RIP

2:03 PM PT -- John Barnett's family released a statement on their loved one's passing, and they reiterated his cause of shining a light on safety concerns that he was raising while at Boeing -- noting he was deeply affected by the lawsuit he was embroiled in, which they say was going to trial in June. His family says they believe his experience at Boeing contributed to his death.

The Boeing whistleblower's attorneys say he didn't appear suicidal before he died -- which is why they think his death is incredibly suspicious ... and are calling for answers immediately.

Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles -- who were repping John Barnett in a retaliation lawsuit against Boeing, which was well underway -- tell TMZ ... Barnett was in the middle of depositions last week in his civil case, a process they say was nearing an end soon.

We're told Barnett was in good spirits and very much so looking forward to putting this whole saga behind him, ready to move on. They add, "We didn't see any indication he would take his own life. No one can believe it."

They add, "We are all devastated. We need more information about what happened to John. The Charleston police need to investigate this fully and accurately and tell the public what they find out. No detail can be left unturned."

The attorneys explain that Barnett had filed suit because he felt Boeing had retaliated against him after he tried sounding the alarm on what he believed was them turning a blind eye to safety issues ... and alleged in his lawsuit they'd fostered a hostile work environment.

Like we said ... Barnett's case seemed to be wrapping up -- and amid reports Barnett took his own life in the middle of all this, it's safe to say his legal team is incredulous. Knowles was even quoted as calling the self-inflicted wound being attributed to his client "alleged."

As we reported ... Barnett had been going around and speaking very publicly about the issues Boeing had been experiencing lately -- even coming onto our own show, "TMZ Live."

He explained why he felt them getting the green light to hit the skies again so soon after the Alaska Airlines incident was dubious -- claiming this was in line with his own experience with Boeing as a quality manager ... a period during which he alleged he saw many lapses.

In the aftermath of our chat with Barnett, Boeing planes have continued to experience problems -- including something dramatic just this week ... with a flight from Australia to New Zealand beginning to drop out of the sky after apparent massive equipment failure.

La estrella de TikTok Leah Smith ha muerto después de luchar contra el cáncer de hueso en etapa 4 y los fans que han seguido su viaje a través de sus redes están devastados.

Su novio Andrew anunció la triste noticia el lunes con una actualización a sus más de 500.000 seguidores en la que reveló que la creadora de contenido falleció esta mañana.

En el video, que ya ha acumulado millones de visitas, Andrew agradeció a los fans por todo su amor y apoyo durante toda la lucha de Leah contra el cáncer, la que ella documentó ampliamente. Otros TikTokers como Katylee Bailey, Issey Moloney, Miah Carter y Ami Charlize han expresado sus condolencias a los seres queridos de Leah.

A principios de 2024, Leah, que a menudo documentaba su viaje contra el cáncer, compartió que estaba pasando por un momento difícil en medio de su batalla de salud, ya que la enfermedad la había vuelto a dejar postrada en cama. En febrero, la estrella de las redes sociales volvió a ser ingresada al hospital debido al dolor extremo.

En ese momento compartió: "Ni siquiera puedo moverme para ir al baño".

Poco después de esta actualización, Leah confirmó que su cáncer se había extendido y que nuevos tumores habían crecido.

En la medida que su salud seguía empeorando, Leah insinuó que estaba llegando al final de su viaje, detallando el aplastante dolor que estaba experimentando desde que sus medicamentos habían dejado de funcionar.

El hermano de Leah, Liam, y su amiga Vikki se habían hecho cargo de las publicaciones de la estrella en las últimas semanas. De hecho, hace solo 3 días, la última actualización decía que Leah estaba "todavía aquí y luchando".

Desde entonces, Vikki ha confirmado que la página de Leah no será desactivada, sino que permanecerá en TikTok para preservar el legado de la estrella. Solo tenía 22 años.

Que en paz descanse.

TikTok star Leah Smith has died after battling stage 4 bone cancer ... and her fans who've followed her journey on the app are devastated.

