RIP

Donald Trump is on his way back to the White House ... and the controversy surrounding the death of Peanut the squirrel might have helped ... at least that's what the squirrel's owner thinks.

Mark Longo told TMZ he was humbled and honored that on Monday, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance was at a rally, talking about how "fired up" DT was over the death of Peanut ... which ML is sure helped them at the polls.

Those campaign comments -- as ML sees it -- showed Trump cares about the little guy ... even if that little guy is a medium-sized rodent that took social media by storm with his tricks.

7:37 PM PT -- Virginia Madsen, who starred in the 1992 "Candyman" film with Tony Todd, has shared her grief amid the news of the actor's passing ... revealing she was at a loss for words.

In a video posted to Instagram, the actress remembered Tony as her "beloved" costar ... fighting back tears while thanking fans for their "kind wishes."

She expressed a similar sentiment in the caption, adding ... "The great actor Tony Todd has left us and now is an angel. As he was in life. More later but I can’t right now. I love you."

Tony Todd -- best known for his title role in the "Candyman" horror film franchise -- has died, TMZ has confirmed.

His rep, Jeffrey Goldberg, tells us ... Tony died of natural causes at his Marina del Rey home in Los Angeles on Wednesday night. Goldberg did not disclose an exact cause of death.

Todd was a longtime actor with an impressive list of credits, landing parts in movies such as "The Crow," "The Rock," "Final Destination," "Platoon and "Night of the Living Dead."

Liam Payne did not commit suicide, according to the prosecutor in charge of the case in Argentina ... a law enforcement source in Buenos Aires tells TMZ.

We're told the prosecutor in the case has officially ruled Liam did not die by suicide, stating the effects of the drugs the One Direction alum took caused him to fall to his death from the balcony of his suite at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel back on October 16.

As we told you Thursday, 3 people have been arrested in the case -- a housekeeper at the hotel, a friend of Liam's, and an alleged drug dealer ... this after multiple raids conducted by local police.

Big break in Liam Payne's death investigation -- Buenos Aires authorities have charged 3 people they believe were involved ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us the 3 people were charged Thursday, and at least one of the suspects worked at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, where Liam died.

We're told one suspect is described as a "friend" who was in Liam's hotel room with him, but left him there at some point before he died. That suspect has been charged with abandonment of a person before death.

Rashida Jones is sharing her grief in the aftermath of the passing of her father, legendary music producer Quincy Jones.

The "Parks and Recreation" actress posted on Instagram days after her dad died at the age of 91 ... penning a poignant tribute, in which she touched on his impactful legacy.

Rashida began her note by recalling one of her fondest memories with her father ... when the music titan would let her stay close by whenever he worked late nights -- which she called "jazz hours."

Prince's sister Tyka Nelson had serious health issues that led to multiple calls to paramedics in the weeks leading up to her death ... TMZ has learned.

According to emergency call logs, EMTs were called to her house at least six times beginning in September this year ... with the most recent call on November 1 -- three days before she passed away.

While her name isn't listed on every call sheet, we've confirmed these calls were all made either by her or on her behalf ... dealing with issues like bleeding in the GI tract, heart health issues and pain from infection. She was rushed from her Minneapolis home to North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale, Minnesota on September 14.

Elwood Edwards, the iconic voice of AOL's "You’ve Got Mail" audio message, has died after a long illness.

Elwood died Tuesday, the day before his 75th birthday. His former employer, WKYC-TV Studios in Cleveland, confirmed the sad news. The details of the illness remain unclear.

Elwood was a staple at the Ohio station for years, working as a graphics whiz and camera operator, among other roles. But, it was back in 1989 when he struck gold, earning worldwide fame -- and a spot in internet history -- as the voice of America Online’s "You’ve Got Mail" message.

Police in Argentina are continuing their investigation into Liam Payne's death ... conducting another round of raids on the homes of 2 hotel employees and a "friend" of the former One Direction singer, TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources in Buenos Aires tell TMZ ... officers conducted the raids Tuesday night, while also searching the hotel lockers of the workers and reviewing security footage from the hotel, CasaSur Palermo.

