RIP

Vivienne Westwood -- whose fashion designs are largely credited for bringing punk styles to the mainstream -- has died.

A statement from Westwood's team announced she died Thursday peacefully and surrounded by loved ones in South London. The statement reads, "Vivienne continued to do the things she loved, up until the last moment, designing, working on her art, writing her book, and changing the world for the better."

It continues, "She led an amazing life. Her innovation and impact over the last 60 years has been immense and will continue into the future."

The statement says, "Vivienne considered herself a Taoist. She wrote, "Tao spiritual system. There was never more need for the Tao today. Tao gives you a feeling that you belong to the cosmos and gives purpose to your life; it gives you such a sense of identity and strength to know you're living the life you can live and therefore ought to be living: make full use of your character and full use of your life on earth."

Finally stating, "The world needs people like Vivienne to make a change for the better."

Westwood got her first recognition thanks to a boutique she and Malcolm McLaren, who managed the Sex Pistols, ran in the UK called SEX. From there, she continued to open shops in London and then around the world.

Later on in her career, she collabed with Pharrell Williams, wedding looks for Princess Eugenie and even designed uniforms for Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic crew.

Westwood was 81.

Brazilian soccer legend Pelé -- arguably the greatest football player ever -- has died.

The three-time World Cup winner passed away at a hospital in Sao Paulo surrounded by loved ones following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Pelé was initially diagnosed with the disease in 2021, and had been in and out of medical facilities over the past year to help him fight it. But, sadly, his condition worsened recently ... forcing him to spend the last two months in a hospital bed.

Pelé was able to watch the 2022 World Cup in his final days ... and even penned a congratulations post on his social media page to Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe after the epic Argentina vs. France final last weekend.

He had also written an emotional note to Neymar after a huge performance for Brazil earlier in the famed tournament.

Pelé joined Brazil's national team when he was just 16 years old ... and won his first-ever World Cup at age 17 in 1958. He went on to lead Brazil to two more titles in the event, winning it all in 1962 and 1970.

He's widely regarded as one of the best goal scorers ever -- with Cristiano Ronaldo previously calling him "the greatest player in football history."

He was 82.

Tyler Sanders, a teenage actor with roles in big shows like "9-1-1: Lone Star" and "Fear the Walking Dead," died from the effects of fentanyl ... according to his autopsy report.

According to the report, obtained by TMZ, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner also notes the 18-year-old's death was accidental.

As we first reported ... Tyler was found dead June 16 in his Los Angeles home. Sources connected to the death investigation told us he had a history of drug use and police found a plastic straw and white powder in the room where he died.

In the autopsy report, the ME says Tyler told a friend in text messages the night before his death he was using fentanyl. The report says Tyler did not answer phone calls from the friend after sending the text about fentanyl.

What's more, the coroner says Tyler had no known medical problems but had a history of drug abuse ... including heroin, cocaine, LSD, mushrooms and Xanax.

The upcoming season of the TV series "Super Sized Salon" is pushing forward despite the sudden death of its star, Jamie Lopez.

Sources who were close to Jamie tell TMZ ... the show's cast and crew hopped on a call this week with WE tv network honchos and everyone agreed they wanted to continue with the show, with the goal of continuing to tell Jamie's story.

Our sources say nothing is official yet, but there were discussions about making Jamie a multi-season offer before her recent death ... and now they envision some presence of Jamie in season 2 ... using old clips and interviews.

TMZ broke the story ... 37-year-old Jamie was hospitalized last weekend in Las Vegas and died due to heart complications.

"Super Sized Salon" premiered earlier this season on WE tv ... putting the spotlight on the staff and customers at Jamie's Babydoll Beauty Couture salon in Vegas.

Jamie owned 50% of the salon, with her partner and business manager JD Armelin owning the remaining half. We're told Jamie's cut will go to her next of kin. JD is already in the process of buying them out, with plans to give some equity to the other women who work at the salon.

We're told the plan is for JD to remain behind the scenes and eventually turn the salon into a franchise, while looking for another woman to become the spokesperson to continue Jamie's vision.

