RIP

KISS legends Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are being dragged to court over the COVID death of one of their longtime guitar techs ... and his family say it all started with Paul.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the family of late KISS guitar tech Francis Stueber says he died a couple days after contracting COVID while on tour with the band back in October 2021.

The family says COVID started spreading amongst tour personnel in August 2021 when Paul contracted the virus ... and they say COVID kept spreading due to lax safety policies on the tour.

In the suit, Francis' family says anyone on tour who came down with COVID was instructed to quarantine in a hotel room in whichever city the band was in ... but they say the protocols offered little else.

Francis, the suit says, got COVID while in Detroit and was told to hole up in a Sheraton hotel ... and the family says KISS longtime manager Doc McGhee failed to arrange for medical personnel to visit and examine Francis at the hotel, despite Doc promising to do so.

It's pretty sad ... the docs say Doc asked another tour member to check on Francis at the hotel but Francis was dead when the person arrived, dying only 2 days after testing positive for the virus.

Francis' family is going after Gene, Paul, Doc, Marriott hotels and Live Nation for damages.

Kim Kardashian, al igual que la mayor parte del mundo que observa con temor, dice que su corazón se parte al ver las imágenes de bebés, familias y personas inocentes asesinadas y aterrorizadas en Israel, Palestina e incluso Armenia, una causa por la que ha estado tratando de crear conciencia durante años.

Kim utilizó sus redes sociales el miércoles para referirse por primera vez a las monstruosidades que están ocurriendo en Israel. En un largo post, Kim dice: "Un mensaje a mis amigos judíos y familia. Los quiero. Los apoyo. He oído hablar de lo asustados que se sienten en este momento y quiero que sepan que no están solos en esto."

Y continúa: "Como seres humanos con corazón, ¿cómo puede alguien no sentirse devastado por estas horribles imágenes que nunca podremos dejar de ver? El brutal terrorismo ha cobrado vidas inocentes y ahora tanto civiles israelíes como palestinos están sufriendo y pagando el precio más alto que existe".

Kim lleva años llamando la atención sobre el genocidio armenio y ha puesto énfasis en la "mínima cobertura mediática" que tienen estos temas, sin ningún apoyo externo para el pueblo que sufre una "limpieza étnica" en Artsaj.

La madre de 4 niños dice que no debería importar del lado que estés, "nuestros corazones siempre deben tener espacio para la compasión hacia las víctimas inocentes atrapadas en el punto de mira de la guerra por el poder, la política, la religión, la raza y la etnia".

Kim dice que entiende que no hay nada que pueda hacer para librarse del dolor que todos están sufriendo alrededor del mundo, pero dice que ella y su familia están orando para que los rehenes sean devueltos, las víctimas, sus familias, por la paz para los inocentes y justicia para aquellos que merecen pagar por sus acciones.

Para terminar, Kim pide a todos los que lean su mensaje que se pongan en contacto con "amigos, colegas y personas de su comunidad, aquellos que están sufriendo, no importa de qué lado estén, compruébenlo y díganles que los quieren".

Kim Kardashian, like most of the world looking on in fear, says her heart breaks seeing the images of babies, families and innocent people murdered and terrorized in Israel, Palestine and even Armenia ... a cause she's been trying to bring awareness to for years.

Kim took to social media Wednesday with a lengthy post that first spoke to the monstrosities in Israel. Kim says, "A message to my Jewish friends and family. I love you. I support you. I have heard about how scared you feel during this time and I want you to know you are not alone in this."

She continues, "As human beings with a heart, how can anyone not be devastated by these horrific images that we will never be able to unsee? Brutal terrorism has taken innocent lives and now both Israeli and Palestinian civilians are suffering and paying the greatest price there is.

Kim has, for years, been a voice in bringing attention to the Armenian Genocide and points out the "minimal media coverage" without external support for the people suffering through an "ethnic cleansing" in Artsakh.

The mother of 4 says it shouldn't matter whose side you might be on ... "our hearts should always have room for compassion towards innocent victims caught in the cross hairs of warring over power, politics, religion, race and ethnicity."

Kim says she understands there's nothing she can do to get rid of the pain people around the world are suffering ... but says she and her family are praying for hostages to be returned, the victims, their families, for peace for the innocent and justice to those who deserve to pay for their actions.

