before the crash, with what appeared to be a bottle of alcohol in a cup holder.

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Anne's rep says the actress is still fighting for her life ... she lost consciousness shortly after the crash, and has been in a coma ever since.

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TMZ broke the story, Anne almost struck a woman before hitting another vehicle and crashing into a garage in the moments leading up to the fiery explosion.

Heche was pulled from her car as it burned and loaded onto a stretcher by paramedics. The vehicle was left a smoldering pile of metal.

'Batman' Stuntman Dave Lea Dead At 67

Dave Lea, Michael Keaton's stunt double in one of the most successful runs of the "Batman" franchise, has died.

A source close to Dave tells TMZ ... the longtime Hollywood stuntman died as a result of cancer. Dave passed Saturday at 5:55 PM surrounded by loved ones ... a statement posted to his page calls him "a fighter to the end."

Dave did all the stunts and fighting for Keaton's version of Bruce Wayne in 1989's "Batman" and 1992's "Batman Returns."

With a background in martial arts, Dave traveled the globe, studying under some of the greatest martial arts teachers of all time ... including Grand Master Leong Swee Lun of Shaolin 5 Animals in Malaysia, Joseph Cheng of Wing Chun and Dan Inosanto, who trained under Bruce Lee.

Dave's first movie gig was "Tango & Cash," where he trained and choreographed fights for Sylvester Stallone. He worked closely with Sly again on "Demolition Man."

Other actors who got fighting training and choreography from Dave ... Ben Affleck, Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Scarlett Johanson, Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Colin Farrell, Ashley Judd, Michelle Pfeiffer and Dennis Quaid, just to name a few.

Dave was 67.

RIP

Ludacris The World Needs More Love ... And I’m Starting With The Man In The Mirror!!!

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Ludacris is currently beaming with positivity -- even if the world is drenched in negativity.

We ran into Chris Lova Lova out in NYC … defending Snoop Dogg's gray dreadlocks and pounding the pavement in support of the 3rd season of his Netflix children’s special “Karma’s World” and he says the overall goal is to spread light and energy in the places that need it the most.

It’s been a helluva career for Luda, one he tells TMZ Hip Hop he can't believe bounced from blockbuster rap albums and movies to dropping his own toy line.

Luda, ever the proud Girl Dad with four daughters, also connected with Barbie toymaker Mattel for a line of 'Karma’s World' dolls -- with accessories ranging from microphones, portable stereos, high fashion sneakers -- y’know, everything needed for ladies to become the next big thing in rap!

Back in May, he received an honorary degree from Georgia State University — the campus that bred his platinum-selling ambition and has been on a wave of good cheer ever since.

Olivia Newton-John's Heartfelt Tribute from Husband

Olivia Newton-John's husband, John Easterling, is reeling from the loss of his wife, but finding strength to post some beautiful words in the wake of her death.

John use Olivia's official Instagram account Wednesday to share a message, "Our love for each other transcends our understanding. Every day we expressed our gratitude for this love that could be so deep, so real, so natural. We never had to ‘work’ on it. We were in awe of this great mystery and accepted the experience of our love as past, present and forever."

He went on to call her a healer and the most courageous woman he's ever known ... "It is only the grace of God that has allowed me to share the depth and passion of her being for so long. In her most difficult times she always had the spirit, the humor, and the will power to move things into the light."

He continued, "Even now as her soul soars, the pain and holes in my heart are healed with the joy of her love and the light that shines forward" ... and thanked folks for their love and support.

As we reported, Olivia died peacefully Monday, surrounded by family and friends at her ranch in Southern California. The star battled breast cancer off and on starting in the 90s ... and a source close to Olivia tells us the cancer was the cause of her death.

Olivia and John Easterling, who is the founder of Amazon Herb Co., got married back in 2008.

TLC's Chilli Spotted Beachin' It in Hawaii with Matthew Lawrence

"Boy Meets World" star Matthew Lawrence and TLC singer Chilli certainly had a good time together at the beach in Hawaii ... but sources say they're not romantic.

Matthew and Chilli were spotted Monday on the beach in Waikiki. Some beachgoers tell us the two got in the water together and shared some intense convos while chilling on beach chairs.

A rep for Chilli tells us the two aren't dating or romantic, TLC had a show on the island, and Matthew and some pals came to watch ... the two are friends and linked up later.

We haven't seen Matthew out much since his ex-wife and "Dancing with the Stars" pro, Cheryl Burke filed for divorce about 6 months ago.

As we reported, Cheryl and Matthew were married nearly 3 years, before she pulled the plug back in February, citing irreconcilable differences. She noted they'd been separated since Jan 7.

Nothing like a trip and dip with friends to lift your spirits.

Olivia Newton-John Daughter Leaves Heartbreaking Voicemail ... Following Mom's Death

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Olivia Newton-John's daughter Chloe Lattanzi left a tearful voicemail of gratitude to an Australian TV reporter who had done a moving tribute to her late mom.

The voicemail was played Wednesday on Australia's "Today" show. Chloe had seen Entertainment Editor Richard Wilkin's tribute and was moved to call.

You hear the pain in Chloe's voice as she tells Richard, "She's free now and out of pain." 36-year-old Chloe, the daughter of Olivia and her first husband Matt Lattanzi, went on to tell Richard how the dogs were running around and the horses were galloping. As you probably know, Olivia loved animals and was a fierce proponent of animal rights for decades.