A student nurse got trapped in her car during upstate New York's massive snowstorm this week, prompting her to send a series of text messages to her family, chillingly detailing her final moments before she died.

Anndel Taylor was heading home from work on Christmas Eve when her vehicle got stuck in the historic blizzard that engulfed Buffalo. As she waited for crews to rescue her, Anndel started texting her 3 sisters, becoming increasingly frustrated over many hours.

In one message, she wrote, "stuck in the f***ing blizzard." One sister later texted back, "You still out there Pookie," referring to Anndel, who responded, "Unfortunately."

After recuse crews still hadn't arrived, Anndel texted her sisters again, saying, "Imma sleep here Idk how long this gas will last. I'm livid bro my door damn near covered." Things became so grim Anndel texted that city officials didn't "gaf" --short for give a f***-- about her being stuck.

Anndel apparently died later that night, but her body was not removed from the car until the next day, although it's not clear why. Her mom seems to think Anndel died of carbon monoxide poisoning from snow covering her exhaust pipe as she slept with the engine running.

Anndel's family has set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs.

She was 22.

Bob Marley's grandson, reggae artist Joseph 'Jo' Mersa Marley, has died.

Sources tell TMZ Joseph, known in the music world as Jo Mersa, passed away Tuesday due to asthma-related conditions ... although the specifics surrounding his death are unclear.

Joseph, son of Stephen Marley, took to Miami Dade College and studied audio engineering after spending his early years in Jamaica.

He went on to drop an EP in 2014 called "Comfortable" ... which held some tracks like "Rock and Swing" and "Bogus." He also released the hit single, "Burn It Down," in 2016 -- and put out a 2nd EP, "Eternal," last year.

He was only 31.

Moscow PD seems to still be struggling to find significant leads in the case of the slain college students ... but the cops investigating have been offered counseling as pressure to get answers ramps up.

The counseling services have been activated in the department as a way to take "care of our officers," according to department spokesman Captain Anthony Dahlinger ... who told DailyMail the resources are there "for anyone who needs them, and our priority is to keep our force healthy as we work until we get this investigation to its conclusion."

Capt. Dahlinger says morale is still high, however ... adding, "We're all committed to seeing this investigation through to the end – it being the holidays is kind of moot. We're just focused on that goal."

A rep for the department confirms the news with TMZ, and says "Our officers and their families are continually offered support through several avenues including our regional Peer Support Team," adding counseling will continue to be offered on an as-needed basis.

We're also told patrols around Moscow and Univ. of Idaho are constant and will continue -- thanks to the help from Idaho State Police.

A man who lived in the house where 4 University of Idaho students were brutally killed is baffled no one heard the sounds of death, because the house itself had to give off signals something terrible was happening.

Cole Alteneder, who graduated from the University, told ABC News, "It's definitely an old, creaky house ... You can't walk up any of the stairs or on any of the floors without everybody in the house knowing it."

As we reported, there were 6 people in the house at the time of the quadruple murders ... 2 people were spared and say they heard nothing. Police have said the 2 survivors are not suspects.

Cole says the house and the area surrounding it were well-known places to party, adding, "... people would hop the fences and just, like, walk away if the cops came."

Lots of people in the area knew the house and had access, and cops say they have been chasing down leads since the brutal murders.

Stephen Greif, who played Speaker of the House Sir Bernard Weatherill on Season 4 of "The Crown," has died.

Greif's reps announced his death Monday, but did not disclose the cause.

The British actor's role in the Netflix hit was his most recognized, but he was a working actor for many decades with numerous credits.

Greif appeared in Touchstone Pictures' flick, "Casanova" back in 2005. He was on numerous TV shows, including "Tales of the Unexpected," and he appeared in the '70s science fiction series, "Blake's 7."

He was also a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company back in the '60s.

His fellow actors took to social media in droves honoring him, one calling Greif "a consummate professional and an absolute gent."

He's survived by 2 sons.