The content creator's boyfriend, Andrew, announced the sad news Monday -- posting an update to Leah's 500,000-plus followers ... revealing she passed away earlier that morning.

In his video -- which has already amassed millions of views -- Andrew thanked her fans for all their love and support throughout Leah's tough fight with cancer ... which she documented extensively. Fellow TikTokers Katylee Bailey, Issey Moloney, Miah Carter and Ami Charlize have all expressed their condolences to Leah's loved ones.

At the start of 2024, Leah, who often documented her cancer journey, shared that she was struggling amid her health battle ... as her sickness had left her bedridden. By February, the social media star had reentered the hospital due to extreme pain.

She shared at the time ... "I can’t even move to go to the toilet."

Shortly after this update, Leah confirmed that her cancer had spread and that new tumors had grown.

As her health continued to worsen, Leah hinted that she was reaching the end of her journey ... detailing the crushing pain she was experiencing since her meds had stopped working.

Leah's brother Liam and friend Vikki took over posting for the star in recent weeks. In fact, just 3 days ago, the latest update read that Leah was "still here and fighting."

Vikki has since confirmed that Leah's page will not be deactivated ... but will remain on TikTok to preserve the star's legacy. She was only 22.

RIP

Bo$$, quien se hizo famosa por ser la primera rapera en firmar con Def Jam, ha muerto.

El rapero Bun B anunció la noticia el lunes por la noche, rindiendo homenaje a Bo$$, cuyo verdadero nombre era Lichelle Marie Laws. Bun publicó una foto de Bo$$, y escribió: "Descanse en paz mi hermana mayor Lichelle Laws AKA Boss. Una de las mejores MCs femeninas y una querida amiga".

El anuncio de Bun provocó una gran reacción del mundo del hip hop. Jermaine Dupri, Jadakiss, 9th Wonder, Ed Lover, Lloyd Banks, Slim Thug y muchos otros rindieron homenaje a la pionera maestra de ceremonias AKA rapera.

DJ Premier también intervino, elogiando a Bo$$ como una talentosa leyenda e hizo una petición pública para que Def Jam publicara una colaboración que grabó con ella en 1993.

DJ Battlecat recordó a Bo$$ por liderar el camino de las mujeres en el gangsta rap y añadió: "Descansa en Detroit Queen".

Bo$$ nació y se crio en Detroit, pero se mudó a Los Ángeles poco después de graduarse. Se integró a la escena musical local y llamó la atención de uno de los socios de DJ Quik.

Según cuenta la historia, Russell Simmons fue quien la fichó para Def Jam y en 1993 lanzó su primer (y único) álbum de estudio "Born Gangstaz". Tuvo cierto éxito en las listas con "Deeper", que llegó al Hot 100.

No hay noticias sobre las circunstancias que rodearon su muerte, o una causa oficial, pero Bo$$ había luchado contra una enfermedad renal que se le diagnosticó por primera vez en 2011. También se había creado un GoFundMe en su nombre después de que un derrame cerebral y una convulsión en 2017 la dejaran en necesidad de acceder a "costosos" cuidados, incluyendo un posible trasplante de riñón.

Tenía 54 años.

Bo$$, who famously was the first female rapper signed to Def Jam, has died.

Rapper Bun B announced the news Monday evening, paying tribute to Bo$$ ... whose real name was Lichelle Marie Laws. Bun posted a pic of Bo$$, and wrote, “Rest in peace to my big sis Lichelle Laws AKA Boss. One of the best female MCs and a dear friend."

Bun's announcement sparked quite a huge reaction from the hip hop world ... as Jermaine Dupri, Jadakiss, 9th Wonder, Ed Lover, Lloyd Banks, Slim Thug and many others all paid tribute to the pioneering MC.

DJ Premier also weighed in, praising Bo$$ as a talented legend, and made a public plea for Def Jam to release a collab he'd recorded with her in 1993.

DJ Battlecat remembered Bo$$ for leading the way for women in gangsta rap ... and added, "Rest in Detroit Queen."

