RIP

Austin Majors, who made his mark as a child star on the hugely successful "NYPD Blue" has died ... TMZ has learned.

Austin died Saturday night while staying at a homeless housing facility in Los Angeles.

A source with direct knowledge of the circumstances surrounding his death tells us there's no foul play suspected ... but it is believed he may have ingested a fatal amount of fentanyl. We're told an autopsy is set to be completed Monday, with final toxicology results expected in the next few months.

Austin's family issued a statement on his death, telling us he, “Was a loving, artistic, brilliant, and kind human being. Austin took great joy and pride in his acting career. He was an active Eagle Scout and graduated Salutatorian in High School. He went on to graduate from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with a passion of directing and music producing."

The statement continues, "Austin’s younger sister, Kali, says her fondest memories with Austin were growing up on set with him, volunteering at events with “Kids With a Cause”, and backpacking together. Austin was the kind of son, brother, grandson, and nephew that made us proud and we will miss him deeply forever.”

Austin will best be remembered for his role as Theo Sipowicz for 7 seasons on "NYPD Blue." Theo was the son of the show's main character, Detective Andy Sipowicz, played by actor Dennis Franz.

There was a controversial scene from the show involving Austin back in 2003 when his character walked in on a naked Charlotte Ross in the restroom before she was about to shower.

The scene led to a ton of complaints against ABC and resulted in a $1.4 million fine from The FCC.

Austin took home some hardware during his career as well -- taking home the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Television Series in 2002 for "NYPD Blue". He was also nominated for Best Performance in a Voice-Over Role for his work on "Treasure Planet" the following year.

He also worked on other projects, including, "An Accidental Christmas", "Volare", and the 2000s show "According to Jim".

He was just 27.

Drake is trying to put the kibosh on getting deposed in the XXXTENTACION murder trial — and he's making some legal moves to try to get out of it.

The rapper filed a motion, through his attorney Bradford Cohen, asking the judge to set aside the subpoena requiring him to sit for a private deposition in late February.

As we reported, the judge was persuaded by arguments made by defense attorney Mauricio Padilla to call Drake as a witness in the case. Padilla represents Dedrick Williams, one of three defendants charged with killing XXX. The murder trial for the 3 men began last week.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Padilla sent Drake a ZOOM link for the deposition without putting it under seal, which could have compromised Drake's security given that he’s an international star.

Several days later, the docs say Padilla filed a notice with the court but failed to include details on how the ZOOM interview with Drake would be conducted. As a result, Drake says the subpoena was procedurally defective.

Per the motion, Drake also claims his name never appeared in the investigative files and there's nothing to suggest he has any relevant knowledge about the case ... he believes it's unreasonable to ask him to sit for a deposition and says doing so is just an attempt to "add more layers of celebrity and notoriety to a tragic and unfortunate event."

More heartbreak for Sharon Stone and her family ... her brother Patrick died suddenly over the weekend.

Patrick died early Sunday morning in Pennsylvania. A rep for the coroner's office tells us his death is being ruled as sudden cardiac death due to heart disease. It's unclear if he was hospitalized at the time of his death.

Pat's wife Tasha shared the devastating news with friends, writing, "My heart feels like it’s been ripped out of my chest. Patrick went to be with our sweet River ... I don’t know what else to say, he was my world."

She continued, "I’m not sure what life is supposed to look like without my husband by my side and quite honestly I don’t want to, but I will of course. I just hope that you always stay by my side watching over Hunter, Kaylee and I."

River was Tasha and Patrick's son who died in 2021 at just 11 months ... at the time, Sharon announced River's organs had failed.

Tasha continued, "Until we meet again I will forever hold you and our wonderful (and some not so wonderful but just as important) memories close to my heart and will visit those memories always. I love you honey babe. My wish through all of this is that now at least River has his daddy with him and I hope the two of you are having the best time."

Patrick was only 57.

Bam Margera and Priscilla Presley's friendship is paying off for him in a big way -- he's hooking up his dad with an iconic Elvis robe .. TMZ has learned.

