RIP

Scammers looking to make a quick buck on the missing Titanic-bound submersible tried to crowdsource off the tragedy ... but GoFundMe is cracking down.

Here's the deal ... we did some digging and found several GoFundMe pages seeking donations for search and rescue efforts, and money for the missing passengers' families.

Problem is ... these GoFundMe pages are NOT legit ... and the platform is taking action, and scrubbing the pages in some cases.

A rep for GoFundMe tells TMZ ... their Trust & Safety team is monitoring the platform for fundraisers related to the OceanGate sub, and 5 fundraisers have already been removed.

The folks behind the bogus fundraisers appear to have lofty visions ... most of them set six-figure goals, with others seeking upwards of $2 million.

The Titanic submersible story has captivated the world, and you can count Adele as one of the many mesmerized. In fact, she's got Qs about it too -- for her audience, no less.

The singer was performing during her Vegas residency Friday night when, at one point, she paused her crooning to talk to the crowd ... namely, to ask them about OceanGate's Titan vessel -- and whether anyone there would want to go see the Titanic wreckage like they did.

Adele takes an impromptu poll for the Yeas and Nays ... and from the sound of it, more people definitely would not put themselves in that situation. Ditto for Adele, as it turns out.

It's pretty funny ... she also poses the hypothetical of getting on a rocket ship to space -- something that's happening a lot more lately among other billionaires -- and there, too, the audience didn't seem onboard. Adele's right there with them ... calling herself a "p***y."

Interestingly enough, Adele says she can understand why some would wanna take the big risk and head down thousands of feet to examine the famed sunken ship ... but for her, it's just too scary of a thought. After the thing imploded underwater, probably more so.

Here's the kicker ... Adele is actually pretty into the Titanic. She once had a Titanic-themed birthday party to ring in her 30th birthday -- complete with the fancy stairwell and everything.

The 5 victims who lost their lives in the submersible expedition to Titanic are being honored with ceremonies at 2 museums where the original 1912 tragedy is memorialized.

The Titanic Museum Attraction locations -- one in Pigeon Forge, TN, and another in Branson, MO -- held private memorials Friday with staff members ... according to Mary Kellog-Joslyn, who co-owns both spots with her husband, John.

Mary says her husband has a personal connection to one of the victims, Paul-Henri Nargeolet ... telling us they both were part of the second team to explore the Titanic wreckage way back in 1987.

Both museums had a total turnout of 250 people, and we're told the ceremonies included a speech for those lost. Employees paid tribute with a wreath in the memorial room, where the names of the Titanic victims are already on display.

We're told they're going to etch the 5 new names in the glass, too -- permanently adding them to the existing list of victims.

For his part, John spoke at the Pigeon Forge museum's memorial, and paid tribute to his friend, Paul-Henri ... saying he was always the guy to turn to if there was an issue during explorations.

Actor Frederic Forrest, who costarred with Bette Midler in the highly acclaimed film, "The Rose," has died.

Midler announced Forrest passed away Friday night, tweeting ... "The great and beloved Frederic Forrest has died. Thank you to all of his fans and friends for all their support these last few months."

She continued ... "He was a remarkable actor, and a brilliant human being, and I was lucky to have him in my life. He was at peace."

Forrest's cause of death was not disclosed.

The Oscar-nominated actor first hit it big in 1979 when he scored the part of Jay "Chef" Hicks in the Francis Ford Coppola war movie classic, "Apocalypse Now."

That same year, Forrest was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dyer in "The Rose."

He went on to perform in dozens of movies throughout the '80's, '90's and early 2000s, including "The Two Jakes," "One From The Heart," and "Falling Down."

Forrest was 86.

Boxer Albert Ochoa will be channeling his inner Michael Jackson when he steps into the ring this weekend ... 'cause he just copped some insane custom "Thriller" shoes to pay homage to the King of Pop!!

Ochoa -- who famously took Kylie Jenner to prom -- is set to fight TikTok star Xavier Long at Academy LA in Hollywood on Saturday ... and TMZ Sports has learned he plans to show out with his moves AND his shoes.

We're told the 23-year-old wanted personalized gear for the fifth fight of his career ... so he reached out to his close friend, artist Aztek Kustoms, with the idea of making kicks similar to the loafers on Jackson's feet in the iconic "Thriller" music video.

