Coronavirus

Devin Booker says he's currently fighting COVID ... revealing on a Twitch stream over the weekend he's been battling the virus for about a week -- and it's sapped him of his taste and smell.

The NBA superstar -- who's been famously dating Kendall Jenner for the past year -- broke it all down for his followers while playing "Call of Duty" on Sunday.

"I got the 'vid, man," Booker said ... adding later in the stream, "Honestly, I'm feeling straight, man. Only thing that I'm dealing with is no taste, no smell. Which is the worst part of it."

"But," Booker continued, "I'm about a week in. I'm going to be back in no time. No time."

Booker -- who vacationed all over the globe with Jenner in August -- declined to say if he was vaccinated or not ... but did mention on the stream, "You can still get COVID with the vaccine."

Booker is now expected to miss the start of the Phoenix Suns' training camp while he recovers from the virus.

It's unclear, meanwhile, if Jenner has also contracted COVID.

Gospel singer Kelly Price is NOT missing and is safe, at least according to her attorney.

Monica Ewing, Kelly's rep, tells TMZ ... the singer is continuing to recover from COVID at an undisclosed location.

We're told Kelly's legal rep reached out to Cobb County police to notify law enforcement Kelly is accounted for ... even though she's now listed as missing with the National Crime Information Center.

TMZ broke the story ... Georgia officials say Kelly has been listed as a missing person, following last weekend's welfare check conducted at her home.

Before going missing, Kelly revealed in July she had COVID and was battling symptoms, and her family says she was eventually admitted to a hospital and ended up in the ICU.

Kelly's family told us her kids recently got a call that she was discharged, which surprised them because she was apparently not fully out of the woods.

The family says Kelly has gone radio silent and they told police her boyfriend is allegedly keeping her children from visiting her home ... and it led the fam to have cops conduct a welfare check.

We asked Ewing to clarify why Price had seemingly been ignoring her family and what her current status was with her fiancé, Ewing reiterated Kelly is safe and recovering from COVID and is trying to get well and will further address the story later.

A group of rowdy anti-vaxxers in New York have their own weird twist to Patrick Henry's liberty demand -- they're demanding freedom, alright ... food court freedom.

Check out this surreal scene that unfolded at the Staten Island Mall, where a swarm of people came barging into the Food District area with American flags ... a place they're not technically supposed to enter without proof of vaccination.

A bunch of them were chanting "USA, USA" ... and some even appeared to be wearing QAnon shirts. Eventually, one guy took the lead and told everyone what they oughta do next now that they'd broken through -- apparently past security -- and had their run of the place.

He essentially said ... go order something and sit down to eat. And, sure enough, it seems everyone started to do just that. At one point, the group of about 60 protesters or so started a new chant ... "F*** Joe Biden" -- this as bewildered spectators looked on.

Who they should be directing their anger at, however, is Mayor Bill de Blasio ... who enacted a city-wide vaccine mandate, making it impossible for folks who aren't vaxxed to dine indoors, hit gyms, and a ton of other inside activities. He's put his foot down on getting the jab.

Floyd Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya 2?!

Maybe, just maybe.

Our Mayweather sources tell us the 50-0 fighter is aware De La Hoya called him out ... and Floyd's actually open to a fight with Oscar, IF he really has $100 million.

But, we're told, people in Floyd's camp highly doubt he has the dough.

Remember, we saw De La Hoya leaving dinner with his GF Holly Sonders in L.A. ... and when we asked him about his fighting future, ODLH said he wanted Mayweather.

"You know who I'm gonna call out for my next fight? Floyd Mayweather."

And, that's when the Golden Boy threw out a huge money proposal ... "I'll offer Floyd Mayweather $100 million."

Of course, Oscar and Floyd last boxed at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2007 ... where Mayweather won a 12-round, split decision.

Mayweather retired in 2017 following his fight with Conor McGregor ... but has been fairly active, taking several exhibition fights since -- including a bout this summer against Logan Paul.

Oscar hasn't fought since 2008 ... when he lost to Manny Pacquiao.

De la Hoya was scheduled to fight MMA legend Vitor Belfort ... but unfortunately came down with a serious case of COVID, forcing him into the hospital.

But, Oscar made it crystal clear ... he wants to fight this year, and he wants it to be against Mayweather.

Bottom line, if the bag's real, and it's big enough, Floyd will listen.

Gospel singer Kelly Price has gone missing in Georgia, TMZ has learned -- and it happened shortly after she was released from the hospital after battling COVID.

According to officials in Cobb County ... Kelly has been listed as a missing person following a welfare check conducted at her home last Saturday.

We're told the authorities found no evidence of foul play and spoke with Kelly's boyfriend at the residence, BUT ... she's now listed as missing with the National Crime Information Center.

