Celebrity Health

Kevin Hart has checked out of his inpatient rehab facility and is back home where he's receiving intensive physical therapy, but the big takeaway ... he's "grateful" and "shocked" he's alive.

Sources very close to Kevin tell us, he's looked at the photos of the car crash and can't believe anyone walked out alive. TMZ broke the story, Kevin messed up his back bad -- 3 spinal fractures that required fusion.

He spent 10 days in the hospital under heavy pain meds and was then transferred to the inpatient facility, but he's home now. He has a physical therapist coming to his house most days ... and he's doing lots of stretching and exercises with therapy bands.

He's still in a lot of pain but says he's handling it without all the meds that knocked him out.

We're also told he's not worried about the injuries torpedoing his career ... doctors and the PT have assured him he'll be pretty much back to where he was before the accident, and he had nothing immediate on his plate work-wise, so he can focus on bouncing back.

Kevin says he's grateful to be alive and has "a new perspective on life." We asked what that meant and were told, "He really cherishes the fact that he's alive, and wants to make the most of it in every respect. The crash had a huge impact on him."

Gardner Minshew was a football LEGEND long before he took his first NFL snap ... admitting he once smashed his own hand with a hammer to try and extend his college football career.

The Jacksonville Jaguars QB said it all went down in 2016 during his first year at East Carolina University ... where he was the 3rd string QB and planned on redshirting the season.

But, the 2nd string QB was moved to running back and the 1st string QB suffered a concussion halfway through a game in Week 4, so he was forced to go in and play.

The problem ... once Minshew took the field, the redshirt option was out the window -- and Gardner was pissed he was going to blow an entire year of eligibility for 30 minutes of playing time.

And, what did Gardner do next? He realized the only way to get that year of eligibility back was to get a medical redshirt ... which means he needed to prove he suffered an injury that knocked him out for the season.

"So, you know, I get an idea," Minshew told the guys on Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" podcast (go to 31:20).

"I go home, I grab a bottle of Jack Daniels and I grab a hammer. And, I go back into my room, I take a pull of the Jack Daniels, I put my hand down on the table and BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! 1,2,3 ... I hit the hell out of my hand dude!"

Another problem ... Minshew says he knew right away he didn't actually break his hand -- so he continued to smash away another 2 times. But, he failed with each attempt!

"I couldn't break my own hand!"

Oh, and get this ... Minshew says the hand he was smashing was his THROWING HAND because he knew he would be pressured to play through the pain if he broke his non-throwing hand.

At the end of the day, Minshew says he gave up with the fake injury attempt and just told the coach he slammed his hand in a car door.

Justin Bieber had a needle in his arm as he walked the streets of Beverly Hills, but it's actually the picture of health.

Justin cruised out of a medical building Wednesday and Thursday with an IV bag, our sources tell us he was there for a vitamin drip.

In case you didn't know ... aside from curing hangovers, vitamin drips improve immune health, boost energy levels, abate depression and anxiety, improve mental clarity and cognative function, reduce migraine symptoms, combat fatigue and maintain muscle strength.

And, there's more TMZ-MD, the IV's typically contain high doses of vitamin C or magnesium.

One treatment often costs around $120.

It's not without danger. Kendall Jenner was hospitalized last year after she had a bad reaction to a vitamin IV drip.

Suzanne Whang, the woman whose voice and face opened "House Hunters" episodes for nearly a decade, has died after a long battle with cancer.

Suzanne's partner, Jeff Vezain, said he was by her side when she passed Tuesday evening, at 7:20 PM, at their Los Angeles home. Suzanne had been diagnosed with breast cancer 13 years ago but, in a Facebook post, Jeff said she always confronted it with "courage, humor, determination and optimism."

Suzanne became an HGTV fan favorite during her 9 years hosting episodes of the immensely popular "House Hunters" series. She was also an actress with supporting roles on countless TV movies and TV series, including, "General Hospital," "Criminal Minds," and "NYPD Blue."

Suzanne most notably played manicurist Polly Nguyen on 4 seasons of "Las Vegas."

