Coronavirus

Great news for Minnesota Vikings LB Cameron Smith ... the team says he had successful open heart surgery Monday -- just a few weeks after COVID testing found a congenital issue.

Smith said earlier this month that after he was diagnosed with coronavirus ... his doctors did further testing and discovered he had an irregular valve in his heart that could have killed him.

"It is really a blessing that we found this," Smith said, "as my heart is severely enlarged and wouldn’t have lasted much longer."

Vikes head coach Mike Zimmer said Tuesday that Smith underwent the operation Monday and is still recovering at the hospital ... but added he's hopeful the 23-year-old can rejoin his teammates later this season.

Of course, Smith is out for the year and his future as a football player is in jeopardy ... but the former USC star has vowed to make every effort to one day get back on the field.

"By no means am I ready to be done playing football," Smith said. "There is still so much more I want to accomplish on the field."

Gregg Sulkin's looking pretty hulkin' these days ... and it helps his gym's wherever he parks his shredded bod.

Gregg hit up a local park in L.A. Monday for a socially-distanced workout. The actor brought the essentials with him ... his face mask and these incredible Bowflex adjustable dumbbells that have no doubt helped his arms get absolutely JACKED.

Gregg spent about an hour working out ... busting out some bicep curls, bodyweight squats and some push-ups. Unlike some people, dude's been making the best out of a terrible situation here, working out in makeshift gyms ... and the park usually seems to be his place of choice.

Ex-Seattle DB Kemah Siverand says he's sorry for sneaking a woman into the Seahawks' hotel earlier this month ... saying straight-up his actions were "absolutely inexcusable."

Kemah was fired by Pete Carroll 2 weeks ago after Seahawks officials caught him dressing up a female companion in player gear in an effort to get her past security and into his room.

The 23-year-old says after stewing over it all the past 14-or-so days ... he's realized the whole operation was a boneheaded idea -- and called the entire thing a "lapse in judgment."

"I violated team rules," Siverand says, "which would be unacceptable in normal times, but absolutely inexcusable now during a pandemic."

Siverand says he's apologized to Seahawks officials vehemently ... with ESPN reporting he even personally handwrote a sorry note to the team.

Siverand was an undrafted free agent cornerback who had a small chance of making Seattle's roster ... and now has an even smaller chance of catching on again in the NFL.

But, Kemah says he's learned from the incident ... and is vowing to do everything he can to sign with another team.

The results are in ... and Usain Bolt has COVID-19, officials say.

Jamaica's minister of health -- Dr. Chistopher Tufton -- confirmed Bolt's test results with the media late Monday, according to multiple outlets.

Bolt had been self-isolating since taking his test on Saturday -- and will continue to do so until he tests negative.

Earlier in the day, the 34-year-old Olympic legend had posted a video responding to a premature report he had COVID ... saying he had been tested but was awaiting results.

Bolt says he had chosen to quarantine himself out of an abundance of caution ... and now, it seems that was the right move.

There is still major concern about Bolt's massive 34th birthday party, thrown by his girlfriend Kasi Bennett in Jamaica on Friday.

The event was MASSIVE -- with tons guests, including a bunch of Jamaican celebrities.

The concern ... video purportedly taken at the event appears to show a bunch of people dancing close without wearing masks or taking any real precautions to avoid spreading the virus.

Usain's girlfriend just gave birth to their daughter, Olympia Lightning Bolt (greatest name ever), back in May.

Jamaica hasn't exactly been a hotbed for COVID so far -- with only 1,413 reported cases and 16 reported deaths since the pandemic began.

Donald Trump SAYS he supports wearing masks, which is increasingly hard to swallow after watching this video of his maskless Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, greeting maskless supporters at the RNC with hugs and kisses.

If you don't believe people are making a political statement by not wearing a mask, just check out the footage, because a mask is hard to find.

Meadows is glad-handing supporters, kissing a woman and shaking hands ... and that's just the 29 seconds of video we got. This seems to be the drill at the convention.

Joe Biden is almost never seen without a mask in public, and Trump almost never wears one.

KFC is cleaning up its image ... the fried chicken chain is ditching its famous slogan due to the raging pandemic.

Colonel Sanders will no longer be hawking his secret recipe for fried chicken as "finger lickin' good" ... KFC says it's suspending the slogan after 64 years.