Bam tells us he was first introduced to Priscilla's son Navarone Garcia -- through mutual friends in the music industry -- and since then he's formed his own relationship with Priscilla.

We're told Elvis' ex-wife -- and mother of the late Lisa Marie Presley -- heard about Bam's dad being a huge Elvis fan, so she gave Bam one of the King's personal robes ... and a ring!!!

You can tell in the video just how pumped Bam is to be able to gift the robe to his father.

As for the ring, we're told Bam gave that to rapper Yelawolf -- who you see hanging with Bam in the video -- because it fit him and Bam considers him the new king of Rock 'n' Roll.

As we reported, the former 'Jackass' star and Priscilla recently had lunch together for what seemed like a bizarre link-up... especially given the timing of everything.

As you know, Bam has been struggling with his sobriety, and friends like Steve-O have publicly voiced concern for his well-being.

Meanwhile, TMZ broke the story ... Priscilla is challenging a change to Lisa Marie's trust, which is creating a tug-of-war with her granddaughter Riley Keough.

David Jolicoeur -- also known as Dave and Trugoy the Dove, who was one of the three founding members of De La Soul -- has died.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ the rapper passed away Sunday at a hospital in Maryland. No other details, including a potential cause, have been released ... but we're told his death appears to be from natural causes, and that he was battling an undisclosed illness.

De La Soul's official social accounts have yet to say anything about Dave -- ditto for the other two members and their own pages ... Kelvin Mercer (Posdnuos) and Vincent Mason (Maseo).

Dave was with DLS since the beginning, getting together in '87 and going on to crank out some of the most famous rap songs of all time. The group went on an incredible three-album run through the '90s -- with two of those being certified platinum and gold, respectively.

Some of their best-known tracks include ... "Me, Myself and I," "Eye Know," "The Magic Number," "Stakes Is High," "Ring Ring Ring," "Say No Go," "Breakadawn," "Oooh," "Buddy," "All Good," "Ghetto Thang," "I Am I Be," "Ego Trippin (Part 2)" and countless others.

De La Soul was unique in that they emerged in one decade, but seamlessly transitioned into another ... all while adapting their style and production to keep up with the times.

Three of their songs have been nominated for Grammys over the years, with one of those -- a smash hit collab with the Gorillaz in "Feel Good Inc." -- actually winning Best Pop Collaboration in 2006.

Their music has been hard to listen to in recent years ... for one reason or another, nobody has been able to stream their stuff on major platforms, but a deal was recently inked that'll finally allow their classic tunes to be played en masse starting next month.

Dave was 54.

Hollywood publicist and television personality Howard Bragman has died after a brave battle with leukemia.

Howard was set to attend a wedding in Mexico with his partner, Mike Maimone, this month -- but wanted to get checked out by his doctor before his travels for what he thought was a gum infection and mild fever.

Unfortunately, after testing, Bragman was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of leukemia a person can have -- and it progressed "explosively."

Howard was hospitalized on February 2 and died less than 2 weeks after.

Howard wasn't just a publicist for celebrities, but in a sense, he was a celebrity in his own right -- making regular television appearances on major networks. He was also an author, and his 'Where's My Fifteen Minutes?' offered real-life advice to those trying to get their company, cause or self-recognition in the world of publicity.

Howard's Rolodex of celeb clients was just as impressive, including the likes of Sharon Osbourne, Anthony Scaramucci, Steven Slater, Stevie Wonder, Chaz Bono, Don Lemon, Monica Lewinsky, Joe Manganiello, Anna Kendrick, Terrence Howard and Ricki Lake ... just to name a few.

Ryan Shepard, who acted as Eminem's stunt double in the early 2000s, has died ... tragically losing his life after getting hit while attempting to cross the street.

Ryan's brother Kyle tells TMZ ... Ryan died in Washington at the end of January after getting hit by an oncoming pickup truck. Emergency responders rushed him to a hospital, but it was too late.

Ryan worked not only as Eminem's stunt double but also as his photo double and stand-in ... appearing at the MTV Movie Awards as Eminem's superhero character, Rap Boy.

