RIP

Herbert Coward -- who played the infamous Toothless Man from the film, "Deliverance," was killed in a car crash in North Carolina along with his friend and beloved pets, TMZ has confirmed.

Coward was making a left turn out of a parking lot after a medical appointment in Haywood County Wednesday, when his silver Nissan was struck by another vehicle that tried to avoid him, according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol.

The actor and his 3 occupants -- Bertha Brooks, a chihuahua and a squirrel -- were trapped inside the wreckage and had to be extracted from the car by first responders, police said. The four died at the scene.

The other motorist, 16, suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital out of an abundance of caution. Investigators did not charge the teenager because they determined no crime was committed.

In the classic 1972 thriller "Deliverance," Coward played the frightening role of a hillbilly with missing front teeth known as the "Toothless Man." In one of the movie's horrific scenes, Coward's character and his hillbilly sidekicks sodomized a man in front of his friend, who was tied to a tree in the forest.

Coward was 85.

Melanie Safka, también conocida como "Melanie", ha muerto... según su equipo.

La triste noticia llegó por cortesía de la empresa de relaciones públicas de la cantante, la cual anunció su muerte el martes, pero no reveló ninguna causa oficial o las circunstancias exactas. Sus hijos también confirmaron su muerte a varios medios de comunicación.

Melanie es, quizás, más famosa por haber cantado en el Woodstock del 69, donde cantó como una de las pocas solistas femeninas de ese año y dejó una gran impresión en el público. De hecho, su experiencia en Woodstock inspiró más música.

Una de las canciones que acabó escribiendo a raíz de aquello fue "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)", y al parecer tenía que ver con la gente que hacía exactamente eso en la histórica reunión.

Un par de años después de su gran concierto en Woodstock, Melanie lanzó un sencillo que la situó en el mapa, llamado "Brand New Key", el cual se convirtió en su mayor éxito.

A lo largo de los años, la canción apareció en diversos medios, sobre todo en "Boogie Nights", durante la audición porno de Dirk Diggler con Rollergirl. Si has visto la película, probablemente la recuerdes bien... dejó huella.

La canción también se escuchó en "Jackass 3-D", así como en programas como "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia", "The Bridge" y "Doctor Who" por no hablar de los programas nocturnos, además de "American Idol" y "The Voice". De hecho, fue muy popular a lo largo de las décadas.

Otros temas por los que será recordada... "What Have They Done to My Song Ma", "Ruby Tuesday", "The Saddest Thing", "Bitter Bad", "Ring the Living Bell", "The Nickel Song" y más.

Melanie siguió trabajando en el mundo de la música hasta bien entrada su vida, incluso conociendo a estrellas como Miley Cyrus y otras cantantes de folk/rock contemporáneas que continuaron la tradición.

Se dice que Melanie estaba trabajando en un nuevo álbum este mismo mes, en el que haría versiones. Tenía 76 años.

Melanie Safka -- otherwise just known as "Melanie" -- has died ... according to her team.

The sad news came courtesy of the singer's PR firm, which announced her death on Tuesday -- but which didn't disclose any official cause, or the exact circumstances. Her children also confirmed her passing to various outlets.

Melanie is, perhaps, most famous for singing at the OG Woodstock back in '69 ... where she crooned as one of just a few solo female performers that year, and left quite an impression on the audience. In fact, her experience at Woodstock went on to inspire more music.

One song she ended up writing in the wake of that was 'Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)' -- and it apparently had to do with people doing exactly that at the historic gathering.

A couple years after her big Woodstock gig ... Melanie came out with a single that put her on the map, and it was called 'Brand New Key,' which went on to become her biggest hit.

The song ended up being featured across a number of different mediums over the years -- most notably in 'Boogie Nights' during Dirk Diggler's porn audition with Rollergirl. If you've seen the movie, you probably remember this well ... it left an impression.

'BNK' was also heard in 'Jackass 3-D' ... as well as on shows like 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,' 'The Bridge' and 'Doctor Who,' -- not to mention on late-night shows, plus 'American Idol' and 'The Voice.' Indeed, it was very popular through the decades.

Other tracks she'll be remembered for ... 'What Have They Done to My Song Ma,' 'Ruby Tuesday,' 'The Saddest Thing,' 'Bitter Bad,' 'Ring the Living Bell,' 'The Nickel Song,' and more.

Melanie continued working in and around music late into her life -- including meeting up with stars like Miley Cyrus and other contemporary folks/rock singers who carried on the torch.

Word is ... Melanie was actually working on a new album as recently as this month, one in which she'd be doing covers. She was 76.

