Health

Justin Bieber has been battling a serious virus, one that has left the right side of his face paralyzed ... and he'll need to take some time off to work on getting better.

The singer posted a video Friday explaining to fans why he's had to postpone several shows over the last week, explaining he's been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. Bieber says it's affected a nerve in his ear, causing the paralysis.

As visible in the video, Justin is unable to blink with one of his eyes, and can only smile with one side of his mouth.

While JB apologizes to fans for having to have missed the recent shows, he says the whole thing is "pretty serious" and that he'll need to take an undetermined amount of time off to work on getting healthy.

He says he's been doing facial exercises, and that with work, everything will get back to normal -- it's just not clear how long that'll take.

A Tampa Bay Lightning fan was sucker-punched in the jaw following an argument at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night ... and the blow was so violent, it knocked the man out cold.

The incident happened at around 10:50 PM, some minutes after the Rangers had lost to the Lightning at the famous venue.

According to the NYPD, a witness says the two men in the video were involved in a verbal dispute ... before the man in the red shirt reared back and threw his fist at the Lightning fan's face.

In the footage, captured by a bystander, you can see the punch landed flush -- and knocked the Tampa Bay supporter out cold.

Cops say a witness told them the puncher then attempted to flee the scene. When a witness tried to stop him, the suspect allegedly punched the witness in the face too.

Eventually, police arrived on the scene and arrested the puncher, who they ID'ed as 29-year-old James Anastasio. Cops say he was booked on multiple charges of assault, disorderly conduct and harassment.

The Lightning fan who was KO'd, meanwhile, reportedly woke up several minutes following the punch ... and is in stable condition.

Simiso Buthelezi's opponent has terrifyingly admitted he's having suicidal thoughts after the boxer tragically died following their fight last weekend.

Siphesihle Mntungwa made the troubling admission this week to Sowetan Live, a daily newspaper in South Africa, saying he's received threats and horrible messages accusing him of causing the 24-year-old's death during their sanctioned bout on Sunday.

"I came under heavy criticism and insults on social media platforms when Simiso was hospitalised," Mntungwa said, "it has taken another level now that he has passed away."

"I just can't take it anymore. One thing is left for me -- I am going to kill myself."

Mntungwa went on to say that he did not kill Simiso, nor was it his intention to end the fighter's life. Rather, the 27-year-old said he was just competing in a boxing match, focusing on winning the title so he could provide for his family financially.

"I did not kill Simiso," he said. "We may have been involved in a boxing fight but it was not a matter of life and death."

"All I wanted was to win the title, which maybe was going to help change my life and that of my family."

As we reported, Simiso became so disoriented during the 10th round of the contest with Mntungwa in South Africa that he began punching thin air -- forcing the referee to end the match.

Simiso, who collapsed in the ring following the scary scene, was rushed to the hospital ... but unfortunately, later died there.

Mntungwa's trainer, Mmeli Mkhize, said he's seeking professional help for Mntungwa following the fighter's disturbing admission to the outlet.

He added that the threats against Mntungwa have been so bad, they can't even pay their respects to Simiso out of concern for what people might try to do them there.

"We will not even be able to attend the funeral because we are scared," he said.

Great news for WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes -- the wrestler went under the knife to fix his torn pectoral ... and he's officially on the road to recovery.

Cody's wife, Brandi, shared the news on Twitter Thursday night ... revealing the 36-year old's injury was about as bad as it could get, but everything went well and he's looking forward to getting better.

"The doctor just repaired Cody's pectoral tendon which was torn completely off the bone," Brandi wrote. "Successful surgery. He is on the road to recovery now."

Rhodes reportedly went to see Dr. James Andrews, a renowned surgeon who specializes in dealing with wrestlers and athletes who injure themselves over the years.

Cody initially suffered a slight tear of his pec just days before his scheduled match with Seth Rollins at the "Hell in a Cell" Pay-Per-View.

However, he would suffer a full tear of the muscle -- which spread from his chest to his entire right arm -- while weight training, leaving his status for the event in question.

Rhodes gutted it out and competed -- defeating Rollins inside the relentless structure -- but he paid the price for it, as Seth continually targeted the injured area throughout the match ... as well as the following night on "Monday Night Raw."

WWE Superstars with Rhodes' same injury are typically sidelined anywhere from 3 to 5 months ... but Cody -- son of Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes -- is hoping to return before that timeframe.

