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Sam Rivers, the founding bassist of the band Limp Bizkit, has died at age 48, the band announced Saturday.

“Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat,” the band wrote in an Instagram post. “Sam Rivers wasn’t just our bass player — he was pure magic. The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound.”

The post did not cite a cause of death.

Formed in Jacksonville, Fla., Limp Bizkit and lead singer Fred Durst rose to prominence in the late ’90s and early 2000s with its mix of rock and hip-hop.

Rivers also sang backup vocals for the band, which topped radio charts with songs including “Break Stuff,” “Nookie,” “Re-Arranged” and “My Way.”

“From the first note we ever played together, Sam brought a light and a rhythm that could never be replaced. His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart enormous,” the band wrote in the post. “We shared so many moments — wild ones, quiet ones, beautiful ones — and every one of them meant more because Sam was there.”

The tribute was signed by Durst, along with band members Wes Borland, John Otto and DJ Lethal.

“He was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of human. A true legend of legends. And his spirit will live forever in every groove, every stage, every memory,” it said. “We love you, Sam. We’ll carry you with us, always. Rest easy, brother. Your music never ends.”

In a comment on the post, Leor Dimant — also known as DJ Lethal — asked people to “please respect the family’s privacy at this moment.” He added that fans can “give Sam his flowers” by playing his bass lines all day.

“Rest in power my brother,” Dimant wrote. “You will live on through your music and the lives you helped save with your music, charity work and friendships.”

Kimberly Hébert Gregory, who was best known as the brash principal in HBO’s “Vice Principals,” has died. She was 52.

A cause of death was not immediately reported.

Gregory’s former husband, Chester Gregory, confirmed her death in an Instagram post.

“You Were Brilliance Embodied, A Black Woman Whose Mind Lit Every Room, Whose Presence Carried Both Fire And Grace,” he wrote. “So Much More Than Ex-Wife, You Were My Friend. Our Son, The Song We Wrote Together, Is The Living Echo Of Your Light.”

Walton Goggins, the “White Lotus” breakout who co-starred with Gregory in “Vice Principals,” the HBO series which premiered in 2016 and lasted for two seasons, was among several performers who paid tribute on social media.

“We lost one of the best yesterday… one of the best I’ve ever worked with,” Goggins wrote in his Instagram post. “I had the honor… the good fortune of getting to know, getting to spend months working with this Queen on Vice Principals.”

Others who remembered Gregory included Kym Whitley, Leslie Odom Jr. and Jason Ritter

Gregory’s character on “Vice Principals,” Dr. Belinda Brown, butted heads with rival high school vice principals Neal Gamby (show co-creator Danny McBride) and Lee Russell (Goggins).

In his review of “Vice Principals,” Los Angeles Times’ Robert Lloyd wrote, “[Gregory’s] character is an invitation to political incorrectness — when told she graduated from Berkeley, Neal responds, ‘I’m pretty affirmative how she got in’ — but that attitude is more a side dish here than an entree; despite their conniving, these characters are lunkheads at worst.”

Her other credits included TV’s “The Chi” and “All Rise.”

Veteran music supervisor Robin Kaye, best known for her lengthy tenure on “American Idol,” leaves behind a legacy of “light, kindness, and joy.”

Singer-songwriter and former “Idol” contestant Didi Benami in a Tuesday Instagram story praised Kaye as “one of the kindest souls I’ve ever had the privilege of working with” as she mourned the executive’s death. Kaye and her husband Tom Deluca are the victims of a double homicide that occurred in their Encino home, Los Angeles police announced Tuesday. They both died at age 70.

“Still in disbelief and trying to make sense of it all. My heart is broken. Some souls leave a light behind even after they’re gone,” Benami wrote in another Instagram post shared Wednesday. “Robin, you are so loved. Always will be. Honoring the light, kindness, and joy you brought into this world. May your memory— and the love you gave —never be forgotten.”

Vocal coach Benami, who competed on Season 9 of “Idol,” was among the musicians and music industry figures paying tribute on social media to Kaye and her contributions. Kaye served as a music supervisor on “American Idol” from 2009 to 2023 and contributed to nearly 300 episodes during her tenure.

In a statement shared with The Times on Tuesday, a spokesperson for “American Idol” described Kaye as a “cornerstone of the ‘Idol’ family” and said the production was “devastated” by news of her and Deluca’s deaths. “She was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her,” the statement added.

Randy Jackson, one of “American Idol’s” original trio of judges, echoed those sentiments on Instagram, writing on Tuesday that Kaye was a “dear friend to me and so many — judges, executives, contestants, publishers, writers, producers, and artists alike.” He posted a photo of himself with Kaye, noting in his caption that she “consistently went the extra mile, meticulously ensuring songs were placed and cleared for the show.”

“She was truly one of a kind,” he said.