In closing, Kim asks anyone reading her message to reach out to, "friends, colleagues and those in your community, those who are hurting, no matter what side they are on, check in on them and tell them you love them."

Weeks before Keefe D's arrest for the murder of Tupac Shakur, he was ready to talk about the July raid on his home -- but according to DJ Vlad, Keefe got cold feet and made off with stacks of Vlad's cash!!!

We reported at the time how investigators collected several electronic items such as a hard drive, laptops and USBs during the raid ... and police say that ultimately led to last month's stunning arrest of Keefe.

Now, Vlad tells Faizon Love ... Keefe actually reached out to him to do another sit-down, and Vlad agreed. He said he even paid Keefe an initial deposit to secure the interview.

As it turns out, Vlad says he learned Keefe was fielding offers -- and collecting deposits -- from other outlets too, but was unable to make the interview happen before he got busted.

Vlad says he's yet to see any sort of refund of his money and doesn't sound like he's holding his breath for one.

Ja Rule thinks Drake and DJ Khaled deserve a pass, or at least time before they make any public comments about the war between Israel and Hamas ... and that's IF they want to say anything at all.

This is only an issue because DJ Vlad, who is Jewish, called out Drake for being the world's most famous Jewish person, and Khaled for being the most recognizable Palestinian. Both men have been silent on the conflict in which Hamas terrorists have reportedly beheaded babies and raped women, massacred more than 1,000 people and taken more than 200 hostages.

Ja tells TMZ Hip Hop he feels the criticism of Khaled and Drake is a bit unfair ... as some artists make the decision to stay away from anything that even hints at politics.

He also notes people -- celebs and entertainers alike -- need time to digest breaking news in order to react with real knowledge, and they deserve the time to do so without facing the public's wrath.

The "Always On Time" rapper was back home in NYC for the Pencils of Promise Gala Tuesday evening and offered up some words about the human condition and the need for peace.

Remember, Ja put his own neck on the line on the day of the September 11 terrorist attacks calling into MTV with words of encouragement ... only to become a meme thanks to Dave Chappelle years down the line.

Una madre israelí que consiguió huir de los terroristas de Hamás con su hija recién nacida rompió a llorar y a lamentarse al enterarse —en plena entrevista— de que su marido no había salido con vida.

Shaylee Atary estaba hablando con Sky News sobre su aterradora huida, diciendo que los agresores de Hamás irrumpieron en la casa de su familia en Kfar Aza el sábado después de oír caer bombas mientras se preparaba para alimentar a su bebé.

Ella dice que tomó a su hija y salió corriendo del edificio, escondiéndose durante 27 horas antes de que fueran encontradas y rescatadas, pero su marido —Yahav Winner— no lo hizo con ella.

Shaylee tenía la esperanza de que Yahav también había sobrevivido, pero la entrevista dio un giro increíblemente sombrío cuando —mientras la cámara estaba rodando— su familia recibió la llamada horrible que estaba muerto.

Al instante, Shaylee rompió a llorar, rodeada de sus familiares, quienes la acompañaron en su pérdida.

Según los informes, más de 2.200 personas han muerto en ambos bandos del conflicto, más de mil por el ataque terrorista inicial lanzado por Hamás el sábado. Desde entonces, otras 8.000 han resultado heridas.

An Israeli mother, who managed to flee Hamas terrorists with her newborn daughter, burst into tears and wailed as she found out -- in the middle of an interview -- her husband didn't make it out alive.

Shaylee Atary was talking with Sky News about her terrifying escape, saying Hamas aggressors broke into their family's Kfar Aza home Saturday after hearing bombs falling while getting ready to feed her baby.

She says she took their child and bolted out of the building, hiding for 27 hours before they were found and rescued ... but her husband, Yahav Winner, didn't make it out with her.

Shaylee was holding out hope Yahav had also survived, but the interview took an incredibly grim turn when -- as the camera was rolling -- her family got the horrifying call that he was dead.

Instantly, Shaylee broke down in tears, surrounded by family members as they began mourning their loss.

Reportedly, more than 2,200 people have been killed on both sides of the conflict -- more than a thousand by the initial terrorist attack launched by Hamas on Saturday. Since then another 8,000 have been injured.

