Family

David Ortiz sat up and walked ... his wife, Tiffany Ortiz, says -- adding that Big Papi "is making good progress towards recovery."

The Boston Red Sox legend was shot in the back on Sunday night in the Dominican Republic ... and he's undergone multiple surgeries to fix the damage that the bullet caused.

But, Ortiz's wife says he's healing up ... saying Wednesday, "Yesterday and this morning, David was able to sit up as well as take some steps."

"His condition is guarded and he will remain in the ICU for the coming days, but he is making good progress towards recovery."

As we previously reported ... surgeons in the D.R. removed Ortiz's gallbladder as well as parts of his intestines -- and he required a second surgery when he arrived back in Boston on Monday night.

Barbara Corcoran's brother was found dead in his hotel room in the Dominican Republic, and the circumstances sound eerily familiar to the 6 mysterious tourist deaths in the country over the past year ... TMZ has learned.

The "Shark Tank" star tells us her brother, John, was in the D.R. with a friend in April on his yearly vacation when he died of a heart attack. At least, that's what she was told. As far as she knows, there's been no autopsy.

Barbara says her brother's friend -- who was staying in the same suite -- discovered the body, but nobody knows exactly what happened.

Corcoran tells us John was retired but owned a successful roofing company in New Jersey. She calls him "my favorite brother" among her 9 siblings and says he had a larger-than-life personality and would have been great on TV.

We're told John loved visiting the Dominican Republic and was awaiting the arrival of his girlfriend before he died. There's been no funeral yet, but a memorial service is planned soon.

On the surface, a 60-year-old man dying of a heart attack might not be shocking ... but John's death comes amidst a bizarre and troubling trend of American tourists dying in D.R. hotels.

Six U.S. tourists have been found dead since June 2018 -- 2 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana, and 4 at various Bahia Principe resorts. Three of the deaths were reportedly due to heart attacks, but one also lists pulmonary edema -- an accumulation of fluid in the lungs -- according to the death certificate.

A recently engaged couple from Maryland was found dead in their room in late May, and an autopsy reportedly found they also had respiratory failure and pulmonary edema.

The cause of death of the other tourist is unknown.

So far, the deaths are considered isolated incidents by D.R. tourism officials, but Dominican authorities are investigating and have asked the FBI for assistance for "further toxicology analysis."

Theories are beginning to circulate on what's causing the mysterious deaths -- including poisoning -- partly fueled by 2 other couples who stayed at Bahia Principe resorts and claim to have gotten violently ill.

One couple claims there was a "moldy, mildewy smell" in the room like the air conditioning system hadn't been clean, and another is suing the resort chain claiming they were exposed to insecticides.

Katherine Schwarzenegger's life as a married woman is off to an awesome start ... just ask her stepson, who's clearly enjoying it.

Chris Pratt, his son, Jack, and Katherine had an evening out in Pacific Palisades Tuesday, including a celebratory dinner at Blue Ribbon Sushi and a movie. Since Chris and Kat just tied the knot on Saturday ... this would be their first "official" family outing.

The trio was joined by some family and friends ... probably still in town from the wedding.

As we reported ... the couple's not honeymooning just yet. They were both out earlier Tuesday working on their fitness at different spots

Chris and Katherine got married at the ritzy San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito after a wedding rehearsal the night before at Rob Lowe's massive estate.

Instant motherhood seems to suit Katherine just fine.

The Jonas Brothers are teaming up with a new fashion designer who's sure to have a huge impact on their style ... possibly for worse.

That's not a knock on the guy ... because he's Australian comedian Chris Lilley, playing one of his several characters from the new Netflix series/mockumentary, "Lunatics" -- wannabe fashion guru, Keith Dick.

It's unclear what Joe, Nick and Kevin are doing with Dick, but they were spotted walking around with him Tuesday in NYC, and based on the rack of clothing Keith's dragging along ... it's going to be interesting.

As you know ... the JoBros are so hot right now, on the heels of reuniting after a long hiatus and putting out a new album. We're told the group's in the Big Apple promoting "Happiness Begins" ... and Dick got in on the action.

Gotta admire Keith's hustle ... and his ponytail.

Wendy Williams met a young hotshot in Los Angeles ... and now she's taking him with her back to New York.