He took the stage again with the rapper for his 2002 Anger Management Tour, and on his Japan and Europe tour the following year -- he also appeared in D12's "Purple Hills" music video as Eminem's double.

Kyle tells us Ryan was incredibly intelligent ... going on to work at Disney as a ride mechanical engineer, and eventually moving to Elon Musk's SpaceX as a test automation engineer.

Ryan leaves behind his 2 children, a 7-year-old and an 11-year-old.

He was 40 years old.

The BTK serial killer is back on police radar ...but this time we're told it's to see if he has any connection to the disappearance of an Oklahoma teenager back in 1976.

BTK (real name: Dennis Rader) tells TMZ…he was interviewed January 20 by Osage County Sheriff, Eddie Virden and three other investigators at El Dorado Correctional Facility in Kansas. That's where BTK is serving 10 life terms for killing 10 people from 1974 to 1991. He was captured in 2005 after sending police taunting letters using the moniker, "Bind, Torture, Kill."

Rader said the Osage County cops wanted to know if he was involved in the disappearance of 16-year-old Cynthia Dawn Kinney in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, on June 23, 1976. Kinney was reportedly last seen leaving Osage Laundromat and getting into a beige 1965 Plymouth Belvedere with two people under suspicious circumstances. No one has been arrested.

BTK said police thought he might have a connection to the Kinney case because he was actively committing murders in Wichita, Kansas, during that time frame. Wichita is only about a 2-hour drive to Pawhuska.

The killer also said cops asked him about his connection to Oklahoma and the Boy Scouts. BTK admitted he was in Oklahoma as a Boy Scout, but several years before and after 1976.

BTK categorically denied any involvement in the Kinney case.

Sheriff Virden confirmed to TMZ…he and the other investigators visited BTK in prison to interview the serial killer in a roundabout way regarding the Kinney case.

Virden said investigators were pursuing leads and doing their due diligence to see if BTK fits into the Kinney case considering his criminal activities around that time.

Virden said, “There’s similarities between the time frames. She disappeared in daytime – most of [BTK's] stuff occurred in daytime hours. Some of the stuff that motivated [BTK] -- there are similarities,” but Virden declined to further elaborate.

During the interview, Virden said he also gathered personal information from BTK about his early life, military service and his murders.

Cody Longo, a young actor who made his mark in both film and television, including a role on "Days of Our Lives" has died ... TMZ has learned.

A family member tells TMZ Cody's body was found Wednesday in bed at a residence in Austin, Texas. We're told Longo's wife, Stephanie, was at work at a local dance studio and got an uneasy feeling when she couldn't reach him ... so she asked police to go and check on him.

Cops responded to the home, and when Longo didn't answer, they kicked the door down ... finding him dead in bed.

The family member tells us Cody struggled with alcohol abuse for years -- and went to rehab over the summer. At this time, an official time of death has not been released, but the family believes he relapsed and alcoholism is likely what killed him.

Longo appeared on 8 episodes of "Days of Our Lives" back in 2011, he was also in "Bring It On: Fight to The Finish" and episodes of "Nashville" in 2016. However, fans of "Hollywood Heights" will most remember him as Eddie Duran on the show ... he appeared on 78 episodes.

We spoke with Cody's wife, Stephanie, who tells us he was really working hard on himself to fight for his kids. She says, "He was an amazing father and the best husband. Our whole world is shattered."

He leaves behind his wife, a 7-year-old daughter, as well as a 5-year-old son and 1-year-old son.

Cody was only 34.

Drake will have to answer questions about XXXTentacion's murder, and the judge is threatening severe consequences if he misses a deposition.

Mauricio Padilla, the defense attorney for Dedrick Williams -- one of the 3 men accused of killing XXXTentacion -- persuaded the judge it's necessary for Drake to answer questions about his 2017 beef with the late "Look At Me!" rapper.

Drake was originally scheduled to be deposed on January 27, but failed to appear and now must sit for the deposition on February 24, via Zoom. If he misses that date, the judge says he better be in court on Feb. 27 or possibly be charged with contempt.

