RIP

Matthew Gaudreau's wife just gave birth to their son ... four short months after he and his brother Johnny were killed by an alleged drunk driver.

Madeline Gaudreau announced the news on Instagram early Sunday morning ... sharing a photo of their baby boy holding tightly to her hand -- and revealing she named him Tripp.

In her caption, Madeline writes Tripp is "Mommy & Daddy’s world" ... keeping Matthew's presence within the family alive. BTW, Matthew helped choose the name before he passed, it seems.

Donald Trump's showering praise on the late Jimmy Carter ... saying he did his best to improve the lives of his fellow Americans -- and, the country owes him a debt.

The president-elect posted to his social media platform, Truth Social, Sunday ... only about an hour after the Carter Center announced the former president had passed away at 100.

In his message, Trump writes that anyone who has been president knows it's a very exclusive club ... and, only members in its ranks can understand the responsibility of leading the country.

The Boeing passenger jet that crashed over the weekend killing hundreds was reportedly warned of a bird strike minutes before it attempted an emergency landing.

According to the country's Transport Ministry, air traffic controllers alerted the crew the aircraft had experienced a bird strike before the fatal accident on Saturday that killed 179 people.

News1 Agency also reports a passenger allegedly sent a text message to a family member minutes before the crash claiming there had been a bird strike somewhere near or on the plane's wing.

A Boeing passenger jet crashed in South Korea Sunday ... reportedly killing dozens of people after what authorities are labeling a failure of the landing gear.

The Boeing 737 -- en route from Thailand -- veered off the runway at Muan International Airport around 9 AM local time

Video taken at the airport shows the plane sliding across the asphalt ... unable to stop itself before it runs into what looks like a wall and explodes.

Three officers who the New York State Attorney General's Office claims were present when Robert Brooks was beaten are named in other lawsuits alleging brutal beatings at the hands of prison guards.

In documents reviewed by TMZ ... Nicholas Anzalone, Glenn Trombly and Anthony Farina -- all three suspended pending further investigation by New York's Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner -- are named as defendants in lawsuits filed by incarcerated or formally incarcerated individuals.

In a lawsuit filed in September 2022, a man named Adam Bauer sued Anzalone along with several other correctional officers ... after he claimed he suffered an unprovoked beating by one for smoking a cigarette in a bathroom in 2020.

Charles Shyer, the writer-director best known for the "Father of the Bride" remake starring Steve Martin, has died.

Shyer died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after a brief illness, his daughter told media outlets.

The Oscar-nominated writer and director teamed with then-wife Nancy Meyers for several classic '80s comedies ... including "Private Benjamin," "Irreconcilable Differences," and "Baby Boom."

The fatal beating of Robert Brooks -- which was captured on horrifying body cam video from NYC corrections officers -- is being investigated by the FBI, TMZ has learned.

The federal agency said in a statement to TMZ ... “The FBI Albany Field Office and the Department of Justice are reviewing the facts and circumstances surrounding the death of Robert L. Brooks to determine the appropriate federal response. As this is an ongoing review, we are not able to comment further at this time.”

The major development comes one day after body cam footage of corrections officers brutally beating a restrained Brooks -- who died hours later -- was released by the New York State Attorney General ... showing officers hitting the bloodied man repeatedly.

12/30 12:24 PM PT -- James Miller, rep for NYS Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association tells TMZ ... "NYSCOPBA’s Executive Board has reviewed the video footage released by the Attorney General regarding the death of Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility.  What we have witnessed is reprehensible. It is clear to all of us that these actions are a disgrace to our profession and have put everyone inside our facilities at risk. As correction officers and sergeants, we have a duty to protect every person inside a correctional facility. At all times, we must be ready to stop those seeking to do harm, and that includes fellow staff. We, as an organization, stand in complete defiance of the callous disregard for the suffering that we have all witnessed on this video. NYSCOPBA will continue to fulfill its legal obligation to defend all members from all administrative charges, regardless of severity or public outcry. However, as more information becomes readily available, NYSCOPBA must continue to focus its efforts on advocating on behalf of those members who dutifully come to work every day and act with the professionalism and selflessness demanded of them."

Body cam footage of corrections officers brutally beating a restrained inmate -- who died hours later -- has been released by the New York State Attorney General ... showing officers hitting the bloodied man repeatedly.

The video shows Robert Brooks -- an inmate serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault -- repeatedly being punched and kicked ... and, one man appears to gag him with a towel.

Videos released by the attorney general's office show one officer repeatedly striking Brooks in his midsection with a shoe as other officers hold him down with his arms behind him. At one point, the officers lift Brooks up by his neck ... he's got blood all over his face and he can't even hold up his own weight.

Olivia Hussey, most well known for playing Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s classic 1968 drama “Romeo and Juliet," has died.

The actress passed away Friday at her home surrounded by family, according to a lengthy post on her Instagram page ... but her cause of death was not revealed.

The sad IG announcement read in part ... "Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her."

11:03 AM PT -- OG Maco's family has released a statement, summarizing the rapper's life and career as a "testament to resilience, creativity and boundless love."

OG Maco passed away last night surrounded by family in a Los Angeles hospital, TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

The "U Guessed It" rapper had been hospitalized since December 12 after suffering a gunshot wound to the head. Sources close to the situation tell us Maco's coma took a turn and he went into critical condition, and he was unable to be revived.

Doctors had been struggling to get a proper brain scan in attempts to flush out all the toxins in Maco's system since he was admitted earlier in the month.

Sports broadcasting legend Greg Gumbel has died.

The longtime studio host's family said in a statement to CBS on Friday "he passed away peacefully surrounded by much love after a courageous battle with cancer."

They added, "Greg approached his illness like one would expect he would, with stoicism, grace, and positivity. He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten."

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.