Coronavirus

University of Florida basketball star Keyontae Johnson is in critical condition after collapsing on the court in the middle of a game.

It's terrifying to watch. The game -- Gators vs. Seminoles -- was in timeout. Just before that, Keyontae successfully finished an alley-oop and was celebrating the move from the sidelines.  The team broke its huddle, and as Keyontae walked onto the court he collapsed hard.

His teammates screamed for help and Keyontae was taken off the court by stretcher and was rushed by ambulance to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.

Keyontae had tested positive for COVID this past summer. It appears one of the side effects was myocarditis ... inflammation of the heart muscle.

He's in critical but stable condition. We wish him well.

Prue Leith the "Great British Bake Off" star is now happily vaccinated against the novel coronavirus ... and she's wondering why some people are balking at the shot.

Prue, who of course lives in the UK, is the first celebrity to publicize getting the COVID-19 vaccine. The star of the Netflix show announced Tuesday she got it, and described it as nothing more than a "painless jab."

The UK approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine 2 weeks ago, becoming the first country to do so, and started the rollout last week ... prioritizing healthcare workers and the elderly. Just in case you're thinking Prue got some kinda celeb preference, she didn't ... she's 80 years old.

As you know ... the first vaccinations in the U.S. started Monday, with intensive-care nurse Sandra Lindsay becoming the first person to get the shot in New York.

Sandra, who is Black, was hailed for her bravery for getting the shot in public ... especially due to the fact a majority of African-Americans say they don't trust the vaccine, and won't get it.

For instance ... Offset told us, point blank, he's not lining up for the shot, and explained why.

Prue doesn't get that hesitation and says, "Who wouldn't want immunity from #Covid19 with a painless jab??"

The Fleetwood Mac "Dreams" skateboarder -- who's had some life-changing positive moments this year -- is now battling the coronavirus.

Our sources tell us Nathan and his fiancée, Estela Chavez, recently tested positive for COVID-19. He's been doing a lot of traveling ever since he gained worldwide fame from his video going viral.

After Nathan got engaged in Las Vegas in November, he headed to Los Angeles. We're told he spent a week here earlier this month working on several projects and believes that's when he caught the virus.

Our sources say Nathan, who lives in Idaho, flew to and from L.A. because he didn't want to make the long drive and put miles on his brand new truck from Ocean Spray.

It was his first time traveling by plane.

Nathan and Estela started feeling COVID symptoms 4 days after returning home from L.A. ... including headaches, fever, coughing, congestion and difficulty breathing. Our sources say the couple took a COVID test Monday and just got back their results.

He's had to cancel a gig scheduled for Wednesday due to the positive test -- and he's also pumping the brakes on a family vacation he was planning for the holidays.

President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration is getting scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic ... with safety protocols aiming to prevent a superspreader scenario.

Biden's own Presidential Inaugural Committee just announced some of the changes for January's ceremony, which will have an "extremely limited" footprint. The PIC also says the parade following the swearing-in will be "reimagined."

Some traditions are still soldiering on ... the PIC says Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will take their oaths outside the Capitol.

The stage construction is chugging along, but most folks won't be there in person to soak in the historic ceremony when the stage is set ... Biden's PIC is urging the public not to travel to the National Mall for a huge gathering. Instead, folks are being encouraged to participate in inauguration activities from the comforts of their own homes.

So don't anticipate a gathering like the one we saw 4 years ago for Donald Trump ... and it definitely won't look like the first Barack Obama inauguration.

Kirk Cameron stuck it to Gov. Gavin Newsom and his COVID guidelines by getting hundreds of people together in public to sing Christmas carols ... something he does not regret.

The "Growing Pains" star helped organize a massive outdoor gathering Sunday in the parking lot of the Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks -- where literally swarms of people were huddled up, not wearing masks and singing their hearts and lungs out ... breathing up a storm.

Looks like a good time, sure, but it comes mid-pandemic, and in an area where infection rates are already high. Kirk wasn't concerned ... he partnered with an org named Sing It Louder USA, and specifically says it was a protest against Newsom's stay-at-home orders.

BTW, this mall caroling was the second such event Kirk and co. organized over the past couple weeks -- apparently, they did another one on Dec. 6, where Kirk says upwards of 500 people came out to sing. He wanted the mall event to be even bigger than that, and it looks like he might've succeeded -- the place was absolutely packed.