X and Drake have been intertwined through conspiracy theories for years -- mostly based on claims Drake bit some of his musical style, and one of X's IG stories. Four months before his June 2018 murder, X posted ... "IF ANYONE TRIES TO KILL ME IT WAS @champagnepapi IM snitching RN."

XXXTENTACION deleted the post and said he'd been hacked, but still ... Padilla's doing all he can to create reasonable doubt, and for now, the judge is allowing the far-fetched Drake theory to play out.

The trial began earlier this week as defendants Williams, Michael Boatwright and Trayvon Newsome all face life sentences for their role in killing XXX outside a RIVA Motorsports in June 2018.

Alec Baldwin has yet another lawsuit to deal with regarding the fatal "Rust" shooting ... family members of the late Halyna Hutchins are taking the actor and several others to court.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Halyna's parents and sister have named Alec -- as well as a slew of companies and individuals -- as defendants in the suit. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is one of the many named.

The docs claim several safety protocols on set were ignored, including their insistence that Gutierrez-Reed should've been the only one handing Baldwin the gun -- NOT Assistant Director David Halls, who's also named as a defendant.

The family says Baldwin "cannot hide" behind Halls' alleged statement on set that the gun was "cold" ... adding a veteran actor like himself should've insisted that it was demonstrated to him or checked it himself.

What's more, the docs say the scene they were filming didn't call for Baldwin's gun to be cocked or fired at all -- and they say there was insufficient plexiglass in the building at the time of the incident, which could've ensured Hutchins' safety.

Hutchins' family is suing for loss of consortium, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and more ... and is seeking unspecified damages.

We've reached out to Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed -- Hannah's lawyer, Jason Bowles, had no comment ... no word from Baldwin's team.

Former Ohio State Buckeyes star wide receiver Dimitrious Stanley passed away this week, after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 48 years old.

Stanley -- who played for the Buckeyes from 1993-96 -- disclosed his diagnosis back in 2019 ... urging his friends and family to get tested for the disease.

According to a GoFundMe set up by former Ohio State wide receiver Tyson Gentry, Stanley briefly went into remission ... but unfortunately, the cancer returned.

Stanley was famous for his incredible performance in the 1997 Rose Bowl ... catching a 72-yard touchdown to help Ohio State beat Jake Plummer and Arizona State, 20-17.

Stanley led the Buckeyes in receiving that season ... earning more than 800 yards and catching eight touchdown passes.

He went on to play professionally in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Arena Football League for the New Jersey Red Dogs.

Stanley also ventured into local TV during his post-OSU career ... providing analysis on "The Football Fever" on ABC 6.

Stanley's former co-host, Anthony Rothman, shared a touching tribute ... saying, "My heart is shattered. Best friend/brother Dimitrious Stanley has passed after an incredibly courageous battle against prostate cancer."

Burt Bacharach, one of the most prolific composers/songwriters in American history -- responsible for enormous hits like "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" and "I Say a Little Prayer" -- has died.

Bacharach died Wednesday at his L.A. home of natural causes, according to his publicist.

Bacharach and his composing partner, Hal David, were responsible for a string of Dionne Warwick hits, including "Do You Know The Way to San Jose," "Walk on By," "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" and "Don't Make Me Over."

Numerous artists covered his songs, including Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield, Frank Sinatra and Tom Jones.

Although the 8-time Grammy winner was largely considered a master of easy listening, his songs were covered by artists in all genres of music -- everyone from Luther Vandross to Marty Robbins to Elvis Costello and even The Carpenters recorded his songs.

Everyone knows the #1 hit, "(They Long to Be) Close to You" ... classic Bacharach.

He and David composed the score for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," which included 'Raindrops.' They won 2 Academy Awards for the film's soundtrack.

Motown record label founder Berry Gordy tells us, "Over the years, no matter who Burt collaborated with, there was always a recognizable “Bacharach” sound and magic to his songs. He was a unique writer whose music always touched my heart. I will miss him, but I know Burt’s amazing legacy will live on forever."

Burt also wrote several hits with his one-time wife Carole Bayer Sager -- and, in fact, they also won an Oscar for "Best That You Can Do" ... the theme from "Arthur."

