For years, he was the man nobody could see — but everybody talked about. On Real Housewives of Atlanta, he was simply “Big Poppa.” No face. No name. Just a shadow behind one of the show’s most divisive storylines. Now, the man behind that mystery has died. Lee Najjar passed away on April 18 at the age of 68.

His death was first reported by TMZ, citing the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner. The cause of death has not yet been publicly confirmed. USA TODAY reached out to the medical examiner’s office for verification.

The most personal confirmation came from his daughter, Katelin Najjar, who shared an emotional tribute across her Instagram Stories following the news — reviewed by USA TODAY. “I loved when he wrote me cards, he knew it meant everything to me,” one post read, accompanied by videos of the two together. It was the kind of grief that cuts through tabloid coverage and reminds you there was a real man at the centre of it all.

On RHOA, Najjar occupied a peculiar kind of fame. He was a constant presence in conversation but a deliberate absence on screen — his face never shown, his name never spoken, referred to only by the nickname the show gifted him. His relationship with Kim Zolciak — the big-haired, unapologetically outspoken original cast member — was one of the early seasons’ defining storylines. Zolciak made no secret of the fact that Najjar funded her lifestyle, from her rented Atlanta mansion to her wardrobe, and was open about their connection even as other cast members raised pointed questions about his estranged marriage.

Because throughout his relationship with Zolciak, Najjar remained married to Kim Najjar, according to E! News. The couple share four children together. It was a dynamic that fuelled plenty of drama in the Bravo universe — the kind that viewers either loved or couldn’t look away from, often both at the same time.

Away from the reality TV spotlight, Najjar was a prominent Atlanta-based real estate developer, known for building some of the most opulent custom homes in Georgia. His wealth was real, his taste was extravagant, and his preference for staying off camera — in an era when everyone else was leaning into it — was a choice that made him all the more intriguing.

He leaves behind his daughter Katelin, whose tribute this week was as genuine as it gets. Whatever the cameras did or didn’t show, to her he was simply Dad.

The ballroom just got a whole lot more interesting. Dancing with the Stars has revealed its first two celebrity cast members for Season 35 — and if you’ve been watching reality TV lately, these names will feel very familiar.

Ciara Miller of Summer House and Maura Higgins — the Irish firecracker best known internationally from Love Island and most recently from The Traitors — are the first names confirmed for the forthcoming season, which will premiere this fall on ABC and Disney+, with episodes streaming next day on Hulu.

Disney made the announcement during Hulu’s Get Real House event on Wednesday, April 22. A full cast reveal — including the pro dancers — is still to come.

The two women share more than just a DWTS casting announcement. Both appeared in recent seasons of The Traitors, the psychological reality game show that has become one of television’s most compulsively watchable series. Miller, 30, starred in Season 3, while Higgins, 35, went all the way to the end in Season 4 — finishing in a remarkable second place. If the Mirrorball trophy competition involves strategy, composure under pressure, and knowing when to smile while plotting your next move — these two have already been through the training ground.

Season 35 follows a landmark 34th season of DWTS that shattered records — pulling in 72 million votes in its finale alone and a staggering nearly half a billion votes across the entire season. The winners? Wildlife warrior and fan favourite Robert Irwin and his pro partner Witney Carson, who claimed the Mirrorball trophy in November.

Irwin won’t be far from the DWTS universe either. Disney also officially announced Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro — a spinoff premiering on ABC on July 13, hosted by Irwin himself. The show will feature 12 emerging dancers living together and competing in an intensive audition process for a coveted pro spot on Season 35. Mark Ballas and his mother, the legendary Shirley Ballas, will serve as judges, joined by a rotating roster of guest mentors.

As for the newest DWTS recruits — Miller arrives fresh from Summer House Season 10 on Bravo, where she has been navigating some complicated personal waters, including her ex West Wilson and best friend Amanda Batula confirming their relationship. In a candid new interview with Glamour, Miller also shut down any Bachelorette rumours with her signature bluntness. “F— no,” she said. “I’m way too private.” A woman who knows her lane.

Both Higgins and Miller have been quietly expanding their TV footprints beyond reality, taking on red carpet correspondent duties — Miller at the Euphoria Season 3 premiere for HBO, and Higgins representing A24 at the premiere of The Drama.

The full Season 35 cast is coming. But if the first two names are anything to go by, this is shaping up to be one of the most competitive ballrooms in DWTS history.

He called himself “The Gambler” — and for 32 years, Darrell Sheets bet on storage lockers, on instinct, and on the thrill of not knowing what was behind the door. On Wednesday, April 22, the gamble ended. He was 67.

The Lake Havasu City Police Department confirmed that officers found Sheets dead at his home in western Arizona at approximately 2 a.m., from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His body has been transported to the Mohave County Medical Examiner’s office, and the death remains under active investigation. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact them at (928) 855-1171.

For anyone who grew up watching Storage Wars on A&E, the news is a gut punch. Sheets wasn’t just a cast member — he was the show’s wild card. Its heartbeat. The guy who would drop serious money on a locked unit nobody else wanted, and either walk away with a fortune or shrug it off with a grin. Over 163 episodes across more than 17 seasons, he turned storage auction hunting into an art form — and himself into a household name.

A&E did not hold back in expressing their grief. “We are saddened by the passing of a beloved member of our Storage Wars family, Darrell ‘The Gambler’ Sheets,” the network said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

Born in California in 1958, Sheets discovered his love for storage auctions decades before any camera crew ever showed up. He spent 32 years in the locker trade — chasing the high of the unknown, the rush of the bid, the gamble of every sealed unit. “The only thing I collect these days is dead presidents,” he once quipped in his official Storage Wars bio, with the dry wit that made fans love him.

His health had slowed him down in recent years. After suffering a heart attack in 2019, Sheets stepped back from the show’s later seasons, appearing only sporadically. He eventually left the locker trade behind, relocated to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and opened an antiques store — quieter work, but still surrounded by the objects and stories he loved.

He is survived by his daughter Tiffany Shane Sheets and his son Brandon Sheets, who followed his father onto the show and into the auction world. Darrell had always hoped to pass on what he called the “adventure and education” of storage buying to Brandon — and by all accounts, he did exactly that.

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