As for what led to this ... Kelly posted a video July 29 revealing she had COVID and was struggling with symptoms. According to Kelly's family ... she was admitted to the hospital about a week later and ended up in the ICU because her condition worsened.

Her family tells TMZ ... they were in touch with Kelly while she was in the hospital in early August, and her children visited her several times. However, 3 weeks after she was admitted ... we're told her kids got a call that she'd been discharged, which was surprising because she was apparently still not fully healthy.

The family says Kelly has not been heard from since, and they told cops her boyfriend is allegedly keeping friends and family members from visiting her home.

We're told this concerned many people close to Kelly, and led to someone alerting the authorities to do a welfare check last week.

Full panic at "The View" Friday morning, as 2 of its co-hosts tested positive for COVID-19 just as VP Kamala Harris was set to appear on the set with them.

During a commercial break on Friday's show, co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro were told they had to leave the stage. Joy Behar later announced Sunny and Ana had to leave because they'd tested positive for COVID-19.

You can see there's a bit of confusion as to whether Joy should still announce Kamala on the show. A producer's heard saying yes before someone shouts "no."

Harris still appeared on the show, but had to do so remotely. She was still in the building, and did the interview from her green room. Safety first, of course.

As for Sunny and Ana ... no one on set seems too concerned about their breakthrough cases. Joy intimated they'll be fine, because they're both vaccinated "up the wazoo."

The news is a bit of a bummer for the live audience members who came to see Harris. The show heavily promoted her appearance ... saying Harris would be live at the table, an historic event for the show to have a sitting Veep.

Israel Adesanya says it was his dream to fight in New Zealand -- the country in which he resides -- but now it'll NEVER happen ... 'cause the UFC star says the country's bureaucrats have treated MMA fighters like crap in the wake of COVID-19.

“You will never see me fight in New Zealand ever again, ever again,” Adesanya said on YouTube.

“All that money, they can get it from somewhere else. The rugby, the cricket, and all the others they’re f***ing giving exemptions to. But for me, you will never ever see me fight on these shores [again]."

FYI, 32-year-old Adesanya was born in Nigeria, but moved to New Zealand at the age of 10. He's lived in NZ since.

Izzy explained he's pissed because the NZ government -- which has very strict COVID protocols in place -- have allowed other sports teams exceptions to train ... meanwhile, he says MMA fighters like himself and Dan Hooker have been shut down by the politicians.

In fact, Israel, Dan and the rest of the City Kickboxing team previously set up a tent/bubble in Auckland where Hooker could prepare for his upcoming UFC 266 fight ... but they were forced to close up shop when police slapped them with a warning, accusing them of violating COVID protocol.

Now, because of the way they were treated, Adesanya says he'll never fight in NZ.

"That was one of my dreams, to headline a stadium in my backyard. That dream's dead in the water. That's just the way I feel right now."

But, Izzy didn't stop there ... he went on to accuse some people in New Zealand of being racists who don't like an outspoken Black man representing Kiwi people.

"They're racists, some of them are f***ing racists," Adesanya said.

LeBron James may not want to talk about it, but the NBA superstar did get -- or is getting -- the COVID-19 vaccine ... so says GM Rob Pelinka, who claims the whole Lakers roster will be fully vaxxed by the start of the season.

King James has danced around the question for months ... electing to keep his vaccine decision a family matter.

But, Pelinka revealed L.A.'s entire roster will, in fact, be at 100% vaccination status when the season kicks off ... and in case you didn't know, LBJ is on the Lakers.

"On opening night, all of the players that are currently signed on our roster will be deemed fully vaccinated," Pelinka told reporters Thursday. "We’re grateful for that."

Pelinka says it's a sigh of relief to know the team and staff members will not face any setbacks due to people within the organization being unvaccinated.

Of course, LeBron previously brushed the topic off ... calling it "not a big deal" back in May.

"Anything I do off the floor is predicated to my family for the majority or 99.9% of that," James said at the time.

"It’s about the health and safety of my family," he added. "That’s what it came down to. Being available to my teammates on the floor is about taking care of my body and me doing everything I can to make sure I’m available both mentally, physically and spiritually as well."

"But, anything of that nature is all family talk."

There was strong indication Bron had been vaccinated prior to the first round of the NBA playoffs last season ... when the league explained he would not have to quarantine following an appearance at an outdoor event.

Had he not been vaxxed, James would have been forced to stay away from the team for a period of time.

The Golden State Warriors might be without one of their biggest stars when the season rolls around ... 'cause Andrew Wiggins could reportedly miss time due to being unvaccinated.

26-year-old Wiggins -- who averaged 18 points for the Dubs in 2020 -- has previously been outspoken against getting the jab ... and his stance is now putting his status for 2021 home games in question.