Law enforcement sources in the area tell us ... mall security did call police, and officers from the Thousand Oaks PD that responded simply educated folks on the importance of mask-wearing and left.

The fight club that got raided in NYC last month reportedly has a new home in the Sunshine State -- with a similar name and a lot of the same players brawlers.

A new Instagram account has recently popped up, which seems to be an offshoot of the 'Rumble in the Bronx' moniker that the underground club took on while it was illegally operating in the Big Apple in November. The name now ... 'Rumble in Orlando.'

The Daily Beast notes a lot of the organizers, participants and fans from that initial group also follow the new IG account ... so the dots seem to connect. Plus, RIO has a lot of the same type of content featured on its page -- namely, dudes going at it in a makeshift ring, with people packed in all around cheering them on (and also not wearing masks).

They're not trying to be too discreet either -- the RIO IG bio literally reads, "RUMBLE IN ORLANDO IS AN UNDERGROUND FIGHT CLUB TO SHOW AND PROVE A MESSAGE WE CAN ALL RELATE TOO. RESPECTFULLY GUNS DOWN,GLOVES UP."

So ... yeah, definitely not as underground as Brad Pitt and Edward Norton's on-screen version.

The question now, of course, is ... do they risk getting shut down in Florida like they were in New York??? Remember, the New York City Sheriff's Office barged in on the place and busted a lot of the fighters, and also the shot-callers.

Now, Florida is a lot looser than NY with its COVID restrictions. They allow gatherings of up to a couple hundred people at least, and this crowd doesn't look bigger than that.

The COVID vaccines aren't convincing this guy to put on a face covering and ride out the storm -- instead, he climbed a Costco clothing rack armed with a megaphone and let 'er rip.

This rant heard round the wholesaler went down Sunday in Tustin, CA ... and the guy taking the stand against face masks was greeted with a mix of fist bumps and haters.

During his moment in the spotlight, he spewed dubious claims about the CDC, masks and the virus ... all while standing in the middle of a display full of clothing. Call it his Kirkland Signature pulpit.

Some Costco shoppers showed support, apparently picking and choosing when to listen to science ... since they opted for fist bumps instead of handshakes. Others tried to stop the madness, but most remained focused on their shopping lists.

Seems Costco is a popular place for anti-makers to give their 2 cents -- we've seen similar scenes play out across the country, like this wise guy in Colorado.

People battling addiction or other health issues in need of a strong support system are mostly getting the short end of the stick during the pandemic ... so says Dr. Phil.

We spoke to the good doc Monday on "TMZ Live" and revisited a topic we'd discussed with him and others during the early stages of lockdowns -- the well-being of folks in AA, NA and other support groups as they have to navigate quarantining solo.

Phil was worried about this early on and tells us a lot of those fears have manifested as relapse rates and drug/substance usage is noticeably up throughout the U.S. Basically, Phil says virtual meetings lack a lot of factors that make in-person meetings so effective.

While he does note some upsides to being able to partake in support groups online -- like a greater degree of anonymity, and more options of where to drop in for a meeting -- he says the list of cons outweigh the pros.

Dr. Phil adds ... one of the issues for virtual support groups is Zoom-bombing -- essentially, hackers dropping in on chats they have no place being. That makes many people apprehensive because they can't see everyone in the room.

The first vaccine in New York was administered Monday -- and the person they chose to give it to speaks volumes about very real concerns regarding safety and mistrust of the government.

The recipient was intensive-care nurse Sandra Lindsay, a Black woman working in healthcare, and she got the shot at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens. Before the deed was done, Sandra was hailed for her bravery ... for getting vaccinated in public, and for months of work treating COVID patients on the front lines.

As the doctor, also a woman of color, injected the needle ... Sandra didn't even flinch, and got a big round of applause.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo was on standby, watching the inoculation virtually. He noted Sandra didn't make a fuss about it and that the doc who did it -- Dr. Chester --- must have a good touch. Sandra responded that it felt like any other shot or vaccine she's gotten before.

The fact New York decided to publicize the first Pfizer vaccination with 2 women of color shouldn't be lost on folks.

As we've mentioned, and as the federal government has noted too, African-Americans are highly suspicious of this vaccination effort, and many say they won't take it or don't trust it.