She had an undergraduate psychology degree from Yale University and a masters from Brown University and was a published author, but Suzanne poured her energy and spirit into a vast array of fields. She was also a radio host, producer, political activist and a minister.

Jeff said she would "prefer that her life be celebrated, as opposed to her passing mourned."

Suzanne was 56.

RIP

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is walking the walk and talking the talk ... showing everyone she's in the game of life.

RBG got a little help from security but also walked without assistance Thursday in NYC as she entered the 92nd Street Y cultural center.

She spoke to the crowd -- something she's been doing with some frequency after her 4th bout with cancer.

The night before, Ginsburg spoke at the Yale Club and told the crowd, "This latest has been my fourth cancer battle and I found each time that when I'm active I'm much better than if I'm just lying about and feeling sorry for myself."

She's repeatedly said she will stay on the Court as long as she's mentally agile.

Good news.

Dog The Bounty Hunter believes his weekend hospitalization was caused from a broken heart suffered from the death of his wife, Beth.

Dog described the sensation as an intense pain in the center of his chest -- a feeling like he'd just run 3 or 4 miles -- even though he only did a simple workout. He told FOX31 Denver he could barely breathe and knew something had to be done quickly ... so his assistant took him to get help.

Halfway through the interview, Dog breaks down a little bit, saying he believes the leading factor behind his chest pain was that he'd suffered a broken heart.

TMZ broke the story ... Dog was rushed to a hospital over the weekend for what was first thought to be a heart attack. Docs ran tests and determined that not to be the case ... and Dog's family has stressed the importance of living a healthier lifestyle since the incident.

Dog's wife Beth died in June after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer. Beth will be heavily featured in the upcoming series "Dog's Most Wanted" on WGN America. The show was shot right up until her death and profiles her battle with cancer.

Kevin Durant is clearly recovering well after tearing his Achilles ... TMZ Sports got the guy walking around in NYC this week -- and he's showing no signs of a limp!!!

Of course, it's only been about 12 weeks since the NBA superstar had surgery to fix his right leg ... but from the looks of things, he's healing up nicely.

It's been a pretty crappy few months since he tore his Achilles on June 10 during Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals ... we got him shortly after surgery, and he looked pretty miserable.

Even last month, when we shot him walking out of Catch restaurant in L.A. ... he had significant hitch in his giddy up.

But, this week, dude seems to be moving around fine ... which is good news for his new team, the Brooklyn Nets, who inked the guy to a 4-year, $164 MILLION deal!!

Kevin is expected to miss the entire season this year recovering ... but if he keeps healing up this way -- maybe there's a chance Kyrie will be passing him the rock this season after all?

Artie Lange is days away from being 8 months clean and sober for the first time in decades, and he says the reason is ... he's finally facing the threat of prison.

The stand-up comedian joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday to talk about the long, dangerous road of addiction he's been on ever since getting busted for attempted bank robbery at 17-years-old.

He says things finally started to change after his arrest -- and sad mug shot -- earlier this year for a failed drug test.

Artie told us the judge placed him in drug court, which basically meant if he didn't stop violating probation and breaking laws, he would do hard time. He called it the first real consequence he's faced.

Lange says after spending 2 months in county jail, the possibility of going to prison was the wake-up call he needed to get clean. He also explained how his mom played a very important role.

Artie says drug court saved his life, and he's looking so much better than he did in January. Of course, his nose is still messed up, but like he told us ... there's a reason he's not in a hurry to get it fixed.

Jessica Jaymes -- the porn star best known for becoming Hustler's first contract model to become a member of the AVN Hall of Fame -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a friend went to check on Jessica Tuesday afternoon in her San Fernando Valley home because he hadn't heard from her in a while. When the friend arrived at her home, our sources say the friend found Jessica unconscious.

We're told fire and EMS got a call for cardiac arrest for a female. When they got there, nothing seemed amiss. They pronounced her dead at the scene. The cause of death is unknown and now the L.A. County Coroner's Office is investigating.

Jessica had a history of seizures. We're told authorities found various prescription drugs.

Jessica started doing soft porn in 2002 when she was 26. She got her big break in 2004 when Hustler signed her. She made her "coming out" debut in 2005 in the adult film, "The Porn Identity." Jessica snagged Hustler magazine's "Honey of the Year" award that same year.