Olivia and Richard have history ... they were pals for decades.

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Chloe also uploaded a clip Tuesday of her and her mom singing "Window In The Wall," saying her mom was her safe space -- calling it an honor to be her baby and her best friend.

As you know, Olivia died peacefully at her ranch in Southern California Monday morning after a decades-long battle with breast cancer.

Ben Affleck Lists Palisades Mansion for $30M

Ben Affleck just put his Pacific Palisades mansion on the market -- for a whopping $30 million -- definite proof he and Jennifer Lopez have officially shacked up together.

Affleck, who married J Lo back in June, listed the 7-bed and 9-bathroom home Tuesday for $29.995 million ... he bought it back in 2018 for $19.250 million. It should come as no surprise the house has plenty of space, with a massive pool and spa and 13,500-sq-ft of living space.

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The timing of the sale is certainly interesting, we told you a couple months ago it appeared Ben and Jen had moved into a massive mansion, previously owned by billionaire and Mariah Carey's ex, James Packer ... so Ben would need to unload his current crib.

We're told Ben and Jen are currently leasing that home, which Packer bought years ago for $60 million ... so the lease ain't cheap.

As we told you, Ben's been in L.A. while Jen worked overseas following a family trip to Paris, so it's time to get their affairs in order as husband and wife.

Santiago Arana and Amir Mostame of The Agency hold Ben's listing.

JOHNNY DEPP I'm Back With Dior New 7-Figure Deal As Fragrance Face

If there were any doubts big names would get behind Johnny Depp again following his legal win over Amber Heard, lay them to rest ... Dior is betting big on JD with a new contract.

Sources directly connected to the deal tell TMZ … Johnny just signed back with Dior to be the face of their Sauvage men's scent. We're told in all, it's a multi-year deal worth 7-figures.

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We're told the deal recently came together, and was cemented after Dior honchos and famous fashion photog Greg Williams attended one of Johnny and Jeff Beck's rock concerts in Paris as a show of support for JD.

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Our sources say Johnny did a photo shoot with Greg before and after the Paris show, and the content will be used in a new Dior advertising campaign.

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Remember ... Johnny first signed with Dior back in 2015 as the face of the cologne and the deal has just been re-upped. It's interesting ... after Amber first made her allegations against Johnny, the Sauvage commercial stopped airing on TV.

As we first told you ... Johnny's OG ad started getting some prime time placement on FOX after he scored a courtroom victory against Amber ... and now he's got a new deal that will last for years.

Ashton Kutcher I Had A Super Rare Autoimmune Disease ... Threatened Hearing and Sight

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Ashton Kutcher hit up Dodger Stadium for a good cause ... and he arrived as his episode with Bear Grylls dropped, revealing he went through a serious health battle a couple of years back ... a battle that threatened his hearing and sight.

Before Ashton and Mila Kunis took to the stadium Monday night, the actor's episode of "Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge" showed the guy fought an autoimmune disease 3 years ago.

He tells Bear he battled vasculitis, which is a rare disease that inflames blood vessels, making it difficult for blood to flow.

While he says it was hard for him to see and hear, he decided to find the positive in it -- saying he's lucky to be alive and believes life is fun when you see obstacles as things designed to get you where you need to be.

Not long after the airing, Ashton and Mila were in Dodgers territory for Ping Pong 4 Purpose ... which is aimed to help turn at-risk kids and neighborhoods around, working with pitcher Clayton Kershaw and his wife Ellen's org, Kershaw's Challenge.

Ashton and Mila were just a few famous faces in attendance -- Will Ferrell, Mario Lopez, Lisa Leslie, Rob Lowe, Gabriel Iglesias, Brad Paisley, and Pete Wentz were there, just to name a few.

The guy also took to the beach over the weekend with Mila, enjoying his time in the sun.

Olivia Newton-John Dead at 73

UPDATE

1:10 PM PT -- John Travolta just posted about Olivia's passing, saying, "My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!

UPDATE

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Olivia Newton-John, who soared to international stardom as both a singer and movie star has died.

Olivia's husband, John Easterling, says she died peacefully at her ranch in Southern California Monday morning, surrounded by family and friends. Olivia has battled breast cancer for more than 30 years, a specific cause of death was not given, although a source close to Olivia told TMZ, "After a 30-year cancer journey, she lost her battle to metastatic breast cancer."

Olivia hit it big in 1971 with songs like "If Not for You," and in 1973 "Let Me Be There." She followed that up with a monster hit, "Have You Never Been Mellow."

Her huge break came in 1978, when she starred opposite John Travolta in "Grease." Her role as Sandy was iconic, as were several songs from the movie, "You're the One that I Want," "Summer Nights," and "Hopelessly Devoted to You."

The movie propelled Olivia to new heights, and she followed it up with movies like "Xanadu."

Olivia's biggest hit was "Physical" in 1981, which stayed at #1 for 10 weeks, breaking all records in the '80s. She remained an environmental and animal rights activist throughout her career.

Olivia was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, but it went into remission and it came back in 2013. It went back into remission but surfaced again in 2017.

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Olivia, who was British but raised in Australia, married Matt Lattanzi back in 1984 ... they met while filming "Xanadu." They had a child, Chloe Rose in 1986. They divorced in 1995.

She married John Easterling in 2008. He's the founder of Amazon Herb Co.

Olivia was 73. RIP

Originally Published -- 12:25 PM PT