Stephen Greif was 78.

The latest TikTok trend is all about tuggin' on family members' heartstrings, announcing the fake death of a beloved celeb ... and while the reactions are pretty hilarious, the viral clips have been met with some "bah humbugs" online.

The trend's picked up some serious steam on social media -- especially as families reconnect for the holidays, and what better way to pass the time than by (falsely) announcing the death of George Clooney or Kris Jenner ... right??

Gotta admit, there are some funny reactions in the mix ... from blood-curdling screams to almost reaching tears, it really goes to show just how much these stars mean to people.

While TikTokers are gettin' a good laugh, the joke ain't landing with some ... because a good chunk of the comments sections on these clips are filled with people calling the prank "unsettling."

Some are even blasting the younger generation for making light of the death of a celeb, even with their passing being untrue ... one even commented on a post, "This is so sick."

Idaho detectives probing the savage murders of 4 college students have come under fire for failing to solve the case after six weeks, with some doubting their competence ... but at least one victim's family believes the cops have the wherewithal to bring the killer/killers to justice.

Ben Mogen -- father of slain University of Idaho student Maddie Mogen -- told The Spokesman-Review he has no doubt Moscow PD will solve the baffling quadruple homicide with biological and visual evidence.

"From the very beginning, I've known that people don't get away with these things these days. There's too many things that you can get caught up on, like DNA and videos everywhere. This isn't something that people get away with, that goes unsolved."

Maddie and her fellow classmates -- Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin -- were fatally stabbed in an off-campus house on Nov. 13. The unknown assailant/assailants are still at large. Police have not disclosed a motive.

Despite the lack of answers, Ben Mogen threw his support behind the case investigators..."I have to just know that they know what they're doing, and if they don't, then they know someone that does," referring to the FBI and the Idaho State Police -- both of whom are assisting the Moscow Police in the investigation.

Mogen gave one investigator in particular props for regularly keeping him in the loop on developments in the case. But, he still admits he's waiting for answers to "so many questions."

A major avalanche in Austria has left at least two people unaccounted for ... this after a reported 10 were feared buried and missing.

The natural disaster went down Sunday near the Lech/Zuers ski resort in western Austria, tearing through slopes where skiers who were visiting apparently got caught in it when the avalanche hit around 3 PM local time ... triggering several search teams to be deployed.

There were helicopters sent out to search for people who were initially thought to be missing at first -- but after a few hours, only two people are still nowhere to be found.

Two other people who were reportedly hit by the avalanche were injured to varying degrees -- one needed to be flown out to a hospital, and another was able to free themselves and seek medical attention on their own. Others who appeared to be impacted were unharmed.

As nightfall crept in, upwards of 200 volunteers continued to look for the two missing people, using search dogs to help.

The Idaho University murder investigation has been frustrating and heartbreaking for the families of the 4 victims, but it has also taken its toll on the ex-boyfriend of one of the victims, whose life has been upended in suspicion.

Jack DuCoeur dated Kaylee Goncalves for 5 years and called her the love of his life ... this according to his aunt, Brooke Miller, who spoke to the NY Post. Miller believes, although Kaylee and Jack had broken up, they would have eventually married.

Kaylee had broken up with DuCoeur 3 weeks before the murders. Miller says the split was amicable, although she concedes her nephew was sad that the relationship had ended.

DuCoeur was on the radar of cops shortly after the murders, especially because Goncalves and Madison Mogen called him 10 times in the hours before the murders. Cops investigated and cleared DuCoeur, but that didn't remove the specter of suspicion. Miller says "half of America" thinks her nephew may be the culprit.

The Internet has not been kind to DuCoeur, pointing the guilty finger at him.

BTW ... Goncalves' family has supported DuCoeur, saying he was not involved in her death. Miller told the Post ... “We all know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there’s no way that Jack would ever do anything like that to anybody.”

Stephan Bonnar -- a UFC Hall of Famer and legend in MMA -- has died ... this according to the MMA promotion itself.