In a call with The Times on Wednesday, longtime “Idol” music provider Brad Segal highlighted Kaye’s sympathetic nature, loyalty and her dedicated work ethic. “We all hope for that when you meet somebody,” he said. Segal said he met Kaye in the early aughts and had crossed paths with her over the years at other TV productions.

He praised Kaye’s wealth of “knowledge of all types of music” and he said she provided a comfortable working experience that helped set the foundation of their years-long collaborations on “Idol.” Segal told The Times that Kaye was accommodating to her collaborators, ranging from him to the contestants she worked with. Simply, “she cared.”

“She cared about what she did. She cared about being fair,” Segal said.

Kaye and Deluca are believed to have been killed after walking in on a burglary suspect inside their $4.5-million home Thursday, according to LAPD. The suspect — identified by homicide investigators as 22-year-old Encino resident Raymond Boodarian — is believed to have entered the heavily secured home through an unlocked door, police said. After the couple returned home, “a confrontation ensued, which resulted in the suspect taking their lives,” police said.

Their bodies were not discovered until officers responded Monday around 2:30 p.m. to a welfare check in the 4700 block of White Oak Avenue, where they discovered two people inside the home, LAPD Det. Meghan Aguilar said early Tuesday. Paramedics responded and declared the pair dead at the scene.

Boodarian was apprehended Tuesday without incident by LAPD and FBI task force officers, Los Angeles Police Lt. Guy Golan, said. The killings appeared to be random, Golan said, but investigators were looking for any connection between the suspect and Deluca and Kaye.

Times staff writer Richard Winton and deputy editor Joe Serna contributed to this report.

Dodgers utility player Kiké Hernández was not born and raised in Los Angeles.

A North Hollywood mural seemingly inspired by the San Juan, Puerto Rico, native’s stance on immigration sweeps shows that doesn’t matter.

Hernández began a June 14 Instagram post by stating, “I may not be Born & Raised, but this city adopted me as one of their own.”

Local artist Louie Palsino has cemented the second part of that statement in a new mural on the side of the Noho Tires & Wheels building on the 5600 block of Lankershim Boulevard. It features Hernández’s image surrounded by the words “Born X Raised” and “Los Angeles.”

Hernández said plenty more in the post, which seems to have inspired Palsino. The two-time World Series champion expressed support for his adopted city’s immigrants and dismay at how many of them were being treated in a series of sweeps by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The sweeps in Los Angeles have sparked protests locally and elsewhere in the country.

“I am saddened and infuriated by what’s happening in our country and our city,” Hernández wrote. “Los Angeles and Dodger fans have welcomed me, supported me and shown me nothing but kindness and love. This is my second home. And I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights.”

Under the name Sloe Motions, Palsino has painted a number of high-profile murals, including one in the Fashion District of Kobe and Gianna Bryant that was vandalized, restored, then vandalized again all within the last few months.

He declined to discuss the Hernández mural for this story, instead directing The Times to a statement he posted about it on Instagram last week.

“Thank you @kikehndez for standing up for what is right and for Los Angeles,” Palsino wrote. “this ain’t a political post or anything to stir up any government agenda to divide us. this is just paying homage to standing up for what is right and a real one.god over government.”

Palsino painted the Hernández mural on a building that already featured two of his other Dodgers-themed pieces — one of legendary broadcaster Vin Scully on an adjoining wall and one of iconic Mexican pitcher Fernando Valenzuela on the gate in front of the garage’s driveway

When the gate is pulled open, a split image of Valenzuela and Hernandez is created.

Local artist Louie Palsino has painted several Dodgers-themed murals on the Noho Tires & Wheels building in North Hollywood, including images of (clockwise from left) Vin Scully, Kiké Hernández and Fernando Valenzuela.

(Chuck Schilken / Los Angeles Times)

Hernández has been a Dodgers fan favorite since his first stint with the team in 2015-20. In 2017, he hit three home runs, including a grand slam, in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs to help send the Dodgers to the World Series.

He signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent after the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series championship, but returned to L.A. in a July 2023 trade. Hernández hit .262 in 54 games with the Dodgers that season, helping him earn a one-year, $4-million contract for 2024.

Last postseason, Hernández was a key member of another Dodgers championship team. He hit one of the Dodgers’ two solo home runs in a 2-0 win against the San Diego Padres in the decisive Game 5 of the NL Division Series. He then contributed seven hits and four RBIs in the NLCS against the New York Mets and five hits against the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series.

For “Grease” fans in Los Angeles, recent summer nights had a surprise in store. We’ll tell you more, tell you more.

John Travolta, who brought life to bad boy heartthrob Danny Zuko in the 1978 classic, crashed the Hollywood Bowl’s sing-along event Friday. He surprised not just the audience, but also fellow “Grease” alumni as he sauntered on stage in his character’s signature pompadour and leather jacket.

