Coronavirus

Austin St. John, the actor who played the Red Power Ranger in the 90s TV series, has had his house raided by the feds and he's now under arrest in a massive federal criminal case.

One of St. John's neighbors tells TMZ ... approximately 15 FBI agents in tactical gear rolled up to St. John's home Thursday at 7 AM in Tahoe Suburbans in an upscale neighborhood in McKinney, Texas ... brandishing what looked like AR-15s as they approached his porch.

They entered the home and when they came out they had a plus 1 -- St. John in handcuffs.

Turns out there was a massive federal indictment involving 18 people who have now been charged with fraud. The indictment alleges St. John was part of a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program ... that's the program designed to help small businesses affected by COVID.

St. John allegedly got 16 loans, totaling $3.5 million, which he used for personal purchases and not for the intended purpose. Even if it was used for the intended purpose, the feds claim it was obtained fraudulently.

St. John played Jason Lee Scott in the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," which launched his career in 1993. He left the show in its second season but came back from time to time.

BTW ... there are other Power Rangers who got in a legal mess ... Ricardo Medina Jr., who starred in "Power Rangers Wild Force," was convicted of manslaughter in 2017 and sentenced to 6 years for stabbing his roommate with a sword.

As for St. John, if convicted he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Christine Quinn has an explanation for why she was on a film set 2 days after missing the "Selling Sunset" reunion due to having COVID ... saying she tested "positive" to go to set.

During a line of questioning from Andy Cohen, Christine told him she tested "positive" the night before and the morning of her poolside shoot with Melissa Gorga ... say what?!?

Christine's clearly flustered by Andy's probing questions as she tries clearing things up, explaining she tested positive to go to set, meaning she tested negative for the virus. This is some serious mental gymnastics.

TMZ broke the story ... Christine was seen filming something with 'RHONJ' star Melissa last month, only 2 days after missing the 'Selling Sunset' reunion, which her reps blamed on a COVID diagnosis.

Christine's co-star, Mary Fitzgerald, told us she thinks the COVID case was BS and was simply a convenient excuse to back out of the reunion show and avoid facing the heat.

But, as Christine told Andy on "What What Happens Live," her contract did not require her to film the reunion show. Still, her COVID timeline doesn't make much sense, even though she says she definitely had the virus.

Pearl Jam embodied "the show must go on" this week -- they found replacements for their COVID-stricken drummer ... and did so with local talent, no less.

Eddie Vedder and co. performed two packed shows in Oakland, CA this week -- one on Thursday and one on Friday -- and in both instances, he brought up skilled drummers from the area to help him and his band carry on the show in the absence of Matt Cameron.

MC recently came down with the 'rona, but Pearl Jam insisted on proceeding with the Oakland gigs -- as they'd previously pushed 'em back, and didn't wanna do it again.

So, to help them move along, they employed a couple of pros by the names of Josh Klinghoffer and Richard Stuverud to carry a majority of the load through each performance -- but for at least one song on each day, they also had some Oakland guys fill in.

The first guy was a music teacher reportedly named Josh Arroyo, who joined the band onstage for the final song, "Yellow Ledbetter," and apparently did a heck of a job.

The next night, a teenager named Kai Neukermans -- who plays in a band called The Alive -- was brought on stage to take over drumming duties midway through the performance, for the song "Mind Your Manners," and he too seemed to kill it.

Now, before you start thinkin this was some spontaneous thing that happened all spur of the moment-like, it totally wasn't. It appears both of these amateur drummers were carefully scouted and selected beforehand ... and we imagine they had some practice runs as well.

Kendrick Lamar is back ... K-Dot just released his highly-anticipated "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers" album -- and he brought up Kyrie Irving and his COVID drama with some sick bars on one of the new songs.

The track, called "Savior," is just a little under 4 minutes in length and features Baby Keem & Sam Dew -- and starts off with the California native referencing the Nets superstar and his vaccine stance.

"Seen a Christian say the vaccine mark of the beast," KL rapped. "Then he caught COVID and prayed to Pfizer for relief. Then I caught COVID and started to question Kyrie."

Clever wordplay from the MC ... but, of course, the bigger takeaway is him mentioning Kyrie, who missed a significant number of games for the Nets after refusing to get the jab.