Sources close to Wendy tell TMZ ... the beloved talk show host met her new hunk Saturday when she was kicking it with Blac Chyna during her Cali vacation, and while she's not ready to jump into a relationship just yet, she likes him enough to keep him around.

Turns out, Wendy's mystery man is the same guy who was riding with her Sunday night, when a photog caught up with them at Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles. He's in his late 20s, and doesn't have any kids.

As you know ... Wendy's dealing with a lot of family drama, she's in the middle of divorcing husband Kevin Hunter and her son recently got arrested for punching his dad. We're told Wendy's feeling vulnerable right now, and being with someone new is making her feel better about herself.

Kim Kardashian just revealed her latest bundle of joy, and much like his older brothers and sisters ... the kid is cute as hell.

Kim posted a photo of Psalm West Monday morning ... the first one since his birth. She captioned the pic, "Psalm Ye" ... so guess we know what his nickname is gonna be. And, yes ... it's only a nickname. We've seen his birth certificate, and it doesn't list a middle name.

Anyway, back to Psalm's adorable mug. He's looking pretty chill in a onesie for his big public debut. We know what you're thinking, and yeah ... the Kardashian is strong with this one.

As we reported ... Kim and Kanye welcomed Psalm -- their fourth child together -- last month via surrogate. He arrived at 6 lbs and 9 oz., and was delivered by go-to Kardashian doctor, Dr. Paul Crane.

Welcome to the show, Psalm! We know he's already got a manager/grandma ... if he wants one.

Wendy Williams insists she and her estranged husband can get along for the sake of their son -- but right now the family turmoil is taking its toll, and leaving her in tears.

The beloved talk show host was wrapping up her weekend in L.A. with a Sunday night food run at Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles when a photog asked if we'll ever see her and Kevin Hunter make peace. She started with, "Please don't make me cry" ... and then spilled the tea.

Referring to the fight between Kevin and their son, she says, "Stuff happens in life" ... and "Everybody's gotta grow up."

Wendy declared that she and Kevin would not let their divorce get in the way of sharing their son's future milestones.

It's interesting ... our production sources at Wendy's show say she's been in good spirits, and been great to work with since filing for divorce. But, it's clear Wendy's going through all sorts of emotions, and they poured out Sunday night.

It's not all bad though -- Wendy had some fun in L.A. ... hanging at the Pride Festival with Blac Chyna, and even made a cameo on the TMZ Celebrity Tour bus.

She filled us in on what she didn't get to do during her West Coast swing, and shared some of her talk show host magic with the bus.

Boosie labeled American Airlines racist as hell for refusing to let him board his flight ... but the airline says the rapper's got it twisted.

ICYMI ... the rapper went on a homophobic, profanity-laced rant Sunday ... calling AA as a bunch of racist punks for refusing to let him and his kids board a flight from Charlotte to Grand Rapids, Michigan. It appears Boosie confirms he showed up late to the gate because he wrote, "The captain told you that we could be let on but you did not want us on because of your jealousy towards me."

A spokesperson for American Airlines tells TMZ ... "[Boosie's] inbound flight from Jackson, Miss., to Charlotte, NC., was delayed, and he arrived at the gate for his connecting flight to Grand Rapids, Mich., after the airplane door had been closed."

The spokesperson added, "While we understand misconnections are frustrating, [Boosie] was not denied boarding for any other reason other than he arrived after the door had already closed for departure."

The airline booked Boosie and his family another flight later that night but that didn't stop the rapper from wishing death on AA's employee and hoping for a plane crash. #RealMature.

Sounds like Boosie's jeopardized his status with AA ... the airline tells us it's reviewing Boosie's interactions with employees as well as his rant to determine his status moving forward.

So ... what was so important in Grand Rapids that had Boosie burning up after missing his flight?

Mary Duggar -- the mother of "19 Kids and Counting" star Jim Bob Duggar -- has died.

The family announced Mary died suddenly Sunday afternoon. The cause of death is unclear and it's unknown if she suffered from any ailments, but the family seems to be in shock. She often appeared on '19 Kids' and the TLC spin-off show "Counting On."

Mary -- from Farmington, Arkansas -- was in real estate and married to Jimmy Lee Duggar for almost 50 years. She, of course, famously gave birth to Jim Bob, who went on to have 19 kids ... hence the show.

The family wrote on Facebook, "She is greately loved and will be missed so very much! She lived a tremendous life as a follower of Christ, a wife, a devoted mother, a loving mother-in-law and a much-loved grandmother."

