RIP

Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson says his heart is broken ... because his wife of 28 years has tragically died.

Brian just announced the death of his spouse, Melinda Kae Ledbetter Wilson ... and their kids say she died peacefully Monday at home. An official cause of death is unknown... and the exact circumstances surrounding her death haven't been revealed either.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, Brian says ... "Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career."

Brian continues ... "She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us."

The couple adopted five children together and Brian says they are all in tears and are lost.

Brian and Melinda first met way back in 1986 when she sold him a Cadillac ... dating on and off for a couple years until rekindling their romance in 1992 and getting hitched in 1995 at Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.

Their relationship even inspired a biopic ... 2014's "Love & Mercy" starring John Cusack as Brian and Elizabeth Banks as Melinda.

Briana and Melinda's kids are remembering her as "a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by. She was not only a model, our fathers savior, and a mother, she was a woman empowered by her spirit with a mission to better everyone she touched."

They say she taught them lasting lessons, like ... "How to take care of the person next to you with out expecting anything in return, how to find beauty in the darkest of places, and how to live life as your truest self with honesty and pride."

Melinda was 77.

Megan Thee Stallion's beef with Nicki Minaj has taken an ugly turn -- cops are getting involved to protect her late mother's gravesite, this after doxxing by her arch-rival's fandom.

The Texas cemetery where Megan's mom, Holly Thomas, was laid to rest after passing away from brain cancer in 2019 -- tells TMZ ... they've notified local authorities and increased security personnel at their facility in light of the escalating feud.

What's more ... we're told PSC will continue to monitor the situation as they take all matters regarding safety and security seriously -- and lately, things have been getting too real.

They do add ... as of yet, thankfully nothing has happened to the gravesite, but they emphasize they're on high alert regardless.

The extra precautions come after some of Nicki's "Barbz" -- AKA, her army of fiercely loyal supporters -- first leaked the location of Holly's burial site on social media ... encouraging others to go and desecrate her grave as a way to get back at MTS for her OG diss.

It all kicked off last week when Nicki distastefully cracked a joke about MTS' mother on the streaming platform Stationhead. Her exact line at the time was ... "You better go conjure up your mother and apologize. That's disgusting." It seems some of her fans took that to heart.

No doubt, ya gotta figure that was particularly heartbreaking for Megan to hear ... as she's been super candid and emotional over the years about her mother's influence in her life.

Megan has also been very open about what the loss of her mom has meant to her -- and by all accounts, it's been very difficult ... something that's been well-documented and discussed.

Now, Nicki did later explain that she only took the shot at Meg's mom cause MTS was coming after her own family. In particular, MTS seemed to reference Nicki's husband, Kenneth Petty, in her new track "Hiss" -- making a "Megan's Law" reference that many interpreted as shade toward Petty's legal trouble.

So, tit for tat really ... many felt Nicki had just gone too far, and doubly so for any one of her supporters who was seriously considering heading over to Holly's grave.

Riley Keough está tratando de luchar contra un cobrador de deudas del otro lado del charco que quiere que suelte un montón de dinero por una casa que su difunta madre poseía.

La hija mayor de Lisa Marie Presley -que ahora está a cargo tras la muerte de su madre el año pasado- acaba de presentar nuevos documentos legales que le pidien a un juez que declare que ella no está de acuerdo con pagar ningún tipo de deuda.

En la presentación -obtenida por TMZ- Riley señala que todo esto tiene que ver con una finca en Rotherfield llamada Coes Hall, una propiedad de 11 dormitorios que Lisa Marie aseguró con un préstamo del Banco Barclays el 2010.

Barclays está reclamando que Lisa debía un saldo pendiente de alrededor de $1.6 millones a Coes Hall y el banco afirma que Lisa garantizó el pago personalmente cuando tomó el préstamo. A raíz de su muerte, Barclays espera que paguen la cuenta de la garantía personal.

Riley dice que esto es falso. en su papeleo, dice que hay al menos dos razones por las que debería tener que pagar la deuda, para empezar, dice que ha prescrito un plazo clave.

