RIP

Aaron Carter's death came as a shock not only to his family, but to the entertainment world ... and many celebs are now paying tribute to the late pop star.

Actress Hilary Duff took to Instagram to express her sadness over AC's death ... "For Aaron– I'm deeply sorry that life was so hard for you and that you had to struggle in front of the whole world. You had a charm that was absolutely effervescent…boy did my teenage self love you deeply. Sending love to your family at this time. Rest easy."

Reality star Paris Hilton weighed in on Twitter ... "Sad to hear about the news of @aaroncarter 😢 He was always kind to my family and I. He had a good heart. Gone way too soon. 😔Sending my thoughts and condolences to his loved ones and family.  RIP 🙏"

Grammy Award-winning songwriter Diane Warren gave some words of wisdom ... "fame at a young age is often more a curse than a blessing and Surviving it is not easy. RIP Aaron Carter🎤💔."

Singer Tyler Hilton -- no relation to Paris -- shared fond memories of Aaron ... "No….This news is heartbreaking… this kid had such a spark. Known him for years and always really liked him, he was warm and really funny. Loved putting on a show and he was good at it. Ill find some pics of us and post more later… damn RIP budddd #aaroncarter."

TMZ broke the story ... Aaron passed away Saturday ... police responded to his Lancaster home after receiving a 911 call at 11 AM Saturday that a male had drowned in the tub.

As of now, authorities have not released an official cause of death, but we're told police will be doing a deep dive into his past drug use.

Aaron Carter's death touched off a chaotic situation inside his L.A. home ... as his housekeeper was heard screaming over the police scanner after discovering his body.

TMZ has obtained a police audio clip of the moment the housekeeper found Aaron unresponsive inside his bathtub Saturday morning and frantically called 911.

The 911 operator stated on the audio clip FIRE/EMS units were needed at Aaron's home for a "female yelling" and made a cryptic reference to "in the tub."

By the time paramedics arrived on scene, Aaron was already dead. Authorities have not released an official cause of death, but law enforcement sources tell TMZ police will be doing a deep dive into his past drug use.

Investigators were seen wheeling Aaron's corpse in a body bag out of his home and loading him into the back of a truck labeled "Coroner."

TMZ broke the story of Aaron's passing ... police responded to his Lancaster home after receiving a 911 call at 11 AM Saturday that a male had drowned in the tub.

Aaron's fiancé, Melanie Martin, later told TMZ ... "My fiancé Aaron Carter has passed away. I love Aaron with all my heart and it’s going to be a journey to raise a son without a father. Please respect the privacy of my family as we come to terms with the loss of someone we love greatly. We are still in the process of accepting this unfortunate reality. Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated."

Aaron shot to fame back in the late 1990s as a pop singer, releasing four studio albums, starting with his self-titled debut album in 1997 when he was only 9 years old.

Aaron Carter has died ... TMZ has learned.

The singer-turned-rapper and actor was found dead Saturday at his house in Lancaster, CA ... multiple sources tell us Aaron's body was found in his bathtub. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they received a 911 call at 11 AM Saturday that a male had drowned in the tub.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... homicide detectives have been dispatched to the scene, but we have no information or evidence of foul play. It's standard operating procedure for homicide detectives to investigate such death scenes.

TMZ obtained a photo of sheriffs' cars and paramedics outside Aaron's home ... and the property is surrounded with caution tape.

Aaron shot to fame back in the late 1990s as a pop singer, releasing four studio albums, starting with his self-titled debut album in 1997 when he was only 9 years old.

After his first album sold a million copies, Aaron's second album, "Aaron's Party," tripled that number ... and from there he became a regular on Nickelodeon.

Aaron also used to tour with the Backstreet Boys during their heyday ... his older brother Nick was part of the hugely popular boy band.

AC transitioned into rap as his music career progressed ... and he also appeared on "Dancing With The Stars" and acted in the Broadway production "Seussical."

Aaron had tons of legal and substance abuse issues over the years ... infamously going on "The Doctors" a couple years ago and talking about all the pills he was taking. He also went to rehab numerous times.

AC is survived by his son, Prince.

He was only 34.

RIP

Boxing star Shakur Stevenson is back in the public eye for the first time since Takeoff's tragic murder ... but he did not speak about the events that went down that night.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Shakur was standing inches away from the Migos rapper just moments before he was fatally shot twice in Houston.