9:08 AM PT -- Según la policía, Sergio Brown fue detenido por el asesinato en primer grado de su madre. Será extraditado a Illinois por el cargo.

El ex jugador de la NFL, Sergio Brown, ha sido detenido en el sur de California, TMZ Sports ha confirmado lo casi cuatro semanas después de que su madre fue encontrada muerta en Illinois.

Según los registros de la cárcel, el ex defensive back fue llevado a una cárcel de San Diego el martes. Nuestras fuentes nos dicen que el arresto se deriva de una orden de arresto en Illinois relacionada con la muerte de su madre, Myrtle Brown, en septiembre.

CNN agregó el miércoles que Sergio fue encontrado recientemente en México por las autoridades y deportado después de que se enteraron de la orden de arresto.

Ahora se espera que sea transportado pronto a Illinois para enfrentar cargos en el caso.

Como informamos, Brown había sido visto en México bailando y de fiesta en los días posteriores a la muerte de Myrtle. También fue visto en un video selfie divagando sobre el fallecimiento de Myrtle y las "noticias falsas".

Las autoridades de Illinois, por su parte, han guardado silencio sobre la investigación de la muerte de la madre de Sergio, aunque los funcionarios dijeron que han dictaminado el fallecimiento de la mujer de 73 años de edad como un homicidio después de que su cuerpo fue descubierto cerca de un arroyo con aparentes lesiones de asalto.

Las solicitudes de comentarios del Departamento de Policía de Maywood el miércoles no fueron devueltas inmediatamente.

Sergio, que fue estrella en Notre Dame, jugó en la NFL de 2010 a 2016, comenzando 15 juegos.

9:08 AM PT -- According to cops, Sergio Brown was taken in on a warrant for First-Degree Murder in the death of his mom. He will be extradited to Illinois on the charge.

Former NFL player Sergio Brown has been arrested in Southern California, TMZ Sports has confirmed ... nearly four weeks after his mother was found dead in Illinois.

According to jail records, the ex-defensive back was booked into a San Diego jail on Tuesday. Our sources tell us the arrest stems from a warrant in Illinois related to the September death of his mom, Myrtle Brown.

CNN added on Wednesday that Sergio was recently found in Mexico by authorities and deported after they became aware of the warrant.

He's now expected to be transported soon to Illinois to face charges in the case.

As we reported, Brown had been seen in Mexico dancing and partying in the days following Myrtle's death. He was also spotted in a selfie video from the country rambling about Myrtle's passing and "fake news."

Authorities in Illinois, meanwhile, have been largely mum on the investigation into Sergio's mother's death ... though officials did say they've ruled the 73-year-old's passing as a homicide after her body was discovered near a creek with apparent assault injuries.

Requests for comment from the Maywood Police Dept. on Wednesday were not immediately returned.

Sergio, who starred at Notre Dame, played in the NFL from 2010 to 2016 ... starting 15 games.

The NYC tech founder who flew to Israel to help in the war against Hamas terrorists says the death and destruction are making for a terrifying fight ... but it's one he's determined to see through to the end.

Noy Leyb joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live," talking to us from Israel about his experience flying overseas and rejoining the Israel Defense Force -- after first enlisting when he was just 18 years old.

He says he's been going back to Israel for training over the years after completing his time in the IDF, so he wasn't completely out of practice Saturday when he saw the horrors unfolding and booked a flight.

We also talked with Noy about the level of fear he's feeling in such an uncertain time ... and despite all the gruesome happenings in the days since Hamas slaughtered innocent Israelis, Noy knows he and his brothers in arms are ready to fight until all of Hamas is "eliminated."

El fundador de una empresa de tecnología en Nueva York que voló hasta Israel para luchar contra los terroristas de Hamás dice que la muerte y la destrucción están haciendo de este combate uno aterrador... pero a pesar de eso está decidido a ser parte de él hasta el final.

Noy Leyb se unió a "TMZ Live" el miércoles, para hablar con nosotros desde Israel sobre su experiencia de volar al extranjero y volver a unirse a la Fuerza de Defensa de Israel (FDI), después de alistarse por primera vez cuando tenía 18 años.

Cuenta que ha estado volviendo a Israel para recibir entrenamiento en los últimos años, después de completar su tiempo en las FDI, por lo que no estaba completamente fuera de la práctica el sábado cuando vio los horrores que se desarrollaban y reservó un vuelo.

También hablamos con Noy sobre el miedo que está sintiendo en un momento tan incierto. A pesar de los horribles acontecimientos que han ocurrido desde que Hamás masacró a ciudadanos israelíes inocentes, Noy sabe que él y sus compañeros de armas están listos para pelear hasta que todo Hamás sea "eliminado".

The boyfriend of a missing Israeli woman who fled the Hamas-attacked music festival made a tough last-minute call to not attend the concert with her ... and his decision is tearing him apart.

27-year-old Ohad Malul told the NY Post his 27-year-old girlfriend, Shani Kupervaser, went to the Supernova music festival near the Gaza Strip over the weekend -- Malul said he decided to skip the event, because he'd just returned from a Paris trip and was exhausted.

However, Malul now says he feels like he "needed to go and be there with her. Maybe I could have done something different" -- adding, "It’s killing me inside that I am not with her."

He says she told him she wouldn't go to the festival for long and that "Everything is going to be OK." The tone changed when Kupervaser sent him a message while at the festival, claiming she saw rockets flying overhead.

From there, she fled with 3 of her friends, but came under gunfire and hauled it on foot to a roadside bomb shelter with people waving them in to come take cover.

The shelter turned out to be a horrifying trap ... Malul says according to those who made it out alive, the 30 people inside seeking refuge were met with Hamas terrorists throwing grenades inside of it.

Malul says 2 men inside the shelter -- including one of Kupervaser's friends -- bravely started catching the grenades and chucking them back at the terrorists ... but he has no clue if his girlfriend is alive, kidnapped, or dead.

As we reported, German artist and festivalgoer Shani Louk was one of many kidnapped from the event ... and was paraded and spat on by Hamas terrorists in the back of a truck.

Heavily armed Hamas terrorists were captured on film riding their motorcycles into an Israeli village and then shooting up a vehicle, killing everyone inside.

New surveillance video shows the terrorists wielding machine guns as they roll up to the Be'eri kibbutz (community) to indiscriminately murder and decapitate more than 100 Jewish civilians, including babies.

The footage, obtained by CNN, was shot after the terrorists broke through barriers separating the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip from Israel during Saturday morning's sneak attack on the Jewish state.

After their arrival at the kibbutz, two Hamas militants are seen on another clip trying to crawl underneath a security gate to get inside.

When that doesn't work, they duck into a security booth waiting for someone to come by to open the gate.

Soon enough, a car drives up with several people inside. The terrorists jump out and spray the occupants with bullets, killing them.

Meanwhile, Israel has been conducting airstrikes in the Gaza Strip after declaring war on Hamas following Saturday's devastating attack.

The death toll is staggering with over 1,200 slain in Israel and 950 in Gaza, where the Palestinians live under Hamas leadership.

President Joe Biden confirmed at least 14 Americans were murdered in the fighting, while others were being held captive, although the exact number was not known.

Terroristas de Hamás completamente armados fueron capturados por una cámara conduciendo sus motocicletas y luego disparando hacia un vehículo en un pueblo israelí, que causó la muerte de todos los que estaban dentro.

Un nuevo video de vigilancia muestra a los terroristas empuñando ametralladoras mientras se dirigen al kibutz de Be'eri para asesinar y decapitar indiscriminadamente a más de 100 civiles judíos, incluidos bebés.

Las imágenes obtenidas por CNN, fueron grabadas después de que los terroristas atravesaran las barreras que separan la Franja de Gaza, gobernada por Hamás, de Israel, durante el ataque sorpresa del sábado por la mañana contra el Estado judío.

Otro video muestra que tras su llegada al kibutz, dos militantes de Hamás intentan pasar por debajo de una verja de seguridad para entrar.

Al no conseguirlo, se meten en una cabina de seguridad a la espera de que alguien venga a abrir la verja.

Pronto llega un carro con varias personas dentro. Los terroristas saltan y rocían a los ocupantes con balas, matándolos.

Mientras tanto, Israel ha estado llevando a cabo ataques aéreos en la Franja de Gaza después de declarar la guerra a Hamás tras el devastador ataque del sábado.

El balance de víctimas es asombroso: más de 1.200 muertos en Israel y 950 en Gaza, donde viven los palestinos.