Riley afirma que Barclays tenía un plazo para presentar cualquier tipo de reclamación hasta el 12 de enero 2024, el primer aniversario de la muerte de Lisa, que ha llegado y se ha ido sin ninguna novedad para el banco. Ella también afirma que Lisa solo garantiza el pago de intereses sobre el préstamo entre 2010 y 2015, por lo que la confianza no debería tener que pagar el capital pendiente.

Riley Keough is trying to fight off a debt collector from across the pond, which she claims wants her to cough up a lot of money for a house her late mother owned ... but Riley's pushing back.

Lisa Marie Presley's eldest child -- who's now in charge of the trust left behind after her mom's death last year -- just filed new legal docs asking for a judge to declare she's not on the hook for a fat tab that a bank is attempting to collect from the trust.

In the filing, obtained by TMZ, Riley notes this all has to do with an estate in Rotherfield called Coes Hall -- an 11-bedroom property that LMP brought back in 2010 ... and which she secured with a loan from Barclays Bank.

To make it simple ... Barclays is claiming Lisa owed an outstanding balance of about $1.6 million on Coes Hall -- and the bank claims Lisa personally guaranteed payment when she took out the loan. In the wake of her death, though, Barclays is trying to have the trust pick up the tab for the personal guarantee.

But RK is calling BS ... in her paperwork, she says there are at least 2 reasons why she shouldn't have to pay the debt -- for starters, she says a key statute of limitations has run.

Riley claims Barclays had a deadline to file any kind of claim on this -- namely, Jan. 12, 2024 ... the 1-year anniversary of Lisa's death ... which has come and gone without the bank filing legal papers. She also claims Lisa only guaranteed interest payments on the loan between 2010 and 2015, so the trust shouldn't have to pay down the outstanding principal.

Chita Rivera -- a pioneering Tony-winning Broadway star and the first Latina recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor -- has died.

The tragic news was confirmed by her daughter, Lisa Mordente, who said she passed away in New York following a brief illness.

Born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson, Chita famously forged a path for Latina artists ... becoming the first person to play Anita in "West Side Story" in 1957 and Velma Kelly in "Chicago."

She earned a staggering 10 Tony nominations during six decades on stage ... bagging the Best Actress in a Musical award for both "Kiss of the Spider Woman" and "The Rink."

Chita also starred in Broadway productions of "Threepenny Opera," "Kiss Me Kate," and "Sweet Charity," among many others.

Most recently, she was dancing onstage in the 2015 production of "The Visit" ... telling AP at the time she didn't know what she'd do if she wasn't moving, telling a story, or singing a song -- adding performance was "the spirit of my life."

Chita was also a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and became a NY Times bestseller in 2023 with the release of her book, "Chita: A Memoir."

She's survived by her daughter Lisa Mordente, siblings Julio, Armando, and Lola del Rivero, and her many nieces and nephews.

Her rep, Merle Frimark, revealed in a statement her funeral would be private and a memorial service would be announced in due course.

Chita was 91.

Chita Rivera, estrella pionera de Broadway, ganadora de un Tony y primera latina galardonada con el prestigioso Kennedy Center Honor, ha fallecido.

La trágica noticia fue confirmada por su hija Lisa Mordente, quien dijo que Chita falleció en Nueva York tras una breve enfermedad.

Nacida bajo el nombre de Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson, Chita es famosa por haber forjado un camino para los artistas latinos, convirtiéndose en la primera persona en interpretar Anita en "West Side Story" en 1957 y Velma Kelly en "Chicago".

Durante sus 60 años sobre los escenarios obtuvo 10 nominaciones a los premios Tony y se llevó el galardón a Mejor Actriz en un musical por "Kiss of the Spider Woman" y "The Rink".

Chita también protagonizó producciones de Broadway como de "Threepenny Opera", "Kiss Me Kate" y "Sweet Charity", entre muchas otras.

Más recientemente, estuvo bailando en la producción de 2015 de "The Visit". En ese momento le dijo a AP que no sabía qué haría si no se pudiera moverse, contar una historia o cantar, añadiendo que la actuación era "el espíritu de su vida."

Chita también recibió la Medalla Presidencial de la Libertad y se convirtió en un bestseller del New York Times en 2023 con el lanzamiento de su libro, "Chita: A Memoir".

