5 Entertainment And Sports Icons Have Died Over The Past Week

Some well-known personalities in the media, entertainment and sports worlds have died over the past week.

Below is the list of icons and stars who passed away in the last several days.

1. Nikki Finke

Veteran entertainment journalist Nikki Finke died in Boca Raton, Florida, on Sunday morning after an unidentified prolonged illness, Deadline reported, citing a family representative. She was 68.

Finke was the founder of the site Deadline Hollywood Daily, now known as Deadline, where she kept the world up to date on the inner workings of the entertainment business and called out wrongdoers, including the top showbiz players. She was also famous for "live snarking" Hollywood award shows, including the Oscars, Golden Globes and Emmys.

Prior to kickstarting Deadline in 2006, the New York native worked for various influential media outlets as a correspondent, including the Associated Press, Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, the New York Observer and New York Magazine. She also did a stint as a host for an entertainment industry radio show in Southern California.

"At her best, Nikki Finke embodied the spirit of journalism and was never afraid to tell the hard truths with an incisive style and an enigmatic spark. She was brash and true," Jay Penske, the founder and CEO of Penske Media Corporation, which obtained Finke's blog in 2009, told the outlet.

He continued, "It was never easy with Nikki, but she will always remain one of the most memorable people in my life."

2. Judy Tenuta

Judy Tenuta, a stand-up comic famously known as "The Love Goddess," died of stage 4 ovarian cancer in Studio City, California, Thursday, almost a year after publicly revealing her diagnosis on YouTube via the video "Kicking Cancer's Ass," according to Deadline. She was 72.

Tenuta's unique stand-up performance gained her lots of fans throughout the years. She earned back-to-back Grammy nominations for best spoken comedy album for "Attention Butt Pirates and Lesbetarians" in 1994 and "In Goddess We Trust" in 1995.

She also guest-starred in "The Weird Al Show," a Saturday-morning series that aired on CBS in 1997.

The Oak Park, Illinois-born comedian was an outspoken advocate for gay rights. She often performed in gay bars and clubs in Chicago and appeared as a grand marshal during many gay pride festivals.

On Thursday, Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic paid homage to his former co-star via social media with a heartwarming message and a throwback picture.

"Devastated to hear of the passing of my dear, dear friend, the lovely Miss Judy Tenuta. I can't believe she's gone. Earth has truly lost a goddess," Yankovic wrote.

3. Günter Lamprecht

"Berlin Alexanderplatz" star Günter Lamprecht peacefully passed away Tuesday at an elder care facility in Bonn, Germany, The New York Times reported, citing his agent Antje Schlag.

The Berlin-born actor was praised for his remarkable portrayal of the central character, Franz Biberkopf, in the 14-part television epic about Weimar Germany that was directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and released in 1980.

The show was later released in U.S. theaters in a cut of more than 15 hours, three years following its first broadcast in Germany.

Lamprecht also starred in other films and television series directed by Fassbinder, including "The World on a Wire" in 1973 and "The Marriage of Maria Braun" in 1979, which was an internationally acclaimed film.

4. Sara Lee

Sara Lee, a former wrestler known for winning Season 6 of the WWE's reality competition series "Tough Enough," suddenly passed away last week. She was 30.

Terri Lee, the mother of the former professional wrestler, announced the news via social media Thursday.

"It is with heavy hearts we wanted to share that our Sara Weston has gone to be with Jesus," Terri wrote on Facebook. "We are all in shock, and arrangements are not complete. We ask that you respectfully let our family mourn. We all need prayers, especially Cory and her children."

The cause of death was not disclosed.

Lee is survived by her wrestler husband Cory Weston, also known as Wesley Blake in the WWE, and their three children, 5-year-old daughter Piper, 3-year-old son Brady and a second son born late last year, according to Us Weekly.

Lee joined the WWE in 2015 after winning "Tough Enough" by fan vote, which earned her a $250,000 contract. However, a year later, she decided to leave the franchise.

On Thursday, James Smith, a professional wrestler under the name Bull James, started a GoFundMe page to raise money to provide financial support for the funeral costs. It has since raised more than $100,000 from 1,100 donors.

5. Tiffany Jackson

WNBA veteran Tiffany Jackson died in Dallas, Texas, on Oct. 3 following a battle with cancer, the University of Texas confirmed. She was 37.

Jackson was an all-star forward who played for the women's basketball team of the University of Texas before going on to play in the WNBA for nine seasons, The New York Times reported.

She was one of the best players at the university and was the only player on the team to garner a total of 1,000 points, grab 1,000 rebounds 30 steals, and 150 blocks. She ranked fifth overall in points with 1,197.

In 2015, the powerhouse player noticed that she had a lump in one of her breasts while she was playing in a league in Israel during the WNBA off-season. However, she only got tested after the WNBA's Tulsa Shock started.

"I didn't let my teammates know until the playoffs," Jackson told ESPN in 2016, "because I knew I was going to have to go back to Dallas, after Game 2, win or lose, to start treatment."

Jackson said she revealed her diagnosis to her teammates through a mass text.