RIP

Professional boxer Paul Bamba -- who recently became the first fighter to sign with Ne-Yo's management company -- has died, the singer announced Friday. He was just 35 years old.

"It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of beloved son, brother, friend and boxing champion Paul Bamba, whose light and love touched countless lives," Ne-Yo and the Bamba family said in a joint statement.

Bamba held a 19-3 record over the course of his career ... and most recently defeated Rogelio Medina Luna in New Jersey this past Saturday to be named the WBA Gold Cruiserweight world champion.

John Bennett Ramsey has plans to meet with local police once again ... in hopes of convincing them to use new DNA-testing technology to solve his daughter's killing.

The father of JonBenét is expected to speak with the Boulder Police Department in Colorado again in January, along with representatives from a leading DNA lab, to push for a new approach to evidence authorities collected nearly three decades ago.

John explains there is new DNA tech that could separate mixed samples ... a major issue with DNA collected at the time, he says. Ramsey's hopeful the police will allow an independent lab to conduct testing on the old crime scene items. JonBenét was killed on Christmas night in 1996, and her body was found hours later, after she had been reported missing.

Dick Capri -- a longtime actor and comedian -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Capri's son, Jeff, tells TMZ ... Dick was diagnosed with a bleeding enlarged aorta that was rendered inoperable because of his age.

Dick just kept living while knowing his time was coming to an end. He spent a nice Christmas with his son, his daughter-in-law and his life partner Wednesday ... and, the crew FaceTimed family that couldn't make it down to Florida for the holiday.

2024 will be remembered for many shocking events ... and here, we remember celebrities who tragically died over the last calendar year.

Liam Payne shocked the world when he fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Argentina ... and the former One Direction member's death is still under police investigation, with lots of moving parts involved.

12 years after Whitney Houston's death and 9 years after Bobbi Kristina Brown's passing, the Houston family suffered another sad loss ... the passing of singer Cissy Houston, Whitney's mom and Houston matriarch, occurred in October. She passed away at the age of 91 after battling Alzheimer's disease in hospice care.

Teen actor Hudson Meek -- best known for his role in the action film, "Baby Driver" -- has died after he tumbled out of a moving vehicle, TMZ has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources tell us... Hudson suffered blunt force trauma injuries after a fall on December 19 in Vestavia Hills, AL. He was rushed to a hospital and treated but passed away two days later.

Hudson's mom, Lane Wells Meeks, posted a message on Facebook, saying their family is shattered by her son's death ... adding he accomplished a lot in his short life and had a major impact on everyone he touched.

Former Central Michigan Chippewas quarterback Tommy Lazzaro has passed away, the school announced Thursday. He was just 27 years old.

Lazzaro -- a Monument, Colorado native -- was involved in a fatal hunting accident this past Sunday in Florida, according to multiple reports.

Lazzaro made 20 career appearances for the Chippewas ... and was part of the team that went 8-6 and made it to the MAC Championship Game against Miami (OH) in 2019. He led the team with two touchdowns in the contest.

Actor Hudson Meek's death is being treated as an accident, and it doesn't appear substances played any role in the fall that took his life ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... no foul play is suspected in Hudson's death -- and, cops are looking into this as an accident.

We're told there were no signs of drugs or alcohol ... and, cops do not believe they played any part in the accident.

Richard Perry -- a music producer who collaborated with some of the biggest stars of the 1970s and '80s -- has passed away ... TMZ has confirmed.

Ben McCarthy -- Perry's personal assistant of nearly three decades -- tells TMZ ... Richard passed away at around 1:30 AM this morning.

We're told Richard fought Parkison's disease ... with Ben saying he saw him for a few hours about a month ago -- and, Richard wasn't able to verbally communicate. That said, Richard was in good spirits during their visit, Ben adds.

Sophie Hediger -- a Swiss snowboarder who competed in the 2022 Beijing Games -- was tragically killed in an avalanche on Monday. She was just 26 years old.