Le sobreviven su hija Lisa Mordente, sus hermanos Julio, Armando y Lola del Rivero, y sus numerosas sobrinas y sobrinos.

Su representante Merle Frimark reveló a través de un comunicado que su funeral sería privado y que se anunciaría un servicio conmemorativo a su debido tiempo.

There's a new video game where Batman gets a final sayonara from his worst foes -- and fans of the late Kevin Conroy are absolutely fuming over it ... calling it a terrible send-off.

The game's called 'Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League' -- due out in a few days -- and some of the footage from a particular scene involving the Dark Knight (voiced by Conroy) is already making the rounds online ... which depicts this version of Batman's brutal death.

Indeed, in this universe ... Harley Quinn fires a bullet into Batman at close range, officially killing him off -- and people who grew up watching Conroy's Batman are kinda losing it.

There's a number of reasons why folks are mad -- but the biggest one, it seems, is that some feel this is a disrespectful way to leave Conroy's legacy as the Caped Crusader. It is, in fact, the last time he played Batman before tragically passing in 2022 from cancer.

While this game's developer/distributor (Rocksteady/WB) likely didn't foresee Conroy dying so suddenly -- diehards of his character and the superhero at large are still dragging these companies through the coals for the decision to off Batman like this ... very wham bam.

However, others are actually pushing back against the outrage ... for two good reasons. One ... it's a freaking video game/fictional character -- and all this is pretty damn silly, TBH.

More importantly, though, many are rightly pointing out that Conroy himself signed up for this story when taking the job -- and considering how closely he cherished the role/character of Batman for as long as he did it ... some think the angry mob should respect his decision.

"Poltergeist" star Dominique Dunne's death at the hands of her boyfriend enraged a very famous actor so much ... he told her family he could have the guy murdered.

Dominique, the daughter of famed writer/producer Dominick Dunne and sister of actor/producer Griffin Dunne, was strangled to death by BF John Sweeney, a famed L.A. chef, back in 1980. Sweeney was charged with murder but, in what almost everyone involved says was a gross miscarriage of justice, he was convicted of manslaughter and only served several years in prison.

Griffin, Dominick and family friend/Oscar-winning producer Charles Wessler went on a mission to haunt Sweeney, getting him fired from at least 7 jobs after his release from prison.

In a new TMZ documentary on FOX Monday night at 9/8 Central, Wessler tells the story at Dominique's funeral, where a very famous actor -- an actor who everyone knows -- came up to him and said he knew "people" who could take care of Sweeney for good -- i.e., kill him.

Wessler made it clear ... it wasn't something the family wanted, but it shows the level of outrage.

As the wheels of justice began to grind, it became apparent the legal process had gone horribly wrong. The judge would not allow the jury to hear from Sweeney's prior girlfriend who had an horrific story of how he repeatedly brutalized her to the point she ended up in the hospital several times. The woman broke her silence for the first time in our documentary.

As for the offer to perform a hit on Sweeney, judging from the way Wessler tells the story, the actor may have had mob ties.

You can hear the pain Dominique's family and friends experienced, for never being able to properly avenge Dominique's death -- something we examine in detail in our new doc -- "Killing a Movie Star: A Grave Injustice."

La muerte de la estrella de "Poltergeist" Dominique Dunne a manos de su novio enfureció tanto a un actor muy famoso, que le dijo a su familia que podía hacer que lo mataran.

Dominique, hija del famoso escritor y productor Dominick Dunne y hermana del actor y productor Griffin Dunne, murió estrangulada por su novio, John Sweeney, un famoso chef de Los Ángeles, en 1980. Sweeney fue acusado de asesinato, pero, en lo que casi todos los implicados dicen que fue un grave error judicial, fue condenado por homicidio involuntario y solo cumplió varios años de prisión.

Griffin, Dominick y Charles Wessler, amigo de la familia y productor ganador de un Oscar, se dedicaron a perseguir a Sweeney, consiguiendo que lo despidieran de al menos siete trabajos tras salir de la cárcel.

En un nuevo documental de TMZ en FOX el lunes por la noche a las 9/8 Central, Wessler cuenta una historia que transcurre en el funeral de Dominique, donde un actor muy famoso -alguien que todo el mundo conoce- se acercó a él y le dijo que conocía a "gente" que podría encargarse de Sweeney para siempre, es decir, matarlo.

