RIP

Former LSU women's basketball star Danielle Ballard -- who helped lead the Tigers to the Sweet 16 in 2014 -- was tragically killed on Thursday ... after she was struck by a car in Tennessee.

She was just 29 years old.

The Memphis Police Department said the incident happened at around 1:30 AM at an intersection just a few miles away from the FedExForum in Memphis.

Cops said she was rushed to a local hospital after she was hit ... but she was sadly pronounced dead at the facility a short time later.

"The driver stayed on the scene," the MPD added in a statement. "This is an ongoing investigation."

Ballard was a standout for the Tigers during her time in Baton Rouge, averaging 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.4 steals in her three seasons (2012-15).

Among the accolades that she racked up in her tenure included Most Valuable Player honors and a selection to the All-SEC Defensive Team. She also earned recognition as the LSWA Louisiana Freshman of the Year.

Prior to joining LSU, Ballard was considered one of the best female high school players in the nation, being ranked No. 25 overall by ESPN after leading her Memphis Central team to its first class 3A state title in 89 years.

Fans of Ballard flooded social media following the news of her death ... with many leaving their thoughts and prayers on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

Thalia Chaverria, a 20-year-old, junior soccer player at New Mexico State University was found dead in her home earlier this week. Cops are investigating, but don't believe foul play was involved.

The Las Cruces Police Department was called to the New Mexico home of Chaverria, who hailed from Bakersfield, CA, around 7 AM Monday morning for an "unresponsive woman." When first responders arrived, Thalia was already deceased.

Police say they "have no reason to believe Chaverria’s death is suspicious or the result of criminal activity."

New Mexico State's Athletic Director Mario Moccia released a statement addressing Chaverria’s death.

"[Monday] we lost an amazing young woman, and we are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of a member of our Aggie family. Thalia had a vibrant personality and those who were fortunate enough to spend time with her knew she had a bright future ahead of her," Moccia said.

"The New Mexico State community is very tight-knit, and this tragedy is felt throughout. Our most sincere thoughts and prayers go out to Thalia's family and friends in this time of mourning."

Head coach Rob Baarts also commented ... "The sudden loss of Thalia has completely rocked our Aggie soccer families' world. T was an inspiration and rock to this team. She will be missed but not forgotten. Her spirit will be with us every day, on and off the pitch. I will always love you T!"

Thalia, a defender, was going into her third season with the Aggies ... where she was expected to play a pivotal role on the team.

Last season Chaverria started 20 games, logging nearly 1,800 game time minutes ... a season in which NM St. earned its first-ever WAC conference title in women's soccer.

In the wake of the awful news, a Chaverria family friend has started a GoFundMe to help cover expenses related to the death.

Shaquil Barrett paid tribute to his late daughter in a touching way this week ... getting the 2-year-old's face tattooed on his forearm -- just three months after she tragically died in a drowning accident.

The NFL star turned to Tattoo Red to get the piece of little Arrayah done ... and the homage came out perfectly.

The ink features an image of the little girl from her second birthday party ... as well as some stars and a ray of light shining through clouds.

Tattoo Red -- who's been inking athletes and musicians for 14 years -- tells TMZ Sports ... it all took about five hours to put down. The artist also said Barrett's wife, Jordanna, got a tattoo on her wrist in honor of Arrayah too.

"Knowing what an emotional piece this was for the family made me feel honored," Tattoo Red said. "I wanted to give them the best piece I could."

Jordanna -- who also has three other kids with Barrett -- recently announced they are expecting another baby ... saying in the big reveal, "Arrayah had a special hand in picking this sweet girl to add to our family!"

Dakota Fred Hurt, one of the stars of the Discovery show, "Gold Rush: White Water," is dead after a brief battle with brain cancer.

Dakota Fred died Tuesday, according to a statement from his family ... this only 4 months after he was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer. The fam says Dakota Fred fought his cancer battle "courageously" and died with loved ones by his side.

Dakota Fred's loved ones say they are remembering Dakota Fred as someone who "touched many lives and was loved and supported by many" ... while 'Gold Rush' says "his joy for life and adventure was contagious."

Dakota Fred got his start gold mining in North Dakota way back in the day, and that's how he ended up mining for gold in Alaska on 'Gold Rush.'

He appears in the show's first 4 seasons.

A fan favorite, Dakota Fred and his son, Dustin, returned to the franchise in 2018 with their own spinoff show, "Gold Rush: White Water," this time dredging for gold in whitewater collection pools at the base of Alaskan waterfalls.

Dakota Fred was 80.

Alex Murdaugh seems to be getting the brush off from his son Buster after his conviction in his sensational double murder case ... at least according to a new audio recording.