Irving was ripped all season by NBA fans, the media, and celebs -- most notably comedians Chris Rock and Howard Stern -- for not getting vaxxed, but he never ended up taking it.

The line from Kendrick doesn't appear to be a dig at the 30-year-old. And, it seems Irving -- who was seen on Instagram Live on Thursday bumping the new Kendrick album -- isn't taking it that way. The point guard commented on the song during a recent Twitch stream, saying, "I'm not mad. I'm not indifferent. I'm just grateful. How about that?"

In a recent social media post ahead of the release of the new project, Kyrie also captioned a pic of Lamar with the words "We appreciate you Dot....."

It's 2022, but COVID is still finding ways to affect baseball ... the MLB just announced the Cleveland Guardians' game against the White Sox on Wednesday has been postponed due to a virus outbreak.

In a statement released just hours before the first pitch was scheduled to go down at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, the league said the game will not go on because of "multiple" positive COVID tests in the Guardians' org.

This is the first time in the 2022 season that an MLB game has been postponed over coronavirus.

Unclear which players tested positive for the virus ... but the Guardians did reveal prior to the game's postponement that manager Terry Francona had contracted COVID.

Sharon Osbourne's home is like a petri dish ... everyone's got COVID.

It looks like in the Osbourne home, Ozzy is patient zero. As we reported, he caught the virus and Sharon, who had just launched her new UK talk show, was beside herself and flew back to the states to be with him.

Well, Ozzy passed on the bug, and now Sharon's got it, along with Kelly.

The good news ... Ozzy's doing better, according to Sharon. His cough is gone and his temp is back to normal.

Sharon's doing her show -- "The Talk" -- remotely. She told her co-host, Jeremy Kyle, that she's doing fine.

Sharon and Ozzy's son Jack shared a video Sunday ... reassuring folks Ozzy was on the mend and back to doing what he loves -- chatting with his pets over FaceTime.

As you know, Sharon was in tears last week talking about Ozzy's diagnosis ... saying her family is her life, and she worries for their safety.

Oprah's got a new project that addresses racial disparities in healthcare and COVID ... something she believes definitely isn't over, and which has been somewhat forgotten.

The media mogul spoke with LA Times to plug her new documentary, "The Color of Care," which is debuting this weekend on the Smithsonian Channel ... and she opened up A LOT about racism, healthcare, celebrity privilege, mask mandates and what one might characterize as COVID amnesia ... especially relating to those who've died in the pandemic.

First off, she discussed putting a spotlight on what POC, particularly those living in relative poverty, have had to deal with navigating the healthcare system these past 2 years ... and how she believes race has had much to do with them getting the cold shoulder.

Then, Oprah got personal with her own history ... acknowledging that she's been afforded an enormous amount of access and priority as a well-known person throughout her life.

She says that's actually one of the best perks of being famous ... being able to get the best of whatever you need anytime something is wrong. And, yet -- she explains that one time in the mid-2000s, she had a thyroid problem that was misdiagnosed by multiple doctors, whom she suggests didn't want to find what was really wrong with her out of fear of her fame.

When she did go to a thyroid specialist, she claims the guy told her to "embrace hunger," otherwise she'd gain a lot of weight. Some say that speaks to the fatphobia that permeates this country -- but big picture, O says that even the medical establishment is deeply flawed ... and advocates for folks to get multiple opinions, and to have a support system with you.

On the issue of masks ... Oprah says she still very much supports wearing them, even at this point ... saying it's too soon in her mind, but that she respects those who wanna ditch it.

Finally, Oprah spoke about the idea that we as a society seem to have glossed over the many COVID deaths we've endured ... saying, "I don’t recognize a country where you’ve lost nearly a million people and there hasn’t been some form of remembering that is significant. Not at the opening of a speech or mentioning in a State of the Union."

"Selling Sunset" star Mary Fitzgerald has had it with co-star Christine Quinn's lies and drama, and her COVID cry is the nail in the coffin.

We got Mary outside The Oppenheim Group office Wednesday ... and she's convinced Christine's recent COVID reveal -- which she says caused her to miss the reunion show -- is just a shady way to back out last-minute and avoid facing her fellow castmates.

Mary says the cast tested twice before the Sunday taping ... and according to Mary, Christine came back negative both times. Mind you, the last test was on Friday, but Christine says the next day she tested positive.