Judo champion and Olympian Maricet Espinoa Gonzalez has tragically died after apparently suffering a heart attack ... just days after she reportedly went under the knife.

Gonzalez was a 2x Pan American Judo champion, winning gold in 2013 and 2014. She also competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

The Cuban Sports University broke the news, announcing "La Mole" passed away this week.

"With great pain, the university community of Cuban sport receives the news of the passing of the outstanding Cuban judoka Maricet Espinosa González," the university said on Facebook.

"On behalf of our teachers, workers, and students we extend our deepest condolences to their families, friends, and colleagues."

She reportedly had surgery on January 21 ... but it's unclear if the operation played a role in her death.

Maricet competed in some of the biggest tourneys in the world ... and proudly represented her country of Cuba in 2016. She won her first match in Brazil before losing to Phupu Lhamu Khatri.

She also competed against several famous judokas including Telma Monteiro, Gevrise Emane, and Ketleyn Quadros.

Her shocking death comes just a week after another Olympian tragically passed away ... Shawn Barber, a Canadian pole vaulter champ, died from medical complications at just 29.

La campeona de judo y deportista olímpica Maricet Espinosa González ha muerto trágicamente después de sufrir aparentemente un ataque al corazón. Esto, solo unos días después de que, al parecer, se sometiera al bisturí.

González fue 2 veces campeona panamericana de judo. Ganó el oro en 2013 y 2014 y también compitió en los Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 2016 en Río.

La Universidad Deportiva de Cuba dio la noticia, anunciando que "La Mole" falleció esta semana.

"Con gran dolor, la comunidad universitaria del deporte cubano recibe la noticia del fallecimiento de la destacada judoca cubana Maricet Espinosa González", dijo la universidad en Facebook.

"En nombre de nuestros profesores, trabajadores y estudiantes llegue a sus familiares, amigos y compañeros nuestro más sentido pésame".

Según los informes, fue operada el 21 de enero, pero no está claro si la operación jugó un papel en su muerte.

Maricet compitió en algunos de los torneos más grandes del mundo y representó con orgullo a su país Cuba en 2016. Su primer combate lo ganó en Brasil antes de perder contra Phupu Lhamu Khatri.

También compitió contra varias judocas famosas como Telma Monteiro, Gevrise Emane y Ketleyn Quadros.

Su impactante muerte se produce apenas una semana después de que otro atleta olímpico falleciera trágicamente, Shawn Barber, campeón canadiense de salto con pértiga, quien murió de complicaciones médicas con tan solo 29 años.

El hijo mayor de Dana Carvey, Dex, murió a causa de una combinación de drogas que tristemente acabó con su vida ... Ha confirmado TMZ.

Según la Oficina del Médico Forense del Condado de Los Ángeles, la causa oficial de muerte del hijo adulto del comediante fue toxicidad por fentanilo, ketamina y cocaína. La agencia cataloga su muerte como accidental.

TMZ dio la noticia, Dex falleció en noviembre después de que su novia llamara al 911 y los primeros auxilios lo encontraran inconsciente en el baño de una casa de Los Ángeles.

Nuestras fuentes dicen que los paramédicos trataron de revivirlo, pero fue en vano. Dex fue declarado muerto en la escena.

Días más tarde, Dana dijo que Dex murió de una sobredosis accidental de drogas en un emotivo homenaje a su hijo en el que alabó su talento musical y dijo que era una "persona hermosa".

En la nota compartida junto a su esposa Paula, añadieron: "Para cualquier persona que esté luchando con la adicción o que ame a alguien que esté luchando con la adicción, están en nuestros corazones y oraciones".

El dúo padre e hijo eran muy unidos. Dex había seguido los pasos de la comedia de su padre y había conseguido entrar en el mundo del stand-up en los últimos años.

Dana recientemente volvió al trabajo apareciendo en su podcast junto a David Spade, donde dijo que la risa lo ayudaría a sanar de la tragedia en su familia.

Dana Carvey's eldest son, Dex, died from a combination of drugs that sadly took his life ... TMZ has confirmed.

According to the L.A. County Medical Examiner's Office -- the comedian's adult son's official cause of death was toxicity from fentanyl, ketamine and cocaine. The agency lists his death as accidental.

TMZ broke the story ... Dex passed away in November after his girlfriend called 911 ... and first responders found him unresponsive in the bathroom of an L.A. home.

Our sources say paramedics tried reviving him, but to no avail ... he was pronounced dead on the scene.