Aztek Kustoms -- who also made Rolly Romero's Frank Ocean boxing shoes -- says the kicks feature over 4,000 pearl-white rhinestones and black glitter paint ... and Ochoa is thrilled with the finished product.

Ochoa tells us "Thriller," which is his all-time favorite song, will be playing for his walkout to the ring.

"He's an icon, he's a legend," Ochoa told us. "For me to wear these shoes and to come out with that outfit and his music ... it's dope."

Boxing is something Ochoa is taking very seriously ... in fact, he says he's training with former boxing champ Joel Casamayor and former Olympian boxer Vicente Escobedo.

"It's a great team -- having a world champion and an Olympian and two people that were successful in their sport at the start of my career is a blessing," Ochoa said. "It's a dream come true."

Of course, many still doubt the reality star, like they did YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, but the 3-1 super welterweight tells us he's the real deal.

"I'm a real fighter," Ochoa said. "I put in the work and I've improved so much in this camp. I'm on my way to becoming a great star in this sport."

Here's video from one of Stockton Rush's final dives in the OceanGate submersible ... a failed expedition from weeks before the fatal implosion.

YouTuber Jake "DALLMYD" says he was on the Titan for a mission to the Titanic shipwreck earlier this year, and he recorded his experience with Stockton at the controls.

In this expedition, Stockton shows off the infamous video game controller he uses to maneuver the tiny submersible ... and the footage also highlights the cramped quarters inside.

The sub went into the water but the dive was ultimately canceled after a series of malfunctions and poor weather conditions ... on this trip, they never made it deep below the surface, and didn't get anywhere near the Titanic shipwreck on the bottom of the Atlantic.

Of course, Stockton took the same sub on another expedition Sunday with different passengers ... and it imploded.

"Titanic" director James Cameron blamed Stockton for the ill-fated journey ... saying he ignored safety concerns much like the captain of the real Titanic.

Adam Rich, who starred in the hit series, "Eight Is Enough" died from an overdose that's become far too common in America -- the culprit was fentanyl.

The L.A. County Medical Examiner's autopsy report, obtained by TMZ, says Adam's died in an accidental overdose of the powerful opioid. He also had non-toxic levels of alcohol and lorazepam... the generic for Ativan.

TMZ broke the story ... the former child TV star was found dead back in January inside his L.A. area home. At the time, foul play was not suspected. The M.E.'s report says his body was in a "state of mild decomposition."

Law enforcement later told us, his death was likely the result of an overdose ... adding the manager at Adam's apartment building found his lifeless body inside the bathroom and there was also a white powder substance, believed to be drugs.

Rich, who was 54, struggled with drugs for years and was once arrested for allegedly trying to steal pills from a pharmacy ... leading investigators to initially believe he overdosed.

Now, we have a clear understanding of what exactly led to his death.

Adam will be best remembered for his role as Nicholas Bradford, the youngest son on "Eight Is Enough." He stayed on the series for its entire duration from 1977-1981.

Terry Price -- Texas A&M's defensive ends coach and former player from the Aggies "Wrecking Crew" -- has sadly passed away, the university confirmed to TMZ Sports on Friday.

He was 55.

Price has been coaching his alma mater since 2012, after successful stints with Ole Miss and Auburn.

Besides coaching, Terry was also known as a great recruiter who brought several stars to TAMU like Myles Garrett and Daylon Mack. Price was ranked as one of the top 25 recruiters in the nation by Rivals.

Prior to his coaching career, Price played on the Aggies' defense from 1986 to 1989, under coach Jackie Sherrill and R.C. Slocum.

Price was part of the infamous "Wrecking Crew" and captured two Southwest Conference championships between 1985 to 1987. He also led the defense in tackles during his junior and senior years.

Price was drafted by the Chicago in the 10th round of the 1990 NFL Draft and played two seasons with the Bears and Dolphins before returning back to school to finish his undergrad in sociology.

Price is survived by his wife and two sons, Alexander and TAMU receiver Devin, who recently graduated from college last month.

In fact, Price's last tweets were dedicated to his sons ... and how proud he was of their accomplishments.

Cole Bennett's "Lyrical Lemonade" compilation is paying tribute to Juice Wrld while coming in hot with the creativity -- an AI reimaging of the late rapper and Eminem!!!

On Friday, the pioneering music video director dropped the Juice and Cordae collab "Doomsday" to kick off his album rollout.