She went on to appear in well over 200 adult films and was an active performer as of late on her exclusive content website. She also earned some mainstream credits. Jessica appeared as herself on several episodes of the Showtime series "Weeds."

Jessica -- who just last week told her almost 1M Instagram followers she had been on vacation -- also appeared on "The Howard Stern Show," VH1's "Celebrity Rehab Sober House" and HBO's "Vivid Valley."

Jessica got her stage name combining her real first name and adding the first name of her then-lover, James. She was born Jessica Redding in Anchorage, Alaska. Her mother is of Czech and French descent while her father was reportedly an undercover DEA agent.

She attended New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, New Mexico before attending and graduating from Rio Salado Community College. She was a fourth through sixth grade teacher for 3 years before becoming an adult film actress. Interesting life.

Aaron Carter's ex-girlfriend says he has a warped view of the world right now -- thinking his family is out to get him ... and that his toxic fans are his closest allies.

We got Lina Valentina Tuesday night outside the Dream Hotel in Hollywood, and asked if she was concerned about her ex-BF in the wake of concerns regarding Aaron's prescription medication, gun talk ... and his mental state.

She tells us she truly is, and explains exactly why. BTW, Lina and Aaron dated for about a year before splitting up a month ago -- so she has some interesting insights.

First off, Lina says Aaron's family is not the enemy here -- this, of course, after Aaron's older brother, Nick, obtained a temporary restraining order -- which got aired out all over social media, with Nick claiming Aaron threatened to kill his pregnant wife.

Aaron denied that ... and went on to say he wants nothing to do with Nick or his family. It's just the latest sign for worry in Aaron's life.

He came on "TMZ Live" over the past couple days defending his mental state, claiming he's more than stable ... and, more importantly, NOT going to surrender his firearms. He's had a couple police visits lately too -- with attempts to 5150 him, to no avail.

However, we've learned authorities are looking into a way to seize Aaron's guns for his own good through the use of an obscure California law. Unclear if it'll work.

Dog the Bounty Hunter understands he might need to make serious changes in his day-to-day life if he's going to be around for his family ... this after some tough love.

Sources close to Dog tell TMZ ... family members had a serious talk with him after his weekend hospitalization -- for what seemed like a possible heart attack -- and made it clear something's gotta give.

As we reported, it turned out to to NOT be a heart attack ... still, we're told Dog seems open to making some changes, but nothing is gonna come easy.

For starters ... he has been and continues to be a heavy smoker, which of course, is a leading cause of heart issues. We're told he's willing to try to cut back on cigarettes, but there's no talk of quitting.

TMZ broke the story ... after performing a bunch of tests, doctors determined Dog's chest pain was brought on by stress and blood pressure issues.

Our sources say Dog eats a ton of junk food -- so he's open to dietary changes as well. He's been very candid about his loss of appetite since Beth died -- but his family wants him to commit to getting on a strict and healthy diet.

We're told the family's hoping the health scare will shock Dog into making what they feel are the necessary changes.

Jayson Williams was a rich, famous NBA star ... but he tells TMZ Sports, his job running an addiction treatment center is the most fulfilling thing he's ever done.

"This is the best job I ever had."

It's no secret that Jayson -- an All-Star who played 9 years in the league for the 76ers and Nets -- struggled with alcohol abuse for years, leading to tragedy off the court ... before buddies, Curtis Martin, Charles Oakley and Chris Mullin convinced him to enter rehab back in 2016.

Williams got sober (he's going on 30 months now) ... and the experience made such an enormous impact on his life, the 50-year-old founded his own treatment program called Rebound in Jupiter, FL.

"I'm no guru to this. I'm just a guy who's there telling my story, who's surrounded with a great 9-acre, 105-bed facility with the best doctors, the best psychiatrists, psychologists."

The program -- which treats everything from alcohol and drugs to food, sex and gambling addiction -- ain't your prototypical rehab center ... it's an adventure-based curriculum that uses paddle boarding, wave running, hydro boarding, scuba diving and even skydiving to beat addiction.