All told, he walked down the aisle 4 times, including a 15-year marriage to actress Angie Dickinson. He married for the last time in 1993 when he and Jane Hansen tied the knot.

He's survived by 3 children and Jane. Burt was 94.

Prized 'Star Wars' memorabilia that belonged to Peter Mayhew, the actor who famously played Chewbacca, is about to go up for auction ... and unrightfully so, according to the late actor's wife.

Angie Mayhew tells TMZ ... she's very upset an auction house in the UK is selling a ton of Pete's possessions from his 'Star Wars' days, including scripts, call sheets, signed photos and more.

The collection was given to Ryedale Auctioneers by a couple who moved into Peter's old home in northern England and found the items in the attic.

The couple didn't know the memorabilia once belonged to Peter, so they unwittingly gave it all up.

Angie tells us when they were moving out of the home, Peter attempted to snag his mementos from the attic, but couldn't get inside due to serious knee issues ... and he didn't want Angie to risk injury going up there herself.

She says Peter scooped up as many items within arm's reach as he could, but had to leave the rest.

Angie says leaving the memorabilia was one of her and Peter's "biggest disappointments" in life.

On Tuesday, Peter's wife saw the items were up for auction, and immediately got honchos at the Peter Mayhew Foundation to contact the auction house. Angie says she plans to speak with the auction house Thursday.

You'll recall, the iconic 'Star Wars' actor died back in 2019. Angie is hoping to reclaim the items and put them on display in the family's "Chewy" museum in Texas.

Tyre Nichols' mom is hopeful Congress will make good on what came across as a promise during President Biden's State of the Union address ... but she's reiterating it's time for them to finally act on real police reforms.

We caught up with RowVaughn Wells on Capitol Hill Tuesday night, shortly after the President delivered his State of the Union address ... in which he referenced the fatal beating her son endured at the hands of Memphis cops last month.

RowVaughn tells us she's very appreciative of the President's strong message Tuesday night ... saying now it's all about putting forth action.

Given the reaction in Congress after the Prez speech, she says it looks like something might really change this time around. However, she says "we'll just wait to see" -- a point Ben Crump, who is representing the Nichols family also reinforced.

As you know Tyre was beaten by multiple Memphis PD officers so badly during a Jan. 7 traffic stop ... he died 3 days later in a hospital bed.

Since his death, police have released gruesome video of the brutal beating ... which stirred outrage and multiple peaceful protests across the country.

Five Black officers were immediately fired, and later charged with second-degree murder.

Other firefighters and officers who responded to the scene without rendering timely assistance to Tyre have also been fired, but no one else has been criminally charged.

Tyre's family has vowed to join the renewed push for legislators to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing act ... which was defeated in a 2021 Senate vote.

In what many may consider a bizarre pairing, Priscilla Presley has ties to the 'Jackass' world -- in none other than the troubled Bam Margera.

Elvis' ex-wife -- and the mother of the late Lisa Marie Presley -- posed for some casual snaps posted Tuesday with the former skateboarder-turned-stuntman ... who's been on a downward trend lately in his personal life. BM posted two photos he'd taken with Priscilla.

In both, it seems they're just hanging out at someone's house. For the first IG, Bam simply wrote ... "Lunch with prescilla Presley." Didn't quite get the spelling right -- but no harm, no foul we suppose.

The second caption read, "Priscilla Presley watching Phoenix the wolf." You can see PP staring at something and Bam looking on with glee -- it's unclear if she's checking out a photograph or a screen, but he's suggesting she's taking a gander at his 5-year-old son, Phoenix Wolf Margera.

While this appearance together might seem like it's coming out of nowhere, it's not really ... Bam's actually friends with Lisa Marie's half-brother -- and Priscilla's son -- Navarone Garcia.

Of course, seeing Bam with Priscilla during such a tumultuous time in both of their lives is a little worrisome -- at least on its face. As we've reported ... Priscilla is challenging a trust LMP had tinkered with before she died, putting daughter Riley Keough in charge instead of her.