Stevenson went silent on social media in the days following the shooting -- aside from a tweet honoring his friend, saying, "R.I.P Takeoff 🙏🏾"

On Thursday, Shakur returned to his usual routine by joining the "Spit Bucket Podcast" to talk boxing ... and he seemed pretty composed throughout the interview.

The topic of Takeoff was not brought up ... probably for a couple reasons.

One, there is an active investigation into what went down that night ... and there may not be much Shakur can get really discuss at this time.

The other -- the incident literally happened just days ago ... and it's understandable to consider Shakur isn't mentally ready to talk about it.

The Washington Commanders and former star QB Joe Theismann are in mourning after one of their legends, David Butz, passed away.

He was 72.

The organization broke the news on Friday ... saying they're devastated over the death of the star defensive tackle who played for them from 1975 to 1988.

"We're heartbroken over the loss of Washington Legend Dave Butz," the team said ... "a 2x Super Bowl champion and member of our Ring of Fame and 90 Greatest list."

"Sending our deepest condolences to Dave's family and friends."

One of those friends is Theismann ... who's heartbroken over Dave's death. The men played together in D.C. for 9 seasons. They also won Super Bowl XVII together in 1983.

"Lost a dear friend today. Dave Butz. Dave Mark Mosley and I used to ride to games together," Theismann said.

"A true gentle giant. Rest In Peace my friend."

The Alabama native played college football for Purdue and was a 1972 finalist for the Lombardi Award.

DB was picked by the then-St. Louis Cardinals with the 5th overall pick in the 1973 NFL Draft ... but played the majority of his 16-year NFL career in Washington where he won 2 Super Bowls.

One of his famous moments is when the 6'8" tackle checked himself out of the hospital (illness) so he could play against the New York Jets in 1987.

After making a game-saving tackle during that game, Butz checked himself back into the hospital.

Butz ranks third in the franchise for most sacks (59.5) and was named one of the organization's 70 greatest players.

Cops are trying to piece together the argument that escalated to the point of gunfire in the fatal shooting of Takeoff, and the triviality of the whole thing is just mind-boggling.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... angry words were exchanged between Quavo and others after he lost in a dice game at the bowling alley. We're told they took the argument outside, and somehow they begin jawboning over who could beat who at basketball.

That lines up with video obtained by TMZ, in which you hear Quavo become increasingly frustrated ... talking about basketball and assuring the group he'd win.

From there is when things hit a breaking point ... Quavo begins to walk away and then, our sources say, a punch was thrown. Suddenly, at least 10 shots ring out. It appears multiple weapons were fired, striking 3 people -- Takeoff fatally.

No arrests have been made, and cops haven't publicly named a suspect. However, in another video obtained by TMZ, you see one man in the group holding and then raising his gun. Cops tell us he's currently a person of interest.

Takeoff's Migos groupmates have not yet made public statements about his death.

Takeoff's shooting death shocked the world, but especially his hometown of Atlanta, where a graffiti artist was moved to honor the Migos rapper with a mural ... in little more than an instant.

TMZ Hip Hop spoke with Armondo Monoletti, the artist who painted Takeoff's likeness underneath the John Lewis Freedom Parkway bridge near downtown ATL.

Armondo says he couldn't sleep after hearing the Takeoff news and vigorously painted throughout the night ... using only the few paint cans he had in his arsenal, as all the stores were closed at the time.

He says he intentionally painted Takeoff without his signature sunglasses in order to humanize him, and he also wanted to show him smiling ... so fans could escape the grim reality surrounding his death.

Armondo -- whose "APE" graffiti tag stands for "Armondo Paints Everything" -- actually painted over the DMX mural he created back in 2021 to create the Takeoff tribute.

He says there was no disrespect intended -- just like he's done for Takeoff, he had painted the X tribute immediately after his passing.

Method Man isn't trying to hide his frustrations ... not only over Takeoff's death, but also over hip hop culture shouldering the blame for rap slayings.

We caught up with him Thursday in NYC and asked about escalated violence taking out so many more artists ... especially compared to his peak as an OG Wu-Tang Clan member.

Meth sarcastically scoffed at the question, suggesting it was the skinny jeans that changed the culture -- but then he got serious about the notion criminality is driving the culture.

In fact, he wasn't willing to even offer his two cents on potential solutions. Meth urged people to look closer at the circumstances in each case of violence ... instead of always blaming hip hop culture.

He adds ... it simply isn't always the artists' fault.

