Health

Scary moment for Olympic gold medalist Sofia Goggia ... the alpine skier banged her head and busted her leg during a violent crash at the World Cup on Sunday -- just weeks before she's supposed to defend her title at the winter games in Beijing.

Luckily for Goggia, the injuries aren't catastrophic.

The frightening incident was caught on video ... showing the 29-year-old going full speed downhill at the Cortina d'Ampezzo Super-G event.

Everything appeared normal until the Italian skier lost control on a turn ... sending Goggia flying through the air.

Goggia -- who was wearing a helmet -- eventually landed and slid headfirst down the mountain before finally coming to a complete stop.

It looked very bad ... but thankfully, the Italian Ski Federation announced she suffered a left knee strain, a partial tear in her cruciate ligament and a small fibula fracture.

Goggia's rehabilitation will start on Monday as she's determined to defend her downhill gold medal title at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing ... which happens on Feb. 15.

"It's a shame that this injury comes in a very important moment of the season," Goggia said, "but in the next few hours I'll start the physio treatment so I can try to defend my title in the discipline I love the most."

Peloton can’t catch a break -- because another TV character had a major health scare on one of their machines.

The fitness company is once again defending itself and clarifying the difference between reality and fiction ... this in the wake of a guy on the show "Billions" having a heart attack while riding a Peloton bike.

The new episode of the Showtime series aired Sunday, and it shows a character -- David Costabile’s Mike Wagner -- caving in on himself during a Peloton ride ... eerily similar to what happened to Chris Noth’s character for the series premiere of “And Just Like That...”

The difference now ... Costabile survives the ordeal onscreen, but Peloton is still in damage control anew -- issuing a statement to assure any current and would-be customers that ... their equipment is safe, and they’re not signing off on their brand being used to knock people off in scripts.

Peloton writes, “We get TV shows want to include @onepeloton to get people talking, but to be clear, we did *not* agree for our brand or IP to be used on @SHO_Billions or provide any equipment.”

They add, “As the show itself points out, cardiovascular exercise helps people lead long, happy lives.”

Of course, this is giving folks deja vu all over again following last month’s Peloton PR crisis -- when they had to scramble to address Mr. Big’s shocking death on ‘AJLT’ ... which they cleverly did, at first, with a funny ad in response that featured the deceased character.

Soon after, though, Noth got accused of sexual assault by a handful of women -- and Peloton yanked the ad altogether, fighting off a fresh round of bad press.

Bill Maher's show Friday night has stirred up a hornet's nest of controversy, after journalist and author Bari Weiss explained why she's "over COVID," and how current restrictions represent a "moral crime."

Weiss and Maher railed on COVID restrictions ... talking about the nonsensical restrictions in restaurants ... you can eat and talk and laugh with others maskless, but when you walk to the bathroom you have to wear a mask.

She also maintained liberals are with her, but are afraid to speak out for fear their critics will label them anti-vaxxers and Trumpers.

Some doctors have lashed out at Weiss, calling her irresponsible and uninformed, noting thousands of people are still dying from COVID.

There are some doctors who have been more sympathetic to Weiss' argument, saying you can follow the science and at the same time weigh the science against the risks of isolation and other restrictions ... especially when it comes to in-class learning.

Elon Musk seems ready to start putting microchips in people's brains, 'cause his company aiming to do just that is hiring ... wanting someone who can head up clinical trials. 👀

The richest man on earth has a company called Neuralink, which aims to treat people with neurological diseases and afflictions -- like paralysis -- and get them moving again ... or more specifically, help them move things with nothing but the power of their minds.

It's a fascinating field, and Neuralink is trying to break through here with tech that'll go right into folks' craniums ... which they seem to be getting closer to now, as the company is currently hiring for a Clinical Trial Director ... one who'll presumably be working on humans.

Up until now, Neuralink's brain chip studies have been limited to monkeys and pigs -- and based on results they've shown off, it seems to be as magical as it is hyped.

Take this macaque, for example, which Neuralink says got one of their chips implanted. In the video, it looks like the primate is using a joystick to play a video game that tests hand-eye coordination -- but soon you realize, it's doing it all with its mind ... 'cause the control stick isn't connected to anything. It's simply there to act as fake-out for the animal.

That's what Elon and co. wanna do for humans who've lost function in their hands or legs -- based on their vision, those people will be able to control electronics (like phones and such) with nothing but a thought, and at lightning quick speed too. They've even talked about being able to download memories ... not just in your noggin, but like ... into robots and stuff.

The possibilities, they say, are endless.

Now, this was all teased a couple years back, but now that Neuralink is actively hiring for a Clinical Trial Director and Coordinator -- it appears they're on track for Elon's timeline ... the guy said he wanted to get chips into real-life noodles by sometime this year.

You can read the listings for yourself to see who exactly they're looking for -- but it's obvious they're taking this mission seriously ... and want the best and the brightest working on it.

Regina King's only son has tragically died.

Ian Alexander Jr. took his own life Wednesday, according to law enforcement, the day he turned 26.

Ian is the son of Ian Alexander Sr., who married Regina in 1997. They were together 10 years before divorcing.

Regina said, "Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian. He is such a bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others. Our family asks for respectful consideration during this private time. Thank you."

Regina and her son would sometimes walk the red carpet together for events and it was apparent how proud she was of him.

As for tributes ... they are cascading in ... "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Garcelle Beauvais said, "My heart breaks for you @ReginaKing Ian was sweet & kind."

Marc Lamont Hill echoed that ... "Sending all of my love and condolences to Regina King. I pray that she's surrounded by love and healing energy."

Ian once said of Regina, "She's just a super mom. She doesn't really let bad workdays or anything come back and ruin the time that we have. It's really awesome to have a mother who I can enjoy spending time with."

When Regina turned 50 in 2021, Ian posted this on Instagram ... "Happy birthday to my co, so extremely proud of you and inspired by your love, artistry and gangsta. To be able to watch you take this lifetime by its neck and make it yours is something i will forever be grateful for. But to have you as my mother is the greatest gift I could ask for. To be all that you are while always having the time to be there, love and support me unconditionally is truly remarkable. The whole marvel universe ain't got s*** on you, your the real superhero! Love you mom! This day and everyday YO DAY!!"

And ... just a couple of months before he died, Ian posted a throwback pic of him, his mom and a friend, with the caption ... "My joys 🥰."

Ian was 26.

Mark Cuban is offering the general public a way to get the healthcare they need at a truly affordable price ... and all it took was a little less corporate greed. Whodathunkit?!?

The Mavs owner/entrepreneur just launched an online pharmacy that sounds too good to be true -- providing more than 100 common generic drugs ... practically at cost. In other words, the medications are significantly cheaper than most anywhere else on the marketplace.

It's called the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs Company, and it operates as a prescription drug wholesaler ... buying these meds directly from manufacturers, and doesn't gratuitously price hike upon reselling them on his site ... unlike a lot of other pharmaceutical companies.

Now, Mark and co. don't wanna fool anyone -- they are turning a bit of a profit in their endeavor here ... acknowledging upfront there's a 15% markup on their drugs, plus a small pharmacist fee of $3 (and slight shipping costs too). Plus, you gotta pay for their drugs out of pocket.

Still ... it ultimately comes out to a smaller price tag than what you may pay otherwise through your insurance copay or by other means (coupons) at just about any other pill depot.

Also, MC's markup isn't anywhere near the usual 100% (or oftentimes way more) gouging you'll see elsewhere on the market. An example ... imatinib -- a common leukemia treatment -- is being offered through MCCPDC for just $47/mo. ... whereas it normally retails for nearly $10k/mo.

And, get this ... Mark's price is still cheaper than the cheapest option already out there ($120/mo.), so you actually are getting the best deal. Ditto for mesalamine (an ulcerative colitis treatment) and colchicine (gout) ... among dozens and dozens of other generic drugs.

Mark's business model is being as "radically transparent" as possible ... to help as many people as possible, so it's truly a humanitarian effort in spirit.

Don't worry if your medication isn't available on their site just yet either -- Mark says they're working quickly to add a lot more, and are gearing up for the opening of a plant in Dallas to help make this operation run even more smoothly. On its face ... this is pretty incredible.

The MLB season is in jeopardy due to a lockout, but Aaron Boone clearly ain't ready to sweat about it all just yet ...

TMZ Sports got the New York Yankees manager out at LAX this week ... and he didn't seem to be too concerned about the contentious negotiations that are currently going down between team owners and the players association.

Boone was in great spirits ... and when we asked if he had any advice for the players going through the lockout, he said calmly, "Nah. They'll figure it out."

Of course, there are others around the league that are far more concerned than Boone ... given that baseball's been in a work stoppage for nearly two months.

Owners and players are trying to come to a common ground on a new collective bargaining agreement ... but significant strides toward a final deal have yet to be seen.

And, with spring training set for next month -- and the start of the season scheduled for March -- there's a lot of hand wringing going down.

Joe Biden took a subtle jab at Aaron Rodgers over his COVID vaccine stance in December ... and now the NFL star is finally swinging back -- wondering out loud how the guy got votes.

If you missed it, while Biden was touring a tornado-ravaged part of Kentucky, he whispered to a woman in a Green Bay Packers cap and shirt, "Tell that quarterback he's gotta get the vaccine."

The interaction was captured on camera ... and when Rodgers was finally asked about it as part of a lengthy interview with ESPN this week -- he said he was pissed.

Then, he took his own jabs at POTUS.

"When the president of the United States says, 'This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated,' it's because him and his constituents, which, I don't know how there are any if you watch any of his attempts at public speaking, but I guess he got 81 million votes," Rodgers said.

"But when you say stuff like that, and then you have the CDC, which, how do you even trust them, but then they come out and talk about 75% of the COVID deaths have at least four comorbidities."

Rodgers continued, "And you still have this fake White House set saying that this is the pandemic of the unvaccinated, that's not helping the conversation."

As we previously reported, Rodgers has been extremely vocal about his vaccine status in the last few months ... famously explaining he's not vaccinated because he says he's allergic to the Pfizer and Moderna shots, and just doesn't want the Johnson & Johnson version.

Steroids contributed to the shocking and sudden death of bodybuilder George Peterson ... autopsy results, obtained by TMZ Sports, revealed.

In the documents, officials say Peterson died due to "sudden cardiac dysrhythmia due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease." They note in the docs that "anabolic steroid use" was a contributing factor.

Officials ruled the manner of death as "natural."

He was just 37 years old.

As we previously reported, Peterson -- aka "Da Bull" -- was found dead in October in Orlando ... just before he was set to compete in a top bodybuilding competition.

His coach and close friend Justin Miller said at the time Peterson was in great spirits just before his death, saying the bodybuilder was pumped for the show.

But, tragically, Miller said he found Peterson face down on the floor of his hotel room before the bodybuilder was able to compete. Medical personnel was unable to save him, Miller said.

Peterson was a star on the bodybuilding circuit ... he won the Classic Physique competition at the 2019 Arnold Classic and competed in the Olympia four times.

Iconic comedian Louie Anderson has died, after a battle with blood cancer ... TMZ has learned.

As we previously reported, Anderson had been battling this aggressive cancer. And, while it's not clear when he was diagnosed, the "Coming to America" star was recently being treated for Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in a Vegas hospital.

Unfortunately, he lost that battle Friday morning ... according to his publicist.

Throughout his career of over 30 years, the 3-time Emmy Award winner became known as one of America's most beloved comics ... He was named “One of 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians of All Time” by Comedy Central.

Louie made his network debut as a stand-up comedian on "The Tonight Show" back in 1984. And since then, he has become a household name, acting in lots of TV shows and movies ... like "Baskets" and "Coming to America" to name a few.

Louie also made a name for himself, by touring and doing his own specials and sitcoms. He was shown to turn the ups and downs of his childhood into laughter.

Just last year, Anderson made headlines when he opened up about his weight loss journey and losing 30 to 40 pounds during the pandemic ... which, he says was a result of intermittent fasting.

Louie continued to tour worldwide before being hospitalized ... doing what he does best, making others laugh. His legacy will surely live on.

He was 68.

Criss Angel could simply be celebrating his son's cancer going into remission, but instead, he wants to help other families feel the same hope and joy -- and he believes sharing Johnny's story is the best way to do that.

The famed illusionist got the great news Monday about 7-year-old Johnny, whose remission comes after he was first diagnosed at just 20-months-old. Criss captured much of his son's brave battle on camera, and joined us on "TMZ live" to talk about their new documentary "1095."

Criss tells us the 13-minute film documents the trials and tribulations his family faced with pediatric cancer ... and he knows it mirrors the experiences of so many other families. He says that's why he wants to use his platform to help people who are struggling but don't have the resources to raise awareness about this form of cancer.

Criss couldn't hold back tears as he admitted the ordeal has made him a different person. While he's still the same crazy guy onstage ... offstage he's focused on helping others in this dire situation.

After several streaming platforms rejected "1095" -- which is the number of days of chemo Johnny endured -- Criss simply posted it on his YouTube channel ... and we've included it above as well, so pass it on.

Jon Moxley's AEW return was off to a piping-hot start on Wednesday -- 'cause the wrestling star clapped back at a heckler while in the ring ... telling the guy to "go f*** yourself."

ON LIVE TV!!!

Moxley made his highly-anticipated comeback to the squared circle on 'Dynamite' after stepping away to address his alcohol abuse ... and one guy clearly took issue with his appearance.

As Jon began speaking ... a fan is heard shouting something like "get the trash out the ring" and booing during Moxley's speech.

Moxley -- formerly known as Dean Ambrose -- responded in vintage fashion, saying, "Aye, go f*** yourself. Get that guy outta here."

Of course, his response should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with his fiery personality ... and his brash, but honest, style of delivery.

Unclear who the man was, or even if the whole thing was scripted ... but either way, Moxley wasn't having it and let that guy know about it.

"Well, he ain't change much," legendary announcer Jim Ross said on the broadcast.

The crowd absolutely ate it up ... cheering on Moxley and giving him a round of applause for going after the heckler.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time we've seen wrestling fans shout out stuff at an AEW event -- a fan previously yelled a homophobic slur at AEW star Anthony Bowens. Luckily, in this instance ... the fan's outburst wasn't as serious as that time.

Malik McDowell's high school football coach says the NFL player told him he "doesn't remember" a single thing from his naked altercation with cops on Monday.

"He said he doesn't remember anything," Reggie Wynns told cleveland.com on Wednesday, just hours after McDowell was released from jail.

"He doesn't remember nothing."

Wynns, who coached McDowell at Southfield H.S. in Michigan and later went on to be a mentor for the football player, said he spoke with McDowell shortly after he was arrested following the incident with officers in Deerfield Beach, FL.

Wynns said in their conversation, McDowell got "so emotional" over the arrest.

"I don't know if someone laced him or what," Wynns said. "I don't know. That's not him at all. All I'm hoping is that when they test him, they figure out that he had been drugged."

As we reported, shortly after a trip to the gym on Monday morning, McDowell stripped down at his hotel and roamed the streets near a children's learning center completely naked.

Video from the scene, shot by a bystander, shows when the 25-year-old was confronted by cops, he charged at one of them and appeared to throw punches.

Cops say they eventually tasered McDowell and arrested him ... and later booked him on three charges.

McDowell, who started 14 games for the Cleveland Browns this season without incident, has yet to publicly comment on the situation.

Cleveland Browns star Malik McDowell got all pumped up -- during a fairly uneventful workout at a Florida gym -- shortly before he was arrested for being completely naked in public and attacking a cop.

TMZ Sports obtained surveillance videos recorded Monday at the gym in Deerfield Beach, FL ... where the 6'6", 290 lb. D-lineman is seen walking around, hugging friends and all in all ... just acting completely normal.

People close to McDowell tell us ... after the gym, he walked next door to the hotel where he was staying, and took a shower -- and we're told he never got dressed after that. Instead, he walked out of his room stark naked, started walking down the street and even laid down in the middle of the road, at one point.

He particularly set off a panic because he happened to be near an elementary school, which went into lockdown. When cops arrived on the scene, McDowell allegedly punched a cop several times before he was subdued and taken into custody.

McDowell's demeanor in the gym stands in stark contrast to what happened an hour later ... and seems to point to him having some sort of mental health episode. It's worth noting, Malik suffered serious head trauma in an ATV accident back in 2017 -- which could, obviously, be exacerbated by his NFL career.

Cops have not said anything about McDowell being impaired or under the influence. Broward County Sheriff's Dept. tells TMZ Sports ... "Appropriate tests were conducted. Detectives continue to investigate circumstances surrounding the incident."

A woman frantically hurried kids into lockdown while NFL player Malik McDowell was roaming naked nearby ... new 911 audio, obtained by TMZ Sports, reveals.

In a call to dispatch ... a female can be heard on the line saying a man -- later identified as Cleveland Browns defensive lineman McDowell -- was "naked walking the premises" in Deerfield Beach, Fla.

The call is redacted, so it's unclear where the woman exactly is, but it seems she's calling from the school that cops say McDowell had walked near before his arrest on Monday afternoon.

"You're going to go into lockdown," the woman can be heard saying on the call. "You're going to have to take these kids into the bathroom, OK? Yes. One-by-one."

The woman then told dispatch McDowell was "out front."

"He's just walking up and down in front of the building," she added ... "He's completely naked."

At another point during the call, the woman can be heard again appearing to rush kids into lockdown, saying, "Whitney, help them get into their safe places!"

Two other callers, meanwhile, urged dispatch to get cops out to the scene ASAP ... describing McDowell as fully nude.

As we reported, cops say they were able to eventually tase McDowell at the scene and take him into custody. In video of the arrest, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see McDowell was completely naked while interacting with cops.

McDowell was ultimately booked on charges of aggravated battery on an officer, resisting and exposing sex organs in public.

The Browns released a statement on the arrest on Tuesday, saying, "We are aware of the very concerning incident and arrest involving Malik McDowell and are in the process of gathering more information."

"We understand the severity of this matter and our thoughts are for the well-being of all involved. … No further comment at this time."

Michigan has agreed to a $490 million settlement with more than a thousand accusers who claim former sports doctor Robert Anderson sexually assaulted them at the school ... the university confirmed Wednesday.

Anderson -- who worked at the university from 1966 until his 2003 -- was accused of fondling and raping athletes over his decades-long career under the guise of "medical treatment."

Anderson served as head of University Health Service ... and was the team physician for the UM Athletic Dept. He retired from the university in 2003 and died in 2008.

Over the course of the past 2 years, many athletes and other students have come forward with their stories ... and an independent investigation determined the university failed to act on the claims during Anderson's time at Michigan.

Attorney Parker Stinar -- who represented many accusers -- spoke out on the settlement, saying, "I am proud to announce that a settlement was reached with the 1,050 survivors of Robert Anderson and the University of Michigan."

"It has been a long and challenging journey, and I believe this settlement will provide justice and healing for the many brave men and women who refused to be silenced."