The Professional wrestler, who went by the name Puppet The Psycho Dwarf in the ring, has died. He was 54.
Lee's family confirmed the news on a GoFundMe page, revealing that the athlete "unexpectedly passed away" at his home the morning of September 9.
"He was beloved by many and has many friends that were family, fans that adored him, but only his brother Jim left to take care of final arrangements," the statement read. "Puppet has put smiles across the world with his hardcore attitude and lifestyle."
Lee began his wrestling career on the series NWA: Total Nonstop Action in 2002. He also created the Half-Pint Brawlers organization which earned its own reality series, Half-Pint Brawlers, on Spike TV in 2010, according to Deadline.
"He is a legend in the art of Midget Wrestling," the GoFundMe page read. "He needs our help to give him one last curtain call."
Born Stevie Lee Richardson, the wrestler also appeared as himself in Johnny Knoxville's 2010 film, Jackass 3D. He also had credits in Oz the Great and Powerful and American Horror Story: Freak Show.
When we think of inventors, the image that comes to mind is usually that of a frazzled scientist toiling away in a lab, not celebrities pulled from the pages of Us Weekly. However, a number of well-known public figures hold patents for various innovations. Some are related to the work that made them famous, while others are offshoots of hobbies or just a single great idea.
Part of guitar wizard Eddie Van Halen's signature sound was his two-handed tapping technique, but letting all ten fingers fly while simultaneously holding up the guitar's neck could get a bit tricky. Van Halen came up with a novel way to get around this problem, though; he invented a support (top) that could flip out of the back of his axe's body to raise and stabilize the fretboard so he could tap out searing songs like "Eruption." While Van Halen was obviously interested in improving his guitar work, the patent application he filed in 1985 notes that the device would work with any stringed instrument. Want to tap out a scorching mandolin solo? Find someone selling Eddie's device.
It’s probably not surprising that James Cameron—who designed a submersible to take him to the deepest known part of the ocean—will often invent technology to make his films if what he needs doesn’t exist. He holds a number of patents, including US Patent No. 4996938, “apparatus for propelling a user in an underwater environment,” that he and his brother, Michael, created to film The Abyss and patented in 1989. The device is basically an underwater dolly equipped with propellers that makes it easy for a camera operator to maneuver in the water—and allowed Cameron to capture the shots he wanted for the 1989 film, part of which was filmed in an abandoned nuclear reactor.
In 1987 Jamie Lee Curtis designed and patented a disposable diaper that included a waterproof pocket that held baby wipes. She hasn't profited from her idea yet, though, since she refuses to license the patent until diaper companies make biodegradable products.
You know him as a rock legend, but Neil Young also loves trains—so much that he owns a stake in a model train manufacturing company and has an extensive collection. He also holds seven patents related to model trains, including Patent No. US5441223, "Model train controller using electromagnetic field between track and ground."