Wessler dejó claro que no era lo que la familia quería, pero muestra el nivel de indignación.

Cuando las ruedas de la justicia empezaron a girar, se hizo evidente que el proceso legal había ido terriblemente mal. El juez no permitió que el jurado escuchara a la anterior novia de Sweeney, que tenía una historia horrible de cómo él la maltrató repetidamente hasta el punto de que acabó en el hospital varias veces. La mujer rompió su silencio por primera vez en nuestro documental.

En cuanto a la oferta de realizar un golpe contra Sweeney, a juzgar por la forma en que Wessler cuenta la historia, el actor podría haber tenido vínculos con la mafia.

Se puede oír el dolor que experimentó la familia y los amigos de Dominique por no haber podido vengar nunca adecuadamente la muerte de Dominique, algo que examinamos en detalle en nuestro nuevo doc. "Matar a una estrella de cine: Una Grave Injusticia".

Tyler Christopher died under sad circumstances -- according to officials, he suffocated to death ... and it appears to have been partially caused by him being drunk.

According to the Medical Examiner Office's report, obtained by TMZ, the "General Hospital" star's official cause of death is being listed as positional asphyxia due to acute alcohol intoxication. There's a contributing condition cited ... coronary artery atherosclerosis.

In layman's terms, Tyler suffocated to death because of how he was positioned when he died -- and the ME here is saying booze played in a part in him ending up that way. The latter description is basically plaque build-up in his arteries. His death was accidental.

We broke the story ... Tyler's friend found him deceased at his San Diego apartment -- this after trying and failing to get a hold of him for a while. His pal discovered his body in his bedroom ... and called 911 shortly thereafter.

Tyler's one-time costar, Maurice Benard, broke the news about his passing ... calling him a "truly talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting."

He'd been on 'General Hospital' for a very long time, starring in over 1,100 episodes. TC was only 50.

El hijo de Rick Harrison, Adam Harrison, parece haber estado mal los días previos a su muerte, al menos eso es lo que la gente que vivía a su alrededor le dijo a la policía.

De acuerdo con un nuevo informe de la policía obtenido por TMZ, los oficiales en Las Vegas respondieron a una llamada por una persona que no respondía el viernes, que resultó ser Adam. Los oficiales llegaron y confirmaron que había fallecido, y luego les contaron más sobre lo que aparentemente había sucedido en los días previos a esta tragedia.

Resulta que la policía se enteró de que Adam había estado alojado en una casa de huéspedes en esta propiedad y se percataron de que acababa de salir de la cárcel después de cumplir 3 meses tras las rejas, aunque no está claro por qué exactamente. El propietario dijo que necesitaba un lugar para quedarse después de la liberación y que le ofrecieron esta casa de huéspedes como una muestra de amabilidad.

Sin embargo, cuando continuó estando fuera del radar a partir de entonces, los compañeros de cuarto le dijeron a la policía que trataron de llamar a su puerta, pero que nunca respondió. En ese momento, se involucró el propietario, quien abrió la unidad de Adán y lo encontró tumbado en su cama sin respuesta.

Los compañeros de piso le dijeron a los agentes que si bien su estancia en la propiedad había sido breve, solo dos semanas más o menos, al parecer comentaron que percibían su comportamiento como errático y extraño, incluyendo que supuestamente se atrincherara en esta pequeña casa de huéspedes.

Los compañeros de piso también declararon a la policía que sospechaban que Adam había consumido drogas. Como informamos, Adam murió de una sobredosis de fentanilo, confirmado por su familia.

El propio Rick le dijo a TMZ: "El fentanilo convirtió a mi hijo en alguien que no era y eso conllevó malas decisiones y pasar tiempo en la cárcel". Adam solo tenía 39 años.

Rick Harrison's son, Adam Harrison, seems to have been in a bad way in the days leading up to his death -- at least that's what people who were living around him told cops.

According to a new police report, obtained by TMZ, officers in Vegas responded to a call for service reporting an unresponsive person on Friday ... which turned out to be Adam. The responding officers arrived and confirmed he was deceased, and then were told more of the backstory of what apparently happened in the days leading up to this tragedy.

