Health

If you thought competing in a marathon was tough, imagine running 26.2 miles while filling your lungs with smoke ... 'cause one Chinese man did exactly that during a race -- and he finished with a great time!!

The chain-smokin' athlete is a 50-year-old who goes by the name "Uncle Chen" ... and the Guangzhou man accomplished the feat at the Xin’anjiang Marathon in Jiande, China on Nov. 6.

Photos of Chen smoking during the competition went viral on Weibo -- a Chinese social media app -- and event organizers celebrated him by sharing his finishing certificate.

Chen -- who crossed the finish line with an impressive 3:28 time -- finished 574th overall out of nearly 1500 runners who competed ... despite taking heaters to the face throughout the race.

Chen has become a sensation for smoking during races -- in 2018, he blasted cigs during the Guangzhou Marathon, where he finished with a 3:36 time.

Adding to his legend ... Chen followed up his jaw-dropping performance in 2018 with another strong outing in 2019, finishing the Xiamen Marathon in 3:32, according to Canadian Running.

However, the outlet reports that not everyone was fond of Chen's smoking sesh ... with critics saying the stunt is hurtful to the other runners.

Nikita Dragun is receiving professional mental health care in a facility after getting arrested at a Miami hotel and spending time in jail ... TMZ has learned.

Nikita's rep, Jack Ketsoyan, tells TMZ ... "We want to thank everyone for the overwhelming love and support for Nikita during this time. She is in a safe environment addressing her mental health. We ask for continued respect for her privacy and the sensitivity of this matter as she seeks treatment and healing."

We're told Nikita began seeking treatment Wednesday evening.

The transgender influencer has been open about her mental health struggles -- in May she shared on her YouTube channel that she had been diagnosed as bipolar.

Nikita said she has a family history of bipolar disorder, though she was initially surprised by her diagnosis, because she didn't quite understand what it meant to be bipolar. As a result, she says she didn't relate her own symptoms to the disorder.

TMZ broke the story ... Nikita was arrested Tuesday on a felony charge of battery on a police officer after allegedly causing a disturbance at a swanky hotel as she walked around the pool area in the nude.

The police report, obtained by TMZ, said when Nikita finally answered her hotel room door she allegedly swung an open water bottle, spraying a security guard and an officer ... which led to her arrest.

Nikita appeared in court earlier this week, she told the judge she was being kept in a men's unit and asked to be transferred ... a claim the jail denies.

Comedian Gallagher, famously known for smashing watermelons as part of his legendary act, has died ... his longtime manager tells TMZ.

Gallagher died while under hospice care in the Palm Springs area early Friday morning, TMZ has learned. His manager tells TMZ Gallagher died of massive organ failure. He had been in ill health for a while, suffering numerous heart attacks over the years.

The rep tells TMZ, "Gallagher stayed on the road touring America for decades. He was pretty sure he held a record for the most stand-up dates, by attrition alone," adding, "While Gallagher had his detractors, he was an undeniable talent and an American success story."

Gallagher started working as a comedian after college ... getting his big break after appearing on Johnny Carson's 'Tonight Show' back in 1975 ... showing off his prop humor and quickly becoming one of the most popular and recognizable comedians in America.

His trademark bit was the "Sledge-O-Matic," where he'd use a large mallet to destroy a bunch of foods and objects -- always ending with a watermelon. While it started as a parody of the Veg-O-Matic commercials, it would go on to be what millions would remember him for.

Gallagher's since become a pop culture phenomenon, getting parodied and referenced over the years for his act ... most recently being played by fellow comedian Paul F. Tompkins in "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story."

The comedian had 17 specials spanning decades of his work ... with his first special, "An Uncensored Evening," debuting in 1980. He appeared in episodes of "Hollywood Squares," "WTF with Marc Maron," "Tosh.0" and "Celebrity Big Brother."

He had a health scare back in 2011, as we reported, he collapsed onstage during a performance in Minnesota. He also suffered a heart attack the following year in Texas, moments before he was supposed to perform.

We last saw the comedian back in 2014 ... and he offered us some fantastic advice for those looking to get someone a gift while stuck on a budget -- and it's as hilarious as you'd expect.

Gallagher, who was retired, is survived by his daughter, Aimee, and his son, Barnaby.

He was 76.

Kevin Conroy, known as the voice of animated Batman for decades, has died ... TMZ has learned.

Kevin passed away Thursday, according to his rep Gary Miereanu ... following a short battle with cancer.

The actor moved out to California in 1980, first getting cast in the soap opera "Another World" ... before working in theater and television for a number of years.

Many remember Kevin as the titular voice of Batman for decades, first playing the dark knight in "Batman: The Animated Series" from 1992 to 1995.

Since first breaking out as the comic book hero, Kevin's played the character on TV, in movies and even in video games countless times -- including "Batman Beyond," 2001's 'Justice League' series, "Batman: The Killing Joke" and every Batman 'Arkham' series video game.

He took home 7 awards over the years for his voice acting ... including Best Actor for his video game work in 2015.

Kevin wrote a story called "Finding Batman" as part of DC Comics' Pride anthology in 2022 ... going over his experiences in his life as a gay man.

Fellow voice actor Diane Pershing, known for playing villain Poison Ivy alongside Kevin, shared her pain following Kevin's passing ... writing, "He will be sorely missed not just by the cast of the series but by his legion of fans all over the world."

Kevin is survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams, sister Trisha Conroy, and brother Tom Conroy.

He was 66.

"Survivor" contestant Roger Sexton has passed away ... after fighting a lengthy battle with dementia.

Family members confirmed that Roger passed away at his daughter and son-in-law's home at the end of October, surrounded by family and caretakers in Walla Walla, Washington.

His obituary states his death follows "a valiant and courageous battle with Lewy Body Dementia" -- the 2nd most common form of the disease, following Alzheimer's.

Fans of the show remember Roger from the 6th season of the reality competition series -- he was on the Tambaqui tribe, and became a leader for his team fairly quickly.

Roger lasted a total of 21 days out in the Amazon ... eventually getting blindsided by the opposing tribe, which got several members of his own team to turn against him.

Roger was a retired Marine -- he served in the Vietnam war in the '60s. He tragically lost his daughter Heather in 1992 when she died of viral pneumonia.

Roger was 76.

Matthew Stafford's wife, Kelly, says she's breaking down emotionally after the Rams quarterback was put in the NFL's concussion protocol this week ... saying straight up, "I'm not OK."

The L.A. star finished the Rams' loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday seemingly without issue -- but according to head coach Sean McVay, members of the team's medical staff found he didn't pass their postgame checkup with flying colors.

McVay said the doctors thought it would be best to put the QB in the league's protocol to ensure his safety ... though the coach added it wasn't clear if Stafford officially suffered a concussion.

The 34-year-old will now have to pass a myriad of tests regardless in order to be cleared to play in this Sunday's game against the Cardinals ... and Kelly said it all has her worried sick.

The mother of four wrote in a social media post Wednesday afternoon head injuries terrify her ... saying, "I have every emotion running through me. Concerned, angry, sad, tired... all of them."

Kelly, who married Stafford in 2015, has been very vocal about her fears of the effects of football head injuries ... even breaking down in tears last month when talking about the Tua Tagovailoa situation.

"If you have listened to my podcast at all, you know how big a deal it is to me," Kelly wrote Wednesday. "The head is not something to be messed with... and I hope as this sport develops, so does the concern for head health and the research around it."

Shawn Mendes is making a strong case to be Canada's finest export ... for the latest evidence, look no further than these pics of him taking a stroll without a shirt!!!

The "Treat You Better" singer ditched his shirt Wednesday and went on a hike on one of Los Angeles' many trails ... looking like a certified hunk.

Shawn worked up a sweat on his journey ... which only made him look even hotter.

The guy's checking all the boxes here ... flowing dark hair, the right mix of tattoos, six-pack abs, and just enough body hair. Yes, please!!!

Handsome looks aside, it's good to see Shawn looking happy and healthy ... remember, he's not performing right now because he canceled his world tour for a mental health break.

TMZ broke the story ... Shawn told us he pressed pause on his tour to enjoy the simple things in life, along with some therapy, in order to regain his life balance.

The last time we saw Shawn, he was going to church with Justin Bieber, who also put his tour on ice for a mental health break.

Dawn Lyn -- a former child star on the TV show "My Three Sons" -- is slowly recovering from the brain surgery that sent her into a coma ... she's now breathing on her own.

Tina Cole, who starred opposite Dawn back in the '60s and '70s when their sitcom was on the air, tells TMZ Dawn is continuing to improve, she's opening her eyes at times and is breathing on her own with oxygen assistance.

Tina says Dawn's husband, John, texted her a positive health update Monday night, saying Dawn was doing the best she has in the hospital since undergoing a brain operation.

Sounds like Dawn's got a big support system around her ... Tina tells us she visited Dawn in the hospital last week, holding Dawn's hand and talking to her while she was unconscious.