Bo$$ was born and raised in Detroit, but moved to L.A. shortly after graduating high school. She integrated herself into the local music scene, catching the eye of one of DJ Quik‘s associates.

As the story goes, Russell Simmons was the one to sign her to Def Jam, and by 1993 she dropped her first (and only) studio album, "Born Gangstaz." She found some success on the charts with "Deeper" making the Hot 100.

No word on circumstances surrounding her death, or an official cause of death ... but Bo$$ had battled renal disease, which she was first diagnosed with in 2011. A GoFundMe was also set up in her name after a 2017 stroke and seizure left her needing "costly" care ... including a possible kidney transplant.

She was 54.

Eric Carmen -- famous for being the frontman of the Raspberries, and for multiple solo hits through the '70s and '80s, including "All By Myself" -- has died ... this according to his family.

The sad news was posted to the singer's own website, with a message posted from none other than his wife, Amy. It reads, "It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen."

It goes on ... "Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep, over the weekend. It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy."

Amy adds, "Please respect the family’s privacy as we mourn our enormous loss." No further details were shared about the circumstances of his death ... Eric had no known or reported ailments of late.

Obviously, it's a huge blow to the music industry -- as Eric was a staple in pop culture in the late 20th century. Not only was his hit 'ABM' a massive success ... but he went on to churn out several others well into the next decade ... including "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again," "She Did It," ''Hungry Eyes" (from the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack), and "Make Me Lose Control."

Other great songs of his included ... "Go All the Way," "Love Is All That Matters," "I'm Through With Love," "It Hurts Too Much," "The Way We Used to Be," "I Wanna Hear It From Your Lips" ... and many, many more.

In addition to 4 albums he put out as the lead singer of the Raspberries, Eric released 6 studio albums solo ... and he went on to become a phenomenon in the music biz. He's survived by his wife and two children. Eric was 74.

A whistleblower who was at war with Boeing died last week -- and investigators say it appears he took his own life, this while he was embroiled in a lawsuit against the company.

John Barnett was discovered dead on Saturday out in Charleston, SC -- where cops say his body was found in his truck in a hotel parking lot ... with him suffering an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. No word on if foul play is suspected -- but police are investigating.

Barnett's attorney, Brian Knowles, called the passing of his client "tragic" ... and went on to express explicit doubt about the circumstances of his death, making sure to call the self-inflicted gunshot wound cops are citing as "alleged."

What's more startling is Barnett was literally in the midst of a whistleblower lawsuit against Boeing -- his former employer of 32 years -- as he was alleging retaliation for sounding the alarm on what he characterized as cutting corners on assembly lines for their planes.

This is a drum Barnett had been beating for a long time -- and he even came on "TMZ Live" recently to address issues that Boeing's 737 Max aircraft had been experiencing lately.

Of course, the one incident that comes to mind is a door blowing off a 737 flight mid-air in January ... which left the passengers clinging to dear life as the plane tried to land safely.

Barnett -- a former quality manager at Boeing -- spoke with us and said he wasn't surprised by the mishap ... alleging he'd seen Boeing turn a blind eye to safety concerns for years. He also told us that Boeing's 737 Max aircraft being given the green light to fly again so soon after the Alaska Airlines incident was alarming ... suggesting it might've been unsafe.

Fast-forward to last week ... when Barnett was in the middle of depositions in his case against Boeing. The company released a statement and said it was saddened by his death.

He was 62.

Suzanne Somers' omission from the Oscars' "in memoriam" main segment left many fans livid ... but her husband is saying he's all good with the Academy's decision to leave her out.

Alan Hamel explains his POV to TMZ ... saying, "Last time I checked, we still had a First Amendment. I respect the Academy's decision to not include Suzanne In Memoriam. Frankly, the outpouring from millions of her fans, was the kind of In Memoriam Suzanne would have lovingly embraced."

He adds, "She adored and respected her Fans and similarly enjoyed a beautiful relationship with the Media and Paparazzi who elevated her career to heights rarely seen. She debuted on Carson in 1973 with her first of 27 books and remained active and relevant until her passing. God bless Suzanne Somers."