The UFC broke the news Saturday, writing ... "The UFC family is saddened by the tragic passing of UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar Thursday from presumed heart complications while at work." Per reports, he apparently died a couple days ago ... an official cause of death is pending.

UFC goes on to mention SB's storied career, adding ... "Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the Octagon," said UFC President Dana White. "His fight with Forrest Griffin changed the sport forever, and he will never be forgotten. The fans loved him, related to him and he always gave them his best. He will be missed."

Bonnar was an OG in UFC ... competing in the very first season of 'The Ultimate Fighter' back in 2005 ... an appearance which saw him go all the way to the finale. Although he lost his Light Heavyweight fight against Forrest Griffin ... his bout ended up earning him a contract with UFC, where he went on to compete at a high level for several years.

He fought Griffin again in a rematch, and went on to fight some big names in the sport thereafter ... including Jon Jones, Mark Coleman, Krzysztof Soszynski, Igor Pokrajac, Kyle Kingsbury, Anderson Silva and others. His record with UFC was 15-9-0 ... and in 2012, he retired. The following year, Dana White announced Bonnar would be inducted into the HOF.

In addition to MMA fighting, Bonnar also wrestled professionally ... including for leagues like Impact Wrestling. He also fought with Bellator MMA post-UFC.

Bonnar's legacy will be that he was one of the catalysts to help UFC grow into what it is today ... and he goes down as one of the sport's greatest known fighters to date. He's survived by his wife, Andrea, and their son Griffin. He was 45.

Aaron Carter's memory will be honored this holiday season -- thanks to his fiancée, Melanie Martin, who's keeping his spirit alive with a number of tributes as Christmas fast approaches.

Sources close to Melanie tell TMZ ... she is still very much mourning the death of her fiancé, and that this first Christmas without him is, no doubt, going to be incredibly difficult -- especially since last year's was so full of joy as they shared time with their son.

With that said, we're told Melanie is going to pay tribute to her son's father in a variety of different ways during the holiday -- via gifts, decorations and even a home-cooked meal.

For starters, we're told Melanie has put together a scrapbook full of pictures of Aaron, herself and their kid ... which, while not totally complete, will be placed under her tree for him. Speaking of presents, she also got something for young Prince -- with AC in mind.

It's a child-sized dirt bike, which Melanie gave to Prince early this year ... and which has a direct tie to Aaron -- who loved to ride himself. Our sources say Melanie believes Aaron would've given Prince something like this at some point ... so no better time than now.

On top of that, we're told Melanie was gifted a custom ornament in honor of Aaron that she's putting on her tree as well -- a wing-shaped trinket with Aaron's name engraved on it.

There's also the matter of food, which we're told was big for Aaron around this time of the year. In 2021, our sources say he cooked up a feast for Melanie and her family -- which included Kobe beef ... so this year, we're told, she's preparing a similar meal as a tribute.

As we reported ... Melanie has been able to regain custody of Prince in the wake of Aaron's sudden passing -- and it sounds like she's doing everything she can to cope with his loss.

He was 34.

Memphis rapper Big Scarr died as a result of a fatal prescription pain med OD ... relatives tell TMZ.

The up-and-coming rapper's uncle, Arthur Woods, tells us Big Scarr overdosed Thursday on prescription pills at his girlfriend's house in Memphis.

Big Scarr's uncle says he did not know when his nephew got the meds ... but he says Big Scarr faced several traumatic experiences in his life, including being shot and suffering a serious car accident injury.

The rapper got his stage name from the car accident when he was 16. It left a big scar on his body when he was thrown through a windshield. In the 2020 shooting, Big Scarr was struck by a bullet that traveled up his spine, and he needed surgery to remove his appendix.

The uncle says Big Scarr also battled depression ... citing the death of the rapper's grandmother as something that he took very hard.

As we reported ... Big Scarr was pronounced dead Thursday, with law enforcement sources telling us there were no signs of foul play.

Big Scarr's uncle is remembering his 22-year-old nephew as a nice young man and a beautiful person who was very passionate about music.