Health

Tua Tagovailoa doesn't seem to be too concerned at all about the potential of CTE down the road following his scary head injury last month ... saying Tuesday that docs have told him he should be fine.

The Dolphins quarterback made the surprising revelation in a meeting with reporters just minutes ago ... claiming multiple experts have said to him his risk of developing CTE in the future is low -- despite the gruesome nature of the hit he suffered against the Bengals back on Sept. 29.

Tagovailoa, who also appeared to be hit in the head just four days prior against the Buffalo Bills, explained that he was told that since he plays the quarterback position ... he should be all right moving forward.

"There's not necessarily as much long-term risk to, say -- let's say guys get about six concussions," he said. "Well, those guys that only have six concussions that are playing the position that I'm playing, where we don't hit as much are less susceptible to getting CTE later on in their years than someone who's playing a position where they're constantly taking hits or blows to the head, which would be O-line, D-line, linebackers."

"And that's kind of some of the information that I've been given from a lot of these doctors that are the best of the best in their field."

In other words, Tua is under the impression that even if he sustains a few more serious head injuries ... he'll be fine because his brain is not under consistent siege on the field.

Of course, the most famous concussion expert ever, Dr. Bennet Omalu, couldn't disagree more ... telling TMZ Sports earlier this month that he thinks Tua "suffered severe, long-term permanent brain damage" from the hit.

Here's more proof fighters are insane.

Bare-knuckle boxer Nathan Decastro shared several gruesome photos of his face, which was absolutely smashed during a recent bout in London, and Nathan's pissed ... but not because he was hurt. He's livid the doctor stopped the fight, suspecting a broken orbital bone.

Decastro -- who holds a Bare Knuckle Boxing record of 2-1 -- ate several shots to his left eye during his fight against Lorawnt-t Nelson at the BYB 12 London Brawl event on Oct. 16.

The blows caused the 31-year-old's eye to swell up like a balloon ... and caused the ringside physician to call the fight at the end of the 3rd round.

The super middleweight fighter was furious Nelson took home the win ... and Decastro expressed his frustrations the next day with photos of his bloody injury, saying "I am f***ing devastated."

"I never complain. I just get on with each and every fight!" Decastro said on social media.

"That said the ref was poor I’ll not get into that as everyone can see it for themselves!"

"The doctor stopped the fight in the corner after the 3rd round because of my eye a suspected broken orbital which absolutely broke my heart."

Decastro -- a former British champion -- says he begged officials to let the fight continue (he believes he was winning the fight, despite the damage to his face), but to no avail, the fight was called off.

"I'm willing to go to the death," Decastro said, "but they stopped it against my will I begged to carry on, I would of win the fight but it was taken out of my hands!"

Deion Sanders gave patients at a Mississippi children's hospital an uplifting surprise Tuesday ... visiting them -- and then showering them with very cool gifts.

The JSU head football coach and NFL legend joined Aflac U.S. Deputy President Virgil Miller for the morning ... and the duo unloaded a gaggle of "My Special Aflac Ducks" to kids in need at the Children's of Mississippi Hospital in Jackson.

The ducks are robots designed by Aflac to help provide emotional support to pediatric cancer patients above the age of 3 years old ... and they're awesome, allowing kids to play doctor while they go through grueling medical treatments.

Prime and Virgil handed out the presents one by one ... and took pictures with the kids as well.

And, judging by all the smiles, it was a much-needed pick-me-up.

Deion has given back to the community repeatedly since taking the gig at JSU ... and he's ramping up the efforts this week as a part of the school's Homecoming weekend.

Selma Blair is saying farewell to "Dancing with the Stars" ... but rocked the ballroom one more time, as she departs due to growing health concerns and her latest MRIs.

Selma made a tearful exit Monday night, when she performed for the final time with her dance partner Sasha Farber, and she had the whole crowd on its feet.

You'll recall, she opened up about her multiple sclerosis diagnosis back in 2018, yet she battled through the pain to compete for several weeks. Selma's now making it clear her body had reached its limit ... and that became clear after a recent test.

During rehearsals, she said ... "I had MRIs and the results came back, and it all adds up to, I can't go on with the competition." She was not specific about an injury or what part of her body required the MRI.

Selma continued, "I've pushed as far as I could. With a chronic illness, you do have special considerations, and my body has taken a hit. It's way too much for the safety of my bones. I could do extensive damage that I, of course, do not want."