From a maximum security prison, Alex phoned Buster and had a chat with him, but the conversation seemed cold and distant -- and lasted all of 43 seconds.

As you know, Alex was convicted of brutally murdering his wife Maggie and younger son Paul at their South Carolina home and is now serving two life sentences.

Check out the recording, recently obtained by FITS News, which captured the May 16 discussion between Alex and Buster, who right from get go appears ready to hang up and move on with his life.

Alex opens the dialogue with a sweet greeting, "Hey buddy." But Buster gives a hurried response, “Hey I don’t have a whole of time I just boarded a ferry to go back to Hilton Head Island from Daufuskie (Island).”

The killer then admits he's been trying to get in touch with Buster -- clearly with little success -- and a man named Jim, apparently referring to his lawyer Jim Griffin. Alex asks Buster to have Jim contact him.

Buster gives a curt response, “Mm-kay." Alex inquires about something else related to Jim, but Buster claims he can't understand what his father is saying due to the phone line crackling.

Alex ends the icy exchange by professing his love for Buster, adding, "Proud of you."

Leslie Van Houten is likely to kill again after being released from prison -- so says Sharon Tate's sister ... who's deeply offended California cut loose the former Charles Manson follower.

Debra Tate tells TMZ that she's disappointed in the criminal justice system in the state, and especially the governor's office ... which she thinks really dropped the ball in not fighting harder against Van Houten's release.

While Gov. Gavin Newsom said he isn't happy with the decision handed down by the Court of Appeals -- siding with the parole board releasing Van Houten -- he also said he wasn't going to push back, arguing it was a losing effort.

Debra says Newsom could've taken it to a higher court, which is true, and she's taking his surrender as a huge slap in the face to the families of Manson's victims.

As far as how those loved ones feel about Van Houten being a free woman again ... well, she tells us they're absolutely terrified because there's a fear she could resort to her killing ways again in a heartbeat.

Clearly, Debra doesn't buy the parole board's belief Van Houten's rehabilitated. Her rationale boils down to the nature of the crime itself, and the mindset Van Houten was once under. She says once somebody goes down that dark path, in her eyes, it's easy to go back.

Now, while Van Houten wasn't involved in the Tate murders -- remember, it was the LaBiancas she helped butcher -- she's publicly said she really wanted to be present for the slayings of Sharon and 3 friends.

Debra finds that very troubling, and says that's why she has every right to weigh in here.

She adds ... the victims' families are outraged Van Houten gets to live out the rest of her life outside of prison -- despite a life sentence they assumed would be imposed forever more.

Debra's been leading a charge to keep all the Manson family members locked up, with an ongoing online petition she's maintained for a while now.

Former WWE wrestler Mike Halac, who famously competed as Mantaur in the '90s, has passed away. He was 55 years old.

Halac's daughter, Demi, announced the news on Halac's personal Facebook page on Tuesday ... saying, "He went peacefully in his sleep. He's no longer in pain."

"This really hit home to lose my father, he will forever be in my heart and many others. I love you dad. Make the skies beautiful for me."

Halac debuted as Bruiser Mastino for the Catch Wrestling Association in the early 1990s before joining the World Wrestling Federation as Mantaur, a role based on the mythical half-man/half-beast Minotaur character ... which was fitting for his 400-pound frame.

Halac -- who was open about his battle with diabetes -- continued to compete in the ring until 2019.

Fellow wrestler Paul Neu -- AKA P.N. News -- shared a touching tribute ... saying, "This is a bitter pill to swallow. RIP Michael Halac my tag partner, great friend and brother in all sense of the word except blood."

"We fought like family,, but always made up. You will be missed. God bless your soul. Until we meet again. Love you brother."

Eerie police body cam footage has emerged from the response to the home of NASCAR superstar Jimmie Johnson's in-laws ... revealing his mother-in-law shot herself just as officers arrived.

In the video, obtained by TMZ, officers approach the home of Dr. Jack Janway and his wife, Terry Janway. Cops observe Jack through a window, deceased from a gunshot wound and covered with a blanket. They open the front door, announce their presence and another gunshot is heard from inside the home.

Cops say that shot was from Terry, who died by suicide. Her body was discovered on the couch. Terry also shot and killed their grandson, Dalton, whose body was found under a blanket in one of the home's bedrooms.

TMZ broke the story ... officers from the Muskogee Police Department in Oklahoma raced to the home June 26 after a female called to report someone with a gun.

Jimmie and his wife, Chandra, have yet to make a public statement about the tragic incident ... but Jimmie was scheduled to race in a NASCAR Cup event in Chicago just days later. He withdrew from the event.

