Posted Oct 15th 2008 7:15AM by TMZ Staff
Our spies say Khloe Kardashian will visit a morgue today ... not for her show and not for makeup tips. It's one of the strings attached to that whole DUI thing, and a dead celeb will be there to get the point across.
Brad Stewart -- former bassist for Marilyn Manson -- died last Thursday of an apparent drug overdose, and his body is lying at the morgue Khloe will visit.
We're told Khloe took a red-eye from NYC to L.A. to make her 8:30 AM appointment. The coroner's office tells us there are 20-30 bodies there -- and Brad's will be one of them.
Filed under: R.I.P.
Posted Oct 6th 2008 12:31PM by TMZ Staff
Rose McGowan was in a great, Palin bashing mood outside Madeo Friday night -- but it quickly dropped six feet under when a pap brought up her dearly deceased pup.
Filed under: R.I.P., Critters
Posted Oct 5th 2008 8:25AM by TMZ Staff
A DUI bust may have triggered the suicide of a big time hip-hop producer.
Johnny Jackson, aka Johnny J -- famous for such albums as Tupac Shakur's "All Eyez on Me" -- was in L.A. County Jail after getting arrested for DUI. Authorities say he took his own life by jumping off a tier in the jail.
Johnny J also produced the epic jam "Knockin' Boots" by Candyman.
He leaves a wife and two children. He was 39 years old.
Filed under: R.I.P.
Posted Oct 2nd 2008 9:20AM by TMZ Staff
Mr. Clean has gone off to that big sanitized house in the sky.
House Peters Jr., the actor that played the original Mr. Clean in TV commercials, died of ammonia pneumonia on Wednesday. He was 92.
In the '50s and '60s, Peters became famous for playing the household cleaning product's bald muscular hoop-earing clad spokesperson. The Castro would never be the same.
Peters is survived by his wife, three adult children and four grandchildren.
Filed under: R.I.P.
Posted Sep 28th 2008 3:00PM by TMZ Staff
A truck driver hauling a load of sound equipment for VH1's "Rock of Love Bus with Bret Michaels' caused a crash that killed two people and seriously injured two more.
According to the Illinois State Police, Dennis D. Hernandez fell asleep at the wheel on Friday while on Interstate 57 in West Frankfort, Ill. His truck crossed the median and struck two vehicles. In one car, two 19-year-old female passengers were killed -- and in the second car, an older couple suffered major injuries and were airlifted to the Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Cops told StlToday Dennis' truck was a part of Michaels "Rock of Love" fleet.
Two tour buses for "Rock" -- which Michaels' website said were heading to Texas -- stopped at the crash scene. Hernandez -- who sustained minor injuries -- was charged with driving with a suspended license and four other traffic violations.
Calls to VH1 and Bret's people have not been returned.
Filed under: R.I.P.
Posted Sep 27th 2008 3:00PM by TMZ Staff
Paul Newman made everything better, from salad to movies to charity work. Check out the TMZ photo tribute to a true legend.
Filed under: R.I.P.
Posted Sep 27th 2008 12:00PM by TMZ Staff
Paul Newman 1925 -2008.
He was awesome.
Filed under: R.I.P.
Posted Sep 22nd 2008 7:25PM by TMZ Staff
TMZ has obtained a photo of Chris Baker just moments before he boarded the Learjet that crashed on takeoff.
Baker sent the cell phone photo at 11:22 ET, 31 minutes before the plane crashed. Baker e-mailed the photo to a friend with the text, "Go hard on the block."
Baker, Travis Barker's assistant, was one of the four people who died in the crash. The video of the jet was shot by Baker before he boarded.
Filed under: R.I.P.
Posted Sep 21st 2008 12:50AM by TMZ Staff
A publicist for Travis Barker and DJ AM contacted TMZ and says our sources are incorrect -- that Chris Baker's wife was not in labor when he died in the plane crash and that was not the reason Travis and the others flew home on a private jet.
The publicist adds, "Both Travis Barker and Adam Goldstein (DJ AM) are in critical but stable condition and are being treated at Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia after surviving a plane crash late last night in Columbia, South Carolina.
The hospital will issue a statement with an update on their condition at 9:00 am eastern time tomorrow. Due to the nature of the injuries and the evolving course of treatment no further information on their condition is available at this time.
The accident claimed the lives of four people on board, two of whom, Chris Baker (Lil' Chris) and Charles Still (Che), were close friends of the injured.
On behalf of Travis Barker and DJ AM, deepest sympathy is expressed to the loved ones of all who perished in the crash. As the two recuperate and mourn this loss, privacy for them, their families, and friends is requested at this time."
Filed under: Music, R.I.P.
Posted Sep 9th 2008 11:20AM by TMZ Staff
TMZ has learned former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner went missing in the California desert and his body was found yesterday.
Law enforcement tells us the 37-year-old went out into the desert near San Diego last Friday. That same day, Tanner sent a text message to a friend that he was out of water and needed help. There was a massive search that ended abruptly yesterday.
Tanner blogged last month he was going to the desert because of his friends talking about "treasure hunting and lost gold, and my own insatiable appetite for adventure and exploration." Tanner continued, "I plan on going so deep into the desert, that any failure of my equipment could cost me my life."
Tanner's song of choice on his MySpace page was "Guaranteed" by Eddie Vedder from the movie "Into the Wild." The movie was about a guy who goes off into the wilderness against the advice of everyone he knows. Guess how it ended.
Tanner was featured on Spike TV's, "The Ultimate Fighter." He lost his last bout in June at the Ultimate Fighter 7 finale.
Cause of death is undetermined.
Filed under: R.I.P.
Posted Sep 2nd 2008 9:28AM by TMZ Staff
One man ... one collapsed lung ... one tragic Tuesday morning.
R.I.P. Movie Trailer Man.
1940-2008
Filed under: R.I.P.
Posted Aug 30th 2008 1:12PM by TMZ Staff
Legendary wrestler Walter "Killer" Kowalski passed away early this morning at the age of 81.
After a massive heart attack on August 8, Kowalski was taken off life support two weeks ago.
Kowalski wrestled for nearly 30 years and went on to train the likes of Chyna and Triple H.
Filed under: R.I.P., Talk Sports
Posted Aug 26th 2008 12:12PM by TMZ Staff
Dr. Dre's son, Andre Young, Jr., was found dead over the weekend.
You may have heard reports Dr. Dre's son Andre Jr. didn't come home until 5:30 AM the day he died. Not true.
A source tells us that Andre, Jr. was home by 12:30 AM, and in bed shortly thereafter. He was found by his mother, Jenita Porter, sometime after 10:00 AM that morning, unresponsive.
A rep for the rapper tells us, "Dr. Dre is mourning the loss of his son Andre Young, Jr."
Filed under: R.I.P.
Posted Aug 20th 2008 10:25AM by TMZ Staff
Somebody better find Leroy Green! The shogun of Harlem, Sho'Nuff has passed away.
TMZ's very favorite cult villain of all time, Julius Carry III, died of pancreatic cancer last night. It was first reported by mediatakeout.com. Carry was 56.
Now only the clouds can kiss his Converse.
Story developing ...
Filed under: R.I.P.
Posted Aug 20th 2008 8:33AM by TMZ Staff
With his voice trembling with emotion, Dave Matthews broke the heartbreaking news to a packed Staples Center crowd in L.A. last night -- that his close friend and sax player, LeRoi Moore, had died.
Just hours after he learned about Moore's passing, Dave told the fans, "it's always easier to leave than be left." Moore died Tuesday from complications stemming from an ATV accident in June, in which he punctured a lung and broke several ribs.
Filed under: R.I.P.