We talked to SB a few years ago about her diagnosis, and she said she had been doing much better than it seemed at that time.

Selma closed out her impressive run with Sasha, as they danced to "What the World Needs Now Is Love."

YK Osiris isn't denying he broke down over no longer being in communication with Drake and Lil Baby -- but the "Worth It" singer says there's more to those tears than meets the eye.

YK clarified his emotions Monday ... saying he was actually crying for the fans and onlookers who also feel alone in the world -- which is an admission he's feeling lonely, and possibly also underappreciated.

In the new post, YK says he dishes out mounds of love to peers and people he admires, only to get nada in return and it's ripping him apart.

The good news is YK's ripping a page from the Rev. Al Green's playbook ... 'cause he's looking to represent peace, love and happiness, and he says not even the Devil can take him down.

It was a sharp departure from Sunday when YK was on IG Live addressing fans who kept likening him to celebrity associates such as Drake and Baby.

YK revealed he doesn't have many celeb friends left, and says neither of those superstars acknowledge his existence anymore.

The reality is YK's tearful post probably alarmed a lot of fans as it came the week after Ray J posted himself on a ledge with captions about possibly jumping. Just a few days later, his sister Brandy was admitted to the hospital for a possible stroke.

So yeah, all sorts of artists are under pressure these days.

Thomas Markle insists he's too old and frail to pose any threat to famed paparazzo Jeff Rayner that would necessitate a restraining order ... but Jeff says he still needs the protection because he thinks Thomas has nothing to lose.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Thomas is asking a judge to terminate the 2-year restraining order put in place last month ... claiming Jeff is harassing him by, among other things, claiming Jeff lied about him having a gun.

In his request, Thomas writes ... "I am no threat to anyone because I'm 78 years old" ... adding he's had "2 heart attacks, one stroke, and have a cane for walking."

Jeff fired back in his own legal docs ... saying Markle's age and poor health are the exact reasons why he's still worried -- simply put, he thinks Markle has nothing to lose because his time is running out anyway.

He points to Markle's OG threat which read, "If they tell me I've got terminal cancer, then I'll kill [Jeff] because I have nothing to lose."

Shawn Mendes is stopping to smell the roses lately -- which seems to be paying dividends, 'cause the dude's looking swole and refreshed as he continues to focus on his mental health.

The singer was out Sunday at a farmers market in L.A., where he stopped off for a little greenery. Looks like he sampled the options -- taking a big whiff of multi-colored flowers, but ultimately choosing what appears to be eucalyptus wrapped up and ready to go.

Unclear who exactly these might be for ... but at any rate, Shawn was happy to flex that he's a plant dad. Emphasis on flex -- indeed, the guy was showing off the fact he's yoked.

SM's been out and about a lot over the past few weeks ... and like we said, it looks like this break from touring that he's on is working out for him. Shawn appears pretty happy these days, focusing on himself and, of course, promo'ing his new movie ... "Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile."

The hiatus from performing doesn't mean he's not thinking about music though -- on the contrary, Shawn's still proving he's got a song in his heart. He's been doing some acoustic stuff at home and posting on the Gram for his fans ... and yeah, the dude's still got it.

Emmanuel the Emu -- a viral sensation from earlier this year -- is near death's door after the bird flu has spread throughout his farm ... killing off a lot of the owners' other animals.

Taylor Blake shared the sad news Saturday, saying their business -- Knuckle Bump Farms -- has been hit hard by avian influenza ... this after a pack of wild geese have flown onto their property consistently of late -- leaving behind deadly strains of the flu that has taken its toll.

Blake says they've lost 99% of their domesticated birds -- including all of their ducks, geese and chickens ... not to mentions some of their emus, including Emily, Eliza and Elliot.

Now, it sounds like only Emmanuel and another emu named Rico are left alive -- but TB says Emmanuel is on the mend right now after unexpectedly going down on Wednesday ... apparently a result of catching the bird flu that's running rampant on their farm.

Blake says she's been tending to him around the clock and that Emmanuel is fighting to stay alive. While she's devastated over the loss of their other animals ... she says she's grateful to still have Emmanuel, and believes he'll make a full recovery -- despite some nerve damage.

