Coronavirus

Jesse Williams, the star of an upcoming Broadway play, "Take Me Out," is pleading with a judge to cut him a break, so COVID doesn't take him out.

You see, Jesse is being sued over a car crash and the lawyer for the other driver has subpoenaed the actor to sit for a deposition. Jesse is afraid the close quarters during the depo will expose him to the virus. If he gets sick, well he'll violate the Broadway mantra, "The show must go on!" In other words, if there's no Jesse, there's no play.

It's not that Jesse doesn't want his depo taken -- he's more than willing to do it over Zoom -- but he says an in-person depo is just too risky.

As for the lawsuit, as we reported ... the woman in the other car claims the "Grey's Anatomy" star rear-ended her and then fled the scene.

Ringo Starr's sudden weekend illness was actually the beginning stages of COVID -- and now, the former Beatle has been forced to hit the pause button on performing.

The announcement came Monday from The Canada Life Centre -- where Ringo and his band were scheduled to perform this week -- writing ... "Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band were forced to cancel their recent shows due to illness. It has been confirmed today that Ringo has Covid and the tour will be on hold while Ringo recuperates."

They add, "As of today the Canada Life Centre show on October 4 has been canceled," while going on to explain that he's recuperating at home and hoping to return to the stage soon.

Ringo's been on tour, and he's got a string of shows coming up that, for now, seem to be getting pushed -- including five Canadian dates through Sunday ... which were due to kick off in Winnipeg. Starting next week, he's got more shows here in the U.S.

Ringo's diagnosis follows his cancelation of a concert this weekend in Prior Lake, Minnesota -- while it was noted he'd fallen ill, the official word was that he didn't have the 'rona. Obviously, he's contracted it since then.

Kyrie Irving is speaking out against the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine enforcement ... calling it "one of the biggest violations of human rights in history."

The Nets superstar -- one of the most well-known celebs who personally opposed getting the jab -- took to Twitter to air out his grievances, and he didn't mince his words.

Irving made the point ... if he's allowed to play for the Nets while unvaccinated (that wasn't always the case -- but is now), then he says everyone should receive the same treatment.

"If I can work and be unvaccinated, then all of my brothers and sisters who are also unvaccinated should be able to do the same, without being discriminated against, vilified, or fired," the 30-year-old NBA superstar wrote.

Of course, Kyrie only played in 29 games last season ... primarily because NYC implemented a rule which prevented Irving from working in the city without the jab.

Irving stuck to his principles and refused the shot ... and the City eventually did away with the controversial measure.

Aaron Rodgers is livid Novak Djokovic was not allowed to compete in the U.S. Open tournament ... highlighting the absurdity of some of the COVID-19 regulations that simply make no sense.

Rodgers sat down with Bill Maher for an episode of his 'Club Random' podcast ... where the two had a candid conversation about Djokovic being kept out of the high-profile tourney for remaining unvaccinated.

"The best f***ing player on the men's side can't play," Rodgers said of Djokovic. "One of the most fit guys in the f***ing world whose had covid at least once, if not twice, can't f***ing come to New York?"

Rodgers then brought up Kyrie Irving's long, drawn-out saga with the Nets ... which saw the star point guard miss a bevy of games during the season over his refusal to get vaccinated.

"Kyrie Irving attended a basketball game courtside but couldn't play for his team."

"How is that f***ing possible?" Rodgers asked. "He attended a basketball game and got to watch it in the stands but couldn't play f***ing play on his team because he wasn't vaxxed."

"Make it make sense. Make it sense. You can't," Aaron continued.

Rodgers and Maher accused the Nets, who told Irving he could play in road games but not home games, then said he couldn't play for the team at all ... of changing their tune once the team started struggling.

AR and BM were dumbfounded that Bradley Beal, who is unvaccinated like Irving, was allowed to play in games at Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden, despite the NYC mandate.

'RHOBH' star Diana Jenkins will be missing from the reunion couches when the highly-anticipated episode airs ... and it's all thanks to a case of COVID.

Jenkins has been all over Instagram the last few days, showcasing her trip in Hawaii -- but a source close tells us she's gotten COVID -- and won't be able to attend Friday's taping of the reunion with the rest of the cast.

There is, however, some good news for her fans -- and any of the other Housewives who might wanna confront Jenkins -- because she'll still participate via Zoom.

