Coronavirus

Jon Gosselin was bitten by a spider, and it really messed him up.

Jon tells TMZ ... he doesn't know exactly where it happened, but his leg swelled up to twice its normal size. He says ... and the pain was "excruciating." He could barely walk and rushed himself to an Urgent Care, where he got an Rx for antibiotics and antibiotic cream.

Jon told The Sun he believes it was a brown, recluse spider. If he's right, these critters are super dangerous. People have lost limbs after being bitten. Some have even died.

Jon made it clear to The Sun, 2021 has sucked for him ... "My first thought was 'What now?' I have had a rough year, my breakup was hard, then I got COVID, which was bad. It was really weird because when I looked at my leg I realized it was twice the size and there's a red-looking blister with a large red circle around it."

Gosselin went on to say ... "It kind of looked like a cigarette burn, but really raised. The doc immediately knew the pain was from a brown recluse, which is a deadly spider. My entire leg had swollen up from the cellulitis."

He wasn't done ... "The doctor told me that I was lucky to come in because if you don't treat this you can lose limbs or die from a bacterial infection. I just wish I knew where the spider was so I can take my revenge."

Bad news -- possibly REALLY bad news -- there's a new COVID variant that has some countries in a panic ... a variant that may make the vaccine WAY less effective.

The new strain turned up in South Africa, but it's also been detected in Belgium, Botswana, Hong Kong and Israel. As everyone knows by now, this virus knows no boundaries, so it's become a concern worldwide.

Some scientists are saying the variant makes the vaccine 40% less effective, which is beyond alarming. The hope was the Delta variant would wane after the first few months of 2022 and the pandemic would be behind us, but this new strain poses a real threat.

A bunch of countries -- including Britain, Israel, Germany and Italy -- have banned flights from South Africa, but the U.S. is still allowing planes from that country to land here. The U.S. has still listed South Africa as "Level 1: Low Level of COVID-19."

Dr. Eric Feigle-Ding sounded the alarm in a tweet -- "My god—the new #B11259 variant being possibly ~500% more competitively infectious is the most staggering stat yet. Also, #NuVariant has more than >2x the number of bad spike mutations than Delta." Scary.

Short story ... there's concern this strain spreads way more easily than what we've already seen. That said, it's unclear if the strain is more severe than the strains we've all been dealing with over the last year-and-a-half.

Dr. Fauci says there's no evidence the variant has made its way to the U.S. ... at least not yet.

Aaron Rodgers says he does NOT have "COVID toe" ... and he proved it by showing off his big-ass foot to a group of media members who were asking about it on Wednesday.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Green Bay Packers star had contracted the coronavirus side effect on his foot after he had been diagnosed with COVID earlier this month.

The report claimed Rodgers was dealing with lesions and discoloration on his foot -- resulting in immense pain in his toe.

But, Rodgers slammed that report Wednesday -- saying it was all BS ... explaining he's dealing with nothing more than a fractured digit.

Aaron then pulled up his foot to show there was no purple bruising or scabs in sight.

"I can't believe I have to again come on here and talk about my medical information, but yeah, I have a fractured toe," Rodgers said. "I've never heard of 'COVID Toe' before. I have no lesions on my feet."

"That's just a classic case of disinformation. It's surprising coming from what used to be a reputable journalistic institution, but that's the world we live in these days."

Michael Irvin's bromance with Amari Cooper is on pause for now ... 'cause the Dallas legend tells TMZ Sports he's FURIOUS with the Cowboys star for not getting the COVID vaccine.

"I'm absolutely hot about it," The Playmaker said. "Are you joking?!"

Because of Cooper's unvaccinated status, after he tested positive for COVID last week, he was automatically ruled out of the Cowboys' games against the Chiefs and the Raiders.

Of course, Dallas got kicked in the teeth by Kansas City with the star receiver out on Sunday -- and its chances of beating the Raiders without Cooper on Thanksgiving aren't looking great either.

When we asked Irvin -- who's been a huge fan of Cooper's since the player was traded to Dallas in 2019 -- about it all in NYC on Monday, he didn't hold anything back, saying, "I'm so hot at Amari Cooper for not being on that field."

"I got a guy who makes $21 million on the bench at home not playing," Irvin added. "It's crazy."

Irvin says he knows even with the vaccine Cooper still might have been forced out of the games regardless, but he said he's mad at Amari for not even attempting to diminish that chance.

"You have to try to mitigate any issue that could cost you a game or a Super Bowl, and COVID is one of them," Irvin said. "You go get vaccinated to try to mitigate it, best you can."