In addition to Somers, actors Lance Reddick, Treat Williams, Ron Cephas Jones, and Burt Young were also overlooked during the main event ... as were screenwriter Norman Lear and British filmmaker Terence Davies.

Suzanne's name was only included in the last slide of the segment, but it was written in a small font along with the names of other late stars. She wasn't shown as one of the main stars who were honored with their faces shown.

As we reported ... Suzanne -- famous from "Three's Company" and a bunch of other TV shows/movies -- passed away after a long battle with cancer at her home in October.

The legendary actress was first diagnosed with melanoma in 2000 ... and developed breast cancer shortly after which she battled on and off for years. It fully returned in the summer of 2023 ... months before her tragic death.

El testamento de Matthew Perry establece que sus pertenencias se dejarán en un fideicomiso que él creó con el nombre de un famoso personaje de Woody Allen.

Según nuevos documentos legales obtenidos por TMZ, Matthew creó un testamento en 2009 y expresó su deseo de dejar la mayoría de sus pertenencias en un fideicomiso. Resulta que Matthew debió de ser un gran admirador de "Annie Hall", ya que creó un fideicomiso llamado Alvy Singer Living Trust, y el dinero que tenía en su poder antes de su fallecimiento se destinarán a este fideicomiso.

Los documentos enumeran el valor de sus propiedades personales en poco más de $1 millón al momento de su fallecimiento. Cabe destacar que este millón de dólares es lo que los ejecutores encontraron como activos adicionales que aún no están en este fideicomiso privado. En otras palabras, no refleja con precisión su patrimonio neto. De hecho, es probable que Matthew tuviera muchos millones más; esto es simplemente adicional.

No sabemos quiénes son los fiduciarios, pero Matthew especifica en su testamento que cualquier hijo que pueda haber tenido después de 2009 no tiene derecho explícito a su fortuna. Por cierto, nunca tuvo hijos.

Dos mujeres llamadas Lisa Ferguson y Robin Ruzan, quien es la exesposa de Mike Myers, figuran como las ejecutoras de su testamento. Serán las encargadas de tomar decisiones sobre cómo repartir y gestionar sus propiedades. Robin y Matthew trabajaron juntos en el mismo programa llamado "Celebrity Liar" a principios de la década de 2010: ella era la productora ejecutiva y él era un concursante.

Como informó TMZ, Matthew falleció en octubre después de ahogarse en su jacuzzi personal en casa, y una autopsia determinó que tenía ketamina en su sistema en ese momento.

Matthew Perry's will is leaving his stuff in a trust he established that's named after a famous Woody Allen character ... TMZ has learned.

Per new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Matthew created a will in 2009 ... and he says he wants to leave a majority of his belongings to a trust -- and as it turns out, Matt must've been a big fan of "Annie Hall" ... 'cause he created a trust called the Alvy Singer Living Trust -- and the dough/assets he had on hand before he died are set to go into the trust.

The docs list the value of his personal property when he died at a little over $1 million. We should note ... this million bucks and change is what the executors found as additional assets that are not already in this private trust. In other words, it's not an accurate reflection of his net worth. Fact is ... Matthew probably had millions upon millions more ... this is just extra.

We don't know who the trustees are ... but Matt makes a distinction in his will that any kids he may have post-2009 are explicitly not entitled to his fortune. He never had children, BTW.

Two women named Lisa Ferguson and Robin Ruzan -- who's Mike Myers' ex-wife -- are listed as executors of his will. They'll be the ones in charge of making decision about how to divvy up and manage his property. Robin and Matt worked on the same game show called "Celebrity Liar" together back in the 2010s ... she was an EP and he was a contestant.

TMZ broke the story ... Matthew died in October after drowning in his personal hot tub at home -- and an autopsy later determined he had ketamine in his system when it happened.

12:06 PM -- The L.A. Lakers say they're already in the process of fixing the typos on Kobe Bryant's statue ... admitting to ABC News on Monday they've known of the issues "for a few weeks."

"We have been aware of this for a few weeks," a spokesperson said, "and are already working to get it corrected soon."

