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Bobby J. Brown -- who played Officer Bobby Brown on the hit HBO series "The Wire" -- has died after being caught in a barn fire, TMZ has learned.

Brown's daughter tells TMZ her father died Tuesday of smoke inhalation, so they believe he did not suffer from the severe burns he incurred from the terrible blaze.

The Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed to TMZ ... Brown's cause of death was ruled diffuse thermal injury and smoke inhalation. We're told the manner of death was determined to be an accident.

Law enforcement is searching for an escaped inmate in a dense area of Los Angeles County ... and cops say the inmate fled from a hospital where they were getting treatment.

The manhunt is going down right now in Torrance, in the southwestern part of the metro area ... where police say an inmate escaped from custody during medical treatment at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center.

Cops have set up a perimeter and are searching the area ... and there are reports the escaped inmate is a felony suspect who may be holed up in a home near the hospital.

Police helicopters are circling the skies and there are SWAT teams on the ground.

Howie Mandel is the current celebrity elder of the Global Gaming League ... but maybe not for long -- because the comedian just called out Judge Judy Sheindlin to join the fray!

To catch you up ... the Global Gaming League is the first-ever, multi-title, live-action celebrity gaming competition. According to Howie, 70, there's no age limit to compete ... so why not get 83-year-old Judge Judy in there?

Howie told us at a GGL event last night, "There's no gender, there's no age, there's no language ... everybody games."

2:09 PM PT -- According to Pink, we've fallen victim to "fake news" ... with the star taking to Instagram to bash the split rumors. She says she and Carey Hart are not separated, and reports indicating they are have no basis in reality.

Pink and her longtime husband Carey Hart are officially through ... with the two deciding to end their relationship after 20 years of marriage -- according to People.

The outlet announced the news Thursday, citing unspecified sources.

Pink and Carey met at the 2001 Summer X Games in Philadelphia ... dating off and on until he proposed in 2005. They married in Costa Rica in January 2006.

Lauren Boebert can't recall why she took a picture of Hillary Clinton during her deposition ... or, she probably can -- but she's too busy cracking jokes about the former First Lady and Secretary of State.

The Republican Congresswoman from Colorado was asked about the photo she leaked to Benny Johnson of Clinton while being deposed by the House Oversight Committee earlier today ... a move one Clinton advisor said is "against chamber rules."

Boebert responds, "I just returned to my hotel room and installed the BleachBit software. So, I guess in regards to taking photos, I do not recall.”

The Padres are down a pitcher … and this one’s a real pain in the rear.

San Diego knuckleballer Matt Waldron is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery for a hemorrhoid-related infection -- yes, we’re talking about that area -- and he’s been stuck in the hospital the past few days because of it.

“[Matt] had to have surgery to drain it and make it better,” Padres manager Craig Stammen told reporters Wednesday.

Well … to help with his recovery, a rep from Dude Wipes tells TMZ Sports they would be happy to send Waldron some of their fragrance-free, flushable hemorrhoid wipes, medicated with witch hazel for soothing relief.

After Mary Cosby's son Robert Cosby Jr.'s sudden death this week, "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" cast has put old wounds on ice.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... the SLC housewives have set aside past fractures and on-camera drama to rally around Mary during an absolutely devastating moment of her life. We're told any lingering tension from filming or prior seasons simply doesn’t matter right now.

Our sources say the outreach has been unanimous. Every cast member has contacted Mary in some way ... some stopping by in person, others checking in consistently by phone and text. We're told there's been no hesitation and no division when it comes to supporting her following Robert's death.

Kate Beckinsale has fans seriously worried ... after her entire Instagram was wiped and her Stories were flooded with a string of cryptic, troubling posts.

Take a look at her IG profile -- every glam shot is gone, and in it's place there's one stark image on her grid reading, "You Win" -- and that’s just the beginning.

The Stories are even more alarming -- packed with screenshots of Google searches about hidden cameras, privacy violations inside homes, legal consequences, cyberstalking and abuse-related topics.

Flavor Flav is already throwing a Vegas party for the Team USA women after a successful 2026 Winter Olympics ... but right now he's using his reach for another cause -- helping women's hockey player Kelly Pannek get a new whip!

The hip-hop icon took to social media Thursday to call on auto companies to "step up" for Kelly, who had "totaled her car."

A rep for Pannek backed up that account, telling us it actually happened not long before she flew to Milan for the women's hockey team's gold medal run.

NFL player Tez Johnson's ex-fiancée just put him on blast times a billion -- claiming the Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver cheated on her with sexual texts to a former partner before AND after he proposed last year.

The woman shared her side of the story on TikTok ... where she detailed how Feb. 21, 2025 was supposed to be one of the most memorable days of her life.

It certainly still is -- just not how she had hoped.

A Black high school basketball player is being met with an "outpouring of encouragement and support" after a fan hurled the N-word at him during a recent game ... and TMZ Sports has learned he's even back on the court, despite the ugly incident.

The disgusting moment happened in the second quarter of last week's Flint Metro League boys basketball semifinal game, when a Goodrich High School fan yelled a racist slur at a Flint Kearsley High player.

The incident, which was captured on a live stream of the game, predictably sparked outrage ... but also a whole bunch of love and support for the player, especially from his teammates, classmates, and the community.

'Phantasm' star Reggie Bannister needs financial help as he battles Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinson's disease ... because he has to move to a full-time care facility -- and it's expensive.

Reggie's wife, Gigi, tells TMZ ... his limbs have become stiff, and he's essentially immobile.

Gigi says she suffers from her own medical ailments and can no longer lift or transfer Reggie, which is why he now needs to stop in-home hospice care and be moved into a facility offering full-time care.

Looks like Justin Bieber’s in rehearsal mode for Coachella ... utilizing a casual furniture run as the perfect space for an impromptu sound check.

Check out this video of JB fully in his zone inside Downtown L.A.’s Deep House Design Store earlier this week ... hopping on the piano and the drums to test them out inside the music showroom after rolling in with his friends.

Witnesses tell TMZ he basically put on an impromptu concert for about three customers and the staff -- hey, a crowd’s a crowd!

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's son Maddox Jolie-Pitt appears to be following in his younger siblings' footsteps ... dropping his dad's last name professionally in the credits for his mom's new movie.

Maddox worked as an assistant director on Angelina's upcoming flick, "Couture," and in the credits he's listed as "Maddox Jolie," nothing more ... according to PEOPLE.

Brad and Angelina's eldest child was previously listed as "Maddox Jolie-Pitt" in the credits for Angelina's 2024 movie, "Maria," when he worked as a production assistant on the Netflix film.

Devonta Lee -- who played college football for the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Tech Bulldogs -- has died at age 27, his former schools announced Thursday.

The wide receiver was a star at Amite High School ... and helped his team win a state championship in 2018.

He was a top recruit in the state ... and committed to LSU, where he played for three seasons.