For Dak Prescott's part, Cooper's quarterback chose not to criticize his wideout after the loss to the Chiefs over the vaccine decision ... telling reporters he's pretty sure Cooper would have missed the two games regardless.

Two former Washington Nationals employees who coached pitching in the org's minor league ranks say the MLB team's COVID vaccine mandate wrongfully led to their firings earlier this year ... and now, they're suing over it all.

The two pitching coaches -- Lawrence Pardo and Brad Holman -- spelled it all out in a lawsuit filed Monday ... saying they did not want to take the vaccines for religious reasons.

But, in the docs, they say their requests for exemptions were rebuked by the Nationals ... and they were eventually terminated over it.

In the docs, Pardo and Holman say back on Aug. 12, the team issued a vaccine mandate, explaining if employees, excluding players, did not have at least one shot by Sept. 10, they'd be fired.

Both Pardo and Holman, though, say they could not take the shots because they claim the vaccines "were developed from or tested on aborted fetal cells."

As self-proclaimed strong opponents of abortion, Pardo and Holman both believed that gave them a religious exemption.

But, the two say the team denied their requests for exemptions ... and then canned them.

Pardo and Holman are now suing for damages, saying they were discriminated against on the basis of religion.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will no longer require proof of vaccination or testing to attend home games ... which means fans are one step closer to a normal basketball experience.

Effective December 1, folks hitting up OKC home games will no longer be subjected to the same protocols they were for the first 10 home games.

Before this announcement, fans would have to consent to testing or provide proof that they had been vaccinated against COVID ... and children ages 2-11 had to wear masks at the games.

FYI -- the Oklahoma Department of Health is reporting that the percentage of Oklahoma County residents age 12 and older who are fully or partially vaccinated has risen to 85%.

The Thunder's change comes as the number of COVID cases has dropped considerably, and hospitalizations have declined at similar rates ... paving way for the team to make changes.

Of course, the team consulted with health officials before making such a drastic decision ... discussing the data and vaccination rates across the state. After being encouraged by the numbers, the team decided to lift their current vaccine/testing mandates.

But, it's not completely over just yet -- fans with courtside seats will have to show proof of vax or test ... as those rules are determined by the league.

Antonio Brown is calling BS on his former chef ... saying he did NOT submit a fake COVID vaccine card to the NFL.

The chef, Steven Ruiz, told the Tampa Bay Times Brown sought and then obtained the fraudulent paper back in July ... but a rep for Brown says it's just flat-out not true.

In a statement to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Brown's attorney, Sean Burstyn, said the Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver is, in fact, vaccinated -- and does, in fact, have valid paperwork.

"Be like Antonio brown and get the vaccine," Rapoport says Burstyn told him.

Ruiz had told the Times that he had a text message exchange from Brown's girlfriend, Cydney Moreau, that helped prove the case against Brown.

In the messages, which Ruiz says were sent on July 2 -- less than a month before the Bucs opened training camp this summer -- Ruiz says Moreau told him Brown was searching for bogus cards.

"Can you get the covid cards," Ruiz claims Moreau said.

"I can try," Ruiz responded.

"JNJ shot," Ruiz said Moreau added. "Ab said he will give you $500."

Ruiz claims Brown was looking for a Johnson & Johnson version because it's just one shot -- and therefore would be less paperwork and much easier to sneak past NFL officials.

Ruiz says he was unable to get AB the card ... but he claims Brown was able to land fake ones for himself and Moreau a few weeks later nonetheless.

Ruiz says Brown actually showed him the fake papers ... and said Brown's trainer, Alex Guerrero, was the one who ultimately submitted AB's paperwork to the team (though Ruiz says he believes Guerrero did not know it was a fake).

It should be noted Ruiz has issues with Brown, with the chef claiming the two had a falling out over $10,000 that Ruiz says Brown never paid him.

Reps for the Bucs have yet to comment on the situation.

Brown, meanwhile, did miss Tampa's Week 3 game earlier this season due to COVID ... but recovered and played in the following three games before an ankle injury on Oct. 14 put him on the shelf.

Karl-Anthony Towns got a lot of dope gifts for his 26th birthday on Monday -- but none were more meaningful than this ...

TMZ Sports has learned that one of KAT's good buddies got him an amazing diamond pendant -- that's worth over $16,000 -- to honor his late mother, Jackie, for the special day.

We're told Chuck Anthony -- who's been one of Towns' best pals for years -- hit up Tim Da Jeweler to get a bday gift for the Timberwolves center earlier this year.

Chuck wanted to pay tribute to Towns' mom, who passed away in April 2020 due to complications from COVID-19.