She explains ... "It seems like I haven’t been able to catch a break these past few months, but I am so incredibly blessed. I have so much gratitude in my heart that Emmanuel is still alive. That he is fighting. That my best friend is making a comeback. I am going to be ok, we are going to be ok!"

Blake says she's working through getting Emmanuel back to 100% with physical therapy, and is asking the public for prayers, as well as help on tips in regards to big bird PT.

Dikembe Mutombo has been diagnosed with a brain tumor ... and the 56-year-old Hall of Famer is receiving treatment in Atlanta, the NBA announced Saturday.

“NBA Global Ambassador and Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo is currently undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. He is receiving the best care possible from a collaborative team of specialists in Atlanta and is in great spirits as he begins treatment."

The statement continued ... "Dikembe and his family ask for privacy during this time so they can focus on his care. They are grateful for your prayers and good wishes.”

The family has not released any further information.

Mutombo played 18 seasons in the league ... spending mostly with the Nuggets, Rockets and Hawks. He also played with the Knicks and Nets in shorter stints. Dikembe was a 4x Defensive Player of the Year and made 8 All-Star teams.

Dikembe was inducted into the Naismith Basketball HOF in 2015.

Aside from being one of the most dominant defensive players in NBA history, Dikembe is one of the most philanthropic athletes of his generation.

Mutombo has opened hospitals and schools in Africa, and even welcomed U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken to the Congo this summer.

Kirk Gibson says he knows firsthand how special Barry Bonds was during his playing days ... and he tells TMZ Sports the guy should be recognized for all his accomplishments -- even if it's not the popular opinion.

We spoke with the MLB great at LAX this week ... and asked about Aaron Judge's 62-home run season and whether he's the REAL single-season king, considering every player above him on the record list is allegedly tied to PEDs.

Gibson heaped a ton of praise on Judge ... but as for whether guys like Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire should lose recognition due to their alleged ties to steroids, he's against the notion.

"People go down different roads in different ways," the Dodgers legend said. "I've played with Barry. You gonna tell me the guy didn't accomplish anything?" Gibson asked.

Gibson and Bonds were teammates on the Pirates in 1992 -- and he said that 20 years from now, it might be popular to say Barry didn't accomplish anything.

"It's the thought of the day, 'Barry's was no good, he did this, that and McGwire did this and Sosa did this.'"

"How do you know what anybody does?" Gibson said.

We asked Gibson, a former Silver Slugger Award winner, if this 2022 Dodgers team that won 111 games during the regular season is the best in the franchise's rich history.

"They're pretty incredible," said Gibson, who hit the iconic walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. "They've had one heck of a run. This is maybe the best team to win."

Gibson won two World Series titles during his 17-year career ... and has always had a vested interest in the team's success.

So we had to talk about Craig Kimbrel, who was left off the Dodgers' NLDS roster ... and he tells us the flame-throwing righty will be fine once his confidence is restored.

"How many times has he succeeded?" Gibson asked. "Has he failed more than he's succeeded? That's why he's the closer."

"He's succeeded so much. He has to instill that feeling within himself. He'll be ready."

Finally, Kirk tells us about a man with one leg who will run a 26.2-mile marathon on two crutches to support his Kirk Gibson Foundation, which helps people with Parkinson's disease.

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.

Kim Kardashian has been through the ups and downs of Kanye West's mental health episodes over the years, and while she's stepped in to help in the past ... this time is different.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us Kim has totally removed herself from the situation with Kanye ... and hasn't spoken directly to him in weeks. We're told in times past, even when Kim and her family were the targets of his attacks -- she'd be there to help him until he was mentally sound again.

We've spoken to sources close to Kanye who tell us they wish Kim was still in the picture to step in, but it just ain't happening. Our sources say there's concern Kanye could lose a lot of money while everything seems to fall around him, but there's no safety net.

Sources connected to the estranged couple tell us Kanye has made attempts to reach out, but Kim won't answer ... instead focusing her attention on their kids.

As we reported, Kanye showed up to North's basketball game last week wearing a 'White Lives Matter' shirt. Eyewitnesses tell us not only did Kim not speak to Kanye, she refused to look in his direction, and had her car moved in the parking lot in order to avoid any communication.

David Schumacher -- the nephew of racing icon Michael Schumacher -- suffered a broken spine during a terrifying crash in Germany, his family announced on Thursday.