Days later, Dana said Dex died of an accidental drug overdose ... penning an emotional tribute to his son, praising his musical talents and calling him a "beautiful person."

In the note shared alongside wife Paula, they added, "To anyone struggling with addiction or who loves someone struggling with addiction, you are in our hearts and prayers."

The father and son duo were extremely close ... with Dex following in his father's comedy footsteps -- getting his feet wet in the stand-up world over the past few years.

Dana recently got back to work by hopping on his and David Spade's podcast -- where he said laughter would help him heal from the tragedy in his family.

Se avecina una batalla por el Emmy póstumo de la estrella de telenovelas Sonya Eddy, y su familia distanciada está decidida a quitarle el trofeo a su amiga y socia productora.

Así es la cosa, Sonya murió a finales de 2022 y ganó un Emmy la semana pasada por su trabajo en "Hospital General", con su socio productor y amigo Tyler Ford aceptando el premio en su nombre.

Ahora, los miembros de la familia de Sonya quieren el premio en su poder y están enojados porque no se les ofreció recibirlo en primer lugar.

El hermano menor de Sonya, Robbie Eddy, le dice a TMZ que la Academia de Televisión no le dijo a su familia que iba a ganar un Emmy de antemano, y Tyler les ha dicho que va a mantener su trofeo.

Nos dicen que toda la familia de Sonya está ahora trabajando para conseguir el Emmy y le enviaron una carta a la Academia de Televisión.

Mientras la familia de Sonya espera una respuesta de la Academia, nos dicen que sienten que todo esto es una bofetada en la cara y que todavía están de duelo, y esta disputa está haciendo que el proceso sea más difícil. Además, los Emmys se celebraron unas semanas después del primer aniversario de su muerte.

El hermano de Sonya dice que la familia no tiene planes de emprender ningún tipo de acción legal contra Tyler o la Academia, no quieren manchar su memoria con una demanda, solo esperan que Tyler haga "lo correcto" y entregue su Emmy.

Si los Eddys consiguen el trofeo, nos dicen que la madre de 84 años de Sonya se quedará con el premio, la familia dice que mamá patrocinó la carrera de Sonya en Hollywood.

Ahora, también hemos oído que Sonya en realidad se había distanciado de algunos miembros de la familia cuando ella murió. No se llevaba bien con su hermano porque estaban luchando sobre quién iba a proporcionar y cuidar a su madre, que tiene Alzheimer y demencia.

El hermano de Sonya nos dice que estaban trabajando en reparar su relación poco antes de que ella muriera.

There's a battle brewing over soap opera star Sonya Eddy's posthumous Daytime Emmy ... with her estranged family determined to take the trophy back from her friend and producing partner.

Here's the deal ... Sonya died at the end of 2022 and she won a Daytime Emmy last month for her work on "General Hospital," with her producing partner and friend Tyler Ford accepting the award on her behalf.

Now, Sonya's family members want the award in their possession ... and they're pissed it wasn't given to them in the first place.

Sonya's younger brother, Robbie Eddy, tells TMZ ... the Television Academy didn't tell her family she was going to be winning an Emmy beforehand, and Tyler's told them he's going to keep her trophy.

We're told Sonya's whole family is now working to get the Emmy ... sending a letter to the Television Academy.

While Sonya's kin waits to hear back from the Academy, we're told they feel this whole thing is a slap in the face -- they're still grieving, and this dispute is making that process harder. Plus, the Emmys happened shortly before the 1-year anniversary of her death.

Sonya's brother says the family has no plans to take any kind of legal action against Tyler or the Academy ... they don't want to tarnish her memory with a lawsuit, they're just hoping Tyler does the "right thing" and hands over her Emmy.

If the Eddys do get the trophy, we're told Sonya's 84-year-old mother will hold onto the award ... the family says her mom sponsored Sonya's Hollywood career.

Now, we've also heard Sonya was actually estranged from some family members when she died -- she wasn't getting along with her brother because they were fighting over who was going to provide and care for their mom, who has Alzheimer's and dementia.

Sonya's brother tells us they were working on repairing their relationship not long before she died.

Frank Farian, el fundador de los grupos musicales Milli Vanilli y Boney M. -ambos icónicos por diferentes razones- ha muerto.

La familia del cantante, compositor y productor alemán confirmó su fallecimiento el martes, diciendo que Frank murió en paz en su apartamento de Miami.

Su muerte se produce dos años después de que se sometió a una cirugía de reemplazo de válvula cardiaca que le salvó la vida. Le insertaron una válvula cardiaca de cerdo en el pecho, porque la suya se había encogido con la edad.