As the San Francisco Chronicle notes, SF has required full vaccination to attend large indoor events as of August 20 ... and Warriors games fall under that category.

Now, there's a possibility the NBA gives Wiggins a religious exemption ... but it would still have to be approved by the city in order for him to suit up for home games at the Chase Center.

FYI -- San Francisco and New York City are the two NBA towns that require proof of vaccine for large indoor events.

Wiggins isn't the only unvaxxed player, but he's by far the biggest name affected by the mandates.

Back in March, Andrew said he has nothing against those who elected to take the vaccine, but said he'd be making his own decision on the matter.

The Chronicle reports the Warriors even set up a meeting between Wiggins and a local health official to help ease any fear over the vaccine ... but it didn't help change his mind.

Jerry Messing -- known for his role on "Freaks and Geeks" and as the face of a famous meme -- has overcome a huge hurdle in his fight with COVID-19 ... but has another major challenge ahead of him.

First, the good news -- Jerry tells TMZ after being hospitalized in August and placed on a ventilator, he's out of the ICU and off the ventilator ... has been for about a week and a half now. He's also breathing fine without a fever or cough, and has tested negative for COVID.

Sadly though, Jerry says the virus has left him partially paralyzed. He can't move his arms and legs well, and is unable to stand and walk on his own. Jerry says he's doing physical therapy and using a machine to get his legs working again.

The doctors have told him his recovery is going to take some time -- he was already hospitalized for more than a month -- but he tells us things are looking up, and he thanks everyone for their support.

We broke the story ... Jerry got his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine before he got sick, and his dad, James, determined his illness was serious and he needed aid.

Jerry says he has not completed the vaccination process yet -- doctors want him to wait until he's healthier. In particular, they need to make sure he's completely over the pneumonia he contracted during the height of his COVID battle.

James believes Jerry's in good hands at a rehab facility in Tampa that caters to people who are on the road back to recovery ... but if something goes wrong they're fully capable of handling the situation.

Jerry played Gordon Crisp on "Freaks and Geeks" and Pugsley on the "Addams Family Reunion" TV movie before gaining more modern fame as "The Fedora Guy" -- one of the Internet's most popular memes.

Great news for Cedric Ceballos ... the former NBA star says he's finally home after battling COVID-19 in the ICU for weeks.

The 1992 NBA Dunk Champ first announced he was in the ICU for 10 days on Sept. 7 by posting a photo of himself with an oxygen mask on -- saying COVID was "kicking my butt".

And, even after testing negative for COVID a week later, he was still in the ICU with breathing issues linked to the virus -- and asked everyone to pray for him.

Well, the prayers apparently worked ... Ceballos thanking everyone -- including medical professionals -- on Tuesday for getting him back home alive.

"Hello everyone, after 20 straight days on death row, through his grace and your well wishes and prayers, I AM HOME," Ceballos said on his social media.

"I can not thank each and every one of you enough for your help. The doctors and nurses did a great job especially in my darkest days, when I needed that extra push."

Ceballos added, "There are two things that get you through something like this whether you were vaccinated or not. 1, your will to fight and want to live and 2, your health care, because you are treated way different if you are covered, than not."

"Thanks again everyone and I will see you soon…."

The 52-year-old played in the NBA for 11 season with the Suns, Lakers, Mavericks, Pistons and Miami Heat -- mostly known for his blindfolded dunk in the 1992 Slam Dunk competition.

Ceballos also made the 1995 All-Star team and played overseas after retiring from the NBA.

Tarek El Moussa has COVID-19, which means his TV show is pausing production, but it's also making waves for his fiancee, Heather Rae Young's hit show on Netflix.

The HGTV star's rep tells TMZ ... Tarek came back with a positive result recently, and after consulting with his doc -- he's decided to quarantine and take a break from filming his series, 'Flipping 101.' After his quarantine period, he'll return to the show.

We're told Tarek will quarantine with Heather, who hasn't tested positive, but will also be taking a break from "Selling Sunset." BTW, they're both fully vaccinated -- and the rep says Tarek isn't experiencing any symptoms at the moment.

Production sources say filming for 'SS' was halted this past Friday -- and that everything is going on standby out of an abundance of caution. Both stars want to do things as safely and responsibly as possible.

There's also this ... we're told there's suspicion Tarek's result was a false positive. We're told he's had multiple negative tests since the positive one, but has stepped back from production ... just to ensure everyone around him remains healthy.

Seth Rogen's rant suggesting the Emmys broke COVID safety rules is misguided ... at least according to the L.A. County Department of Health, which is refuting some of his comments.