"We do probably 19 different activities that you have never done in 30 days, and we do that to breakdown barriers, overcome anxiety, build self-esteem and break up the monotony."

Jayson says friends often tell him to leave Rebound behind and "go coach St Johns, get outta that, it's too much, it brings you down" ... but he says they're all wrong.

Aaron Carter's family is worried about his mental health, and so are cops. We've learned they're looking at an obscure law that could be used to take his guns away.

Aaron himself has raised concerns over his mental stability. He appeared on "The Doctors" and it seemed from the show Aaron was suffering from a multiple personality disorder, anxiety, schizophrenia and manic depression -- another term for bipolar. Aaron walked it back on "TMZ Live" Monday, saying "The Doctors" was edited to make it look like he had these conditions.

Fact is ... family members have been concerned enough that L.A. County Sheriff's deputies have gone to Aaron's home for a welfare check ... especially because he flaunts his gun collection.

Aaron says he owns a 9mm handgun, 2 assault rifles and other firearms as well.

As for the little-used California law ... it's called a Gun Violence Restraining Order. If someone owns guns and a family member or law enforcement believes the person could use a weapon to hurt themselves or another person, the family member or cop can go to court and ask for the restraining order.

A judge can take the person's guns away, and order them not to possess other guns or ammo.

Our law enforcement sources tell us ... cops are looking at the law right now and deciding whether they'll go to court. And, as for the order, a lot depends on nailing down Aaron's true mental state, which is a difficult proposition because Aaron shares only what he wants to publicly share so it's hard to paint a complete picture.

Doctors are rushing Alex Trebek in for an unexpected round of chemotherapy ... because his battle with pancreatic cancer has taken a turn for the worse.

The beloved "Jeopardy!" host announced Tuesday morning, "This past summer we thought I was finished with chemo. That was a bit premature and certainly overly optimistic." He says he started immunotherapy ... but it didn't work.

As Alex put it, under immunotherapy ... his "numbers went south, dramatically and quickly."

He says he's going back in for another round of chemo, and as he's done ever since announcing his diagnosis ... he's keeping his amazingly positive outlook.

Alex smiled as he said the chemo "worked very well the first time! So, we're expecting good results again."

Didi Gregorious says a season-ending foot surgery ain't going to hurt Mike Trout's MVP chances ... the Yankees shortstop tells TMZ Sports the Angels star is definitely deserving of the award!!

"I mean, he got good numbers, right?" Didi says ... "Why not?!"

Trout had been having a historic season until a foot injury this month cost him his final at-bats of the year ... but a lot of people are saying he still deserves the MVP award.

Count Didi in as one of those guys ... 'cause he says Trout's 45 homers, 104 RBIs and .294 batting average are more than good enough to lock up the honor.

Of course, it's high praise from Didi ... seeing as most people consider his NY teammate, DJ LeMahieu the other favorite for the AL's MVP.

Aaron Carter's arsenal isn't going to be taken from him ... at least not yet, but that could change if authorities decide he's mentally unfit to own firearms.

Carter has been erratic lately ... friends and family have been so worried they've called police to do welfare checks.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... until a court, board, commission, judge or other lawful authority determines Aaron suffers from a mental illness or condition that causes him to be a danger to himself or others, he can keep his guns.

If this were to happen, we're told Carter would possibly be asked to voluntarily hand over his weapons first, but then if he failed to comply ... ATF could seize his collection.

That said, the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. tells TMZ the Dept. is investigating the entire matter and dealing with Aaron's family members who have expressed concern and even alarm.

Aaron spoke with TMZ Monday, telling us cops responded to a call Sunday night and showed up at his home with the intent of taking him away on a 5150 psychiatric hold.

The singer says he warned deputies he had loaded weapons scattered around his home, but he also convinced them and a mental evaluator he was not a danger to himself or others.

He also claims he doesn't know who sent the authorities to his house, but one thing he's clear about -- he's not going to give up his guns because he says he fears for his safety.

Aaron's been adamant with us recently that he's mentally stable, despite going on "The Doctors" and rattling off that he's been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. When he spoke to us Monday, he refuted that and claimed he's passed all the mental health checks to own a gun.