Tim tells us he and Anthony worked closely together on the project -- saying they "wanted to make something that would have some sentimental value to Karl given that he had a really hard time dealing with his mother's passing."

The honorary bling came out PERFECT ... it features a 48.6 gram yellow/white gold "J' pendant that's infused with 7.78 carats of round/emerald VVS Color E/F diamonds.

There's also a custom, hand-painted red rose with green and blue designs to give it "some pop," according to Tim.

It also comes with a 14k solid two-tone yellow gold/white gold rosary style chain -- and we're told it all cost $16,700.

Rockmond Dunbar is OUT as an original cast member on "9-1-1" ... and it's all because of the TV show's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Rockmond, who plays Michael Grant on the FOX drama, saw his character suddenly written off in this week's episode.

Produced by Disney TV Studios 20th Television, the show reportedly requires all actors to be inoculated against the coronavirus ... and Rockmond was denied vaccine exemptions.

Rockmond explained his departure in a statement to Deadline, saying ... "I applied for religious and medical accommodations pursuant to the law and unfortunately was denied by my employer."

He adds ... "My sincerely held beliefs and private medical history are very intimate and personal aspects of my life that I do not publicly discuss and have no desire to start now."

Rockmond also told the outlet while he enjoyed his 5 seasons on "9-1-1" his acting gig comes second to his role as a husband and father to his 4 kids, and he's looking forward to what's next for him and wishing everyone on the show the best.

Keyshia Cole has lost another family member this year -- her adoptive father just passed away due to COVID-19 ... only months after her mom died.

The singer shared the news Monday, saying Leon Cole -- the only father she's ever known -- lost his battle with the virus. Her tribute to him is touching, as she highlighted his devotion to her throughout her childhood ... even though she wasn't his blood-born daughter.

Keyshia writes, "He made sure (Even tho he wasn’t my biological father) to keep a stable foundation and roof over all of our heads during our upbringing!!!!" KC went on to shout out the fact Leon worked hard to provide for his family -- while imparting valuable lessons on religion, values, relationships (with women, specifically) and duty.

She adds, "Seriously the most loving guy I’ve ever known. And he’s gonna be missed so much! I hate that this has happened !!! And that I’ve now lost two beautiful souls within a few months from each other."

The death of her father comes a few short months after her biological mother, Frankie, died from a drug overdose this past summer. She'd reconciled with her mom in recent years -- much of which was documented on TV.

As Keyshia alludes to here ... her parents gave her up for adoption at a young age, and the Coles took her in and raised her in Oakland, CA ... and got her into music as well.

Amazing news from Asia Durr -- the New York Liberty guard just announced that she got the green light to return to the court ... after missing two WNBA seasons due to COVID-related symptoms.

"I have been cleared to play basketball! Yeaaah! Let's go!!!" Durr said on her IG live on Monday.

Remember, Durr -- the #2 overall pick in the 2019 draft -- was diagnosed with COVID in June 2020 ... and was sidelined for the entire 2020 season.

And, she had serious health issues ... saying on HBO's "Real Sports" earlier this year she lost 32 pounds and major lung problems due to the virus.

The symptoms didn't go away and the 24-year-old also missed the entire 2021 season ... but after an extensive amount of testing, AD is officially good to go for 2022.

"I will be training every single day to play next year. I'm officially cleared to work out," Durr said.

"Man I remember when I was so sick, bro. I remember praying and asking God for this day like 'God, if I can just see one more if I can play again'. Literally."

Her prayers were answered ... and AD gives big credit to her family and fiancée, Ashley, for helping her get through it all -- getting tears in her eyes as she thanked them.

"God has really blessed me with a strong support system. I feel like if I didn't have them, I don't know where I would have been. I'm getting choked up talking about it, for real."

Several WNBA stars like Sabrina Ionescu congratulated Durr on her recovery -- as well as NBA star Donovan Mitchell, saying "YESSSSIRRRRRRR"

Durr was drafted by the NY Liberty in 2019 after four seasons with the Louisville Cardinals, where she was a 2-time ACC Player of the Year.

In the 2019 season, she averaged 9.7 points per game with a 46% shooting percentage.

Miles Teller feels a little bullied by Taylor Swift fans who called him out for shooting a music video with TS and allegedly risking her well-being by being unvaxxed ... but Miles is calling BS.

Miles had a starring role in Taylor's video, "I Bet You Think About Me," with Blake Lively behind the cam in her directorial debut. Swift's fans were apoplectic ... one saying, "Why are so many people happy that Miles Teller is in the music video when he is a selfish jerk that isn't vaccinated?" Another groused, "Why would Taylor use Miles Teller? Isn't that dude a big anti-vaxxer who caused a movie set to be shut down because he refused to get vaccinated and then got f***ing COVID?"