Switzerland's skiing federation announced the heartbreaking news on Tuesday -- revealing the incident happened at the Arosa resort.

"We are stunned," Swiss-Ski CEO Walter Reusser said in a statement, "and our thoughts are with Sophie's family, to whom we express our deepest condolences."

Stand-up comedian Tim Dillon's wading into one of the biggest stories of 2024 ... playing slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a Netflix special.

Here's the deal ... on Friday, Netflix is releasing "Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year" -- a roast taking a flamethrower to some of the biggest news stories from 2024 as we head into 2025.

Of course, arguably the biggest story of the year was the shooting death of Thompson earlier this month ... and sources familiar with the taping tell us that Dillon and Netflix didn't shy away from it.

Nicole Kidman is back in her hometown of Sydney for the holiday season, and spending time a the beach with her extended family ... their first public get together since Nicole lost her mother.

The actress and her fam soaked up Sydney’s sunny weather while on the beach with husband, Keith Urban. The power couple was also joined by Nicole's sister Antonia, her husband Craig Marran and their 2 kids.

The family appeared relaxed and cheerful as they enjoy the holiday season together only a few months after Nicole and Antonia's mom died in September.

6:41 p.m. PT -- Adam DeVine, who co-led and co-created "Workaholics," has broken his silence following Waymond Lee's passing ... noting in a new Instagram post that he was "gutted" by the news.

He added ... "He was such a kind man. My deepest condolences go out to his wife Diane and the rest of his family. He was always down to do whatever insane thing we wrote for him on Workaholics. He was always game. A true professional."

Waymond Lee, an actor best known for appearing in Comedy Central's "Workaholics," has died ... TMZ has learned.

Norine Lee, Waymond's sister, and Waymond’s wife, Diane, tell TMZ ... the actor passed away last week on Wednesday, Dec. 18 following complications from ALS -- a neurological disorder that impacts nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. For those unfamiliar, the disorder is often also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Art Evans, an actor best known for his roles in "Die Hard 2" and "Fright Night," has died ... according to his reps.

The film and TV actor died while surrounded by his loved ones on Saturday, his publicist, Erica Huntzinger, confirmed to Variety. While the outlet did not share a cause of death, Deadline reports the actor's rep shared Art passed away due to a battle with diabetes.

Fans will likely best know Art for his work as Barnes in the 1990 follow-up film to "Die Hard," aptly titled "Die Hard 2." Remember, Art's character assists Bruce Willis' John McClane when all hell breaks loose at Dulles International Airport.

Kate Cassidy is keeping Liam Payne at the top of her mind in the months after his death ... debuting an apparent tattoo tribute to the late One Direction star.

The influencer posted on her Instagram Story Sunday, where she cuddled up to her dog while laying in bed ahead of the holidays. However, it was the new ink on her hand that captured fans' attention ... as she appeared to have a pair of angel wings etched onto her pointer and middle fingers.

Kate made no mention of the tattoo, but did place a single red emoji heart on the image ... indicating she was feeling the love this Christmas season.

A popular fitness influencer who was shot during a robbery in L.A. three months ago has died.

Miguel Angel Aguilar, who has tens of thousands of followers and owns a chain of gyms in So-Cal and several other states, passed away on Saturday.

His team took to IG to announce the tragic death, "We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our founder and CEO, Miguel Angel Aguilar. After a courageous three-month battle following the tragic incident that took place on September 13th, 2024, Miguel peacefully passed away on December 21st, 2024 surrounded by his loved ones."

Baseball's "Man of Steal," Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson is dead after a bout with pneumonia ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Henderson passed away Friday in the Oakland area, and had been getting treatment at a hospital for a brief period.

The MLB legend holds the record for stolen bases, and played left field for 9 teams from 1979 to 2003. Most of those years were spent with the Oakland A’s, where he debuted in the majors, but he also starred with the Yankees, Blue Jays, Mets, Padres and others ... before retiring with the Dodgers.