Celebrity Health

Meghan Trainor's father has been hospitalized after being struck by a vehicle in what appears to be a hit-and-run -- but, fortunately, it looks like he'll be okay.

Sources close to the family tell TMZ ... Gary Trainor was transported to an area hospital in Los Angeles Friday night, after we're told he was hit by a car. The accident took place as Gary was crossing a busy street by foot, near the San Fernando Valley -- he was admitted to a nearby emergency room.

We're told he's currently listed as being in stable condition, so it sounds like he'll recover from his injuries. No official word on the whereabouts or description of the driver -- we've got a call into law enforcement to see if they're looking into it.

Meghan and her dad are super-tight -- he mentored her to become the star she is today, and even showed her the ropes of the music game. The guy's a known piano player himself, and reportedly contributed to one of Meghan's earlier EPs ... being featured on two tracks.

One song he apparently produced was her song "Cupid." Another song he helped out on for that same "Only 17" record was called "Tumble." He's credited with helping launch her career, and has appeared at multiple awards shows and other public events with his kid.

Just as recently as last month, Gary and Meghan were together -- on TV, no less -- when Gary made a surprise guest appearance on 'The Voice UK,' for which Meghan serves as a judge.

Gary's currently at least 70 years old, according to online records.

WORST POLE VAULTING INJURY EVER?!!?! Maybe ...

"I could see right into my scrotum."

That's probably the last thing you wanna say after a pole vault training sesh ... but it's exactly how BYU athlete Zach McWhorter is describing his pole vs. balls injury.

The 21-year-old was having a pretty typical training session at the BYU track -- recording it to post on TikTok -- when disaster struck.

At first, it seemed like a standard jump ... but McWhorter's pole didn't fall the way it supposed to and essentially impaled his scrotum.

YOWWWCH.

McWhorter told BuzzFeed he was immediately rushed to the hospital by his dad/coach/urologist ... where he needed 18 STITCHES to get patched up.

Luckily, the dude says he only has a scar from the incident. As for any permanent damage, McWhorter says "One day, we'll find out if they function or not."

Ice up, Zach. And, maybe wear a cup from now on??

Ben Affleck wrestled with the thought of being an alcoholic ... but looking back he vows not to let it trigger another downward spiral for the sake of his kids.

The movie star looked better than ever during his interview with Diane Sawyer on "Good Morning America" ... acknowledging alcoholism took over his life to the point he'd come home after work and drink until he passed out. He also opened up about his family history -- his grandmother took her life as a result of alcoholism. His father and aunt were also addicts.

Now that he's sober, Ben says he wants to stay on the straight and narrow for his kids. He said, "I really don't want my children to pay for my sins. Or to be afraid for me, which is one of the hard parts of being a child of an alcoholic."

Ben -- who had an intervention back in 2018 -- says he first got sober in 2001 for a couple of years but his moderate drinking ultimately turned for the worse. He briefly talked about his setback on Halloween ... when he stumbled walking out of a WeHo party.

After that incident, Ben told paps he vowed to get sober again. And, his 3 kids with Jennifer Garner -- 14-year-old Violet, 11-year-old Seraphina Rose and 7-year-old Samuel -- is a motivating factor. It's why he took the last half of last year off ... just to be Dad.

"Good Times" star Ja'Net DuBois appeared in good spirits -- and more importantly, healthy -- just a couple weeks before suddenly dying.

We got this photo of Ja'Net posing with "Good Times" costars Jimmie Walker, Johnny Brown, Bern Nadette Stanis and Ralph Carter -- all 5 of whom showed up together on Feb. 1 at the Los Angeles Marriott at the Burbank Airport for a scheduled meet and greet with fans.

The group talked with longtime viewers, took photos and signed autographs. As you can see, Ja'Net seemed perfectly fine with the rest of the TV stars. In good enough health, anyway, to walk around and pose for at least a couple shots -- if not more.

Just a little more than 2 weeks later, she was found unresponsive at her Glendale, CA home -- where her family says she died in her sleep unexpectedly. We're told there were no known ailments or illnesses she was battling prior to her passing ... it just happened.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Ja'Net died of natural causes, plain and simple. The fact she was up and smiling just days earlier makes her loss all the more tragic.  It's interesting ... we're told there will be NO autopsy, despite the puzzling nature of her death.

As you might know, she had a hand in some iconic shows besides "Good Times" -- serving as the gorgeous voice that greeted viewers in the opening song, "Movin' On Up," on "The Jeffersons," as well as voicing Mrs. Avery on "The PJs" for all 43 episodes.