Miles decided to shut them all up, saying, "Hey guys, I don’t usually feel the need to address rumors on here but I am vaccinated and have been for a while. The only thing I’m anti is hate."

Rumors had surfaced back in September, when Teller was shooting "The Offer," a series about the making of "The Godfather." Production was shut down after someone tested positive for COVID, and several media outlets claimed it was Miles, citing a source on the set. Teller's publicist said the reports were bogus, but never addressed who caught the virus.

Mr. T seems to be going from the A-Team to the B-Team in this pandemic -- and "B" is for booster shot ... something the man says he's now happily been injected with.

The actor announced Saturday that he'd been inoculated anew with a new round of the vaccine -- taking to Twitter to write ... "I am Blessed and I am Thankful. I just got my Booster Vaccination shot. My arm is a little sore but no pain. I Pity Pain! Thanks again to all the Doctors and Nurses…"

He adds, "Even though I am fully vaccinated, I will still wear my mask and keep my distance, thank you. #SaturdayThoughts."

Now, there are two very different reactions to Mr. T coming out as pro-vaxx -- a good handful of folks are praising him, of course, and calling him a true inspiration and hero ... like he portrayed on screen for so many years (minus that one time from "Rocky III").

Even guys like Dan Rather are singing T's praises for putting out a good message.

Then again ... there are others responding far differently -- suggesting Mr. T is acting as a proxy for the U.S. government to push the vaccine, aka propaganda ... a term we've been seeing a lot lately from folks on the right, including politicians like Ted Cruz.

You'll remember ... Senator Cruz slammed Big Bird, of all people puppets, after the Sesame Street denizen announced he, too, had been vaccinated -- which ticked off Cruz to no end.

Ya can't be too cautious about COVID-19, even on your birthday ... and Anthony Davis had to remind Russell Westbrook that right before he almost blew all over his cake on Friday ... and the moment is hilarious!!

Brodie celebrated turning the big 3-3 at Lakers practice ... getting surprised with a delicious-looking cake in front of all his teammates right inside the gym.

Russ' teammates decided to have a little fun at his expense on his cake day ... 'cause as he went to go straight into blowing out his candles, he was abruptly stopped by AD.

"Whoa, whoa," Davis said. "COVID, COVID!!"

Russ was so damn excited to get right into the cake, he forgot all about the guys having to be extra safe ... so AD gets MVP for the day.

At first, Russ looked confused as to why everyone was tellin' him to pump the brakes ... but once he realized they were just giving him a hard time, he was able to crack a smile and laugh.

Worth noting -- the whole Lakers roster is fully vaxxed ... but hey, breakthrough cases happen!!

In the end, Westbrook used a much safer "backhand blowout" technique to extinguish his candles ... and the Lakers celebrated the California native.

Khloe Kardashian reappeared after her bout with COVID, and she definitely got noticed ... wearing a piece from her older sister's newest collab.

Khloe hit up JOEY restaurant in Woodland Hills for lunch, wearing a SKIMS X Fendi monogram jumpsuit. It's a head-to-toe type thing, and it accentuates everything! It's actually pretty bomb.

Khloe wearing Fendi is no accident ... big sister Kim has teamed up with Fendi for her SKIMS collection. As we reported, she made millions from the launch this week, including a million bucks in just the first minute the products were available.

Khloe's all smiles, but the family has drawn criticism for not pulling back after the Astroworld fiasco, given the controversy over Travis Scott's performance as the tragedy became apparent to people in the crowd.

Gene Simmons is going scorched earth on anyone who's still not vaccinated against COVID-19, and says he's sick of people using politics -- on the left AND the right -- as their rationale for remaining unvaccinated.

The KISS icon went on Talkshoplive's Rock 'N' Roll Channel Wednesday and went off about the lingering pandemic. Keep in mind, both Gene and KISS frontman Paul Stanley caught COVID earlier this year ... and one of the band's touring crew members died from it.

That's most likely why Gene has no patience for non-believers. He directly targeted folks who think "people died because they were fat or died because they smoked. No bitch, they died because they got COVID!!!"

And, in case anyone thought Simmons was getting political, he added, "The far left and the far right, they are both evil. They both spread all kinds of nonsense. Politics are the enemy."

Gene lamented the fact a lot of their European fans were unable to join the band for a recent KISS cruise vacation, but said those are the breaks when people don't wanna get the shot.