Cole had a 100-foot-long structure built lined with a 360° green screen to simulate an office hallway to perfect the shot ... and there's plenty of wackiness to see here. The biggest, obviously, being the AI face swap between Juice and Cordae, and the digital Eminem at the start.

He says Juice had the idea for the treatment before he died. The song's backstory goes ... Juice and Cordae linked in the studio on September 8, 2019, just months before his untimely death from a drug overdose.

Cordae says he's kept the track under wraps to prevent any leaks, but he adds ... Juice was always excited about it, and wanted it out to prove he wasn't just the "sad boy rapper."

The song uses the Dr. Dre and Mel-Man beat that Eminem used to make his 1997 banger "Role Model," just in case you were confused about the CGI Slim Shady at the start of the vid.

Cole and Cordae debated amongst themselves if reimaging their friend Juice Wrld with AI was the best move ... after all the technology isn't exactly favored in the music industry.

Carson Wentz may be panned for his accuracy on the field, but not so much off it ... the NFL free agent QB took down a black bear with a bow and arrow, before posing with the animal.

As you might expect, reaction was ... umm, mixed.

The former Super Bowl champ showed off his kill on Friday with a photo of a black bear and his Hoyt Archery bow on a grassy field in the Last Frontier.

"Got the opportunity to spot and stalk black bear in one of our new favorite places on earth— Alaska!" Wentz wrote in the caption.

"Incredible trip and an incredible animal!"

Despite the hunt being totally legal in Alaska, the photo didn't sit well with a lot of people, who expressed their frustrations in the IG comments.

"Bro come on man. How can you take a living animal’s life like that? Ridiculous," one fan wrote while others said they were going to unfollow the former Eagles and Colts quarterback on Instagram.

Fans of Wentz will know this isn't his first kill. Carson grew up hunting in North Dakota. In fact, the 30-year-old hunted a deer in Indiana a few months ago and shared the footage on his YouTube page.

Wentz isn't the only NFL pro who enjoys hunting ... Jay Cutler, DeAngelo Williams and Derek Wolfe, who took down a mountain lion that was a threat to a local community earlier this year, are also avid hunters.

James Cameron's harsh criticism of the imploded OceanGate submersible, and its CEO Stockton Rush, is pissing off OceanGate's co-founder ... who says Cameron's just guessing what happened to Titan, and has no actual knowledge.

Guillermo Söhnlein is pushing back on the "Titanic" director's assertion the submersible was "too experimental to carry passengers" ... saying it's impossible for James to know all the details.

Guillermo went on Times Radio Friday in the U.K., and defended OceanGate and Stockton, saying ... "It's impossible for anyone to really speculate from the outside ... I know from firsthand experience that we were extremely committed to safety and risk mitigation was a key part of the company culture."

Remember, James is blaming the tragedy on Stockton -- who was piloting Titan when it imploded -- claiming he ignored warnings from the industry about the safety of Titan's design, and then made matters worse by taking tourists aboard the vessel.

James, who made 33 dives to the famous shipwreck, said he and others in the submersible community voiced concerns about the Titan submersible, but Stockton pushed forward, undeterred -- kind of like the Titanic captain who went full steam ahead into an ice field.

Guillermo says James' views are not gospel -- he says there are differing opinions and views within the industry about every aspect of deep ocean dives and submersibles ... and, most importantly, he says James wasn't involved in the design, engineering, building, testing or diving on Titan.

Despite the 5 deaths aboard Titan, Guillermo says this isn't the end of OceanGate ... he says the company needs to investigate what went wrong, and apply those lessons moving forward.

The document the 4 passengers signed before getting in the ill-fated submersible could prevent their families from filing a wrongful death lawsuit, but there's one big exception.

The relevant jurisdiction according to the contract is the Bahamas. Bahamian law adopts many provisions of United States law, and in most U.S. states a company can absolve itself of liability for injury or death even if it was negligent, provided it fully discloses the risks to the participants.

There are other factors to consider, including lopsided bargaining power and the clarity of the language in the waiver. In this case, the passengers were all well-to-do and sophisticated, with access to counsel.

In short, even if OceanGate negligently constructed or operated the submersible, the families could very well be out of luck if they sue for wrongful death.