We're told she does have symptoms, and is under a doctor's care.

TMZ broke the story, Diana's recently had some major beef with publications and reports who accused her in the past of running a prostitution ring. Her legal team fired off 8 cease and desist letters to the outlets, which actually resulted in some of the fake stories to come down.

She does, however, appear to have an alliance with her 'RHOBH' costar Erika Jayne, recently donating $100K to family members of those who died during the 2018 Lion Air 610 flight.

Of course, some of those victims were allegedly defrauded by Erika's estranged husband, Tom Girardi, but sources tell us Diana's donation wasn't a dig at anyone, she just wanted to help.

Aaron Rodgers gave a full play-by-play breakdown of what exactly happened with his vaccine controversy last year ... dishing the deets to none other than Joe Rogan.

The Packers quarterback was on the 'JRE' this week, and he drilled down on how things unfolded, through his perspective, from the start of training camp to the day he was asked if he'd been vaccinated ... and it sounds like he thinks he got a raw deal in the whole thing.

Watch ... AR explains that he's allergic to a certain part of the vaccine -- the polyethylene glycol found in both the Moderna and Pfizer jabs -- and was all set to take the Johnson & Johnson shot ... until it got pulled for causing blood clots in certain recipients.

When that was out, Aaron says he researched another alternative to protect himself -- one that involved holistic medicine, he says -- and went that route ... without getting a vaccine.

Aaron says he showed up to camp with everyone knowing what his status was -- something that was hard to miss, because he says the NFL would literally separate players both physically and symbolically ... giving out different colored wristbands to differentiate.

He also says he was appealing for a waiver with the league, but he felt he wouldn't get one -- especially when they allegedly called him a conspiracy theorist after he refuted that vaxxed people couldn't contract or spread the virus ... something we now know is possible.

Aaron says he eventually caught COVID -- from an already-vaccinated player, he says -- and that's when word got out officially. He says he felt it was a witch hunt environment to begin with, and when the truth came out ... Aaron says he felt betrayed by the media.

Magic Johnson just shot down a rumor claiming he recently donated blood ... with the Hall of Famer calling the story a flat-out lie.

A Twitter account posted what appeared to be a picture of Magic donating blood back on Aug. 18 -- and it quickly went viral, as it claimed the Lakers legend, who was diagnosed with HIV in the early 1990s, was giving blood in order to help those affected by COVID.

But, Johnson said Tuesday it's all completely fabricated.

"I'm aware of the false story circling the internet," the 63-year-old said, "and to be clear, I have never donated blood."

Johnson initially went public with his HIV diagnosis in 1991 -- announcing he was retiring after contracting the virus.

The former point guard did ultimately come back to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, and he also returned to the Lakers in the 1995-96 season.

Dr. Anthony Fauci is set to retire from his position as one of the country's top Docs ... but will see his duties through 'til the end of the year.

The director of the NIAID broke the news Monday with a lengthy statement. He says, in part, "I am announcing today that I will be stepping down from the positions of Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, as well as the position of Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden."

He adds, "I will be leaving these positions in December of this year to pursue the next chapter of my career." It's unclear what Fauci plans to do next.

Fauci goes on to say what an honor it's been to serve in his role for the past 38 years, not to mention his other 15 years of service at the NIAID before he was a honcho. He's graceful in his statement, writing ... "I have worked with -- and learned from -- countless talented and dedicated people in my own laboratory, at NIAID, at NIH and beyond. To them I express my biding respect and gratitude."

Fauci's career is quite storied ... he has served under multiple presidents, including Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Dubya, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and, of course, JB.

Along the way, Dr. Fauci has helped Americans combat major viruses that have plagued society in the 20th and 21st centuries -- including instrumental research and work in regards to the Ebola and Zika viruses ... not to mention the swine flu pandemic, the bird flu scare and other widespread infectious disease occurrences that hit the world over the decades.

His contributions to HIV/AIDS research can't be overstated ... Fauci was in the trenches in the '80s, and he has said much of his work is defined by that period. Dr. Fauci helped develop treatments -- although the rollout and discussion of it all were heavily criticized at the time.

Frankly, he's been a lightning rod for years now ... often bearing the brunt of widespread outrage and condemnation when it comes to the federal government's response to health-related outbreaks. That was, perhaps, most crystalized of late ... during COVID-19 pandemic.

