Yesterday, the funeral of Mary Richardson Kennedy was held in Bedford, NY. The battle over her body, between the Kennedys and Richardsons, was ultimately settled in favor of the Kennedys. And Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the opportunity to make his case during the eulogy, "I know I did everything I could to help her." more ›

We knew this day was coming: Billy's Antiques will be losing its tarps this weekend. Filmmaker Jenner Furst has alerted us that this will not go down without some noise, however, and this Friday, the day before their removal, there will be a big blowout under the tents. We're told this will be "an unforgettable night of bands and speakers in the tent, celebrating the mystical and iconic landmark before it disappears forever" (details below). On Saturday at 3 p.m., the tarps will then be placed in a coffin and paraded around the neighborhood—which is a very New Orleans thing to do! more ›

Friends and family alike paid tribute to Whitney Houston today at an emotional ceremony at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, NJ. Perhaps the most moving speech came from actor Kevin Costner, who shared anecdotes about their time working together on the movie The Bodyguard, how they bonded over tales of growing up in Baptist churches, and what her loss means to him: "You weren't just pretty, you were as beautiful as a woman could be. People didn't just like you, Whitney. They loved you. I was your pretend bodyguard once not so long ago, and now you're gone, too soon, leaving us with memories." more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Whitney Houston's ex-husband and New Edition front man Bobby Brown briefly entered Houston's funeral at New Hope Baptist Church earlier today before leaving looking "visibly upset." According to the Star-Ledger, Brown arrived with "an entourage of nine people" and requested to sit in the family's section with the child he had with Houston, 18-year-old Bobbi Kristina. "They were asked to leave," a source told the paper, referring to Brown's entourage," but Brown "left with the other people." more ›

Whitney Houston's family has requested that her funeral, which is is taking place in Newark today, be a private ceremony for family and friends only. Although some fans have gathered around the neighborhood where the New Hope Baptist Church is located to pay tribute, most people are respecting those wishes—and that even includes gang members, who have called for a day of nonviolence to honor Houston. more ›

As preparations continue for Whitney Houston's funeral tomorrow, the music superstar's godmother Aretha Franklin shared her thoughts with the Today Show. The Queen of Soul said that based on previews of Houston's upcoming film, Sparkle, she thought Houston looked "fresh, she looked healthy, and she looked gorgeous. And I thought, 'Yes, she has conquered her challenges' and was on the way." more ›

The funeral for Whitney Houston is open only to invited guests—who include Aretha Franklin, Kevin Costner, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Oprah Winfrey, and Stevie Wonder so far—but the public will get a chance to observe the services through a livestream. The AP will broadcast the funeral at http://livestream.com/aplive: "It will provide a much-needed connection for fans who have lacked a formal place to eulogize Houston, one of the world's best-selling artists who died in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Saturday at the age of 48." more ›

The funeral for Whitney Houston now appears to be scheduled for Saturday at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, NJ. While a community leader with ties to the Houston family suggested yesterday the funeral and a public memorial would be held at the Prudential Center, the funeral home arranging the services said today that they would be much more private. more ›

The body of music superstar Whitney Houston is being flown to New Jersey for funeral services that will take place this week. Houston, who was born in Newark and raised in East Orange, died on Saturday afternoon, hours before she was scheduled to perform at a pre-Grammys event. One community leader who has ties to Houston's family tells the Star-Ledger that the funeral "has been tentatively scheduled for Friday at the Prudential Center." more ›

[Update Below] The family of the 73-year-old woman who died after she was set on fire in a Prospect Heights elevator earlier this month still haven't been able to bury her—and even the people who pledged to help them haven't done so. The family of Deloris Gillespie, who was allegedly killed by Jerome Isaac, spoke out yesterday about the hardships they've gone through since the horrific crime took place: "This family has been victimized twice. First by a madman and now by a gentleman who has shown depraved indifference to their plight," said Councilmember Letitia James, referring to a Manhattan hedge fund manager and his friend who had pledged to help pay for a memorial service today, but never gave the money. more ›

A grieving family saying good-bye to police officer who passed away last week got a rude awakening when the city decided to take his corpse during memorial services. Howard Wong told the Post that 10 minutes before his brother George's wake, "The Medical Examiner called us and said they need to reclaim the body. The Health Department had issues with the wording on the cause of death—that he died from exposure to 9/11 toxins—and they ordered the Medical Examiner's Office to do it over." more ›

A NJ Priest has been accused of extreme rudeness by two of his congregants who claim that he interrupted and rushed them through their grandmother's funeral service. Sisters Laurie Treene and Robyn Nini say that Reverend Bartley P. Baker, of St. Leo's Roman Catholic Church in Elmwood Park, ruined their 96-year-old grandmother's funeral, cuing the proverbial awards show music at points: "I got about halfway through [my eulogy] and he ran up to the podium and said, 'Wrap it up! Wrap it up!' I was just flabbergasted," said Treene. more ›

The Post, which just a few days ago featured a photograph of a dog leash and the headline "End Of His Rope" to describe the suicide of Mark Madoff, is now on his side, outraged that he was cremated without a memorial. However, his wife Stephanie explained in a statement that there would be a private event later this week, adding, "My husband Mark took his own life and regardless of what you feel about my father-in-law and his monstrous crimes, Mark's children are innocent victims and this is tragic for them. I am devastated and now raising two small children alone. I ask that you please show decency and understanding toward all of Mark's children and allow us to mourn in private." more ›