JaMarcus Russell is opening up about his codeine use in college and the NFL ... saying he would drink lean to cope with injuries instead of taking painkillers.

Of course, the troubled history of Russell is well-known ... from his short venture with the Oakland Raiders (2007-2009) to being arrested in 2010 for possession of codeine syrup.

The 36-year-old says he first drank lean when he was just 14 -- when he accidentally grabbed it (thinking it was soda) from a cooler while hanging out with friends at a park in Mobile, Alabama.

"That was my first time drinking syrup," Russell said in the Players' Tribune. "Wasn’t the last time."

He added ... "Some syrup, for us, that’s like you might drink some wine or something. I’m not glorifying it, but back then, that was the cheapest way for them boys to sip on something. You grow up in poverty, you’re going to figure out a way to cope with it, you feel me?"

Russell says he eventually used codeine to deal with his pain in college ... days after injuring his shoulder in the 2005 SEC Championship Game.

"I was in so much pain that one morning I just said f*** it and took some drank with me to class," Russell said.

"Looked just like a soda from the cafeteria. I don’t know how the hell the teacher even found out, but somebody in class snitched on me."

Russell says LSU coaches found out about it and suspended him for the 2005 Peach Bowl.

"I ain’t no saint, but come on, man," he added. "They shoot your ass up with the strongest painkillers on earth just to get you out on the field. But, you’re drinking some cough syrup and now you’re a criminal?"

Russell says his drinking continued in the NFL ... claiming the team would hand out painkillers "like Skittles" ... but he preferred to do things on his own terms.

"Was I perfect? As a player? As a person? Hell no," Russell said. "I shouldn’t have been sippin’ like that, in the NFL. I should’ve stayed in better shape. I should’ve been more of a student of the game. I got to live with my mistakes. I’d do it 10 times differently today, if I was coming up in a different era."

The armed man who showed up at Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's house said he's having serious psychiatric issues, including thoughts of hurting people -- disturbing information he volunteered to police.

TMZ just obtained this 911 call from the Montgomery County Sheriff in Maryland. Nicholas Roske made the initial call, but hung up, and when the operator called him back, he said ... "I'm having thoughts. I've been having them for a long time. I'm from California. I came over here to act on them."

He then said he'd just flown there, took a taxi to Kavanaugh's home and admitted he had a gun with him ... which was unloaded and locked in a case inside his black suitcase.

Roske sounded extremely concerned about his own mental health, telling the operator he wasn't on drugs or alcohol, but said he needs "psychiatric help."

After copping to also having pepper spray and a knife in his luggage, he offers to step further away from the suitcase before police arrive. Roske said, "I want to be fully compliant. So, whatever they want me to do, I'll do."

After they arrested Roske, cops say he told them he was upset about the leaked Supreme Court opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade, as well as the mass shooting in Uvalde, TX. As it turns out, abortion rights protesters were also marching Wednesday outside Kavanaugh's house.

As we reported, the 26-year-old was booked for attempted murder. He told the operator he'd been hospitalized multiple times and has had suicidal thoughts, and that he'd located Justice Kavanaugh's home through an Internet search and cross-referencing a photo of the house.

George Thompson, one of the greatest players in the history of Marquette basketball, has died at 74 years old, the school announced on Wednesday night.

The university shared the sad news in a tweet ... saying Thompson passed away due to complications from diabetes.

"George made a tremendous impact, not only on the program, but the entire Milwaukee community after his arrival on campus," school officials said. "RIP Brute Force."

The Brooklyn native was a standout at Marquette from 1966 to 1969, playing under legendary coach Al McGuire. In 87 career games at the school, spanning three seasons, he averaged 20.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

He went on to be selected by the Boston Celtics in the 5th round of the 1969 NBA Draft ... but chose to start his pro career with the Pittsburgh Pipers of the American Basketball Association.

George spent 5 total seasons in the ABA -- playing for the Condors/Memphis Tams for 2 years -- before taking his talents to the NBA to play for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The 3-time ABA All-Star only played one season with the Bucks, but his iconic #24 jersey hangs in the rafters at Fiserv Forum thanks to his storied career at Marquette.

Thompson -- a member of Marquette's Hall of Fame -- was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.

Tom Brady's changed up his hairstyle yet again -- now choosing to dye it orange -- but, this time, the move is all for a great cause!!