She was 74.

RIP

It's been nearly 14 months since John Wall has stepped foot on an NBA court ... but he tells TMZ Sports he's learned a VERY valuable lesson during his time away from the game.

The Washington Wizards superstar ruptured his Achilles back at the beginning of 2019 after falling in his D.C. home ... and has been working like crazy to get back to 100%.

We spoke with Wall about his time away from the game ... and he's got some solid advice for players in similar situations.

"I learned what not to do is not to rush back and just take my time," Wall says.

Of course, Wall has been going viral for being able to dunk in pregame warm-ups recently ... which appears to be a good sign for recovery ... but the 29-year-old makes it clear he ain't coming back 'til he's fully ready to ball.

The Cirque du Soleil acrobat who fell during the finale of a Beatles LOVE performance seemed to lose their grip at the height of a rope stunt -- and based on this footage, he's lucky.

We broke the story ... the Sunday night accident at The Mirage in Las Vegas, forced performers to cut the music and send the audience home early. First responders needed room in the theater to get to the guy who went down hard.

You can see in the video ... everything started off as planned as the acrobats and dancers performed to "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" ... the stuntman elevated on the rope and came down safely twice.

The third time though, he lost control and plummeted to the ground.

After the fall, a fellow performer gave an emergency signal, but there were several seconds of confusion -- others on stage didn't know what happened, and kept the show going. It's awkward to watch, but they just had no way of initially knowing.

It's impossible to see this accident and not think of Genea Sky's 15-foot drop from a stripper pole in Texas. She suffered some brutal injuries but survived ... just like this guy in Vegas.

A rep for LOVE tells us the emergency team got him backstage and he was transported to a hospital. His injuries were non-life threatening, and they say he wants to get back ... in the show!!!

LOVE says he's doing well and they expect him to be back in the show soon.

"My friend found me in a puddle of blood."

Hayden Hurst -- a 2018 1st-round pick -- says his battle with depression and anxiety got so bad ... he blacked out and cut his wrist in an apparent attempt to kill himself in college.

"I woke up in the hospital," the Baltimore Ravens tight end told First Coast News in Florida this week. "I didn't know what happened. I had to have a friend fill me in."

"Apparently, I had been drinking and went into my apartment and cut my wrist. My friend found me in a puddle of blood. He called 911."

26-year-old Hurst -- who had just joined the University of South Carolina football team at the time -- said the episode was a wake up call for him to seek help for his anxiety issues.

"What happened?" Hurst said he asked himself from the hospital bed at the time. "What are you doing?"

Hayden -- who says he's battled mental health issues for years -- got the help he needed ... and now he says he wants to use his platform as an NFL player to help people in similar situations get assistance.

"For some reason, people equate mental illness with having to be ashamed," Hurst says ... "I don't think it's anything to be ashamed of. Everybody goes through something."

The 6'4", 245-pound tight end admits he still has his struggles, saying he's "not this superhero that's portrayed on TV" ... but he says he's determined to help people regardless.

"If my story is going to change the narrative on this and people are going to talk about it more, then so be it."

Royce da 5'9" is opening up about how therapy sessions are helping him grow ... and he's trying to spread the word to improve other people's lives, as well.

The Detroit rapper has a new album out, and he gets pretty personal on it. One track, "Hero," is a lyrical shout-out to his father and their relationship ... something therapy's helped him better appreciate.

Royce acknowledges most people -- especially in the black community -- have preconceived notions about sitting down and opening up to a therapist. He wants to remove that stigma, because he believes a lot of people have the wrong idea.

His new album, "The Allegory," comes out Friday, and he's already talking about the lead single, "Overcomer" -- "I want to spread the message for people to know it's ok to be themselves. I especially want this new generation of artists to understand it always works out best when they are true to themselves."

Royce told us therapy should be mandatory in the music biz -- 'cause artists need help navigating sudden fame. As for non-celebrities? He thinks counseling is seen as an "amenity" ... a luxury for which they either can't or don't want to pay.

The rapper says he's going to use his platform to change that, because we all need to start taking care of each other.

NHL star Jay Bouwmeester is speaking publicly for the first time since he collapsed from a cardiac episode during a game last week ... saying he's now "on the road to recovery."

"My wife and daughters are forever grateful for everyone's support," Bouwmeester said Tuesday, "and we will continue to have a positive outlook for our future."

It's an amazing update from the 36-year-old ... considering his dire situation during the Blues-Ducks game on Feb. 11.

Jay passed out on the team's bench during the first period of the game -- and GM Dave Armstrong revealed doctors needed to use a defibrillator on the scene to revive him.