The father of late music icon Selena Quintanilla is going after a cruise company ... claiming it had no right to set sail as a tribute cruise to his daughter and her legacy.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Abraham Quintanilla Jr. is suing Catalina Classic Cruises over its Cumbia Cruise L.A. trips -- something he says has been dubbed this year as a "Tributo a Selena."

The evening boat cruise apparently takes passengers across Long Beach Bay with music bumping, which presumably would include Selena's hits. The party at sea is fit with 2 dance areas, food, and a couple of full bars.

Abraham says the company's a repeat offender ... claiming it called last year's trip “Cumbia Cruise Homenaje a Selena y La Sonor Dinamita por Maritza y Su Sonora.”

Abraham insists he still controls the rights to Selena's trademarks, name, voice, signature, and likeness in connection to merch and ads, among other things ... and he claims the company never got permission to use them.

He says the use of Selena's name on the cruise has caused substantial confusion and even deceived people into thinking her estate approved the usage -- which he says just isn't true.

Abraham's now seeking to block the use of his famous daughter's name and trademarks and wants the company to fork over any profits the tribute cruises made with her name.

Surfing star Mikala Jones has tragically died ... after part of his surfboard reportedly severed his femoral artery during a freak accident over the weekend.

It all happened at the Awera Resort in North Sipora on Sunday, according to Surfline, when the fin of Jones' surfboard appeared to cause a huge gash near his left groin.

The outlet reports medical personnel raced to assist Jones -- rushing him to the hospital ... though he sadly was declared dead there from his injuries.

He was just 44 years old.

His daughter, Isabella, grieved his death in an emotional Instagram post later on Sunday ... writing, "I'm not sure how to put this in words, but my dad got into a bad surfing accident and didn’t make it. Im happy he was doing what he loved the most."

"Life will never be the same without you," she added. "I miss you so much, i would do anything to get one more moment, even if it was us arguing and then laughing our asses off. Thank you for teaching me so many life lessons, and always being there for me. I wish you were still here with us right now. I will always be think about you dad ❤️"

Jones, a Hawaii native, began surfing at a young age ... and he eventually gained fame for his ability to ride through massive tubes in dangerous conditions. He was also notable for the way he filmed his rides -- earning praise from Surfline as "one of the 21st century’s most photogenic surfers."

Many in the surf world have mourned his passing ... including Kelly Slater, who wrote on Jones' most recent Instagram post, "Legend. 💔."

Andrea Evans, the longtime actress who starred in multiple soap operas over the years, has died.

Andrea passed away Sunday from cancer, according to casting director Don Carroll. It's unclear what sort of cancer she was battling, or when she'd been diagnosed.

She is, perhaps, most famous for playing Tina Lord on "One Life to Live" -- she started on that series way back in the late '70s, and had a memorable run through the '80s ... and even popping back during the early 2010s with recurring appearances.

She'd gone on to star in a lot of other soaps, including the iconic ones ... like "The Bold and the Beautiful" -- she appeared in 152 episodes -- and "The Young and the Restless" ... which had her on 19 different times.

Andrea also did a significant amount of work on "Passions" -- which featured her in a whopping 627 episodes -- portraying Rebecca Hotchkiss. Evans had starred in other shows as well ... like "DeVanity," "The Bay," "Out of Control," "CHiPs," and more.

She'd also been in a handful of movies -- so a well-rounded showbiz career.

AE actually retreated from the limelight for several years as a result of a scary stalking situation ... so, the fact she had such a prodigious career is impressive.

Andrea was 66.

Manson family killer Leslie Van Houten's recent whiff of freedom will not be snuffed out by California Gov. Gavin Newsom ... he says he won't appeal her upcoming parole.

Newsom's office announced the decision in a Friday afternoon news dump, saying the governor would not challenge an earlier appeals court decision clearing the way for Van Houten's release.

73-year-old Van Houten has been in prison for decades ... after being convicted for the August 1969 stabbing murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.

Newsom's office says he's reversed her parole grant three times since taking office and he's disappointed the appeals court ruled for her to be granted parole. The governor claims he would be unlikely to succeed in challenging her release this time.

Remember ... Van Houten claimed she was immature and brainwashed by Manson as a 19-year-old when she stabbed the LaBiancas to death in their Los Feliz home.

Paris Hilton is getting called out by PETA for getting her new dog from a breeder instead of an animal shelter or adoption service ... and PETA's not pulling punches.

A rep for the animal rights organization tells TMZ ... "Paris Hilton has apparently been living under a rock for the past decade, because a day in an animal shelter would have shown her just how many Chihuahuas already need homes, and five minutes on Petfinder would turn up thousands more, including puppies."

The outrage comes after Paris showed off her latest addition to her family of pets ... a teacup chihuahua, who Paris says is related to her late dog, Harajuku Bitch.