Many will recall ... Fauci was often battling against his own boss, DT, when it came to discussing the coronavirus -- he wanted people to be cautious and get vaccinated, while Trump usually pushed for the opposite ... making for some heated public clashes.

Still, he stayed the course through it all ... and always maintained his composure. Fauci hasn't always been right from the get-go, but he did always pivot when more information surfaced and updated his recommendations as such. That much nobody can deny.

As WWE prepares to celebrate the 1200th episode of "Smackdown," Drew McIntyre tells TMZ Sports he's obsessed with beating Roman Reigns in two weeks at "WWE Clash at the Castle" ... 'cause he has to finally win it all in front of fans!!

McIntyre and Reigns are set to meet face-to-face in the ring Friday night on a historic edition of "Smackdown" -- one of WWE's three flagship programs -- and the former two-time WWE champ isn't backing down from Reigns, whose held both titles for over 700 days!!

"I'm looking to raise those titles and Roman has been on this incredible run. But the truth is, it's been 700 days," Drew said. "He's not here as often as he used to be. I do believe titles need to be represented every single week. He's not able to do that these days."

McIntyre -- a native of Scotland -- told us a victory at 'Clash at the Castle,' which will be held in Wales for the first time in over 30 years, would mean the world to him since his first two title runs came with limited or no fans.

"I am very proud of the fact I was champion during that difficult time," McIntyre said. "I'm glad I was the champ setting the example. As a kid, I had the dream of main-eventing WrestleMania, lifting the title in the main event and I did that."

"But I also imagined there being tens of thousands of screaming people there," Drew said. "Which there wasn't."

"I would like to have some live fans in attendance for that third reign and I have the biggest opportunity of my life to do that in the UK, in the heart of Wales, against Roman. This is something I couldn't have envisioned as a kid because it didn't exist."

McIntyre -- who beat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36 to win his first-ever WWE title during the height of the pandemic -- knows defeating Reigns will be a tall task, but, ultimately, the Scottish native thinks a victory near his home turf is what's best for business.

"I think that titles need to be represented every single week and on the shows and in the live events and the appearances," McIntyre said. "And I want to be that man to represent the company on the highest level."

Travis Barker is the latest celeb to catch COVID -- a diagnosis that comes just two months after he was hospitalized for a serious case of pancreatitis -- but he's doing his best to keep his spirits up.

Travis broke the news on Instagram Thursday, with a caption that reads, "Covid sucks🤬 I'd rather be playing drums." He was recently on tour with his buddy MGK, and posted some BTS footage a couple days before his announcement ... so it's possible he caught the disease on the road.

Unclear when exactly Travis tested positive, we saw him out earlier this week in L.A. hitting a studio.

Of course, the diagnosis comes two months after his hospitalization. TMZ broke the story, the drummer had a colonoscopy that triggered pancreatitis in June, Travis told folks on social media he had a polyp removed in a sensitive area, which "damaged a critical pancreatic drainage tube" and led to the medical emergency.

Christine Quinn is giving a big thumbs down to returning to "Selling Sunset" ... instead focusing her attention on her other ventures.

Production sources tell TMZ Christine will not be featured in seasons 6 and 7 of the Netflix show, which recently began production. We're told it was a mutual decision between Christine, Netflix and the production company.

Our Christine sources tell us she recently signed with IMG Models, and is already booking modeling and appearance gigs at various fashion events.

Christine is also heavily involved with RealOpen, her brokerage that allows you to buy/sell real estate through crypto currency with her husband Christian.

Christine has definitely had her fair share of drama with "SS" producers and her costars over the last few months, skipping the show's reunion after claiming she tested positive for COVID. TMZ broke the story, Christine was spotted on a commercial shoot just days after allegedly testing positive ... at a time when she should've been in quarantine.

She also bashed the show on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, saying producers manipulate and intimidate the cast to create more drama. She also claimed the show's executive producer told her "to go fall down the stairs" and "kill" herself after she was honest about a scene from the show during an interview.

We got Christine's now former co-star Emma Hernan outside The Oppenheim Group office Wednesday, and while she isn't calling Christine's leave a win, she admits the show's got a bunch of heavy hitters as it is.