The move came Monday, nearly 6 months after the novel coronavirus started sweeping the globe and health officials started urging people to stop touching their faces to slow the spread. Better late than never?!?

KFC says finger-licking "doesn't feel quite right" in today's environment and it's dropping the slogan in many countries.

Across the pond in the United Kingdom and Ireland, KFC is simply blurring out the "finger lickin'" part of the slogan on buckets of chicken ... as opposed to scrubbing the phase entirely.

The good ole', finger-licking days will come back eventually -- KFC says its famous phrase will return when the timing is right.

Let's go, scientists ... hurry up with that vaccine!!!

A bunch of Euros who like to strip down to their birthday suits are facing a bleak reality ... their free-spirited nudo-rama won't prevent coronavirus. If anything, it's the opposite.

COVID-19 cases have spiked of late in Cap d'Agde -- a French nudist resort in the wider Herault region, where folks roam around butt-ass naked. According to local officials, there's been a 30 percent positive testing rate ... and 57 positive results last Wednesday alone.

Thus far, reports say there've been upwards of 100 positive tests -- although it's unclear just how many bodies are on the ground there now. Usually, the resort brings in tens of thousands of tourists and visitors from all over the world during the summer months.

Here's another hilarious thing about this -- serious as it is, of course ... the local government has mandated everyone in that area, including Cap d'Agde, wear masks in public, while also limiting gatherings of 10-plus people. They're also imposing curfews on bars/restaurants.

Jerry Seinfeld has a thing or two to say to anyone who thinks the Big Apple is done for amid the coronavirus pandemic -- and it can be summed up in two words ... Shut. It.

The legendary comedian penned an op-ed for the NYT titled ... "So You Think New York Is ‘Dead’ (It's Not)," and he takes aim at a specific guy who wrote a LinkedIn article claiming exactly that, while also saying the city wouldn't bounce back amid a resident exodus.

Welp, Jerry believes otherwise in pretty strong terms, and even calls that author a "putz" who should stop waling and whining about the death of NYC. He writes, "Oh, shut up," while adding ... "Wipe your tears, wipe your butt and pull it together." Well said, JS!

You gotta read the editorial yourself, but basically ... Jerry makes the argument that New York (Manhattan especially) is resilient and that the abandoned streets won't last forever. He says there's a magic in that town that'll resurge, even if it comes back slightly different.

He also says the "work from home" trend will die out too eventually, 'cause it doesn't capture the same energy as when people are together. He thinks the same applies to NYC.

Now, Jerry isn't advocating for things to get back to normal just yet -- he's just telling true New Yorkers to tough it out and wait for the storm to pass ... because in his eyes, it will.

If there's anyone you should listen to on the topic of New York life, it's the Sein. Take heed.

The second season of "The Hills: New Beginnings" might look more like "Jersey Shore: Family Vacation" or even "Big Brother" ... with the cast all under one roof.

Production sources tell TMZ ... MTV and Evolution Media have been seriously considering moving Brody Jenner, Audrina Patridge, Heidi and Spencer Pratt and all the other 'Hills' stars into one home -- or at least the same complex -- for a month or 2 to finish filming season 2.

The show had already shot 3 episodes before the pandemic shutdowns in March, and we're told the entire cast is eager to get back to work ... but there are mixed feelings about the bubble atmosphere.

Our sources say some think having the cast all together all the time would create contrived and unnecessary drama -- even more than usual -- but others think the 'Jersey Shore'-style setup would be great.

Another pro is that this bubble approach has already been proven to work for Tyler Perry's series, "Sistas," and "Big Brother: All-Stars" ... not to mention the NBA and NHL.

Our sources say producers don't have to make a final decision until October, when filming is set to resume.

13 people died in a wild stampede early Sunday in Peru, after cops tried to shut down a nightclub that was operating illegally in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

The video shows the chaotic scene as cops make their move. The 120 partygoers panicked and tried escaping through a single exit. A stampede followed and the victims were trampled.  A number of the victims were crushed in the stairwell area.

The aftermath is horrific, as bodies were being loaded onto pickup trucks.

The club was not supposed to be operating ... the Peruvian government re-instituted a 10 PM  curfew because COVID is out of control. Peru has been hit harder than most Latin American countries, with 576,000 cases and more than 27,000 deaths.

Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger's daughter, Ireland Baldwin, says she got roughed up by an alleged druggie who beat her and robbed her ... but luckily, this story has a just ending.