The family of Gabby Petito is taking the Moab City Police Department to court, filing a wrongful death suit, claiming officers could've saved her life in the weeks leading up to her death.

Legal docs, obtained by TMZ, say Moab PD failed to protect Gabby when police investigated the reported domestic violence incident roughly 2 weeks before she was killed by Brian Laundrie.

You'll recall, officers interviewed Gabby and Brian on the side of the road with one officer acknowledging she was crying uncontrollably and had cuts on her face and arm.

Still, Brian told officers Gabby had just been under distress -- and officers simply separated them for the day.

The suit claims police didn't probe hard enough on Brian's side of the story ... and even claims the officers treated Brian as if he were the victim, rather than the perpetrator, of domestic violence.

In the family's eyes -- all signs pointed to Brian, and they say the cops "egregiously misinterpreted" the situation.

Her family also calls out the department for failing to train its cops for situations like this -- characterizing this case as a "vehicle for systemic change and a reckoning about how the police enforce the State's domestic abuse laws." They are seeking $50 million in damages.

The city of Moab tells TMZ ... "We feel profound sympathy for the Petito and Schmidt families and the painful loss they have endured. At the same time, it is clear that Moab City Police Department officers are not responsible for Gabrielle Petito’s eventual murder."

The city says it will defend itself against the suit.

There's apparently a cocaine problem amongst employees working on a new Denzel Washington movie ... two caterers working on set were arrested after cops in Italy say they seized a bunch of coke following a man's death.

Italian paramilitary police say they seized 120 grams of cocaine during a Tuesday afternoon raid at a hotel on the Amalfi coast, near where Denzel and Dakota Fanning are filming "The Equalizer 3."

Cops say the drug bust was in response to the sudden death of the movie production's head of catering, a 55-year-old man who reportedly collapsed leaving a bar and died of a heart attack. Police say they found several bags of cocaine in the man's pockets, leading to suspicion of more drugs on the 'Equalizer' set.

A couple of catering workers from Italy were placed under house arrest on suspicion of drug dealing after cops say they seized cocaine from their hotel room during Tuesday's raid. They were reportedly detained by police away from the movie set.

And, get this ... a different caterer was allegedly in possession of a small amount of cocaine, reportedly for personal use.

Italian police say they also searched for drugs at a local port, which is serving as the main staging area for the movie Antoine Fuqua is directing ... but the sweep didn't turn up any cocaine.

There were two other people shot in the gunfire that killed Takeoff -- and one of those people is Quavo's assistant -- TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Joshua "Wash" Washington is the 23-year-old male who was shot and rushed to a local hospital by someone at the scene in the minutes following the melee ... cops described his injuries as non-life threatening.

Wash has been close with Quavo for years, and describes himself as Quavo's assistant and part of operations management at Huncho Records on his social media profile.

As we reported, there was also a 24-year-old female who was shot ... she was also taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

While the shooter (or shooters) have yet to be publicly named, the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office says Takeoff was shot in both the head and torso early Monday morning.

In video obtained by TMZ from the scene, you can see Quavo in an argument and then start to walk away as shots ring out. There's also video showing one man holding a gun to his side ... police have named that man as a person of interest in Takeoff's death.

NFL Hall of Famer Ray Guy -- the most legendary punter of all time -- has passed away. He was 73 years old.

Guy became the first pure punter to ever be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft ... going 23rd overall to the Oakland Raiders in 1973 after a stellar career at the University of Southern Mississippi.

He went on to win three Super Bowls with the Raiders in 1977, 1981 and 1984.

Guy's résumé is as good as it gets -- he was a 6-time first-team All-Pro selection, 2-time second-team All-Pro, 7-time Pro Bowler and was named to the NFL's 75th and 100th Anniversary teams.

Guy was famous for his long-hanging punts ... which allowed the Raiders to run downfield in coverage before opposing teams were able to get off a return.

The Ray Guy Award -- named after the icon -- is presented to the best punter in college football every year.

Guy was enshrined in Canton in 2014 -- the first punter to receive the honor. During his speech, he famously said, "Now the Hall of Fame has a complete team."

LeBron James is paying tribute to Takeoff in a big way ... changing his Instagram avatar to a photo of the late rapper -- something the Lakers superstar rarely does.

James' IG update happened Wednesday night just before the Lakers took on the New Orleans Pelicans in Los Angeles ... when he swapped out a pic of his family for a photo of Takeoff, who was tragically killed in front of a Houston bowling alley on Tuesday.