The Health Dept. tells TMZ ... yes, the current mandate in L.A. requires everyone to wear a mask indoors -- whether vaccinated or unvaccinated -- but it also says exceptions are made for film, TV and music productions.

The county says the Emmy Awards qualify as a TV production, and all the people appearing on the show are considered performers ... so masks were not a must for attendees.

Additionally, the Dept. of Health says there were extra safety modifications in place for the event. Yes, everyone had to be fully vaxxed ... but they also had to have a verified negative COVID test within 48 hours of the show. Crew members were either fully vaccinated or recently tested as well.

Overall, the Public Health office says the Emmys reached out to share its safety protocols and they "exceeded the baseline requirements for television and film productions."

Still, Rogen's speech during the ceremony was about more than just the optics of all the maskless celebs sitting close to one another. He also claimed Emmy officials promised them the show would be outdoors, and it wasn't.

AJ McLean says postponing the Backstreet Boys' upcoming Vegas residency was the right thing to do for 2 good reasons ... the pandemic and their international fans.

The BSB singer joined "TMZ Live" Monday -- along with NSYNC's Joey Fatone -- and explained it was only right to push his group's Vegas residency until 2022, because a lot of fans from outside the U.S. still can't travel here.

The 'Boys were slated to begin their residency in November at Zappos Theater inside Planet Hollywood. They were also set to simultaneously drop their first-ever Christmas album. AJ says the residency and the album, which is still in the works, go hand in hand ... and it's why the album release was also delayed.

That being said ... AJ, Joey and others are still slated to perform this upcoming weekend in Miami at Fountainbleu for its 90's Pool Party. We had to ask ... why still move forward with that, while delaying the residency? AJ gave us the deets.

George Holliday -- the man who filmed Rodney King's beating at the hands of the LAPD in the '90s, which eventually triggered the L.A. Riot -- has died after contracting COVID-19.

Holliday passed away Sunday while hospitalized in Simi Valley, CA where he'd been since mid-August -- this according to one of his close friends and his business partner. We're told he'd been bedridden with pneumonia, and finally succumbed to the virus after a few weeks. We're told he wasn't vaccinated.

There's also this ... people close to George tell us that he was on a ventilator the last few days of his life. We're told when he was first admitted, he had an oxygen tube, but his condition worsened and eventually, he was put on the ventilator.

We're told he was plagued with blood clots and internal bleeding toward the end. His outgoing voicemail referenced he was in the hospital with COVID.

Holliday's claim to fame is the historic and horrific video he captured in 1991 ... which showed 4 LAPD cops swinging batons down on a cowering King, who was trying to protect himself from the blows.

If not for Holliday's quick and decisive move to start recording the madness from his apartment balcony across the way ... it's almost certain no one would've caught wind of what had been done to King that night in March of '91.

The tape ended up as the impetus for bringing charges against 4 officers -- all of whom ended up being acquitted in criminal court ... a decision that sparked the 1992 L.A. riots.

Businesses were destroyed, cars and property were set ablaze ... and people were outright fighting with law enforcement on the streets for nearly a week straight -- resulting in more than a billion dollars in damages.

King did end up winning a civil lawsuit ... and was awarded $4 million.

Holliday put his infamous video camera up for auction just last year -- with a starting bid at nearly a quarter of a million dollars. He said it had come to symbolize more than he could ever imagine, especially in the wake of George Floyd.

He was 61.

Seth Rogen said out loud what lots of people were thinking ... how did all the celebs at the Emmys Sunday night get a pass when it came to wearing masks indoors?

Seth kinda joked he would have rethought even going to the Emmys had he known it would be held in a hermetically-sealed tent and there was not a mask in sight. He flat out called the Emmy honchos liars, saying, "They said this was outdoors. It's not. They lied to us."

The L.A. County Health Dept. says everyone at indoor events must wear masks ... what with the Delta variant still out of control in these parts. It seems undeniable -- that precaution was ignored as the gussied-up stars were like super-upscale masses huddled together as they cheered each other on. In fact, Seth groused, "There are way too many of us in this little room."

The only possible out for the Emmys is to argue the event was a "television production," but that's a stretch for everyone in the audience. Even if that were the case, it's sure bad messaging to viewers.

"West Wing" star Bradley Whitford begged to differ, saying he thought everything was COVID hunky-dory.

Cedric the Entertainer actually challenged Seth, saying, "It actually feels amazing in here, unlike what Seth was talking about." He noted everyone inside was vaxxed, joking that he didn't have an adverse reaction like the dude Nicki Minaj was talking about.

True enough ... they were all vaxxed, but it sure seems hypocritical to ignore the rules of the COVID road because it spoils a good look.

The Emmy organizers say tables in the room were 6 feet apart and the audience was smaller than normal. Nevertheless, what about masks?