Posts Tagged ‘deaths’

John Travolta & Kelly Preston Release Statement

January 4th, 2009

Following the tragic and sudden death of their 16-year-old son, Jett Travolta, John Travolta and Kelly Preston are speaking up for the first time about the incident.

The couple released a statement on Preston’s official Web Site, saying:

"We would like to extend our deepest and most heartfelt thanks to everyone who has sent their love and condolences. Jett was the most wonderful son that two parents could ever ask for and lit up the lives of everyone he encountered. We are heartbroken that our time with him was so brief. We will cherish the time we had with him for the rest of our lives. We have received many messages of condolence from around the world and we want to thank everyone for their prayers and support. It has meant so much to us. It is a beautiful reminder of the inherent goodness in the human spirit that gives us hope for a brighter future.

With love,

John, Kelly and Ella"

Jett died suddenly on Friday after hitting his head in the bathroom of the family’s vacation suite at Old Bahama Bay Hotel on Grand Bahama Island. He was taken to Rand Memorial Hospital shortly before noon where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy is set for Monday.

Jennifer’s Family Nightmare

October 29th, 2008 / Author: OK! Staff

This last year has been an amazing year for Jennifer Hudson. Besides enjoying a career high that currently includes a starring role in the film The Secret Life of Bees, and her self-titled debut album, the Oscar-winning actress became engaged to fiance David Otunga. Life couldn’t have looked better for the girl who first got her start as an American Idol castoff.

But on Oct. 24, Hudson’s luck took a tragic turn as news broke of the brutal murders of her mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and big brother, Jason Hudson, 29. The two were found shot to death in their home on Chicago’s South Side. Jennifer’s 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was missing.

 

The actress flew from Florida where she’d been promoting The Secret Life of Bees, to Chicago to aid in the search for the second grader. On Oct. 25, Jennifer offered a $100,000 reward for Julian’s return, along with a heartwrenching plea on her Web Site, "Please keep praying for our family and that we get Julian King back home safely," she wrote.

Sadly, the family’s worst nightmare came true on Oct. 27, when police discovered Julian’s lifeless body in the back seat of a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban which they said had been taken from the murder scene three days earlier. On the day she was supposed to launch a world tour for her self-titled debut CD, Jennifer instead had to sit in the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, waiting for officials to identify the body of her little nephew.

"At 27, Jennifer was on the top of the world–Oscars, honors, accolades–and someone just stole her dream away," Jenifer Lewis of Broadway’s original cast of Dreamgirls told OK!.

Jennifer, along with three other relatives, had the catastophic task of confirming that the victim’s body was Julian’s before authorities announced the determinations. An autopsy was scheduled for Oct. 28, the cause of death believed to be multiple gunshot wounds.

On Oct. 24, police picked up Hudson’s brother-in-law and Julian’s step-father, William Balfour, 27. An ex-con who spent 7 years in jail for, among other crimes, attempted murder, Balfour has since been turned over to state officials for a parole violation, which will keep him behind bars while the case is being investigated. While no charges have been filed, police are calling Balfour a "person of interest."

 

As for Jennifer’s state of mind, a friend tells OK! that the actress is doing her best to keep it together for her remaining relatives.

"Jennifer only has her sister left — they need to move on together," Hudson’s pal Marco tells OK!. "But she is a very strong lady. With her family, friends and fans standing behind her, she will get through this."

For the entire story on Jennifer Hudson’s family nightmare, pick up the new OK! — on newsstands everywhere on Thursday.

Simon & Paula React to Hudson Tragedy

October 27th, 2008

As word leaks out around the world of the tragic murders of Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew, her former critics, American Idol judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul, are reaching out to the Oscar-winning actress.

In an interview with Extra from London, Cowell said, "I was horrified when I heard the news. This is an appalling tragedy. My thoughts right now are with Jennifer and her family."

Paula adds, "This is a horrific tragedy and my thoughts and prayers go out to Jennifer and her entire family. The time I had to get to know Jennifer and forge a wonderful friendship with her while she was on Idol was very special to me, and I personally can’t imagine a greater loss for any family."

 

Earlier today, Chicago police confirmed that the body of a young boy found in an SUV was that of Hudson’s nephew, 7-year-old Julian King. The actress had remained hopeful that the missing boy would be found, offering a $100,000 reward for knowledge of his whereabouts.

The news comes at the heels of Friday’s shocking shooting deaths of Hudson’s mother and brother. Police are currently calling Hudson’s brother-in-law and Julian’s step-father, William Balfour, a "person of interest."

Comedian Bernie Mac Dies

August 9th, 2008

Bernie Mac, who made audiences laugh with his films and hit TV show, has died at the age of 50, following complications from Pneumonia, his publicist confirmed on Saturday.

Mac passed away early this morning at a Chicago-area hospital where he was being treated for pneumonia. Mac had suffered from Sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body’s organs, however he said the condition had been in remission since 2005.

Mac had starring roles in the films Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, Oceans Eleven, Bad Santa and Transformers. He was also the star of his own hit TV show The Bernie Mac Show, which ran from 2001-2006.