The statue erected to immortalize Kobe Bryant outside of Crypto.com Arena has multiple typos on it ... at least four, to be exact.

The flaws were discovered this week ... on the base of the monument where an image of a signed box score from Bryant's famed 2006, 81-point game was etched in.

You can see Von Wafer's name is mistakenly spelled "Vom Wafer." Jose Calderon's name is also incorrectly listed as "Jose Calderson." The word "decision" in two of the "Coach's Decision" portions of the statue is also wrongfully written as "decicion."

A copy of the box score sold at Goldin Auctions back in 2022 shows none of the errors were featured on the original document.

We've reached out to the Lakers for comment, but so far, we've yet to hear back.

The Bryant sculpture was first put up at the arena back on Feb. 8 ... at a star-studded event. Phil Jackson, Stu Lantz, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Derek Fisher and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss were all there ... as was Vanessa Bryant, who helped introduce it with an emotional and, at times, lighthearted speech.

"For the record," Vanessa said before the public saw the carving for the first time, "Kobe picked the pose you’re about to see. So if anyone has any issues with it, tough s***."

At the ceremony, it was also announced the Lakers would unveil two more tributes to Bryant at their arena at a later date.

Besar Nimani, a former boxing champion with only one loss in his career, was shot to death outside a restaurant in Germany.

Nimani was leaving the establishment in Bielefeld Saturday night around 6 PM, according to a report, when 10 shots were fired ... at least some striking Nimani, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

"One or more perpetrators approached and shot the victim," police said in a statement, adding, Nimani "died at the scene due to the great wounds he received."

Authorities are currently investigating -- a "major police operation" -- as they hunt for the person (or people) behind the shooting.

Cops have not commented on motive or the identity of any suspect(s).

Besar, an Albanian who was born in Kosovo in 1985, fled to Germany in the late '90s as the Kosovo War raged in the Southeastern European country.

And, the boxer eventually made his mark in his new country ... becoming a successful pro pugilist. In fact, Besar was 26-1 with 22 knockouts ... and once held the IBF European Super Welterweight title. Nimani retired in 2019 after winning his last fight by TKO.

Nimani's brother, Berati, paid tribute to his late sibling on social media ... "My brother Besar Nimani was killed today in an ambush in Bielefeld, Germany."

He added ... "May God join us in heaven with him. I will forever be proud of you, I love you."

El Príncipe Harry y Meghan Markle están teniendo un momento íntimo en el corazón de Texas, tras hacer una parada no anunciada a la familia de Irma García, la maestra que fue asesinada durante el tiroteo en la escuela de Uvalde.

Los Sussexes se dirigieron a Uvalde el sábado para pasar un tiempo con la familia de Irma. Se recordarán que la historia de Irma fue aún más trágica, pues su marido Joe murió 2 días después del tiroteo de un ataque al corazón.

Los García estaban encantados con la visita sorpresa. Su sobrino John Martínez escribió en X: "¡Meghan Markle y el príncipe Harry vinieron a mi casa! Son una pareja tan hermosa y soy tan afortunado, ¡qué bueno que vinieron a ver cómo está la familia!".

Martínez también habló de lo cariñoso y solidario que fueron Harry y Meghan con sus primos y compartió un clip de la pareja cantando "feliz cumpleaños" a su mamá.

Como se puede ver, Harry y Meghan también posaron para unas fotos y conversaron con los García, convirtiéndose prácticamente en parte de la familia por un día.

Meghan conectó por primera vez con los García unos días después del trágico tiroteo en 2022, mientras estuvo en Uvalde para honrar a los profesores y estudiantes asesinados.

Meghan fue fotografiada afuera del Uvalde County Courthouse en su momento, dejando un ramo de rosas blancas en un improvisado monumento.

Semanas más tarde, se puso en contacto con la hermana de Irma para saber cómo estaba la familia, especialmente los 4 niños que perdieron a su madre y a su padre en circunstancias desgarradoras.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are having a moment deep in the heart of Texas -- they made an unannounced stop to see the family of Irma Garcia ... a teacher killed during the Uvalde school shooting.