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers partnered with the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation on Wednesday to throw a "Cut and Color for a Cure" event ... and Brady was front and center for the action.

At the event -- which allowed kids who are battling pediatric cancer to give hair makeovers to Bucs players in an effort to raise awareness and money for pediatric cancer research -- Brady sat down in a chair and let the youngsters go to town on his famous 'do.

The kids sprayed his hair front to back in orange -- the official color of the NPCF -- leaving the GOAT with a sweet new look.

Brady and the Bucs also donated a check for $117,000 to the org. at the function.

“The support of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in our fight to end childhood cancer is invaluable,” NPCF exec David Frazer said.

“The team’s continued commitment to assist kids facing a cancer diagnosis makes them so much more than a sports team -- they are truly heroes, rallying to create a better tomorrow for their young fans and supporters nationwide.”

ESPN anchor Sage Steele returned to work on Wednesday less than three weeks after she was struck in the face by a golf ball -- and she said on-air that she felt fortunate to still be alive.

Steele was hit at the PGA Championship on May 19 by an errant Jon Rahm drive ... and she explained during an episode of "SportsCenter" on Wednesday morning that she feared for her life after impact.

"One moment you're out on a course just innocently watching amazing golfers play out at a golf major," Steele said. "Next moment, you're on the ground. You're in pain with your entire life flashing before your eyes, scared to death, trying to comprehend what the hell just happened."

Steele thanked God on the show, and said that she feels like "the luckiest person in the world to still be here and be standing after that."

The 49-year-old also thanked her co-host, Matt Barrie, for all that he did out at the event and at the hospital to keep her calm.

Steele suffered undisclosed mouth injuries in the incident -- and shared a photo showing the golf ball caused her to bleed profusely.

She said she's spent countless hours with her dentist in wake of it all, and added there's still more work to be done on the road to recovery.

WWE star Cody Rhodes just showed off more of his gnarly pec injury ... and somehow, it looks even worse than it did when he wrestled Seth Rollins inside a "Hell in a Cell" match over the weekend.

In the photo Rhodes posted of the injury Wednesday morning, you can see the bruising from the torn muscle in his chest now extends all the way from his sternum down to his wrist.

It's pretty gruesome ... especially considering Rhodes also revealed on Tuesday night that it started out as simply a small bruise.

As we reported, Rhodes initially sustained the injury during weight training ... but was able to still wrestle Rollins on Sunday regardless.

In the match, Rhodes withstood multiple strikes to the injury, and eventually beat Rollins.

On Monday, around 24 hours after getting in the ring with Rollins, he was "attacked" by the superstar again on "Monday Night Raw", which put even more stress on the ailment.

Jim Seals -- one-half of the 70s hitmaking duo Seals and Crofts -- is dead after battling multiple health issues ... according to his family.

Jim's sister-in-law, Flo Seals, tells TMZ ... he died Monday evening at his home outside Nashville. She says Jim had several health issues, primarily with his kidneys and lungs, and had just gotten home from the hospital.

Flo says there was a nurse at the house, because they were going to begin hospice care for Jim. He was only home for a few hours before he passed away -- but his family was by his side.

Seals and Crofts are best known for their soft/yacht rock smash "Summer Breeze," but Jim and his musical partner Darrell "Dash" Crofts reeled off a huge string of hits in the 70s.

They also charted with classics like "Diamond Girl" and "Get Closer." They first split up in 1980, but reunited several times in later years, primarily to do live shows as yacht rock became a phenomenon.

They recorded their final album, "Traces," in 2004.

Jimmy's brother, Eddie Seals, tells us ... he was a good person and he was very close to his family. Eddie says, his music was the most important thing he gave to the world and that will be remembered forever.

Jim Seals was 80.

Tiger Woods is officially out of the U.S. Open ... the golf superstar just announced his surgically repaired leg is not in good enough shape to compete in the major tournament.

"My body needs more time to get stronger for major championship golf," Woods said in a tweet on Tuesday morning.

The 46-year-old, who badly injured his leg in a car accident in February 2021, had competed in both the Masters and the PGA Championship earlier this year. But, in both major tourneys, Woods' leg seemed to really bother him.

At the Masters in April, he performed well in the first two rounds, but struggled in the last two. At the PGA Championship in May, he labored around the course for three rounds before he eventually withdrew prior to the fourth round.