As it turns out, cops were told Adam had been staying in a guest house at this property -- and noted he had just been released from jail after serving 3 months behind bars ... although it's unclear what exactly for. The landlord said he needed a place to stay upon release, and they offered this guest house as somewhat of a kindness.

Officers interviewed a handful of roommates who had been living there as well ... and they said they hadn't seen Adam come by the main house in a few days. When they tried checking on him via social media, the roommates said they got a message back from him saying he was ill and quarantining.

However, when he continued to be off the radar thereafter ... the roommates told police that they tried knocking on his door, but said he never answered. At that point, they got the landlord involved -- who opened up Adam's unit ... only to find him lying unresponsive on his bed.

The roommates told officers that while his stay there at the property had been brief -- just two weeks or so, it seems -- they relayed behavior of his that they perceived as erratic and strange ... including allegedly barricading himself inside his little guest house there.

The roommates also claimed to cops that they suspected Adam had had a history of drug use too. As we reported ... Adam died of a fentanyl overdose, confirmed by his family.

Rick himself tells TMZ ... "Fentanyl turned my son into someone he wasn’t and that brought with it bad decisions and spending time in jail." Adam was only 39.

Hugh Hefner's ex-wife Kimberly is defending the Playboy founder against an onslaught from his widow Crystal ... 'cause Kim suggests Crystal's just bashing Hef to make a buck.

Kimberly -- who was married to Hef from 1989 to 2010 and had two kids with him -- tells TMZ ... Crystal, in her mind, has no credibility and goes on to claim it was actually her who was exploiting Hef while he was still alive, not the other way around.

As we've reported ... Crystal has a new memoir out about her marriage to Hef and their life at the Playboy Mansion, and she's taken a ton of shots at both ... ripping his bedroom skills, calling their relationship toxic and backward and saying she felt trapped/hypnotized.

But Kimberly's firing back on behalf of her ex-hubby, saying ... "As a few people speak their version of their idea of events in hopes of riding a wave of headline relevance, and making a quick buck, we should all ask ourselves whether we want to live in an environment where people refuse to take accountability and use words loosely like 'force' and 'survive' to describe choices they made willingly at a certain point in their own lives." Oof, talk about harsh!

The way Kimberly sees it ... Crystal wasn't forced into marrying Hef or living at the Playboy Mansion Crystal now despises. Kimberly tells us Crystal made choices that gave her "notoriety, opportunity, and money."

Now that Crystal seems to have turned on Hef, who has been dead since 2017, Kimberly adds ... "We should be wary of those who try to destroy things because they are no longer benefiting from them."

Remember ... Crystal's also told us she felt like she lost herself in her marriage with Hugh,  and she's said she wants to drop his famous last name because it's not clear if it's helping or hurting her these days.

Kimberly says it's not fair Hef's not here to defend himself ... praising him as a "pioneer of free thought and expression" and a "leading voice behind some of the most significant social and cultural movements of our time, advocating for free speech, integrity, sexual freedoms, and civil rights."

La ex-esposa de Hugh Hefner, Kimberly, está defendiendo al fundador de Playboy de la embestida de su viuda Crystal, sugiriendo que solo lo está criticando para ganar dinero.

Kimberly, que estuvo casada con Hef desde 1989 hasta 2010 y tuvo dos hijos con él, le dice a TMZ que Crystal, desde su perspectiva, no tiene credibilidad y asegura que en realidad era ella quien estaba explotando a Hef mientras él aún estaba vivo y no al revés.

Como hemos informado, Crystal tiene un nuevo libro de memorias sobre su matrimonio con Hef y su vida en la Mansión Playboy, y ha lanzado un montón de dardos en contra de ambas experiencias, llamando a su relación tóxica y diciendo que se sentía atrapada.

Pero Kimberly está disparando en nombre de su ex-marido, diciendo: "Mientras unas cuantas personas dan su versión de los hechos con la esperanza de subirse a una ola de relevancia en los titulares y ganar dinero rápido, todos deberíamos preguntarnos si queremos vivir en un entorno en el que la gente se niega a asumir su responsabilidad y utiliza palabras vagas como "forzar" y "sobrevivir" para describir decisiones que fueron tomadas voluntariamente en un momento determinado de sus vidas". Uf, ¡qué duro!