Mary's grandson Josh Duggar's wife, Anna, took to Instagram to share the news. She posted pics of Mary with her 6 kids. She wrote, "Great-Grandma Duggar went to heaven today to be with Jesus! What an awesome woman of faith and such a loving example of God's love. She was a true soul-winner and loved everyone she met."

Anna went on to say, "Miss her soooo much and we cherish each moment we were blessed to spend together! Lots of tears being shed here -- grateful for all the prayers!"

Mary's survived by her son, Jim Bob, her daughter, Deanna, 21 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. She was 78. RIP

Britney Spears seems to be getting back to her normal life one couple's activity at a time -- this time she's jet skiing in Florida ... but not without some advanced planning on the part of her father/conservator.

The singer was down in Miami this weekend alongside her boyfriend, Sam Asghari, as the two of them mounted some WaveRunners and hit the water with a splash. She was riding solo, and seemed to be enjoying herself as she caught some speed.

Britney's been going out a lot more lately with Sam -- whether it's hitting the town on a date near Thousand Oaks or going for a bike ride with the dude ... she's very visible.

What's even more intriguing about her cross-country trip here is that her father and primary conservator, Jamie Spears, filed court docs last month seeking to extend the conservatorship to include 3 other states outside of Cali ... and Florida's one of them.

At the time, we were told Jamie knew the Sunshine State is one of the places Brit likes visiting, so he preemptively sought to get a handle on things amid all the #FreeBritney drama from last month ... which appears to have simmered down since her court appearance.

Wendy Williams' estranged husband is no closer to making amends with their son, Kevin Jr., after the father-son scuffle ... and Kevin Hunter Sr. feels Wendy isn't helping the situation.

Sources close to the family tell TMZ ... Kevin Sr. has made no headway toward patching things up since the fight that ended with Junior's arrest. We're told he's getting iced out, despite several attempts to reach out and talk to his son.

We're told Wendy's ex thinks he and his son should settle their differences on their own -- but he believes Wendy is behind the decision to go radio silent.

We broke the story ... Kevin Jr. was arrested for assault for punching his father in the nose in a New Jersey parking lot after Sr. put him in a headlock. The fight allegedly stemmed from an argument over the divorce, and Kevin demanding spousal support from Wendy.

Hunter told us afterward he loves his son and was not going to pursue the matter legally, and he's committed to fixing the relationship. We're told he understands their son is being protective of his mother through the divorce, but he still wants to make peace.

Meanwhile, Wendy's looking happy to put her ex in her rear view. She was out in L.A. last week, flaunting her huge diamond flower ring and talking biz with TV execs.

Nothing could stop Celine Dion as she belted out her hits for the final show of an amazing 16-year run on the Vegas Strip -- nothing except some guy with a small bladder.

Celine performed her 1,144th show Saturday night at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace ... where the crowd caught all the feels -- but at one point she delayed the show for one special fan's bathroom break.

She noticed him getting up, and waited until he returned to his front-row seat to restart the show. Celine joked it was the least she could do, considering he was probably broke after dropping big money on 2 tickets to the big Vegas finale. She also practiced good hygiene ... watch the clip.

That aside, Celine called the show "bittersweet" and said she never imagined doing so many shows in Vegas when she started on March 25, 2003.

At the end of the show, her 3 sons brought her roses and joined Mom for a final bow to a massive standing ovation.

Au revoir, Celine. C'est magnifique!!!

7:50 PM PT -- Katherine entered the outdoor ceremony under heavy cover of umbrellas, but you can still see she's wearing a simple, fitted gown with a long lace trim veil with a huge train.

Chris and his son, Jack, arrived by golf cart ... suited and ready for the walk down the aisle.

The wedding is being held at the ritzy San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito. The luxury resort just reopened 3 months ago after the 2017-2018 mudslides devastated the area.

6:45 PM PT -- We have confirmation today IS the wedding day. We've now seen Katherine in her gown and Chris in his suit, and we're about to get the pics.

Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger are gearing up to tie the knot, and could actually do the deed any minute now -- because they held a lavish wedding rehearsal at Rob Lowe's home.

Kat and Chris hosted entertained family and friends Friday at Lowe's sprawling estate in Montecito. Warming up for the big day, Katherine stole the show in a white gown late in the day.