“No one knew, not even the cast,” Travolta, 71, recalled of the moment in an Instagram post shared Saturday.

The “Pulp Fiction” and “Hairspray” star on Instagram shared a closer look at his Danny Zuko-inspired styling and posted a video of him reuniting with co-stars Didi Conn, Barry Pearl, Michael Tucci, Kelly Ward and “Grease” filmmaker Randal Kleiser. Video from the sing-along shows audiences cheering and celebrating Travolta with a standing ovation. His surprise appearance came before the beginning of the sing-along, according to Entertainment Weekly.

“L.A.,” he says to fans before referencing a memorable line from the movie. “I thought you were going back to Australia!”

In that scene from “Grease,” Danny excitedly greets his summer sweetheart Sandy, before quickly playing it too cool and aloof, saving face for his T-Birds greaser squad. Olivia Newton-John indelibly played the role of Sandy. She died on Aug. 8, 2022, at age 73.

During Friday’s event, Travolta and his co-stars led fans in singing “A-womp-bop-a-looma-a-womp-bam-boom,” a line from the “Grease” finale number “We Go Together,” according to video from EW. He and his cast then left the stage and the sing-along began.

“Thank you for a great evening,” Travolta added in his Instagram post.

Twenty-five years ago, on a warm summer night in Los Angeles, Broadway stars Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald closed a show at the Hollywood Bowl with back-to-back encores of “Get Happy”/ “Happy Days Are Here Again.”

Today, those happy days appear to be over for the two Tony Award winners.

In a May 26 interview with the New Yorker, LuPone ignited a firestorm when she referred to McDonald as “not a friend” and refused to comment on McDonald’s celebrated performance in “Gypsy.” (McDonald is nominated for a 2025 Tony Award in the category best actress in a leading role in a musical — its her 11th nomination.) LuPone also referred to Tony winner Kecia Lewis, who, like McDonald, is Black, as a “bitch.”

Speaking with Gayle King in a “CBS Mornings” clip, McDonald sounded surprised by LuPone’s comments. “If there’s a rift between us, I don’t know what it is,” she said. “That’s something that you’d have to ask Patti about. I haven’t seen her in about 11 years, just because I’ve been busy, just with life and stuff. I don’t know what rift she’s talking about. You’d have to ask her.” (A full interview is set to air this week, according to a “CBS Mornings” Instagram post.)

Broadway star Audra McDonald arrives on the red carpet at the 30th Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles in 2024.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Following public backlash, however, LuPone did something she rarely does. The outspoken diva apologized.

But that was not without some stage direction.

In an open letter from her colleagues in the theater community dated May 30, more than 500 actors, including Tony-winning actors Wendell Pierce, James Monroe Iglehart and Maleah Joi Moon, called LuPone’s language “racialized disrespect,” “bullying” and “harassment.” They asked the American Theatre Wing and Broadway League to discourage those who disparage fellow artists, including LuPone, from attending industry events “including the Tony Awards, fundraisers, and public programs.” (The 2025 Tony Awards are scheduled for June 8 in New York, and will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+.)

On Saturday, LuPone responded to the criticism in a statement on her Instagram account: “I am deeply sorry for the words I used during The New Yorker interview, particularly about Kecia Lewis, which were demeaning and disrespectful. I regret my flippant and emotional responses during this interview, which were inappropriate, and I am devastated that my behavior has offended others …” She went on to write that she hopes to speak to McDonald and Lewis in person.

LuPone is well-versed in calling people out herself, particularly audience members who text during her theater performances. Last year, she even complained about noise from the Alicia Keys musical “Hell’s Kitchen” when she was performing in “The Roommate” with Mia Farrow next door.

After LuPone asked the theater owner to fix the sound because she found it to be too loud, Lewis took offense and posted a video on Instagram, describing LuPone’s actions as “bullying,” “racially microaggressive” and “rude and rooted in privilege.” She also noted that “calling a Black show loud dismisses it.”

Last year, Lewis won a Grammy for best musical theater album and a Tony in the category best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical for “Hell’s Kitchen.”

Although flippant, LuPone’s words only serve to hurt everyone during a turbulent time for the arts in America, the open letter from the theater community said. “Our industry is under threat. The arts are being defunded, theater programs are disappearing, and artists are being pushed to the margins. We need each other now more than ever. We need community. We need leadership. And we need accountability.”

Humbled, LuPone agreed.

“I wholeheartedly agree with everything that was written in the open letter shared yesterday,” she wrote. “From middle school drama clubs to professional stages, theatre has always been about lifting each other up and welcoming those who feel they don’t belong anywhere else. I made a mistake, and I take full responsibility for it, and I am committed to making this right. Our entire theater community deserves better.”