We're told cops believe the workers had contact with Liam before the entertainer plunged to his death from the balcony of his third-floor room into a courtyard on October 16.

Peanut the Squirrel's tragic fate is stirring emotions across the Internet, but at least one town leader in Chemung, NY -- where Peanut's owner lives -- isn't rattled at all, and seems over the whole ordeal.

Chemung Town Supervisor George Richter tells TMZ ... he has no knowledge of the squirrel saga exploding on his turf. Remember, Mark Longo and his wife, Daniela, claim 2 of their rescue pets -- Peanut and Fred the raccoon -- were unjustly seized last week, and killed over alleged rabies concerns.

While the story's gone viral, Richter says he has no plans to advocate on behalf of the late Peanut, nor Mark and Daniela -- making it clear he won't be speaking to Governor Kathy Hochul about the raid.

LeBron James joined the legion of hip hop heads who "reminisce over" DJ Clark Kent -- honoring the late producer's memory for his millions of followers to see!!!

The King was feeling reflective ahead of the Lakers matchup last night against the Detroit Pistons, and posted his flawless kick game ... the Nike Air Force 1 Low DJ Clark Kent "The List" exclusive sneakers.

LeBron also soundtracked the Clark Kent homage with Freddie Gibbs' newest single "On The Set" ... after proclaiming his new album "You Only Die 1nce" to be the bee's knees.

Members of the famed Jackson family arrived at a Los Angeles-area cemetery Monday to say their goodbyes to Tito Jackson ... more than a month after the singer's death.

The founding member of The Jackson 5 was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale, California -- where his own brother, Michael Jackson, was entombed after his 2009 death at the age of 50.

The King of Pop's children, Paris and Blanket Jackson, were notably in attendance at their uncle's funeral ... as they were seen mingling with their family members outside the packed service.

Tyka Nelson, a singer and Prince's sister, has died ... according to multiple reports.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune spoke to Tyka's son, President Nelson, who said she passed away Monday morning ... but he did not give a cause of death.

Prince's younger sister was known for more than just her famous older brother ... she released four albums ... and she had a hit in July 1988 with her single "Marc Anthony's Tune." Tyka reportedly had a crush on Marc when she wrote the song.

Peanut the Squirrel's story hit hard for one New York State Assemblyman, who's now pushing for a law to stop future animal heartbreaks like the one that befell the social media star -- and he says a request for an investigation is falling on deaf ears.

Jake Blumencranz, repping Assembly District 15 on Long Island, has drafted "Peanut's Law: The Humane Animal Protection Act," which would impose a 72-hour wait before euthanizing any sanctuary animal. He tells TMZ the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Governor Kathy Hochul have been radio silent about an investigation into the matter so far.

Blumencranz, a big-time animal advocate, says all he's heard from authorities is that DEC officials were just following the rules when they seized Peanut from P'nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary. And, that's exactly why he's pushing for change -- because current protocols feel way too extreme and lack compassion for the animals involved.

A freak accident claimed the life of a 39-year-old soccer player in Peru ... when the man was tragically struck by a bolt of lightning, killing him as he was walking off the pitch.

Several others, including two teenage boys, were also injured during the strike ... which was captured on video.

It all went down during Sunday's matchup between Juventud Bellavista and Familia Chocca at Coto Coto stadium in the Peruvian city of Huancayo.

Quincy Jones, the legendary music titan who worked with nearly every icon ... from Michael Jackson to Frank Sinatra to Will Smith ... has died, TMZ has confirmed.

Arnold Robinson, Quincy's publicist, told TMZ ... he died Sunday night at his home in Bel-Air, California surrounded by his family.

“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”

The owners of Peanut the squirrel are still in an emotional whirlwind after their beloved social media star was seized and euthanized by authorities in New York ... and now they're readying to fight back, TMZ is told.

Mark Longo and his wife, Daniela, tell us they are already in the process of legal action ... but they cannot give too many more details at this point. But ML makes it crystal clear ... "Peanut did not die in vain!"

Their story went national after they accused the state of abusing power and wasting taxpayer funds to seize and kill Peanut -- all because of some anonymous claims ... which ML says were all total BS.