Come Saturday morning, Kat was still in her PJs and slippers as she chatted up some friends. We're hearing the "I dos" are going down sometime on Saturday, but don't have confirmation on that just yet. Makes sense though ... rehearsal dinner's traditionally the day or night before.

Patrick Schwarzenegger was seen nearby, as was Bobby Shriver and Patrick's GF, Abby Champion -- so, as expected ... a full-blown family affair.

You'll recall ... Chris popped the question to Katherine back in January of this year, and she said yes. They've moved quickly, to say the least. As they say ... when ya know, ya know.

This will be Chris' 2nd marriage, and Katherine's first. Congrats!!!

Andy Ruiz Jr. ain't one to let a little thing like a boxing title change up his dining preferences -- the dude digs authentic Mexican ... even if it means getting it from a hole-in-the-wall joint.

The newly-minted heavyweight champ -- who recently stunned the world by defeating the heavily-favored Anthony Joshua -- was spotted chowing down at a low-key Mexican chain Friday with his girlfriend and the rest of his fam in El Centro, CA ... almost 2 hours east of San Diego.

The restaurant of their choice ... La Resaca -- known for their seafood and with a nearly 5-star rating off a ton of good reviews. It's a modest joint, but it was perfect for Ruiz and co.

You'd think after becoming the toast of the town everywhere he's gone since the upset last weekend, he MIGHT just treat himself to something a bit more swanky in, say, L.A., maybe? Seems like that isn't his style though -- he'll stick to chips and salsa ... and live mariachis.

We gotta say ... it's been a while since we've come across a guy like Andy Jr. here. He certainly doesn't fit the mold for what we've come to expect of a ringside champion but at the same time ... it's refreshing to see homeboy flip the script on everyone and their mom.

Speaking of moms ... happy birthday to Andy's ma, Mrs. Ruiz! We're told they were all out there celebrating her 58th birthday. Never change, ARJ.

Larry King's wife has a major update on the health status of her hubby after he suffered what we're told was a heart attack ... and his fans are sure to be pleased.

Shawn King spoke with a photog Friday at LAX and dished out some good news about ol' Lare -- he's doing well and resting up following his heart scare in April. Even more encouraging ... Shawn says folks will see the legendary talk show host back on TV in due time.

TMZ broke the story ... Larry was hospitalized a couple of months ago after suffering what doctors described to his family as a heart attack -- even though his publicist insists it was nothing more than an angina attack ... and that he did NOT go into cardiac arrest.

Larry underwent a procedure known as an angioplasty, in which doctors opened him up and inserted several stents into a collapsed artery. He was put into the cardiac intensive care unit and got released shortly afterward.

At the end of March, he was seen looking somewhat frail as he left a doctor's office, with a swarm of people around him offering help as he got out of a vehicle.

Despite his health problems, LK had been going strong on his weekly web series, "Politicking with Larry King," which he was hosting consistently up until his heart scare. Shawn says you'll be seeing him back on your screen soon enough here, so it's clear his recovery has gone off without a hitch.

3:30 PM PT -- The judge has denied Justice's request for a restraining order ... for now. According to the legal docs, there'll be a hearing at the end of the month to determine if Avance will be ordered to stay away.

The docs also shed light on why Justice sought out the protection -- she claims Smith broke into her late father's property last week and took his belongings. She also accuses him of threatening her while John was in the hospital, both by text and in person.

Justice claims Avance is "uncontrollable" and she fears he could be physically violent.

John Singleton's family war is getting serious, and the latest battle is between his daughter and one of his old friends ... TMZ has learned.

According to new legal docs ... John's daughter, Justice, has filed for a restraining order against Avance Smith. Family sources tell us Smith was a very close longtime friend of John's -- so close, John commonly referred to him as his cousin. Smith also worked as a security guard for John from time to time.

It's unclear at this point why Justice wants court-ordered protection from her father's friend.

What's interesting is her request comes one day after Singleton's mom, Shelia Ward, filed an emergency request for control of his assets ... specifically because someone had gone into John's locked office and taken valuables.

We don't know that Avance has anything to do with that allegation.

As we reported, other members of John's extended family have grown suspicious about some of the circumstances surrounding his death -- such as how he initially got to a hospital back in April, and who was with him in the hours before that.

They've hired a private investigator to help them find answers.