First Lady Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID ... catching the virus just a couple of weeks after her husband caught it.

Her Communications Director released a statement Tuesday, saying she developed "cold-like symptoms" Monday evening, hours after originally testing negative during her normal cadence.

It continues, "She tested negative again on a rapid antigen test, but a PCR test came back positive."

First Lady Biden is double-vaxxed and got boosted twice -- she's also been prescribed some Paxlovid, a pill that was granted an emergency use authorization by the FDA to combat the virus.

She'll remain isolated at a spot in South Carolina until she tests negative 2 consecutive times -- she was spotted riding a bike along the beach with President Biden Sunday while on vacation in SC.

Aaron Rodgers wanted no parts of crass jokes about COVID-19, vaccines, and the deaths associated with the virus ... shutting down the attempts at humor in a hurry this week.

Rodgers appeared on Monday's episode of Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" -- and he was having a blast with the hosts of the show, Big Cat and PFT Commenter ... but the Packers star got serious quickly when the quips turned toward coronavirus-related deaths.

As Rodgers was speaking about the backlash he received for going public with his vaccine stance last year -- PFT joked, "How many people do you think you killed? What's your count?"

Big Cat added on, "How many grandmothers? Let's just do grandmothers."

Rodgers, who had been in a very playful mood the entire interview leading up to that point, said sternly, "I mean, I know you guys are f***ing around, but I don't find that part funny."

"I really don't," he added.

The trio changed topics moments later -- and the guys went on to laugh and joke with each other for another half an hour or so on the show.

There didn't appear to be any further awkward moments between the guys, and all three took a pic together following the conclusion of the interview.

The 38-year-old has been willing to discuss his thoughts on COVID and the vaccines repeatedly throughout the last 12 months ... and has said that while he's not anti-vax, he doesn't feel like anyone should have to be forced to take the shots.

Drake just dropped the video for “Sticky” from his new album “Honestly, Nevermind” and it’s clear he used his recent Euro vacation to double the video’s scenic locations!!!

Directed by Theo Skudra, the lush visual navigates through parts of Drake at sea in St. Tropez, Michael Rubin’s 4th of July bash and other expensive frolics throughout the galaxy.

Lil Baby and Future can also be spotted living it up … and Drake found a rainy rooftop to test out his new coat from his Nocta Nike line.

Drizzy also proved there was no cap in his rap when it came to namedropping the late Virgil Abloh … stunting inside the off-road Maybach designed by the Off-White creator in collaboration with Mercedes.

Young Thug and YSL also get a shoutout as they fight their ongoing case.

Speaking of fighting, Drake is currently battling COVID-19, so the wave of memories in this video should induce a swift recovery!

Drake's massive Toronto homecoming has hit a major roadblock, all thanks to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.

Drake took to Instagram Monday to let his fans know he was "truly devastated" the show's getting postponed ... and promised they'll reschedule for the soonest date possible. October World Weekend -- which also was to serve as a Young Money reunion -- was to feature Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne.

In his announcement, Drake also said, "... I hope everyone stays safe and healthy and I love you all I am so sorry for letting you down on our weekend together and the moment I test negative I will give you everything I got onstage (except the Covid)."

Drake had just partied with Nelly Furtado during the OVO event ... with other surprises planned throughout Toronto.

Britney Spears claims her sister Jamie Lynn was having meetings with their dad during COVID while the rest of the world was on lockdown ... but we're told that's not the case at all.

Sources close to Jamie Lynn tell TMZ she wasn't parading around with her dad in 2020 -- instead, she was stuck at home like everyone else, and believes Britney got her story completely wrong ...  saying the proof is clear as day.

Britney posted a photo Sunday of Jamie Lynn and Jamie as supposed evidence of their pandemic meetings, along with a lengthy caption ... but we're told the pic in question was in 2019, before the lockdown.

At the time of the photo, JL was just getting back into work after having her second daughter, Ivey, the year before ... she had intro meetings with a few streaming services and Jamie dropped her off on the way to the airport.

We're told he didn't attend the meeting with her, and the picture was taken when she was staying in Britney's guest room during the trip ... which is why Jamie Lynn's confused as to how her big sis forgot that.

As a result, we're told JL wishes Britney would leave her out of future posts -- believing this is just a blatant lie to make her look bad. BTW, Brit has since taken down the entire post.