Dead Celebrity Alert

Dr. Robert Atkins, creator of the high-protein, low-carbohydrate Atkins Diet, died Thursday after an accidental fall on April 8 left him comatose.

Atkins, 72, was rushed to New York Weill Cornell Medical Center by his colleague, Dr. Keith Berkowitz, where surgeons removed a blood clot to relieve pressure in his brain on April 9.

Atkins slipped on an icy sidewalk outside his New York office. …

Atkins’ original 1972 book, “Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution,” was contrary to the recommendations of most nutritional experts at the time. While many remain skeptical about the Atkins Diet, it has become increasingly popular since the 1992 publication of his book, “Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution.” …

He is credited with revolutionizing the diet world with his theory that you can lose weight by eating fat, and his followers hailed him as a pioneer. His critics accused him of selling a dangerous idea, but Atkins dismissed their claims. … Read full obituary

The inspiration for Babar the Elephant, whose adventures have captivated generations of children, has died in Paris aged 99.

Cecile de Brunhoff died in hospital on Monday after suffering a stroke, said her son Mathieu de Brunhoff.

She first invented the tale of a little elephant as a bedtime story for her boys in 1931.

They in turn told their father, painter Jean de Brunhoff, who illustrated the story. … Read full obituary

David Bloom, an NBC News correspondent traveling with the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division outside Baghdad, died Sunday, NBC announced. Bloom, a 39-year-old husband and father of three, died of an apparent pulmonary embolism, the company said. He was the second American journalist to die in Iraq since the war began.

Bloom had been co-anchor of the weekend editions of “Today” since March 2000. In his nearly 20-year career, Bloom covered many top stories for NBC News, most recently reporting from Israel on the escalating violence in the Middle East and from the United States on home-front security and the recovery efforts at Ground Zero in the immediate aftermath of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. … Read full obituary

Hong Kong, April 1 — Leslie Cheung, a pop singer and actor who won international acclaim for his portrayal of an opera star in the 1993 movie “Farewell, My Concubine,” fell to his death today from a hotel here, local news organizations reported. He was 46.

A police spokeswoman refused to identify the dead man fully, saying only that a 46-year-old with the surname Cheung had died in hospital after falling from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Hotel.

Cable Television reported that Mr. Cheung had left a note saying he was suffering from emotional problems.

Mr. Cheung was one of Hong Kong’s most popular performers, notable for being one of only a few Asian stars to play openly gay characters. … Read full obituary

Award-winning stage and screen actor Michael Jeter, an “actor’s actor” who was beloved by children as Sesame Street’s The Other Mr. Noodle, died over the weekend in Los Angeles, his publicist said on Tuesday.

Jeter, who revealed in 1997 that he had contracted HIV and was a longtime supporter of AIDS charities, was found dead in his Hollywood Hills home on Sunday, his publicist said. The cause of his death has not been determined. Jeter was 50.

The slight, prematurely balding actor won fame and an Emmy award in 1992 for his role as wimpy assistant coach Herman Stiles in TV’s “Evening Shade” opposite Burt Reynolds. … Read full obituary