The Sussexes headed to Uvalde Saturday to spend some QT with Irma's family. You might recall, her story was even more tragic, because her husband Joe died 2 days after the mass shooting from a heart attack.

The Garcias were delighted by the surprise visit, with her nephew John Martinez writing on X: "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry came to my house! They're such a beautiful couple and I'm so blessed - so glad they came to check up on the family!"

Martinez also gushed about how loving and supportive H&M were to his cousins ... and also shared a clip of the pair singing "Happy Birthday" to his mom.

As you can see, Harry and Meghan also posed for snaps and chatted with the Garcias ... virtually becoming part of the family for the day.

Meghan first connected with the Garcias a few days after the tragic 2022 shooting ... while she was in Uvalde to honor the slain teachers and students.

MM was pictured visiting outside the nearby Uvalde County Courthouse at the time ... leaving a bouquet of white roses at a makeshift memorial.

Weeks later, she reached out to Irma's sister to check on the family's wellbeing, especially the 4 children who lost both their mom and dad under heart-wrenching circumstances.

The Vermont man who crashed into Treat Williams -- resulting in the beloved actor's death -- is pleading guilty to a reduced charge, and, as a result, he will not go to prison.

Ryan Koss pled guilty on Friday to negligent driving with death resulting. Koss was turning into a parking lot last June when he collided with Treat, who was riding his motorcycle. Although he was wearing a helmet, and was airlifted to a hospital for treatment, Treat did not survive his injuries.

In exchange for his plea, Koss is getting a one-year deferred sentence, probation and his license is revoked for a year. In addition, he'll have to complete a community restorative justice program for the misdemeanor charge.

Prosecutors say Koss has fully cooperated, and been accountable for the tragedy from the start, and even called Treat's wife from the scene of the accident to tell her what had happened.

During Friday's hearing, he said, “I’m here to apologize and take responsibility for this tragic accident.” Interestingly, Treat's family was not interested in pressing charges or seeing Koss do time.

Treat's son, Gill, was in court and told Koss, “I do forgive you, and I hope that you forgive yourself." Treat's wife, Pam, expressed a similar sentiment in a statement that was read in court ... but she added, “Our lives will never be the same, our family has been torn apart and there is a huge hole that can’t possibly be filled."

Koss had originally been facing up to 15 years in prison ... as he'd been charged with gross negligent operation with death resulting, a felony. He pled not guilty to that charge, before copping a plea for the reduced misdemeanor charge.

Janelle Brown is remembering happier times in the wake of her son, Garrison Brown's death -- posting a photo of the last time her whole brood was together.

Just a couple days after reflecting on Garrison's passing -- which occurred earlier this week -- the "Sister Wives" star shared a sweet family memory ... throwing up a pic on her social media that featured all six of her kids, whom she shares with her ex, Kody Brown,

The picture, Janelle says, was from Christmas ... and she wrote, "I had all my children together last Christmas. It was amazing as it's hard with everyone's busy lives to coordinate time like this. I am extremely grateful now that we had pictures taken."

The holiday allowed for Janelle to snap a pic of herself with her kids and grandkids -- the image marking the last full family photo for the reality star ... and obviously more poignant now in the wake of Garrison's passing.

The new upload marks Janelle's return to social media after announcing Garrison's death, who died by suicide on Tuesday -- this after she confirmed that her son had passed away.

We broke the story ... Garrison -- who appeared alongside Janelle and Kody on "Sisters Wives" -- took his own life at his home in Flagstaff, AZ. Flagstaff PD told us that Garrison's brother Gabriel was the first to discover him.

While we're told that Garrison died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound ... an investigation is still reportedly underway. Cops spoke with Janelle the day he died -- and she alerted them to alarming texts he'd sent to people they'd worked with before, and that raised red flags.

Garrison is survived by several family members -- as the Browns were famous polygamists before Kody's respective splits from wives Meri, Christine and Janelle over the last couple years. He was only 25.

RIP