The scene was tough to watch -- David's Mercedes-AMG GT3 crashed during the final round of the 2022 DTM season at Hockenheim ... after his car crashed into fellow racer Thomas Preining as the two were battling for seventh into Turn 8.

Ralf Schumacher, David's father, shared the update with German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) ... saying his son has to wear a corset due to the accident but won't require surgery.

"When David came home, he was still complaining of back pain," Ralf Schumacher told the outlet. "We then decided to go to a hospital in Salzburg to have an MRI done."

David will be sidelined for at least six weeks.

The crash sparked a chain reaction -- causing Ricardo Feller to hit the back of Dennis Olsen's Porsche ... and prompting officials to red-flag the session.

David was taken to the hospital after the accident, where preliminary scans revealed that he suffered a scraped knee and bruising to his lumbar spine.

The crash ended David's season and any hopes he had of competing in the title decider at the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters last Sunday.

A longtime L.A. Kings fan and season-ticket holder got pucked up before opening night Tuesday ... when a slap shot cleared the boards and hit the guy square in the face, breaking his nose and cutting his forehead.

The fan, Jeremy Aaronson, attended the game at Crypto.com Arena with his 11-year-old son. Prior to the first period, Aaronson and his boy were standing by the glass, watching the Kings players warm up before the game with the Vegas Golden Knights.

That's when a Kings player took a shot that sailed ... hitting Jeremy in the nose, breaking it in the process. Medics treated Aaronson at the arena, but his injuries required care from a doctor at the hospital.

So, instead of watching opening night live and in person, Jeremy was forced to ride in the back of an ambulance, and follow the game on his phone.

Thankfully, Jeremy's son was able to stay and watch the game with friends who happened to be at the arena.

As for his condition, Jeremy tells us he saw a specialist on Wednesday, and the doc told him his nose was broken. Aaronson will require further treatment from the nose doc once the swelling subsides.

Jeremy's forehead was also cut by the puck.

As for the team, we're told they reached out to Jeremy on social media the morning after the game ... and linked up with Jeremy on the phone later in the day.

Victor Steeman -- a professional motorcycle rider -- has died after a violent crash in a championship race on Saturday. He was only 22.

The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme confirmed the sad news on Tuesday ... saying Steeman passed away after suffering severe injuries from a multi-rider incident at Turn 14 of the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship’s Race 1 in Portugal.

"Medical personnel and vehicles arrived at the site immediately and the rider was attended to trackside and at the circuit medical centre before being transferred by helicopter to Faro Hospital," FIM said.

"Despite the best efforts of the circuit’s medical staff, marshals and hospital staff, Steeman has sadly succumbed to his injuries."

Steeman -- who rode for the MTM Kawasaki team -- began his career in World Supersport 300 full-time in 2019 ... and racked up four wins, five podiums, and three pole positions this season.

In fact, the Dutch rider made history with the most pole positions in the World Supersport 300 class at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Steeman's family said they feared for Victor's life when he joined the sport ... saying, "Something you have always been afraid of as a parent of a motorcycle racer has now happened."

"Our Victor could not win this last race."

His family says Steeman is a true hero through his passing ... as he was able to save five lives by donating his organs.

"We would like to thank everyone for the way you have lived with us over the past few days. We will miss our Victor enormously.”

Tua Tagovailoa is back slingin' the ball at Miami Dolphins' practice after suffering a concussion 13 days ago ... and while it's a step in the right direction, the quarterback is still in protocol.

The 24-year-old was spotted in Dolphins gear on Wednesday at the Baptist Health Training Complex ... wearing his helmet and throwing the football.

Marcel Louis of ESPN says the QB also launched a couple of deep passes 25 to 30 yards downfield ... which is great to see, considering the frightening sight after hitting his head against the Bengals in Week 4.

Of course, the team is not going to rush Tua back -- especially considering the hit he took in the Bills game four days prior.

Even though it looks like Tua's close to returning to the field, the Dolphins announced that Skylar Thompson will be the starting QB for Sunday's game against the Vikings.

The Dolphins have been getting ripped for the way they handled the situation -- with head injury expert Chris Nowinski telling us Tagovailoa should never play for Miami again.

The NFL and NFLPA have modified the protocol after looking into Tua's concussion evaluation, adding ataxia as a "no-go" symptom which is an "abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue."