Health

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are applauding Jake Browning's ability to fill Joe Burrow's shoes this season ... telling TMZ Sports the Bengals backup made it an "easy transition" for the whole team.

The former Washington quarterback's number was called after the team's franchise player went down with a wrist injury back in November ... and found some success under center, going 4-3 and helping Cincy finish the season with a winning record.

We spoke with the Bengals' top two targets this week about Browning ... and both guys had nothing but positive things to say about him.

"Jake came in and did his job, honestly, man," Chase said. "Him just being poised enough to get in there and have to piggyback off what Joe's doing or what he has done, it's not easy."

"Him having two elite receivers to play with is just going to make it even easier for him."

Higgins also pointed out how Browning got reps with the first stringers when Burrow went down with a calf injury in training camp ... and he did a helluva job rebuilding that chemistry mid-season.

"I felt like it was an easy transition for him and for us."

Chase added Burrow's impact was still felt even though he wasn't on the field ... as his presence alone "brings joy to guys' faces."

We also spoke with Chase about a fellow superstar LSU Tiger -- Jayden Daniels -- and he said he was thrilled to see the Heisman winner hold it down in Baton Rouge this year.

As for whether he had a better season than Burrow, Chase said there's one big thing that separates the two.

Entre sus glamorosas selfies y su activa vida sexual, Gypsy Rose Blanchard tiene un montón de razones para sonreír por estos días y Lamar Odom espera que lo siga haciendo, con un nuevo tratamiento para su dentadura.

Fuentes cercanas a la ex estrella de la NBA le dicen a TMZ que ha contactado a Gypsy a través de las redes sociales para ofrecerle un cambio de imagen dental completo, como cortesía de su nueva compañía Oxy Dental.

Nos dicen que Lamar es como la mayoría de las personas en Estados Unidos y está fascinado con la historia de Gypsy. Por eso se sintió obligado a ayudar después de enterarse de que su lucha dental fue una gran parte de su viaje.

Gypsy está agradecida por el gesto y se comunicó con Lamar a través de las redes sociales, donde se siguen mutuamente.

El procedimiento normalmente costaría alrededor de $30K, pero Lamar le dijo que esto correría por su cuenta. Nos dicen que ella es receptiva a la idea, pero que aún no está claro si la va a aceptar.

Lamar ha ayudado regularmente a otras estrellas de reality en su centro de rehabilitación para el bienestar, por lo que esto no debería ser una sorpresa.

Se dio cuenta de que algunos pacientes en su centro de rehabilitación necesitaban opciones dentales asequibles y eso lo llevó a abrir su propio consultorio dental el mes pasado en Lomita, California.

Lamar sabe de este proceso, él mismo derrochó unos $80.000 en sus propios dientes en 2022 después de confesar en 'KUWTK' que no había visitado al dentista en 7 años.

En cuanto a la terrible experiencia de Gypsy, varios de sus dientes y glándulas salivales fueron retiradas cuando su madre Dee Dee afirmó que sufría de caries dental.

Between her glam selfies and active sex life, Gypsy Rose Blanchard has loads of reasons to smile these days, and Lamar Odom's hoping she continues grinning ... with a new set of teeth.

Sources close to the ex-NBA star tell TMZ he's reached out to Gypsy on social media ... offering her a full dental makeover from his new company Oxy Dental.

We're told Lamar's just like most of America -- he's been fascinated with Gypsy's story and felt compelled to help after learning her dental struggle was a big part of her journey.

Gypsy's responded ... she's thankful for the gesture, and is communicating with Lamar via social media, where they follow each other.

The procedure would normally cost about $30K, but Lamar's told her this one's on the house. We're told she's receptive to the idea, but it's still unclear if she'll accept.

Lamar's regularly helped out other reality stars with his rehab wellness facility ... so this shouldn't come as a surprise.

He noticed some patients at his rehab facility needed affordable dental options, and that prompted him to open his own dental office last month in Lomita, CA.

Lamar knows the drill himself ... splashing out $80,000 on his own teeth in 2022 after previously confessing on 'KUWTK' that he hadn't visited the dentist in 7 years.

As for Gypsy's ordeal -- several of her teeth and salivary glands were removed when her mother, Dee Dee, claimed she was suffering from tooth decay.

Browns legend Josh Cribbs has come down with Joe Flacco Fever ... but diagnosis aside, he believes the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award still belongs to Damar Hamlin ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the Bills safety earned the recognition after resuming his NFL career this season.

38-year-old Flacco has exceeded all expectations since joining the Browns in November ... leading Cleveland to a 4-1 record after Deshaun Watson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson went down with injuries.

Despite helping the Browns reach the playoffs, Cribbs -- who had nothing but praise for the former Super Bowl MVP -- says Hamlin's story is simply too special to pass on when the league recognizes players at the end of the season.

"Right now, I say it's Damar Hamlin," Cribbs told us this week. "He came back to life on the field. He came back to life to play back again in the NFL. He is a player who essentially lost his life on the football field."

Of course, Damar saw a bit of action in the 2023-24 season ... a special moment for the player and the entire NFL after he suffered cardiac arrest against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2.

"For him to have lost his life on the field and then came back, I definitely would give it to Damar Hamlin," Cribbs says.

The former return specialist gives Flacco his flowers, though ... commending the guy for going from "being on the couch with a beer" to becoming Cleveland's improbable hero.

Cribbs has full confidence in Flacco's abilities to take the Browns deep in the playoffs ... but even if they make it to the Super Bowl, he says it'll be Watson's team no matter what next season.

Cribbs backs his belief ... saying considering the Browns are paying Deshaun a massive contract, there's no way he isn't under center in 2024.

"Flacco is the now, Deshaun is no question the future," Cribbs said. "Not because of what he did in Houston, not because of what Flacco is doing right now. He's the future because he's got $230 million guaranteed. So, there is no discussion about it. He is the quarterback of the future."

Jenelle Evans' husband, David Eason, is now facing a more serious charge in his criminal child abuse case as it pertains to her teenage son ... and the charge itself is troubling.

An official at the Columbus County Courthouse in North Carolina confirms to TMZ that Eason's charges have, in fact, been recently updated ... and it's bad news for him because now he's got a felony that he's facing.

We're told that, as of right now, he's in their system with one count of misdemeanor child abuse and one count of felony assault by strangulation.

Before this, we'd been told that David was facing just a single charge -- misdemeanor child abuse -- but now ... that's changed, and it appears as if a new one has been added ... which perhaps isn't surprising based on what allegedly happened.

TMZ broke the story ... law enforcement in NC accused David of roughing up Jenelle's 14-year-old, Jace, in late September and the injuries he allegedly sustained included marks on his arm and neck.

It appears that as the investigation continued, officials determined a separate strangulation charge was warranted -- which just ups the ante on the case. Of course, we'd been told there was a possibility Jenelle herself might possibly be charged in connection to this too ... but that apparently hasn't happened yet.

Speaking of Jenelle ... she was airing some grievances of her own on social media Friday -- teasing the possibility of doing a doc about her own life ... and inviting production people to hit her up for the opportunity to collaborate.

Actress Mia Goth -- known for the films "X" and "Pearl" -- is being sued by a background extra of her upcoming film in the series ... after allegedly kicking him in the head on purpose during a take.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Mia, director Ti West, and A24 are all being sued by an extra for the upcoming flick, claiming things got physical last year while they were shooting late at night.

The background actor says the scene called for him to wear a robe and be covered in fake blood from head to toe ... and he says he had to lay down in the dirt and play dead for several hours, "enduring ants and mosquitoes."

Mia, who plays Maxine, was supposed to run past the actor, step over him and look at him, then keep running ... but after a few takes, the actor claims Mia "nearly stepped" on him.

He says Mia was warned to be careful but instead, he claims she "intentionally kicked" him in the head with her boot on the following take, causing serious pain and neck stiffness. He says doctors later told him he suffered a concussion.

He claims no medical assistance was provided on set. Instead, he says Mia approached him in the bathroom and "taunted, mocked, and belittled" him ... daring them to do anything about what went down.

What's more, he says the fake blood had stuck to his body, so peeling off the blood-stained robe caused more pain -- and he claims he experienced headaches on the drive home and "nearly passed out twice" during the trip.

Fat Joe says 100 million Americans are in the red because of hospital bills ... and he's working with Congress to try and fix what he says is a greedy healthcare system.

The rapper joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and told us why he's advocating for big changes with the way hospitals and health insurance companies do business.

Fat Joe says most people who go to the hospital have no idea how much care is going to cost until after the fact ... and he says the lack of transparency is putting way too many folks in debt.

Joey Crack's been banging this drum for almost a year now ... and this week he brought his message to Congress' doorstep, hosting about 500 lawmakers and government officials at an event for Power to the Patients ... a healthcare advocacy group.

Fat Joe says only 27 cents of every $1 Americans are charged at hospitals goes back to doctors, nurses, staff and the actual procedures and treatments ... with the rest of the money lining the pockets of the hospitals and insurance companies.

He says folks who are already struggling to afford treatments are being told the prices are going up ... but Fat Joe says that's really just a move by hospitals and insurance companies to increase profits.

Fat Joe's calling on Congress to change the system so people aren't being unfairly charged with hidden costs and fees when they go to the hospital.

The Michigan Wolverines' championship celebration continued at a children's hospital this week -- with Jim Harbaugh and some of the Wolverines showing off their new trophy to brighten up some patients' days.

The head coach and a few of his stars made the surprise trip on Friday to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor ... just four days after they won the natty by trouncing Washington, 34-13, in the College Football Playoff finale.

The guys had some big smiles on their faces as they brought their new hardware around the facility ... and it seems the patients were loving their visit.

One young boy who had on a J.J. McCarthy jersey seemed particularly stoked ... and it appeared they even welcomed the team with a congratulatory sign in Michigan's team colors.

The team and its fans, of course, won't stop celebrating their first title since 1997 anytime soon ... they have a championship parade slated to go down in Michigan this Saturday.

Mia Farrow's younger sister, Tisa Farrow -- who acted in movies in the '70s -- has died.

Her older sibling just announced her death Friday ... with Mia saying on Instagram that Tisa passed unexpectedly just a couple days prior on Wednesday, "apparently in her sleep." She adds, "If there is a Heaven, undoubtedly my beautiful sister Tisa is being welcomed there. She was the best of us - i have never met a more generous and loving person."

Mia goes on to say, the family at large is going through a hard time in light of this sad news.

Tisa used to be in showbiz back in the 1970s, but didn't nearly work as much as Mia -- and she certainly wasn't as famous either. Tisa was a teenager when she started acting in Hollywood, making her film debut way back in 1970 in "Homer," a hippie counterculture flick.

Overall, Tisa had 15 acting credits ... including a starring role in the 1979 horror film, "Zombie." She also starred in 1978's "Fingers" and made an appearance in the 1979 Woody Allen picture "Manhattan" ... right before Woody began his relationship with Mia.

While Mia was blowing up in her career way back when, she was actually pretty close to Tisa -- there's photos of them hobnobbing together in and around Hollywood as young, aspiring actresses.

Tisa quit Hollywood in 1980 and went to Vermont to be a nurse. She was 72.

La hermana menor de Mia Farrow, Tisa Farrow, que actuó en películas de los años 70, ha muerto.

Su hermana mayor acaba de anunciar su muerte el viernes. Mia dijo en Instagram que Tisa falleció inesperadamente el miércoles, "aparentemente mientras dormía". Añadió: "Si hay un cielo, sin duda mi hermosa hermana Tisa está siendo bienvenida allí. Ella era la mejor de nosotros. Nunca he conocido a una persona más generosa y cariñosa".

Mia continúa diciendo que la familia en general está pasando por un momento difícil debido a esta triste noticia.

Tisa solía ser parte del mundo del espectáculo en la década de 1970, pero no trabajaba tanto como Mia, y ciertamente tampoco era tan famosa. Tisa era una adolescente cuando empezó a actuar en Hollywood. Su debut en el cine fue allá por 1970 en "Homer", una película hippie de contracultura.

En total, Tisa tenía 15 créditos como actriz, incluyendo un papel protagonista en la película de terror de 1979, "Zombie". También actuó en "Fingers" (1978) y en "Manhattan" (1979), de Woody Allen, justo antes de que este iniciara su relación con Mia.

Aunque la carrera de Mia estaba explotando en aquel entonces, era muy cercana a Tisa. Hay fotos de ellas codeándose por Hollywood mientras eran jóvenes y aspirantes a actrices

Tisa dejó Hollywood en 1980 y se fue a Vermont para ser enfermera. Tenía 72 años.

Jelly Roll says he was part of the drug problem in America -- but is hoping to be a part of the solution now ... taking a powerful stance against fentanyl in front of Congress.

The country singer/rapper was on Capitol Hill Thursday -- where he gave testimony about his own experience in this department ... going over his history as a drug dealer, and detailing how he came out the other side.

Jelly says his troubled past actually makes him the perfect person to throw his support behind the anti-fentanyl legislation that was being discussed here ... listing heartbreaking examples of how his life's been personally affected by the spiraling problem.

JR explains that he's attended more funerals for his loved ones than he cares to share ... fearing one day, he'll have to tell his teen daughter her drug addict mom has become a national statistic -- which sits at 190 people dying from an overdose daily.

JR -- who had 40 prison stints before the age of 22 -- says he thought selling drugs was a victimless crime ... and never thought America's drug epidemic would spiral from crack cocaine to opioids/OxyContin, and now fentanyl. Now, he's acknowledging how deadly fentanyl is ... and vowing to do everything he can to eradicate it, hence his words today.

Jelly Roll dice que él era parte del problema de las drogas en Estados Unidos, pero ahora espera ser parte de la solución, pues está tomando una postura poderosa contra el fentanilo frente al Congreso.

El cantante de country y rapero estuvo en el Capitolio el jueves, donde dio testimonio de su propia experiencia en esta materia. El cantante repasó su historia como traficante de drogas y detalló cómo logró salir adelante.

Jelly dice que su problemático pasado lo convierte en la persona perfecta para apoyar la legislación anti-fentanilo que se está discutiendo y enumeró desgarradores ejemplos de cómo su vida ha sido personalmente afectada por el problema.

JR explica que ha asistido a más funerales de sus seres queridos de los que quisiera compartir y teme que un día tendrá que decirle a su hija adolescente que su madre drogadicta se ha convertido en una estadística nacional. Se estima que 190 personas mueren diariamente a causa de una sobredosis.

JR, que tuvo 40 estancias en la cárcel antes de cumplir 22 años, dice que pensó que la venta de drogas era un crimen sin víctimas y que nunca imaginó que la epidemia de las drogas en Estados Unidos escalaría de la cocaína y el crack a los opioides, el OxyContin y el fentanilo. Ahora está reconociendo lo mortal que es el fentanilo y promete hacer todo lo posible para erradicarlo, de ahí sus palabras de hoy.

Nick Saban is clearing the air on his decision to retire ... adamantly denying he is walking away from his legendary career due to the NIL era.

It's no secret -- the seven-time national championship winner was a huge critic of allowing student-athletes to cash in on their popularity ever since it was introduced in 2021 ... and now that it's resulted in massive checks for some of the top stars in the country, he felt it was just a fancy way of saying "pay for play," which could lead to tampering through the transfer protocol.

Deion Sanders' farewell post about Saban even seemingly hinted at the 72-year-old not being able to keep up with the NIL and transfer facet of his job ... saying, "The game has change so much that it chased the GOAT away."

But, Saban is shooting down that notion in an interview with ESPN on Thursday ... explaining that's not what led him to retirement.

"Don't make it about that. It's not about that," Saban said of the speculation. "To me, if you choose to coach, you don't need to be complaining about all that stuff. You need to adjust to it and adapt to it and do the best you can under the circumstances and not complain about it."

Saban feels like he's not alone in thinking the NCAA has a big issue on its hands ... adding, "I think everybody is frustrated about it."

He also pointed out Bama continued to find success in the NIL era ... but at the end of the day, it was time to move on and hand over the reins to someone else.

Saban did, however, open up on the challenges he faced this past season ... saying he didn't experience any major health issues, but seemingly suggested his age was finally catching up to him.

The good news for Bama?? Saban said he'll stick around and help with the transition ... which was made clear when he arrived on campus Thursday morning.

Fat Joe, Wyclef Jean and Jelly Roll used their combined musical talents to spread more awareness for their Power to the Patients healthcare advocacy ... by bringing the message right to Congress' doorstep.

The artists performed last night at Hamilton Live in D.C. for about 500 Congressional and government officials, and TMZ Hip Hop got video from inside the show.

The trio's message was clear -- they're all calling for President Joe Biden to act immediately!!!

Wyclef corralled members of Congress onto the stage and passed them the mic while having them chant to Biden, "Power to the Patients" much to the amusement of Joe in the back ... pretty funny stuff.

Jelly Roll is coming off his Best New Artist win at the CMTs, but flexed his hip hop roots performing Eminem's "Lose Yourself" ... a motto he's applied to his career given his recent success.

Sources at the event tell us Joe, Clef and Jelly all met backstage and shared their fondness for each other's careers -- we hear Joe in particular is a huge fan of JR's "Need A Favor" hit from last year.

Michael Strahan came on his own show to share that his daughter was recently diagnosed with a rare brain cancer ... and it explains why he'd taken off so much time from his TV jobs back in the fall.

The 'GMA' host sat for a segment on the ABC program Thursday opposite his coworker Robin Roberts -- where he and his 19-year-old, Isabella, revealed she's been receiving treatment lately for a malignant tumor doctors found in her brain in October.

The cancer is known as medulloblastoma, and in the package they aired ... Roberts goes into detail about the size of the tumor that was discovered by doctors -- noting it was about as big as a golf ball and lodged toward the base of her skull.

Once they discovered the tumor, Isabella underwent emergency surgery at Cedars-Sinai in L.A. ... which is where Michael's daughter was attending college at USC.

Once her father caught wind of everything, he says he booked it to the West Coast -- Mike's normally working in NYC -- and he was by Isabella's side for a good long while ... which now explains his absence from 'GMA' and Fox NFL Sunday around that time.

The procedure to remove the mass appears to have been a success -- with the operation happening right around her 19th birthday -- and her recovery was long and arduous.

Now, though ... Isabella says she's doing much better as she continues to receive treatment -- including radiation, which has caused her to lose her hair. In February, Michael says she'll begin chemo as well. Of course, the whole journey has been stressful on the family.

Michael Strahan recurrió a su propio programa para compartir que su hija fue diagnosticada recientemente con un raro cáncer cerebral y explicó por qué le tomó tanto tiempo de sus dos trabajos de televisión durante el otoño.

El anfitrión de 'GMA' se sentó para un segmento en el programa de ABC el jueves frente a su compañera de trabajo Robin Roberts, donde él y su hija de 19 años, Isabella, revelaron que ha estado recibiendo tratamiento últimamente por un tumor maligno que los médicos encontraron en su cerebro en octubre.

El cáncer se conoce como meduloblastoma, y en el segmento que emitieron, Roberts entra en detalles sobre el tamaño del tumor que descubrieron los médicos, señalando que era del tamaño de una pelota de golf y se alojaba hacia la base de su cráneo.

Una vez que lo descubrieron, Isabella se sometió a una cirugía de emergencia en el Cedars-Sinai en Los Ángeles, pues la hija de Michael estaba asistiendo a la universidad de USC.

Una vez que su padre se enteró de todo, dice que reservó un viaje a la Costa Oeste -Mike normalmente trabaja en Nueva York- y estuvo al lado de Isabella durante un buen rato, lo que explica su ausencia de 'GMA' y Fox NFL Sunday alrededor de esa época.

El procedimiento para extirpar la masa pareciera haber sido exitoso. La operación ocurrió justo alrededor de su cumpleaños número 19 y su recuperación fue larga y ardua.

Ahora, sin embargo, Isabella dice que está mucho mejor mientras continúa recibiendo tratamiento, incluyendo radiación, lo que ha hecho que pierda su cabello. Michael dice que en febrero también empezará quimioterapia. Por supuesto, todo el viaje ha sido muy estresante para la familia.