While Christine is undeniably an important character on the show, Mary admits it hasn't been pleasant to work with her in the office.

We also got Christine's boss, Jason Oppenheim, outside the office, but mum's the word on his thoughts about the COVID drama.

He wants everyone to be a team player and show up for filming, but he gets the other side of the coin -- Christine's been going through a lot with almost every cast member ganging up on her.

Sharon Osbourne is just 3 days into her new TV show, but a family health emergency has forced her to put things on hold ... Ozzy has COVID-19.

In a tearful interview with Talk TV -- the new network Sharon's joined -- she says Ozzy was only recently diagnosed, but she's "very worried" about him. Saying she'll fly back to L.A. to help him recover and "hold him and kiss him with about 3 masks on."

You can tell Osbourne is not only feeling for her husband, but also disappointed she'll need to pump the brakes on her new show. It's only the first week of her new UK show called "The Talk."

Sharon says it's the first time her 73-year-old husband has gotten COVID, so obviously, the timing is tough, but she's optimistic, saying, "It'll take me a week to get my old man back on his feet again, and I will be back in a week."

Ozzy's also been battling Parkinson's Disease ... and Sharon recently revealed he's got another surgery on the horizon.

It was last month when it was revealed Sharon would be joining friend Piers Morgan on the newly founded Talk TV.

Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, is here to clear up why the federal government seems to be pushing back on mask mandates that were set to expire.

The cabinet member formerly known as Mayor Pete came on "TMZ Live" and offered some much-needed clarity on the whole mask mandate confusion, particularly on planes -- namely, whether people still have to wear them.

As you know, a federal judge struck down the Biden administration's mask mandate rule for air travel earlier this month -- giving people the right to go maskless if they want -- but since then the DOJ has appealed the decision, and wants to make its case in court.

Of course, the reason people are scratching their heads ... if the federal mask mandate was going to end on May 3 anyway, why are Biden and co. trying to reinstate it?

As PB explains here ... it's not so much that President Biden wants to force people to mask up again, but more so -- trying to define and establish the federal government's legal authority on this sort of issue, which the judge kinda flouted with their ruling.

With that said, Pete says at this moment ... people do NOT have to mask up while flying, as long as the airline doesn't require it -- and none of them do, currently. As for ground-level public transit -- that's up to local, city or county policy.

Check out the full interview on Thursday's "TMZ Live," because we also grilled the Secretary on that infuriating issue affecting all of us ... gas prices!!!

After talking shop ... we kinda nerded out with Pete on his 2 babies, whom he welcomed to the world with his husband, Chasten, last year. We get into the nitty-gritty (and poopy) ... and it sounds like Pete's enjoying parenthood to no end.

A sex worker in Nevada tells TMZ Sports she's so grateful for the revenue that the NFL Draft has brought her this month ... she wants to give Thursday's #1 overall pick a free "sex romp."

Roxanne Price -- a 27-year-old licensed sex worker -- tells us that Las Vegas escorts have taken a hit during the COVID pandemic ... but with the NFL draft coming to town this week, big money is finally starting to come back to the industry.

And, Price wants to thank the NFL for it all ... specifically by giving the draft's #1 overall pick this week top-notch service at the Chicken Ranch Brothel just outside of Las Vegas -- 100% free!

"The least I can do is offer the top draft pick the most valuable thing I possess, my premium erotic services at no charge," Price tells us. "It's my way of saying, 'Thank you' to the athletes that inspire us all."

Roxanne -- the 2017 Lover of the Year winner -- tells us her offer comes with a complimentary limo service and a promise to "cater to his fantasies."

And, if the #1 pick doesn't have time this weekend, Roxanne tells us he can schedule it for a future date.

FYI ... according to most mock drafts, the Jaguars will likely pick either Georgia pass rusher Travon Walker or Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson with the top pick.

Howie Mandel's happy to be out of his quarantine after getting COVID ... but says his time locked away drove him insane, and thinks being vulnerable about your mental health is important now more than ever.

Howie was on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to talk about his new show "Bullsh*t the Game Show" ... but before pitching his show, he opened up about his intense struggle with the virus ... which he contracted during his first public outing -- the Kids' Choice Awards.