As we reported ... Dawn was fighting for her life last month after going under the knife to remove a brain tumor.

Horrifying moment on the NHL ice Tuesday night ... Edmonton Oilers star Evander Kane's wrist was slashed so badly by a skate, he had to be rushed to the hospital.

Thankfully, however, doctors were able to repair the damage ... and the hockey player said he's now "on the mend."

The alarming incident happened in the second period of the Oilers' game against the Lightning at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay.

Kane collided with Lightning defenseman Phillipe Myers ... and unknowingly exposed his wrist as he fell to the ice. Pat Maroon then accidentally skated over Kane's arm while he was scrambling for the puck.

Video from the game's broadcast shows Kane immediately started pouring blood onto the ice. He appeared terrified ... and raced off the playing surface to his team's locker room for treatment.

Kane was transported to a nearby hospital and had immediate surgery. He posted on Twitter on Wednesday morning that everything went well -- and he's now recovering.

"Obviously last night was an extremely scary moment for me and I'm still in a little bit of shock," the 31-year-old said. "I would like to thank the entire training staff of the Edmonton Oilers and Tampa Bay Lightning, along with all the doctors and paramedics who rushed to help treat and repair my injury."

"Without all of you I know things would've been much worse and I'm sincerely grateful."

The 13-year vet said he'll miss some time ... but he vowed to be back on the ice soon.

Lamar Jackson paid a surprise visit to a young fan before the Ravens' big game on Monday -- and the little boy was so moved by seeing the QB in person, he cried tears of joy!!

The heartwarming moment happened just before Lamar beat the New Orleans Saints on "Monday Night Football" -- when the Ravens star snuck into a room to say hello to Landon, one of his biggest fans.

You can see in video of their interaction, filmed by Landon's father, the boy was so shocked to see the former MVP in the flesh -- he ran over to hug him, and wouldn't let go!!

At one point during their embrace, the kid even began crying hysterically.

"He's making my day," Jackson said with a smile. "Wipe your tears, man."

Landon -- who's battling a heart condition -- eventually got to go down to the field with Jackson ... taking a pic with the signal-caller and enjoying the quarterback's talents up close.

He also met several Ravens players on the field ... and even got hooked up with autographs.

Landon's father, Jason Berry, said all of it was made possible after he realized the Ravens would be playing the Saints in New Orleans this year. While residing in Mississippi, he emailed multiple people at the Ravens' and Saints' organizations asking if Landon could meet LJ ... and someone eventually replied.

"My heart melted because I knew I was going to be able to fulfill my son's dream," Berry said in a post about the experience on his social media page, "What an unbelievable experience for Landon (one we know he will NEVER forget)."

Keyontae Johnson is back playing college basketball for the very first time since collapsing on the court almost two years ago ... and the guy got back to doing his thing -- dropping 13 points!!

Johnson -- who transferred to Kansas State this August -- was in the starting lineup for the Wildcats on Monday against the Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros ... helping the Wildcats secure a victory.

After the 93-59 win, Johnson talked about how emotional the moment was for him.

"I'm feeling good," Johnson said.

"Just thanking God every day for giving me the opportunity to get here and play again, just staying patient."

"The feeling before the game, I was a little emotional, but I knew the game was going to go so I had to keep going, just play and just lay everything right out for my team."

As we previously reported, the small forward crashed onto the court during the Gators-Florida State Seminoles game on Dec. 12, 2020.

The 23-year-old was transported to the hospital in critical but stable condition ... and was put into a medically induced coma.

Three days later, he was awake but never returned to the hardwood ... until now.

Dick Vitale -- a legendary college hoops announcer -- was hyped for KJ and is happy to see the young man ballin' again.

"Scored 13 points," Vitale said on Twitter, "but it really was the BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY that he is healthy & doing what he LOVES!"

Bad news Giants fans ... star safety Xavier McKinney will be out several weeks after he was injured in an ATV accident in Cabo during the bye week.

The 23-year-old broke the news on Monday morning, saying he flew out to Mexico for the Giants' off days ... but, unfortunately, got hurt while he was on a sightseeing ATV tour.

"I had an accident and injured my hand," he said in a note on Twitter. "The injury will keep me sidelined for a few weeks."

It's a big blow for New York, as McKinney -- who was named a team captain this season -- is a key player on the Big Blue's defense. So far this season, he has 38 total tackles, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble.

"I will do everything I can to get back as quickly as possible so I can contribute to what we're building here in NY," McKinney added.