En su última entrevista, en noviembre de 2023, se jactó de que su nueva válvula cardíaca funcionaba de maravilla y le declaró al diario alemán Bild que estaba agradecido por tener un "buen cerdo dentro de mí".

A pesar de sus afirmaciones de buena salud, informes contrastados dijeron que su condición se había deteriorado después del procedimiento, ya que había perdido mucho peso y tuvo que usar una silla de ruedas y equipo de respiración debido a problemas pulmonares.

Frank nació como Franz Reuther en el oeste de Alemania en 1941, iniciándose en la industria de la música como solista al tiempo que se formaba como chef.

Hizo su primer gran chapoteo en el mundo de la música en 1976, cuando fundó el grupo vocal disco Boney M.

"Daddy Cool", "Rasputin" y "Mary's Boy Child" fueron solo algunos de los éxitos del grupo formado por Marcia Barrett, Liz Mitchell, Maizie Williams y Bobby Farrell.

Su jugada más dudosa, sin embargo, llegó a finales de los 80s. Frank fundó el dúo de R&B pop Milli Vanilli. Contrató a Fab Morvan y Rob Pilatus para que fuieran la hermosa imagen, mientras que alistó a otros artistas para que hagan el verdadero trabajo musical y bocal. Tuvieron éxitos como "Blame It On The Rain" y "Girl You Know It's True".

De hecho, el grupo ganaría el Grammy al Mejor Artista Revelación antes de que toda la farsa de la sincronización labial se viniera abajo durante una actuación "en directo". La Academia de la Grabación les retiró el Grammy.

Frank también trabajó con artistas de la talla de Stevie Wonder y Meat Loaf y se estima que vendió 800 millones de discos en todo el mundo.

Frank Farian, the founder of musical groups Milli Vanilli and Boney M. -- both iconic for different reasons -- has died.

The German singer, songwriter, and producer's family confirmed his passing Tuesday ... saying Frank died peacefully at his Miami apartment.

His death comes 2 years after he underwent life-saving heart valve replacement surgery -- he got a pig heart valve inserted in his chest, because his own had shrunk with age.

In his last interview in November 2023, he gushed his new heart valve was working wonderfully and told German newspaper Bild, he was grateful he had a "good pig in me."

Despite his claims of good health, contrasting reports said his condition had deteriorated after the procedure -- he'd lost a lot of weight and had to use a wheelchair and breathing equipment due to lung issues.

Frank was born Franz Reuther in western Germany in 1941 ... kicking things off in the music industry as a solo artist while also training to be a chef.

He made his first big splash in the music world in 1976 ... when he founded the disco vocal group Boney M.

"Daddy Cool," "Rasputin," and "Mary's Boy Child" were just a few hits from the group comprised of Marcia Barrett, Liz Mitchell, Maizie Williams and Bobby Farrell.

His most dubious move, though, came in the late '80s ... Frank founded the R&B pop duo Milli Vanilli. He hired Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus as the eye candy, while he enlisted other performers to do the actual singing on hits like "Blame It On The Rain" and "Girl You Know It's True."

The group would actually win the Grammy for Best New Artist before the whole lip-synching sham came crashing down during a "live" performance. The Recording Academy took back their Grammy.

Frank also worked with the likes of Stevie Wonder and Meat Loaf ... and reportedly sold an estimated 800 million records worldwide.

It's a sad day in Athens -- the University of Georgia's beloved live mascot, Uga X, has passed away, the school announced Tuesday. He was 10 years old.

Uga X -- AKA "Que" -- died peacefully in his sleep, according to a statement released minutes ago.

Que's tenure as the live mascot began during the 2015 football season ... and remained the furry face of the program until his retirement in 2022.

During his time with the Bulldogs, Que -- the grandson of Uga IX -- witnessed the most successful run in Georgia history ... a 91-18 record, two national championship wins, two SEC titles and seven New Year's Six bowl appearances.

Que was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2022 ... as well as all his predecessors.

Uga XI -- AKA "Boom" -- took over for Que in April 2023.

Georgia's live mascots have been met with criticism in the past ... with PETA calling on the university to eliminate all four-legged friends from being used on game days.

Gary Graham -- famous from 'Star Trek: Enterprise' -- has died ... according to his loved ones.

The veteran TV actor passed away Monday -- an announcement that was delivered by his ex-wife, Susan Lavelle, who didn't offer a cause of death or any other details about the circumstances. She did, however, have a touching remembrance for her husband.