Dodgers great Steve Garvey is channeling his inner Tommy Lasorda on the campaign trail ... telling TMZ Sports he's evoking the late Hall of Fame manager's legendary mentality as he runs for U.S. Senate in California.

74-year-old Garvey is sliding into politics as he aims to fill the late Dianne Feinstein's seat next year ... and while a Republican hasn't held the position in decades, he is confident he can be the one to change that.

"Everybody has always said, 'Oh, you want to run for the Senate in California? Well, that's probably the most difficult race in America. Good luck, God bless, but if anybody can do it, you can,' which I think it was always encouraging," Garvey tells us.

In fact, the World Series champion says he's been getting love from some rival fan bases who used to boo him on the baseball diamond ... which was one sign he needed to run.

"Recently, I had a San Francisco Giants fan come up to me and say, ‘Garvey, I hate the Dodgers, but I'm gonna vote for you,'" Garvey added. "And I think that closed the deal."

"That and having Democrats come up and say they've never voted for a Republican, conservative, but I'm gonna vote for you because I know you, I know you care about me and my family. And we need your voice in Washington."

Garvey says he's running a common sense campaign ... and quality-of-life issues, public safety and education will be his main focus in office.

As for his former teammates, Garvey says the responses he's been getting from them have been "heartwarming" ... and they'll love the message he'll convey as he connects with Californians before they hit the voting booths -- as it's one they have heard before.

"Tommy Lasorda, a great manager and father figure and Hall of Famer, he used to say in key moments, 'You gotta believe.' Maybe that's going to be our theme. You know, everybody's saying, 'Oh, no, you can't win in California.' But we believe, and the people are going to believe that I can go to Washington and represent them."

Lasorda is one of the all-time greats -- he won two World Series titles as the Dodgers' skipper ... and the organization retired his No. 2 jersey in 1997.

El gran Steve Garvey está canalizando al Tommy Lasorda que lleva dentro en la campaña. Le informó a TMZ Sports que está evocando la mentalidad del legendario miembro del Salón de la Fama mientras se postula para el Senado de EE.UU. en California.

Garvey, de 74 años de edad, se desliza en la política y aspira a ocupar el escaño de la difunta Dianne Feinstein el próximo año y mientras que un republicano no ha ocupado el cargo en décadas, confía en que puede ser el que cambie eso.

"Todo el mundo me ha dicho siempre: 'Oh, ¿quieres presentarte al Senado por California? Bueno, probablemente sea la carrera más difícil de Estados Unidos. Buena suerte, que Dios te bendiga, pero si alguien puede hacerlo, eres tú', lo que creo que siempre ha sido alentador", nos cuenta Garvey.

De hecho, el campeón de la Serie Mundial dice que ha estado recibiendo el amor de algunos fans rivales que solían abuchearlo en el diamante de béisbol. Esto sería una señal para él de que debía postularse.

"Hace poco, un aficionado de los Gigantes de San Francisco se me acercó y me dijo: 'Garvey, odio a los Dodgers, pero voy a votar por ti', añadió Garvey. "Creo que eso fue muy importante para mí".

"Eso y que los demócratas se acerquen y me digan que nunca han votado a un republicano conservador, pero que van a votarme porque me conocen, saben que me preocupo por ellos y por sus familias y necesitan mi voz en Washington".

Garvey dice que está ejecutando una campaña de sentido común y las cuestiones de calidad de vida, la seguridad pública y la educación serán su principal objetivo en el cargo.

En cuanto a sus excompañeros de equipo, Garvey dice que las respuestas que ha estado recibiendo de ellos han sido "conmovedoras" y les encantará el mensaje que va a transmitir cuando se conecta con los californianos antes de que lleguen a las urnas, ya que es uno que han escuchado antes.

"Tommy Lasorda, un gran entrenador, figura paterna y miembro del Salón de la Fama, solía decir en los momentos clave: 'Tienes que creer'. Tal vez ese vaya a ser nuestro lema, ya sabes, todo el mundo dice, 'Oh, no, no puedes ganar en California', pero nosotros creemos y la gente va a creer que puedo ir a Washington y representarlos".

Lasorda es uno de los grandes de todos los tiempos, ganó dos títulos de la Serie Mundial como capitán de los Dodgers y la organización retiró su camiseta No. 2 en 1997.