Paris apparently got the pooch from Foufou's Teacup Puppies Inc ... according to their website, they get puppies from breeders, and that's the issue for PETA.

The PETA rep adds ... "PETA knows that retail therapy is what Paris loves best, but we ask her to keep the shopping to baubles and bags and give an animal a chance to be 'sliving' by adopting."

It's unclear if Paris bought the dog herself or if the breeder gave her the pooch as part of a collab ... but regardless, PETA isn't happy with how Paris is promoting the biz. These dogs go for around $6k and up.

Paris' new puppy is getting a similar reaction from PETA as Pete Davidson did when he recently got a Cavapoo puppy from a pet store.

Pete later went scorched earth on PETA, leaving an expletive-laden voicemail in response.

Former WNBA star and ex-Tennessee Lady Volunteers hooper Nikki McCray-Penson has tragically passed away at 51 years old.

The heartbreaking news was confirmed to The Tennesean on Friday by Rutgers University, where McCray-Penson had been working as an assistant coach for the women's basketball team.

The school did not provide a cause of death ... but Univ. of Tenn. reporter Maria Cornelius said McCray-Penson passed away after battling breast cancer for a second time.

The former guard starred at Tennessee in the 1990s ... winning SEC Player of the Year twice (1994, 1995) -- as well as earning Kodak All-American honors twice.

Following her stint with the Vols, she went on to become a three-time WNBA All-Star ... while playing eight seasons for the Mystics, Fever, Mercury, Silver Stars and Sky.

She also won two gold Olympic medals with Team USA in her career ... and was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Her coaching tenure began in 2006 ... when she was hired to be an assistant on Western Kentucky's staff. She later became a head coach for Old Dominion, where she won C-USA Coach of the Year in 2019-2020. She then had a stint as Mississippi State's head coach ... before she began her career at Rutgers in 2022.

McCray-Penson also had a significant impact off the court ... she was selected by Bill Clinton to be a member of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. She was also picked by the Library of Congress as a speaker for the Women's History Month Address in 1999.

News of the death has rocked the basketball world ... with many stars remembering her fondly after learning of her passing.

"Nikki McCray : Sweet person and cold hooper!," ex-NBA star Chris Webber wrote. "Rest in Peace."

Added Dick Vitale, "I am so heartbroken hearing this news a few minutes ago about Nikki McCray - Penson . Loved everything about Nikki - she was a Hall of Famer as a player & as a person . May Nikki RIP."

Lady Vols senior Rickea Jackson, who played under McCray-Penson at Mississippi St., also tweeted her condolences to the McCray-Penson family.

"One of the most beautiful souls I've ever met," Jackson said. "The one who genuinely went out their way to understand me when I was so misunderstood. The one who was always there."

"You fought so long and hard and I am grateful to have known you. I love you. Rest easy."

OceanGate is pressing pause in the wake of the Titan submersible's fatal voyage to the Titanic shipwreck ... the company says it's halting all operations.

In a statement Thursday, OceanGate says it's suspending all exploration and commercial operations in the wake of last month's tragedy, which killed OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and four others.

As you know, Stockton was piloting the Titan submersible when it imploded during a dive to the famed shipwreck ... killing everyone on board, including British billionaire Hamish Harding, French researcher/diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman.

OceanGate has several other submersibles aside from the Titan, but the company says none will be going below the surface any time soon.

The Titan wreckage was recently recovered from the bottom of the Atlantic ocean ... along with presumed human remains.

Journey's co-founding guitarist, George Tickner, is dead ... according to his former bandmate, Neal Schon.

Schon, Journey's longtime lead guitarist, announced Tickner's passing Thursday with a social media post saying, "Journey Junkies, I have some very sad news. George Tickner, Journey’s original rhythm guitarist and songwriting contributor on their first three albums, has passed away."

He added, "Our condolences to his family and friends, and to all past and present band members. So heartbreaking. I think we need to do a group hug."

Tickner was the original rhythm guitarist, when he formed Journey in 1973 ... along with Schon and bassist Ross Valory.

Interestingly, he bowed out of the band in 1975 -- before they became hitmakers, selling more than 100 million records -- because he wanted to pursue a career in medicine, and he was serious about it. George earned a scholarship to attend Stanford Medical School.

He never fully gave up on music, though ... he was reportedly writing and doing local performances as a hobby.

George rejoined his Journey bandmates -- and subsequent members like Steve Perry -- back in 2005 when the group got its star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That's him rocking that sweet handlebar mustache.

Prior to Journey, George was a member of Frumious Bandersnatch, a psychedelic rock band formed in Berkeley in the late '60s.

Neal's post didn't mention a cause of death. George was 76.