She noted his current wife, Becky, was by his side and added -- "Gary was funny, sarcastic sense of humor but kind, fought for what he believed in, a devout Christian and was so proud of his daughter, Haylee. This was sudden so please pray for our daughter as she navigates through this thing called grief. Fly high into the heavens Gar!"

Gary is perhaps most recognizable from his time on 'STE' ... where he played Ambassador Soval from 2001 to 2005 for a total of 12 episodes. However, another major claim to fame of his came from the late '80s show 'Alien Nation' ... on which he was the co-lead.

Other shows he's been on for a significant amount of time ... 'M.A.N.T.I.S.,' 'JAG,' 'Universal Dead' and others. He's also guest starred on 'Renegades,' 'Work Related,' 'Nip/Tuck,' 'Nash Bridges,' 'Walker, Texas Ranger,' 'The Dukes of Hazzard,' 'Ally McBeal' ... and more.

GG had some films on his resume as well -- including roles in 'The Spy Within,' 'The Last Warrior,' 'The Arrogant,' 'All the Right Moves,' 'Robot Jox,' 'Steel' and lots of others.

He's survived by his daughter, Haylee. Gary was 73.

Es un día triste en Atena, la querida mascota viva de la Universidad de Georgia, Uga X, ha fallecido, anunció la escuela el martes. Tenía 10 años.

Uga X -alias "Que"- murió pacíficamente mientras dormía, según un comunicado emitido hace unos minutos.

La tenencia de Que como la mascota en vivo comenzó durante la temporada de fútbol de 2015 y se mantuvo como la cara peluda del programa hasta su retiro en 2022.

Durante su tiempo con los Bulldogs, Que -el nieto de Uga IX- fue testigo de la carrera más exitosa en la historia de Georgia, un récord de 91-18, dos victorias en el campeonato nacional, dos títulos de la SEC y siete apariciones en el tazón New Year's Six.

Que fue incluido en el Salón de la Fama de las Mascotas en 2022, al igual que todos sus predecesores.

Uga XI, alias "Boom", sustituyó a Que en abril de 2023.

Recordemos que PETA le pidió a la universidad que eliminara a todos los amigos de cuatro patas de los juegos.

Gary Graham, famoso por "Star Trek: Enterprise", ha muerto. Así lo confirman sus seres queridos.

El veterano actor de televisión falleció el lunes, un anuncio que fue entregado por su ex esposa, Susan Lavelle, quien no ofreció una causa de muerte o cualquier otro detalle sobre las circunstancia, sin embargo, tuvo un emotivo recuerdo para su marido.

Señaló que su actual esposa, Becky, estaba a su lado y añadió: "Gary era divertido, con un sentido del humor sarcástico pero amable, luchaba por lo que creía, era un cristiano devoto y estaba muy orgulloso de su hija, Haylee. Esto fue repentino, así que por favor recen por nuestra hija mientras navega a través de esta cosa llamada dolor. Vuela alto en los cielos Gar".

Gary es quizás más reconocible por su participación en "STE", donde interpretó al embajador Soval ente el 2001 y el 2005 en un total de 12 episodios. Sin embargo, otro de sus grandes aciertos a finales de los 80 en la serie "Alien Nation", en la que fue el co-protagonista.

Otros programas en los que ha participado durante un tiempo significativo son "M.A.N.T.I.S.", "JAG", "Universal Dead" y otros. También ha actuado como estrella invitada en "Renegades", "Work Related", "Nip/Tuck", "Nash Bridges", "Walker Texas Ranger", "The Dukes of Hazzard", "Ally McBeal" y más.

Gary también tenía algunas películas en su currículum, como "El espía infiltrado", "El último guerrero", "El arrogante", "Todos los movimientos correctos", "Robot Jox", "Acero" y muchas otras.

Le sobrevive su hija Haylee. Gary tenía 73 años.

Hugh Hefner's famous last name isn't doing much good these days for his widow Crystal ... and now that she's written a book about their marriage, she's done with the Hefner name.

Crystal says she doesn't want to be a Hefner anymore... and feels she needs to change her name back to what it was before she met the Playboy founder ... Crystal Harris.

Hugh's 3rd and final wife was on Rachel Uchitel's podcast Miss Understood when Rachel asked Crystal if the Hefner name helped her or hurt her.

Crystal, who was married to Hugh when he died in 2017, says Hef's secretary quickly changed her last name to his after their 2012 marriage ... telling Rachel it was all done at Hugh's behest. Crystal says she really had no involvement in the process.

It wasn't until Crystal started writing her new memoir, "Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself," that she says she started thinking about how she felt about being a Hefner.