Niecy Nash, who played Mac’s sister on The Bernie Mac Show, paid tribute to the actor, saying :

 

"Bernie Mac was so gracious. His passing is such a major loss to the acting and comedy communities. Everything that I learned and observed from Bernie Mac, I’m going to apply it. His great legacy of graciousness and giving will live on. That’s how I’m going to keep his memory alive; by expressing the best part of him through me. Bernie Mac was the personification of the word ‘real.’ He kept it real. That kind of genuine spirit that he carried all the time cannot be easily duplicated, but I will do my very best to try."

Memorial Service Held for Cameron’s Father

April 21st, 2008

Friends and family gathered to say goodbye to Emilio Diaz, the late father of Cameron Diaz, yesterday during a memorial service held in Seal Beach, Calif.

The Insider is reporting that Cam’s former flames, Justin Timberlake and John Mayer, were among the mourners who attended.

People began arriving at noon, some wearing Hawaiian clothing and leis. Shortly before the service started, tropical flowers were unloaded from a white van and carried inside.

The actress was heard giving a short eulogy commemorating her father. Emilio Diaz,58, died suddenly last week from Pneumonia. Cameron,35, released a statement saying, "My mom, sister and I are deeply appreciative of the overwhelming outpouring of love and support during this difficult time for us and all of our family. My dad was loved by so many people and his humor and spirit will always live on in our hearts."

 

For more on Emilio Diaz’ memorial service, tune in to The Insider tonight!

Cameron Speaks About Her Dad’s Death

April 16th, 2008 / Author: cwillett

One day after pneumonia suddenly claimed the life of her father, Cameron Diaz is speaking out about the death of her Cuban-American father, Emilio, and thanking fans for their support.

On Wednesday, Diaz released the following statement:

 

"My mom, sister and I are deeply appreciative of the overwhelming outpouring of love and support during this difficult time for us and all of our family. My dad was loved by so many people and his humor and spirit will always live on in our hearts."

Emilio Diaz, 58, was said to be in good health. He died suddenly yesterday from a bad bout with pneumonia.

 

‘Monk’ Actor Found Dead

April 9th, 2008 / Author: cwillett

Stanley Kamel, known for playing Dr. Charles Kroger on the hit USA series Monk, was found dead of an apparant heart attack in his Hollywood Hills home on Tuesday.

Access Hollywood.com is reporting the 65-year-old actor was discovered by his longtime agents. Fire officials responded to a 911 call from the actor’s home yesterday just before 4 p.m. PT.

Kamel appeared in numerous TV roles over the last 30 years including The West Wing, Six Feet Under, Melrose Place, The Golden Girls, Days of Our Lives and Murder One.

Beverly Hills, 90210 fans will remember Kamel for his eight-episode stint in 1995 as Tony Marchette, the mobster father of Rebecca Gayheart’s character who put a hit on Dylan McKay only to kill his daughter instead.

In a statement, the USA network says, "USA is deeply saddened by the news of Stanley Kamel’s passing. Stanley was an amazingly talented and extremely kind man, and an important member of the USA family. He will be sorely missed."

Michelle Williams Opens Up About Heath’s Death

March 13th, 2008 / Author: cwillett

Since Heath Ledger’s untimely death, the people who knew and loved him the most have chosen to remain quiet, content to mourn the Oscar nominee’s passing in private — until now.

For the first time, the people who knew Ledger are speaking candidly to Interview magazine about the man they admired and loved — two of those people being Ledger’s ex-girlfriends, Michelle Williams and Naomi Watts.

In the new issue of Interview, Michelle reveals:
"I think the interesting thing about Heath, which maybe people have only really fully discovered in his death, is how vulnerable he was. You can pick up on it in his performances, but it’s easy to overlook because he was so physical and beautiful and strong and masculine. But there was always that underlying sensitivity. That’s who he was. He had a talent for everything that he put his mind to. He didn’t know limits."

 

The actress also addresses Heath’s now well-known insomnia issues.
"He had uncontrollable energy. He buzzed. He would jump out of bed. For as long as I’d known him, he’d had bouts with insomnia," the actress reveals. "He had too much energy. His mind was turning, turning, turning — always turning."

Michelle, who is mother to Heath’s 2-year-old daughter, Matilda Rose, recalls how much the actor loved his family. "The first six weeks of our daughter Matilda’s life was this incredibly insular, protected time," she says. "It was just he and I and her living in our new house in Brooklyn. We were really committed to forming a bond, just the three of us."

 

Heath’s other former girlfriend and fellow Australian, Naomi Watts, tells the magazine: "I think he wanted to be someone who was doing the observing — not the one being observed. He hated not being able to go about his life in an ordinary way. But I think that, deep down, he enjoyed that he was being recognized for his talent. I think he was just starting to own that and that’s the deepest tragedy, in terms of his work. He was just beginning to own it and embrace it."

Oscar-winner Sean Penn recalls the dicipline and committment the actor had for his work. "In the time we spent together, we spoke a bit about family, about travels, but most of all about film," Penn says. "His talent does speak volumes of the kind of man, the loving father and, in fact, the brilliant and gifted guy I really missed out on — that we all did in the long run. Heath could have been a giant."

Interview magazine hits stands March 18.

 

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