There's a myriad of reasons why, but we got an up-close and personal look at that mindset this weekend with none other than Offset ... who told us straight-up he wasn't planning to get the shot.

Lottie Moss' joke she and her friends are super-spreading COVID-19 -- which they illustrated on camera -- didn't score any laughs, and now she's apologizing.

The model, Kate Moss' younger sister, posted an apology Monday, saying she screwed up by partaking in what she thought was care-free goofing with some of her girlfriends in London. Lottie and co. pretended to make out and openly called themselves super-spreaders.

Naturally, that pissed of a lot of people, who called her out for taking the pandemic lightly.

In her mea culpa post, Lottie said ... "I just wanted to come on here and say I am so sorry for saying I was a super spreader." She explains someone on the live feed made the comment and that she repeated it without thinking, but emphasizes she's not a super-spreader and does not condone anyone spreading a virus as deadly as this one as haphazardly as she did on camera.

She continues, "I was out for dinner with 4 friends 3 of which are in the same household and under the government guidelines - as I live alone - I am allowed a support bubble of 4."

Lottie goes on to sincerely apologize for the insensitive joke, while mentioning that she sometimes forgets she's a public figure who's gotta watch her actions. The 22-year-old model adds, "I am still young and dumb and learning."

Meghan Markle's so inspired by stories of compassion she's witnessing through the pandemic, she decided to make a surprise appearance to honor those very heroes.

The Duchess of Sussex made an unscheduled appearance on CNN's 'Heroes' special Sunday night to thank "individuals (who) stood up and made sure the most basic needs of our communities were met. They made sure those around them did not have to suffer in isolation."

It's the first time Meghan has made a public statement since her op-ed in the New York Times last month, revealing she'd suffered a miscarriage in the summer. She and Prince Harry -- who left their royal roles in March -- have kept a low profile since moving to California, but still found ways to help here.

TMZ broke the story ... the couple quietly delivered quality food to needy folks back in April. Then, at the start of the school year, they dished out school supplies to students in need.

JoJo Siwa made a holiday wish come true for a very special little fan ... and Santa Claus couldn't help but pop in to spread even more cheer.

The YouTube star teamed up with Make-A-Wish and Macy's for a virtual hangout with 5-year-old Ainarah from Virginia, who has a neuromuscular disorder. Ainarah’s wish was to chat with JoJo, but the singer did her one better -- they're now forever linked as friends with matching bracelets.

We're told the adorable little girl and JoJo also chatted about music, fashion and what they want for Christmas ... before the big guy from the North Pole dropped in.

Being in a pandemic sucks for everyone, but foster kids across the country are finding it especially tough ... and it's heartbreaking.

Julie Brown, the Executive Director of Holy Family Services -- the oldest adoption agency in Southern California -- tells TMZ there's a 50 percent decline in the number of people volunteering to foster kids from the same time last year.

She says surging COVID cases have scared potential foster parents ... for obvious reasons.

And, it gets worse ... COVID is keeping some foster kids from visiting their biological families. As you may know, some of these kids are from loving families that just don't have the resources to care for them. The fact these kids can't visit their birth families during the holidays has created anxiety and depression.

Janice Goldwater, founder and CEO of Adoptions Together in the Washington metro area, tells us they try really hard to get children into adoptive homes by the holidays, but travel restrictions and work-from-home difficulties have derailed their placement process. Sadly, this means more kids will be stuck in foster care or group homes this year ... and spend another holiday without a family of their own.

Foster kids are also being left out in the cold when it comes to Xmas festivities. Houston's Ascension Child and Family Services rely on donations to throw Christmas celebrations for the kids, but funds are way down this year. We're told the kids in their care are really struggling emotionally.

A gym owner in New Jersey seems to be daring the governor and local authorities to come at him (bro) -- saying he's gotten over a million bucks in fines for staying open ... something he says he'll continue to do no matter what.

The guy's name is Ian Smith, co-owner of Atilis Gym in Bellmawr -- where he and his partners have been fully opening their doors to the public ... despite state mandates that limit the number of people in gyms and mandatory mask-wearing. He's enforced none of it.

His defiance has been an ongoing saga over the past several months of the pandemic -- but a new video Smith released might as well be a clear line in the sand he's drawing.