The model posted two gnarly photos of her injuries this weekend, and they show just how bad the attack really was out in NYC. Her entire right side is completely bruised ... it looks like the woman left behind a massive shiner with what Ireland describes as a sucker punch.

She writes, "Yesterday in the late afternoon, I was attacked by a woman who was high out of her mind on drugs and desperate for cash," adding," She decked me in my face in a parking lot and took my belongings and jumped in a getaway car while her husband took off."

It appears the case is well on its way to justice -- Ireland says she alerted cops and they've already made an arrest. She also says police told her this is happening quite a bit these days since folks are strapped for money during the pandemic, and resorting to violence.

Ireland says she posted this just as a warning to others that they should be mindful of their surroundings. She finished her thoughts with, "These are really difficult times and we need to look out for one another."

This is both frightening and interesting ... Germany is putting thousands of volunteers in harm's way in the middle of the pandemic, to see if indoor events -- like concerts --can resume.

The research study -- sanctioned by the government -- solicited 4,000 folks between the ages of 18 and 50 ... all of whom are healthy. They have agreed to attend one of 3 concerts performed by singer Tim Bendzko.

The stated purpose of the concerts ... "to investigate the conditions under which such events can be carried out despite the pandemic."

The volunteers will get face masks and they will have tracking devices to determine if they have socially distanced and if not ... how close they got to others. They are also using some sort of electronic device which is supposed to show how aerosolized particles spread.

The first concert went down Saturday in Leipzig, Germany, where 2,000 people showed up.

The Minister of Economics and Science said, "As long as there is a risk of infection, major concerts, trade fairs and sporting events cannot take place. This is why it is so important to find out which technical and orginisational conditions can effectively minimise the risks."

TikTok star Bryce Hall is owning his mistakes because he says squarely ... he wishes he would never have thrown the wild party that pissed off L.A.'s Mayor so much, the power to the house got shut off.

Bryce was leaving BOA restaurant in WeHo Friday night when our photog asked about the rager he threw that was packed with people who weren't wearing masks or social distancing.

Bryce, who threw the bash to celebrate his 21st birthday, told our photog he didn't need time to reflect ... he knew it was wrong when it was happening.

Mayor Eric Garcetti was enraged, saying, "This house has turned into a nightclub in the hills, hosting large gatherings in flagrant violation of our public health orders." The house went dark Wednesday.

It appears the house was not owned by Bryce ... it was a party house that the owner rents out. Not anymore ... at least for now.

THIS IS HOW PEOPLE DIE!!

No, not the O.J. part of the video ... THE NO MASK PART OF THE VIDEO!!

(Though maybe the O.J. part of the video, too).

Point is, this is O.J. Simpson holding court Thursday night at a Vegas hot spot with no regard for the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can see in the video ... O.J. was up close and personal with a bunch of people at JING lounge in Summerlin. He's like the mayor out there.

Obviously, Juice is allowed to go out and have dinner ... but it seems he was pretty cavalier with the mask situation -- barely anyone around him appeared to be wearing one as they crowded around each other for a fun night out.

The place was rockin' -- with bottle service, music and fans asking O.J. for pics (yes, seriously).

In fact, an unmasked Simpson wrapped his arm around a female admirer for a photo just like it was pre-COVID times.

Problem is ... Nevada ain't exactly in the clear yet.

The state has reported 64,433 total confirmed cases and 1,185 total COVID-19-related deaths ... with 849 new cases reported over the past 24 hours.

Daddy's BACK!!!

NBA guard Mike Conley has cleared quarantine and will play for the Utah Jazz on Friday ... just days after leaving the NBA bubble to witness the birth of his new baby son, Elijah.

As we previously reported ... it was a QUICK turnaround for the vet -- the 32-year-old left the Orlando bubble on Sunday and rushed to Ohio be with his wife, Mary, who was due on August 27.

The new baby knew dad had work to do, so Elijah cut to the chase and entered the world later Sunday night ... with papa present for the big moment!!

Conley rushed back to the bubble on Monday and entered a 4-day quarantine in hopes of being ready for Game 3 of the Jazz's first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets ... and it's just been made official he will suit up on Friday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

It couldn't have been better timing for Conley -- his squad is currently tied 1-1 with the Nuggets ... and Utah's got momentum after a huge Game 2 win.