Para Kimberly, Crystal no fue forzada a casarse con Hef o a vivir en la mansión Playboy que ahora desprecia. Nos dice que Crystal tomó decisiones que le dieron "notoriedad, oportunidad y dinero".

Ahora que Crystal parece haberse vuelto en contra de Hef, que está muerto desde 2017, Kimberly añade: "Debemos tener cuidado con aquellos que intentan destruir las cosas porque ya no se benefician de ellas".

Recuerden, Crystal también nos ha dicho que sintió que se perdió a sí misma en su matrimonio con Hugh, y ha dicho que quiere dejar su famoso apellido porque no está segura si la está ayudando o perjudicando en este momento.

Kimberly dice que no es justo que Hef no esté aquí para defenderse y lo elogia como un "pionero del libre pensamiento y expresión" y una "voz líder detrás de algunos de los movimientos sociales y culturales más significativos de nuestro tiempo, abogando por la libertad de expresión, la integridad, las libertades sexuales y los derechos civiles".

Un DJ local de Memphis, que da la casualidad que tiene el mismo apodo que un rapero muy famoso, al parecer fue asesinado de una manera brutal en su casa.

Rick Buchanan, también conocido como "Slick Rick" en la zona y sin ninguna afiliación con THE Slick Rick, fue encontrado muerto el miércoles por su hermano, quien le dijo a FOX13 que entró en la casa de su hermano y descubrió que había sido decapitado.

El hermano de Buchanan, John, relató el horrible incidente diciendo: "Entré y lo encontré, y llamé al 911". Luego, este describe exactamente cómo lo encontró.

John añade: "Pensé que su abrigo estaba sobre su cabeza como si tuviera frío o algo así. Salí corriendo y volví a entrar. Y entonces me di cuenta de que era algo peor". El hermano de Rick continúa explicando que este todavía estaba sosteniendo sus llaves y que sus pantalones estaban abajo. También dice que su puerta trasera estaba entreabierta, por lo que decir que esto es sospechoso, es un eufemismo.

Otra cosa. Rick fue baleado durante un robo en Memphis en 2014, del cual sobrevivió entonces, pero John dice que nunca fue el mismo después de eso.

Dice que se había vuelto difícil encontrar trabajo para él y que se volvió un poco ermitaño, a pesar de haber sido una gran personalidad en la comunidad durante años, pues era muy bueno actuando. Ahora, John y su familia están tratando de reconstruir exactamente lo que pasó, y por supuesto, hacer los arreglos funerarios, etc.

10:08 AM PT -- Memphis PD says a cause of death for Rick Buchanan has yet to be determined, and more interestingly ... that there's no sign of foul play in terms of how he died. Of course, they say they're still investigating.

A local DJ in Memphis, who just so happens to have the same moniker as a very famous rapper, appears to have been murdered in gruesome fashion ... via beheading.

Rick Buchanan -- otherwise known as "Slick Rick" in the area, no affiliation to THE Slick Rick -- was found dead Wednesday by his brother -- who told FOX13 reporter Walter Murphy that he walked into his sibling's home and discovered he'd been decapitated.

Buchanan's sibling, John, relayed the horrifying incident to the outlet, saying ... "I walked in and found him, and I just called 911." He goes on to describe exactly how he found him.

John adds, "I thought his coat was up over his head like it was cold or something. I ran out and then I ran back in. And, then I realized it was something worse." Rick's brother goes on to explain Rick was still holding his keys in this state, and that his pants were pulled down. He also says his back door was ajar ... so, to say this is suspicious is an understatement.

One other thing ... Rick was actually shot during a robbery in Memphis back in 2014, which he survived at the time -- but John says he was never the same after that.

He says it had become hard for Rick to find work, and that he became a bit of a recluse -- this despite being a huge personality known in the community for years ... who was big on performing. Now, John and the extended family say they're trying to piece things together on what exactly happened to Rick -- and, of course, making funeral arrangements, etc.

The obvious question ... what are cops saying? FOX13 cites Memphis PD as only saying they're investigating. On its face, it sounds like an outright slaughter and butchering.