He makes it clear ... the physical symptoms weren't bad, but the collateral damage to his mental health was real. Howie's a big proponent of talking about these struggles ... it definitely has helped him navigate troubled waters.

As for his new Netflix game show, Howie says he's been offered a bunch of game show hosting gigs, but this one checks all the boxes. It's not only fun, contestants can win a million bucks!

"Selling Sunset" has been hit with another COVID setback, star Maya Vander tells us she's tested positive and has given her castmates a heads-up that it's possible they could've been exposed during the show's reunion.

Maya says she tested negative on Friday for the show's reunion taping on Sunday. She tells us she began to feel ill on Tuesday, and has now tested positive. Out of a precaution, Maya says she let her castmates who were filming with her Sunday that she has COVID, just in case there was a chance of exposure.

However, Vander traveled from L.A. back to Florida Sunday after the filming, so she believes there's a chance she got it on the plane ... as she never had any symptoms prior to Tuesday.

Luckily, Maya says she's feeling ok and just has some body aches. She says everyone else on the cast is feeling fine.

Of course, Maya's positive test comes on the heels of COVID controversy with "Selling Sunset" villain Christine Quinn. Quinn skipped out on the show reunion after her rep told us she tested positive for COVID on Saturday.

That positive test became much more interesting when TMZ obtained photos of Quinn at a photoshoot from Tuesday -- just 3 days after her alleged positive COVID result -- and leading many to believe she faked having COVID to avoid confrontation at the reunion.

The CDC recommends someone who tests positive should remain in isolation for at least 5 days following a positive test.

"Selling Sunset" star Christine Quinn missed the reunion show Sunday because she says she had COVID, which makes this photo of her on a film set Tuesday very interesting.

We've obtained a photo of Quinn on her phone, while crew members stand around her to prepare for a shot. What's interesting ... it's 'RHONJ' star Melissa Gorga seated next to her.

Unclear what this gig entails, but her rep told us Monday Christine had to miss the "Selling Sunset" reunion over the weekend after testing positive for COVID on Saturday.

Of course, the CDC recommends ... someone who has tested positive for COVID should isolate for at least 5 days. Quinn's obviously not doing that, and while one of the crew members is masked up, Christine isn't.

If you've followed the most recent season of "Selling Sunset," you know Christine is the show's villain -- so when TMZ broke the story she'd have to miss the reunion because her rep said she had COVID, a ton of the show's fans thought she might've been faking it to avoid confrontation with the other cast members.

At this point, we're hoping she was faking COVID, cuz showing up to work just a few days after a positive test doesn't seem to be a very safe way of doing business.

Kyrie Irving is admitting it ... his COVID vaccine drama did become a "distraction" for him and his teammates this season.

Irving -- who was forced to sit out a large portion of the year after refusing to get the shots -- said following the Brooklyn Nets' 4-0 series sweep to the Boston Celtics on Monday night that his unvaccinated status did have a big effect on his team this year.

"It was just really heavy emotionally this season," Irving told reporters after the Nets' 116-112 Game 4 loss. "We all felt it. I felt like I was letting the team down at a point where I wasn't able to play."

"We were trying to exercise every option for me to play, but I never wanted it to just be about me. And, I think it became a distraction at times."

You'll recall, Irving was initially barred from Nets games and practices over his vaccine choice. He was later allowed to play in road games for the team, but not home ones due to New York mandates.

And, by the time Irving was fully allowed to suit up for Brooklyn ... the team had developed just too many issues on top of the whole ordeal to gel in time for a deep playoff run.

Head coach Steve Nash said following the loss Tuesday night it all certainly weighed on the team.

"I think that's a big reason why we were in that position," Nash said, "a lack of continuity."

The cast of “Selling Sunset” was without its biggest star for the show’s reunion … Christine Quinn missed out thanks to a positive COVID test.

Christine's rep tells TMZ, "Christine tested positive for COVID on Saturday and out of an abundance of caution, she did not attend the reunion." The reunion taped Sunday at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.

If you’re familiar with the show, Quinn’s an essential part of the storyline, and has been labeled the villain time and time again. Cast member Amanza Smith also revealed she had to miss the reunion because of COVID, but she appeared virtually.

Christine's rep tells us producers offered Quinn the opportunity to video chat in for the reunion, but she declined as she wasn't feeling well enough to do it.