Infomercial Icon Mays Dead at 50

Television pitchman Billy Mays was found dead in his Tampa, Fla., home today, the St. Petersburg Times reports. He was 50. The promoter of everything from baking soda to cleaning supplies said he felt unwell last night after landing in a 737 airplane that blew out a front tire. Mays told a reporter "things from the ceiling started dropping" and hitting him on the head. The FAA initially deflected blame, saying he wasn't wearing a seatbelt, TMZ reports.

"The passenger needs to wear a seat belt during landing and he didn't," an FAA spokesperson said. He later took back the remark, saying, "At this point in time, we cannot have any idea who was or wasn't wearing their seat belt on the plane." Mays leaves behind a wife, 3-year-old daughter, and a stepson. An autopsy is slated for tomorrow.
(More Billy Mays stories.)