RIP

Jackson James Rice, an up-and-coming kite foil racing star, tragically passed away this weekend just weeks before his debut in the 2024 Olympics. He was only 18.

Rice's father, Darren, confirmed his son died on Saturday during a free diving accident in Faleloa, Tonga. It's believed JJ suffered a shallow water blackout.

JJ's father said other divers found his body around 12:15 PM on the seafloor ... under the boat. They tried to resuscitate him but he passed away.

Hiram Kasten -- a force on the New York City comedy scene in the 1970s and '80s who appeared on "Seinfeld" -- has died.

The actor-comedian passed away Sunday after battling various illnesses including prostate cancer ... according to an obituary posted to his official Facebook page.

In the obituary, Kasten's remembered as a hilarious comedian, charming guy and terrific family man who rose to fame during New York City's comedy boom of the 1980s.

A wild, deadly bus hijacking in Atlanta is stirring up some wild flashbacks for one of the actors from "Speed."

As we reported, a madman in Atlanta hijacked a city bus, which he used to lead police on an unbelievable high-speed chase ... and, during which he allegedly shot and killed a passenger.

Hawthorne James, who played bus driver Sam Silver in the 1994 blockbuster, tells TMZ ... he was shocked watching footage of the Atlanta bus bouncing off cars.

It all gave him some serious déjà vu, but, of course, he acknowledges the major difference is Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock and himself always knew they were safe.

Olivia Newton-John's Instagram account's under fire after posting a pic of the late star in support of Pride ... with commenters rushing to blast the post's intention.

The actress -- who passed away back in 2022 -- still has an active social media account, and the IG admin decided to share a snap of ONJ in a rainbow-covered sweater ... wishing all of the late actress' followers a Happy Pride Month.

While it seems a rather innocuous post, it started a firestorm among Newton-John's followers ... who flooded the comments section with a ton of homophobic comments.

Mama June always keeps her daughter close to her ... revealing she has Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell's ashes in a piece of jewelry she always wears.

The reality star revealed the news to People in an interview published Saturday ... saying she has a bracelet filled with Anna's ashes -- partially as her way of keeping Cardwell's memory alive.

MJ told the outlet she's always toting Anna around and talks about her daughter a lot -- so, it certainly seems the late 29-year-old is never far from her mom's mind.

Angela Bofill – the R&B vocalist best known for her songs, "I Try" and "Angel of the Night," has died.

Bofill passed away at her daughter's home in Vallejo, California. Her cause of death was not disclosed, but she had previous health issues.

In 2006 and 2007, Bofill suffered two strokes, causing paralysis on the left of her body.

The cause of death for ex-NBA player Darius Morris has just been revealed ...  heart disease is the killer, with drug and alcohol use playing a big role.

Darius' official cause of death is coronary artery disease ... according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

According to the ME's death investigation summary, obtained by TMZ Sports, drug and alcohol use was a significant factor in Darius' death ... specifically, the effects of cocaine, hydrocodone and ethanol.

Nick Mavar -- who was once a deckhand on the F/V Northwestern on "Deadliest Catch" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

The Police Chief of Bristol Bay Borough Police Department in Alaska tells TMZ ... the ex-Discovery Channel star died Thursday afternoon in Naknek -- this after experiencing a medical emergency of some sort.

BBBPD wouldn't elaborate on the nature of the medical emergency -- noting it was too early in the investigation to draw conclusions. We are, however, told Nick's family has been notified of the tragic news.

10:23 AM PT -- A rep for SkyWest tells us ... "SkyWest flight 5121, operating as United Express from Joplin, MO to Chicago O’Hare diverted to Peoria, IL Thursday morning and was met by paramedics to attend to a passenger in medical distress. We appreciate the efforts of our crewmembers who responded quickly to assist and the medical personnel who met the aircraft."

A child died Thursday after suffering a medical emergency aboard a flight ... despite the crew's best efforts to resuscitate her.

The Florida alligator that ate a homeless woman last year got killed and cut open by officials once they discovered the grisly act -- and now ... we're seeing all the aftermath on tape.

TMZ has obtained new photos/video from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that shows exactly what they did when they learned the beast had killed and eaten Sabrina Peckham -- who was living in an encampment near a canal in Largo.

The body cam video shows the moments after the gator had been shot and killed -- with Wildlife officials fishing the animal out of the water and throwing it on a truck bed ... and later cutting it open to get the poor woman's body parts out from inside its guts.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have issues with finances, Goldie Hawn has issues with crime in Los Angeles, and James Worthy remembers Jerry West ... all this on today's hot takes.

First on "TMZ Live" Harvey and Charles dive into the financial issues surrounding Ben and Jen as they hurtle towards divorce.

The two people who were electrocuted at a Mexican resort hot tub have now been identified -- and sadly, one of them has died as a result of the incident ... so say local officials.

According to the attorney general's office for the state of Sonora ... the individuals who were shocked while in the jacuzzi at a hotel in Puerto Peñasco are actually a married American couple from El Paso, TX ... and their names are Jorge Guillen and Lizzette Zambrano.

Per local authorities, Jorge died as a result of an electrical discharge that went off while they were both in the water ... and Lizzette is said to be in critical condition at a hospital.

Tony Bennett's kids appear ready to engage in a legal war -- his daughters are accusing their older brother of not being forthcoming on where all their dad's dough has gone.

Antonia and Johanna Bennett just filed legal docs claiming their sibling, Danny Bennett, hasn't been straight with them over questions about the finances of the Bennett Family Trust -- which they say Danny has been running as trustee.

Per the docs, obtained by TMZ, Antonia and Johanna say they've grown suspicious of what exactly Danny has done with their father's fortune -- estimating that their dad brought in north of $100 million in live performances alone over the past 15 years of his active career.

Lakers legend James Worthy says he's heartbroken over Jerry West's death ... telling TMZ Sports he's going to miss his good friend dearly.

Worthy -- who West actually selected with the first pick of the 1982 NBA Draft when he was LA's general manager -- spoke with us just hours after Jerry's passing on Wednesday ... and reflected on his time with the Hall of Famer fondly.

James said he learned of the news at a place Jerry loved -- a golf course -- and initially, his heart hurt. But he said moments later, the memory bank of his time with West kicked into high gear.

Johnny Canales -- a Tejano TV legend credited with introducing Selena Quintanilla to mainstream audiences -- has died.

The longtime broadcaster's wife, Nora, announced his passing on social media Friday ... thanking fans for their love and support in a poignant Facebook post. She didn't get into the exact circumstances of his death, but did speak on his legacy.

Nora wrote ... "He was more than just a beloved husband, father, TV host, musician, and entertainer; he was a beacon of hope and joy for countless people. His infectious charisma and dedication to promoting Latino music and culture left a large mark on the world."

Johnny Wactor's close friend is pressuring L.A. officials to find his murderers and hold them accountable ... organizing a march through downtown to keep the late actor's memory alive.

Micah Parker -- a fellow actor and one of Johnny's best pals -- spearheaded Wednesday's march, and we talked to him in the street  ... with him telling us Johnny's murder should be a wake-up call for the city, hoping those in power acknowledge there is a problem with crime.

TMZ broke the story ... Johnny was shot and killed by a group of thieves who were trying to steal his catalytic converter ... a type of theft that many Angelinos are very familiar with.