Now there's a big exception ... if a court were to determine OceanGate was "grossly negligent," the liability waiver would not be enforceable. Gross negligence is defined "a lack of care that demonstrates reckless disregard for the safety or lives of others." In short, a company cannot enforce a waiver if it engaged in reckless conduct.

That will be for a judge and/or jury to decide -- whether issues of design, materials, and operation crossed that line.

The company behind the ill-fated submersible designed to explore the depths of the sea covered itself from the perils of underwater exploration with a comprehensive liability waiver, and we have a copy.

The document -- used on a trip from last summer -- repeatedly mentions the risk of serious injury or death, and tells passengers they assume the risk without any recourse against the company.

OceanGate makes it clear ... even if it's negligent in the design or operation of the vessel, the passengers have no legal recourse. The document states, "I hereby assume full responsibility for the risk of bodily injury, disability, death, and property damage due to the negligence of [OceanGate] while involved in the operation."

Here's how robustly the company covered itself, telling passengers what they're up against.

-- "A portion of the operation will be conducted inside an experimental submersible vessel. The experimental submersible vessel has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body and may be constructed of materials that have not been widely used in human occupied submersibles."

-- "When diving below the ocean surface this vessel will be subject to extreme pressure, and any failure of the vessel while I am aboard could cause severe injury or death."

-- "If I choose to assist in the servicing or operation of the submersible vessel, I will be exposed to risks associated with high-pressure gases, pure oxygen servicing, high-voltage electrical systems and other dangers that could lead to property damage, injury, disability and death."

And then comes the waiver ... "I understand the inherent risks in the activities that will be undertaken during the operation, and I hereby assume full responsibility for all risks of property damage, injury, disability, and death .... I hereby agree to defend, indemnify, save, and hold harmless OceanGate Expeditions, Ltd. ... from any loss, liability, damage, or costs they may incur to due to any claim brought in violation of this Release."

As you know, the 5 passengers onboard the Titan vessel were declared dead, after the craft apparently imploded deep below the surface of the ocean.

A Vegas tycoon didn't like the odds of surviving a trip aboard the ill-fated Titanic submarine -- and his intuition saved his life.

Jay Bloom says he could have been a passenger on the OceanGate-owned Titan submarine that claimed the lives of 5 people after the vessel imploded during a voyage to see the remnants of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean.

OceanGate chief executive Stockton Rush even offered Bloom and his son a sweet discount from $250K to $150K per person -- but Bloom still blew it off, which, looking back now, was a life-saving decision.

In a Facebook post, Bloom shared text messages from February he traded with Rush about going on the Titanic expedition.

One text exchange showed how Bloom's son was clearly apprehensive about going on the voyage with Bloom stating, "My son's friend researched what could go wrong and put a little scare in him. He's excited to go, but concerned about the danger."

Quavo's a one-man marketing MACHINE in Paris, where he's dropping a new clothing collection ... and appears ready to blow the lid off a new music project!!!

We got some pretty cool footage of Quavo Thursday completely shutting down the city's popular Rue Notre-Dame de Nazareth … and as you can see the superstar rapper drew hundreds of people out to see him in action.

With it being Paris Fashion Week and all, Quavo also introduced a new line of “Rocket Power” merch, so named in honor of his late nephew and collaborator Takeoff.

He’s been going hard with the hashtag “Rocket Power” on social … which furthers Takeoff’s legacy as well.

Quavo also occupied local boutique Le25Vintage and dropped a few new fiery tracks while joined by his brother YRN Lingo and crew.

You can hear the passion in his voice, and a full buffet of trap lyrics on the tracks.

James Cameron is going to catch a lot of heat for this ... he just blamed the Titanic-bound submersible tragedy on the captain, callously comparing it to the famous shipwreck.

The "Titanic" director shared his hot take on the submersible's deadly implosion, which killed all 5 people onboard, with ABC ... and it's shocking to hear.

James says ... "I'm struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship and yet he steamed at full speed into an ice field."

In short, James is blaming the tragedy on OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush .. who piloted the Titan submersible on the ill-fated mission.

James is considered a bit of an expert in this field ... in addition to winning Oscars for "Titanic," he also made 33 dives to the bottom of the Atlantic to see the shipwreck up close.

Some folks are critical of OceanGate and Stockton for exploring 2.5 miles below the surface in a tiny submersible navigated with consumer product parts, and James seems to be in that camp.