Check it out ... it's him in the middle of his packed gym -- where no face coverings can be seen -- and he's going through typed-out cue cards that lay out what's been going on there. He says the gym has over a million dollars in fines ($1.2 mil to be specific) and the township continues to fine him around $15k a day every day he breaks the rules.

Smith also writes that he and his partners have even been arrested for flouting the regulations -- but adds ... he simply doesn't care, and will keep on keepin' on.

He then takes aim at Gov. Phil Murphy ... saying he'll probably see this video and fine him again, but watch -- Smith is calling him out, because he makes it seem like the fines are meaningless and anything short of forcibly locking the place up with chains won't stop him.

It poses a very real and serious question -- how much authority do local governments and state governments have in getting their citizens to comply, and what do you do when even a MILLION DOLLARS isn't enough to sway someone to act right??? It's a tricky predicament.

Kim Kardashian is exhausted -- having to collect four different Elf on a Shelf dolls every day until Christmas -- so she waved her wand and gave 'em "COVID," and then put the toys on a healthy timeout.

The reality star posted a hilarious video on Instagram Sunday, showing her four children's own elves in glass jars -- where she says they'll remain until at least the 23rd so they can quarantine ... this because she just needs a break from all the EOAS household fun.

It's freaking funny ... Kim wrote up a note for her little ones -- North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm -- which makes it seem like it's from the elves themselves. It says, "We are on a 10 Day Quarantine! We still have our magic and will be back to flying around in 10 days."

Sounds like this will do the trick and give Kim and co. some peace of mind -- she says she's tired of having to remember to collect all 4 of these things from all over the house, so she took things into her own hands and deemed them to be riddled with COVID. Don't worry, kiddies ... something tells us they'll make a full recovery -- even if it's less than 14 days.

If you're unfamiliar, Elf on a Shelf is a popular holiday tradition. It's based on a book of the same name and entails you putting your own elf in secretive places throughout your home to "spy" on people for Santa, to make sure they're nice throughout December.

There's been a new twist to the meme/game, and celebs have gone to town on it this Christmas season. Instead of an elf, they're putting other celebs and/or movies and characters that rhyme with their own name, and photoshopping them onto their shoulders.

For example ... Elizabeth Banks plopped Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump onto her shoulder, and dubbed it Hanks-on-Banks. Reese Witherspoon got in on the fun too, and did "Grease"-on-Reese. Ryan Seacrest did Luke Bryan-on-a-Ryan, and Mariah Carey did Jim Carrey-on-Carey ... and J Lo's actually had a few ideas that she loved. She compiled her favorites in a post.

Offset says he is not planning to get vaccinated for coronavirus -- and his reasoning all boils down to trust and fairness.

We spoke to the Migos rapper Saturday in Bev Hills, and straight up asked if he'd take the COVID vaccine ... which is on the verge of being distributed to the first group in the coming days.  He's blunt and to the point -- he's planning on passing.

Offset mentions a viral photo that's been making the rounds ... showing a few people with their faces frozen in a distorted position, with their mouths slightly open.

The photos were supposedly taken of a few volunteers who were inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine.  The online chatter -- these were some of the side effects. The word from Scientists -- the side effects are generally mild, flu-like symptoms.

The FDA DID acknowledge 4 Pfizer volunteers were struck with a bout of Bell's Palsy -- but the government agency notes there was no way to conclusively link the vaccine to the development of their temporary facial paralysis. Still, people got freaked out.

Same goes for Offset -- who tells us that he simply doesn't trust the government (for the most part) and that even Barack Obama being willing to get vaccinated on video isn't enough to sway him. Offset then pivoted to a different train of thought.

Check it out ... he starts talking about how celebs and politicians get special treatment when it comes COVID therapeutics and medical treatment -- and he wouldn't feel right getting vaccinated ASAP knowing there are others just as deserving who get lesser treatment.

He also talks about the fact that the government at large hasn't done enough for the Black community to convince him they have his and his people's best interest at heart. What he touches on here is a huge problem too, BTW -- only 40% or so of the African-American community say they'll take the vaccine, and even less (14%) say they trust it.

That probably stems from several things, not the least of which includes the Tuskegee experiments, in which 600 Black men were shockingly deceived and mistreated.

It's a complex and pervasive issue in the community -- a view people in power are trying to reverse. It's also why Dr. Tony Fauci recently made a point to say the vaccine was developed, in part, by a Black woman.