The Giants are 6-2 coming out of the bye and have several important games coming up, including division matchups with the 6-2 Cowboys and the 8-0 Eagles.

Aaron Carter was in and out of rehab therapy sessions up until his death, and we're told his last scheduled appointment -- which he missed -- was supposed to happen Friday night.

Sources close to Melanie Martin, Aaron's fiancée, tell TMZ ... she was desperately trying to get him help during their off-and-on relationship -- although he mostly kept her in the dark about any recent addiction struggles.

Our sources say Melanie signed up Aaron for outpatient rehab after confronting him back in September. As we reported, he got a welfare check around that time when fans got worried he was huffing compressed air off-camera.

We're told Aaron agreed to go through the program, with the idea that it would go a long way in helping him regain some custody of their son, Prince -- who's currently under the care of Melanie's mom.

Sources say he stopped the program briefly, but was reinstated last week -- Aaron was supposed to have an online session Friday evening, but was a no-show. When the facility reached out to tell Melanie, she broke the tragic news to them.

Keep in mind, it's possible -- if not likely -- Aaron missed that appointment because he'd already died.

TMZ broke the story ... cops were called to Aaron's Lancaster, CA home Saturday morning for a report of a drowning -- the housekeeper found his body in the bathtub, and the last known contact with him was 2 AM Friday. Aaron's cause of death is currently deferred by the L.A. County Coroner's Office until toxicology results are returned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ there were multiple cans of compressed air in his bathroom and bedroom ... as well as prescription pills.

Boxing star Aidos Yerbossynuly is currently in a medically-induced coma ... after the super middleweight was brutally knocked out in his first career loss on Saturday.

The 30-year-old went down in the final round of his Premier Boxing Champions bout against Cuban boxer David Morrell at the Minneapolis Armory in Minnesota.

In video from the event, the Kazakh boxer (17-1, 11 KOs) is shown attempting to dodge Morrell's punches when he was struck with a fierce right hook, knocking him down to the ground.

As Morrell (8-0, 7 KOs) celebrated in the ring, Yerbossynuly tried to stand up on his own ... but needed assistance from referee Tony Weeks, who then waved off the fight.

Yerbossynuly was clearly not okay ... falling backwards into the ropes.

He was taken to a nearby hospital after the loss -- the first of his 7-year boxing career -- and was put into a medically-induced coma following surgery on a subdural hematoma.

Morrell went to Twitter after the sad update on Yerbossynuly's condition ... saying even though he got the win, he's focusing on Aidos' recovery.

"It is a great moment for me but at the same time super hard for others," Morrell said.

"Let's pray for a super fast recovery and ponta for Aidos," he added. "God bless you and be with you."

Other boxers sent Aidos well wishes as well ... including Muhammad Ali's boxing grandson Nico Ali Walsh who wrote, "Please send many prayers to my Muslim brother Aidos Yerbossynuly for a speedy recovery."

A Premier Boxing Champions spokesperson said they are working with Aidos' team and TGB Promotions to monitor Yerbossynuly's situation.

Jessica Simpson is responding to some serious concerns from her fans ... after being featured in an ad online that many saw as anything but normal.

Jessica starred in a new Pottery Barn Kids clip last week ... where she showed off her 3-year-old Birdie's room -- showing how the company's collection brought the place together.

Seems harmless enough ... but the comment section quickly filled up with concerning messages -- with many asking if she's ok, and one even writing "blink twice if you need help Jess." Some saw the performance as forced, with the speech just feeling off.

The 42-year-old singer responded to the noise Sunday night ... posting a clip of herself singing in her studio in order to "ground myself and heal" -- adding, "peoples' comments and judgments can still hurt deeply with their incessant nagging."

She doesn't directly call BS on the worrisome fans' fears, but adds, "The most important thing I have learned through the last 5yrs without alcohol being a guard for escapism, is that I CAN and ALWAYS WILL get through it."

Logan Paul was left with a torn meniscus and MCL after going up against Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel ... but don't feel too bad for the guy, 'cause he had his model girlfriend, Nina Agdal, to take care of him!!

The Maverick shared his injury status after losing to the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion in Saudi Arabia over the weekend ... posting a pic showing his iced-up knee with the Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover girl sitting nearby.

Logan was pretty beat up after the entertaining matchup ... and had to be wheelchaired through the airport to catch his flight.

"Best girlfriend ever," Paul said as Agdal pushed him.

Paul got an MRI as soon as he touched back down on U.S. soil ... but we're told he does not know the full extent of his injuries just yet.

Logan showed off his insane athleticism on Saturday ... but ultimately, he could not come away with the win.