Tiger did say, though, he was hopeful he'd be able to get his body strong enough to compete in the last major of golf's calendar year -- The Open Championship -- which is slated to begin on July 14.

"I'm excited to get back out there soon!" Woods said.

Orangutans are known for being aggressive, especially with humans, but one animal was clearly pissed off ... and one guy learned just how strong the great apes really are.

Check out the video -- the guy gets too close to the cage -- and the orangutan quickly grabs him by the shirt, pulling him closer and closer, and possibly trying to bite the man.

From there, it's a tug of war between the ape and the man's friends ... and his friends are losing.

At one point, the animal grabs the man's leg, and he's totally horizontal ... the strength is incredible. Unclear exactly when and where the vid was taken, but supposedly the man was ok in the end.

As you might imagine, the insane video is sending social media into a frenzy. One user wrote, "Google people who have been attacked by apes. They are strong enough to rip you to pieces. And they go for your face and your hands first."

Greg LeMond -- a 3-time Tour de France champion -- just revealed he's been diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia ... a treatable form of cancer.

60-year-old LeMond -- who is considered one of the greatest cyclists ever -- said in a statement he was concerned about his health after weeks of fatigue ... so he went to see his doctor.

"Following a series of tests and a bone marrow biopsy, which was completed last week, I received my formal diagnosis last Friday," the cyclist revealed.

LeMond said the diagnosis was chronic myelogenous leukemia, a form of cancer that is non-life threatening and treatable -- and he starts treatment this week.

"I should be feeling better in a few weeks and for the near future," LeMond said.

"My daily schedule will be altered only a little and I have been told that in a few months, I should be in remission."

LeMond added, "I will keep everyone updated about my health and treatments in the months ahead but for now, I believe I couldn't be in better hands."

LeMond says he may not be able to attend the Tour de France in July ... but he's trying to arrange a way he can be there for his friends.

"I will look forward to returning to the Tour next summer!"

LeMond started his career in 1981 and won three Tour de France and two Road Race Championships -- the first American cyclist to win that race.

He is the first pro bicyclist to sign a million-dollar contract ... as well as the first to make the Sports Illustrated cover.

LeMond retired in 1994 and was inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in 1996.

Harvey Weinstein is blaming Chrysler for being relegated to a walker in recent years ... going after the vehicle manufacturer for what he says was a shoddy braking system in a new lawsuit.

The disgraced movie producer just filed suit against the car manufacturer, claiming that in August 2019 ... he was involved in a nasty wreck near Bedford, NY while riding in one of their Jeeps -- which he says the company provided so it could make an appearance in one of his films he was working on at the time. Unclear which flick it might've been.

Anyway, per the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Weinstein says he was driving the Jeep when he had to swerve to avoid hitting a deer on the road. Weinstein claims that when he attempted to miss the deer, the brake system failed him ... and sent the car rolling.

Weinstein says he was wearing his seatbelt but still suffered serious injuries and was "rendered paralyzed" as a result of the accident.

We'd been told back in late 2019 -- before HW went to trial, and was eventually convicted -- that the reason he was in a walker now and needed back surgery was because of some car accident he'd been in that summer ... and now, we know what exactly that incident is.

Weinstein was accused of playing sick and frail for the cameras -- but according to his suit here, he's anything but ... the man insists he got this way directly because of the Jeep's defects. So now ... he's suing and wants at least $5 million in damages.

Alec John Such, the original bassist for Bon Jovi, knew something was wrong in the hours leading up to his death, asking a friend for help in the middle of the night, TMZ has learned.

It was around 2:15 AM Saturday when Alec woke up at his South Carolina home to use the bathroom. On his way back to bed, Alec called out to a friend who was staying with him, the friend helped Alec get back into bed and then left the room, when the friend came back later to check on John, he was dead ... according to Tamara Willard, Chief Deputy Coroner for Horry County.

We're told EMS was called to the scene and performed life-saving measures but couldn't revive Alec. It's believed he died of natural causes ... no accident or foul play is suspected.

As we've reported, Jon Bon Jovi announced the tragic news Sunday ... saying he was heartbroken about Such's passing. As Jon noted, Alec was largely responsible for Bon Jovi coming together in the first place and introducing everyone from the very beginning.

Alec played with the band from 1983 through 1994, including their heyday. And, of course ... he contributed to many of their big hits. He ended up leaving BJ in the '90s, but rejoined them for their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.