The pic shows a stoic Takeoff in a suit and tie ... wearing a pair of dark sunglasses.

The move is a very meaningful one for James -- whose IG profile photos almost always consists of pics of him or his family. Most recently, his two sons, Bronny and Bryce, held the honor.

37-year-old James previously used the gesture to honor Kobe Bryant following his tragic death in 2020.

Of course, the Migos and King James are fans of each other ... remember, the rap trio turned LBJ's famous "Taco Tuuuuuuesday" lingo into an actual song two years ago -- and Bron was hyped over it.

LeBron has yet to publicly comment on Takeoff's passing, though he did share a photo of the Migos rapper in one of his IG stories shortly after his death.

Takeoff was just 28 years old.

Migos rapper Takeoff was shot multiple times, resulting in his death ... according to the report from the medical examiner's office.

The Harris County Medical Examiner lists Takeoff's primary cause of death as "penetrating gunshot wounds of head and torso into arm."

As we reported, Takeoff was gunned down after shots rang out following an argument outside a Houston bowling alley early Tuesday morning.

In video obtained by TMZ, you see Takeoff's Migos partner Quavo in an argument before the shooting starts. Takeoff was standing just inches from Quavo during the heated exchange, but at no point did he seem to be a part of the back and forth.

While it's currently unclear who fired the fatal shots, we've also obtained video of one man holding a gun in the seconds leading up to the gunfire. Cops tell us that man is currently a person of interest in the death investigation.

A statement from Migos representatives Tuesday read, "Senseless violence and a stray bullet has taken another life from this world and we are devastated." Quavo and Offset have not yet made public statements about Takeoff's murder, though Offset did change his Instagram avatar to a photo of the rapper.

Takeoff was only 28.

Offset has yet to speak out about the loss of his Migos brother Takeoff ... but the rapper is paying tribute to his friend and family member through his social media profile.

Offset's Instagram page changed avatars Wednesday morning -- it now shows a picture of Takeoff smiling for the camera with a heart emoji.

Clearly, Offset's still reeling from Tuesday's fatal shooting ... although the artist hasn't joined the flood of friends and fans in posting about the loss of Takeoff.

As we reported, Takeoff was with fellow Migos member, Quavo, around 2:30 AM Tuesday -- Quavo was in a heated discussion with an unknown group of guys before someone in the crowd opened fire.

TMZ obtained this video -- a new angle of what went down only seconds prior to the gunfire -- and you can see a man dressed in black, with a handgun in his right hip pocket.

While nothing in the video proves the man fired the first shot, there is a point where he's seen raising his weapon and seemingly firing it -- but it's unclear if his weapon was pointed in the direction of Takeoff or Quavo.

Tom Coughlin's wife Judy, who was married to the 2-time Super Bowl-winning head coach for 55 years, passed away Tuesday morning after battling a rare and incurable brain disorder. She was 77 years old.

TC announced the terrible news Wednesday morning ... sharing a heartfelt statement on Judy's death.

"My cherished wife and our beloved mother and grandmother, Judy Whitaker Coughlin, passed away this morning at the age of 77," the longtime head coach wrote ... adding, "Judy was a remarkable woman in every way."

"She lived a life filled with love and unselfishly gave her heart and soul to others. Judy made you feel like an old friend from the first hug to the last. She was a mother to all on and off the field."

Coughlin continued ... "For everyone who knew and loved Judy, the enormity of her absence cannot be put into words, but the immense kindness she showed to others will always endure. Our hearts are broken, but we know she is free from suffering and at peace with our Lord."

Judy was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy in 2020 ... but the presence of the illness wasn't known until Tom wrote a guest essay for The NY Times in August 2021, where he openly discussed his wife's sickness.

The Mayo Clinic defines the disease as "an uncommon brain disorder that causes serious problems with walking, balance and eye movements, and later with swallowing."

The disorder can ultimately lead to life-threatening complications.

In Coughlin's essay, you could feel his anguish.

"As so many of you are gearing up for another NFL season, I will be sitting far from the sidelines, at the bedside and holding the hand of my biggest supporter, my beloved wife, the mother of our children and a grandmother to our grandchildren," he wrote.

"After several years of doctors trying to pinpoint the disease that has been slowly taking her from us, Judy was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy in 2020. It is a brain disorder that erodes an individual’s ability to walk, speak, think and control body movements. It steals memories and the ability to express emotions and, sadly, is incurable."