The body of Mark Madoff was removed from the NYC medical examiner's office to a funeral home, and a source tells the Post that no funeral service is planned. A community affairs police officer said, "The family doesn't want to have anything to do with the body... There's no service planned. There's not going to be a viewing... You're not going to see any Madoff relatives." more ›

Teresa Foster, the mother of a two-year-old fatally beaten by her boyfriend for not reciting his ABCs properly, is currently being held on assault and endangerment charges at Rikers Island for admitting to repeatedly beating her son, Aiyden Davis, with a belt. However, she was allowed to attend her son's funeral yesterday, where the Daily News reports there was a palpable tension between her and Aiyden's father's family. "I still don't understand a 31-year-old man beating on my grandchild," said Aiyden's paternal grandmother, Stephanie Pratt. more ›

Jorge Martinez, the bread deliveryman fatally shot by a rooftop gunman in Gravesend Saturday night, always wanted to be buried in his home country of Ecuador. And now, his family is trying to scrape together the funds to send his body there. His 16-year-old daughter Jenniffer Martinez told the Daily News, "My dad wanted to be buried in Ecuador next to his father. His mom, sister, aunts, cousins—his entire family is there...That's what he wanted. We want to bury him in peace." more ›

Some funeral attendees were forced to listen from loudspeakers outside the Shomrei Hadas Chapel yesterday as mourners flooded in for the funeral of Yoseph Robinson, the Jamaican Orthodox Jew who was fatally shot during a robbery last week. He was shot while trying to protect his girlfriend from the robber, and police and officials are offering $18,000 as a reward for the killer's capture. His girlfriend Lahavah Wallace said Robinson's last words were, "Tell my daughter that I love her." He will be buried in Jamaica on Thursday. more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Family and friends will gather for the funeral slain liquor store clerk Yoseph (or Yosef) Robinson, who was shot during a robbery in Midwood, later today. The drug dealer turned devout Orthodox Jew inspired leaders of both the black and Jewish communities across the city, as well as numerous Brooklyn officials. City Councilman Jumaane Williams (D-Brooklyn) yelled to Robinson's still-faceless killer, "This type of person can bridge communities, and you killed him! He's gone!" Councilman Mike Nelson (D-Brooklyn) agreed, saying, "You killed so many people by killing Yoseph. He was a bridge between two great communities." more ›

A funeral was held in Williamsbridge yesterday for Tashawn Bromfield, the 16-year-old fatally shot while sitting in his father's courtyard in the Bronx. Police believe Bromfield's shooting was a case of mistaken identity, and previously thought he may have been an innocent victim of a gang initiation. Bromfield was visiting his dad for the weekend, and had stayed out late with a friend. One mourner said, "It was so unfortunate that a simple trip to visit his dad in the Bronx ended up being a nightmare for his whole family." more ›

Funeral services were scheduled this morning for Luis Soto, the 22-year-old man killed during a chaotic shooting in Harlem early Sunday morning. Soto and another man, Angel Alvarez, got into a fight and between the two of them, a gun emerged. The shots attracted other police officers, who, after reportedly being fired upon, fired 46 shots. Soto, who was shot multiple times, apparently died from a police bullet while Alvarez suffered over 21 gunshot wounds. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said, "We have witnesses that say that Luis Soto had a gun. We have witnesses that say there was a struggle with Alvarez over the gun and witnesses that say Angel Alvarez had the gun in his possession." more ›

Yesterday, a funeral service was held in Brooklyn for the Staten Island mother and her four children who died last month. Leisa Jones killed her children, 14-year-old C.J., 10-year-old Brittnie, 7-year-old Melonie and 2-year-old Jermaine, and then herself. Their bodies were found after a fire in their Port Richmond apartment and it emerged that Jones had been struggling financially. Another funeral is being held in D.C. today, followed by a burial. The Brooklyn Funeral Home's owner Anthony Cassieri is paying for all the service; he told the Staten Island Advance, "This happened not far from where I live. No matter what happened, it’s still a tragedy. [The mother] was obviously in a very bad place." more ›

A Bronx man has filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against the city claiming he was wrongfully arrested on made-up charges of soliciting sex from an undercover cop—and the NYPD kept him behind bars for so long he missed his father's funeral. "It's very upsetting," 51-year-old security guard Clifton Quarles Jr. said in a statement issued to the Daily News. "My father was my best friend and I missed his funeral. I will have to live with that for a lifetime." more ›

Funeral homes are illegally tricking New Yorkers into paying more than they should, according to a Department of Consumer Affairs investigation. In a two-month study, officials determined that 87 of the 579 funeral homes probed—or 15 percent—were overcharging customers by skirting strict city laws governing the funeral industry. more ›

The socialite who allegedly killed her autistic son in a botched murder suicide begged a judge to allow her to attend his funeral. An attorney representing Gigi Jordan argued that his client—who investigators say drugged 8-year-old Jude Michael Mirra in a posh Midtown hotel last month—would feel "immeasurable pain" if she wasn't allowed to attend the service. more ›

Socialite and baby-oil heiress Casey Johnson, who died last week in LA at the age of 30, was buried during a private funeral in New Brunswick, New Jersey yesterday morning. E! Online reports that those in attendance included Nicky Hilton, and her family — including father/Jets owner Woody Johnson, and her adopted daughter Ava. Her fiance, Tila Tequila, was reportedly not invited. TMZ reports that it's "increasingly looking like Johnson's frail medical condition — which included diabetes — may have caused her death." more ›