Bouwmeester was rushed to a Southern California hospital ... where he later had surgery to place an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) in his chest to prevent future issues.

In his first public statement since it all went down, Jay said he's recovering nicely ... and thanked everyone for their well wishes.

"I would sincerely like to thank all of the trainers from both the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks, as well as, all of the first responders, the Anaheim medical staff and the team at the UCI Medical Center for their quick actions on Feb. 11."

Jay continued, "Our family has felt the support of the entire National Hockey League family and the city of St. Louis during this time. We have all been greatly comforted by your genuine concern."

Denny Hamlin tells TMZ Sports the only reason he celebrated his Daytona 500 victory on Monday night is because he had no idea Ryan Newman was badly injured in a crash.

As Hamlin took the checkered flag, 42-year-old Newman had to be rescued from his car following a terrifying crash during the final lap.

Newman's car not only flipped on it's top -- but it was rammed by another car and exploded into flames on the track.

While emergency responders rushed to help Newman, Hamlin was doing victory donuts on the track as confetti fell from the sky -- shocking concerned viewers, who felt the celebration was incredibly insensitive.

But now 39-year-old Hamlin is explaining the situation ... claiming he simply had no idea Newman was battling serious injuries.

"We didn't know until we got into victory lane," Hamlin told us on the way out of the Sirius XM building in New York ... "So, it's unfortunate circumstances, but certainly thinking about Ryan."

We asked if he had spoken with Newman since the crash -- "No, I haven't spoken to him, but obviously they updated last night."

Heather Elizabeth Parkhurst -- an actress who's appeared in "Alpha Dog" and "Beverly Hills Cop III" -- damn near got her arm torn off when her pit bulls turned on each other, mauling her in the process.

Heather's fiance, Mark Nason, tells TMZ ... the scary incident went down Friday night at their West Hollywood home. We're told Heather was petting their 7-month-old pit, Baby, when their other pit bull, 8-year-old Buddha, suddenly appeared to get jealous and growled.

And, that's when Baby and Buddha lunged at each other but Heather's right hand and arm got caught in the middle of the violent melee.

The attack left Heather -- who's also acted on TV shows like "NYPD Blue" and "Married with Children" -- a bloody mess. She was rushed to the hospital to treat gruesome injuries, including crushed bones in her hand, torn ligaments and other deep cuts throughout her arm.

We're told doctors inserted pins and stitched up her arm but she remains hospitalized.

Mickey Wright -- one of the greatest females golfers EVER -- has died after suffering a heart attack ... her attorney said on Monday. She was 85 years old.

Sonia Pawluc, Wright's lawyer, told the Associated Press that Mickey had been battling health issues after she was hospitalized in Florida this past month following a bad fall.

"One of the best to ever play the game, she will be greatly missed," The World Golf Hall of Fame said in a statement Monday. "#RIPMickey"

Wright is a legend on the golf course ... she famously won 82 events on the LPGA Tour and also recorded 13 major championship wins.

In fact, her swing was so buttery smooth ... Ben Hogan called it the best he had EVER seen.

She joined the LPGA Tour in 1955 ... before retiring from playing full-time in 1969.

She died just 3 days after her 85th birthday.

"Two and a Half Men" fans will be shocked to hear their beloved Berta almost died from an illness recently that had her in the ICU for an extended stay -- but the good news is she's getting better.

Conchata Ferrell was hospitalized this past December in Charleston, West Virginia -- where she'd been hanging out at her vacation home since Thanksgiving. We're told in early December, she came down with something leaving her feeling weak and frail -- which turned out to be a kidney infection that spread and began contaminating her blood.

Conchata was in the ICU for at least a couple weeks while doctors worked to treat her, and just this past January ... we're told she was finally released and put into transitional care.

She was recovering at her Charleston home for the rest of the month, going through physical therapy with nurses several times a day. We're told Conchata was bedridden and couldn't even walk until recently -- now, she's back in L.A. and on her own two feet once more.

Conchata tells TMZ ... she's really not too sure how she contracted the infection, as she's not really one to get sick all that often. That said, she tells us her family was with her through every step of the process and traveled out of state to see her on at least 6 occasions.

Her husband, Arnie, was by her side too ... working tirelessly every day to make sure Conchata was okay. According to her, Arnie hasn't taken care of anything a day in his life ... but was there for her when she needed him. They don't say "in sickness" for nothing!

As for the future, we're told Conchata wants to get back into acting ASAP -- but she's still a got some recovering to do until then. Feel better, CF ... helluva trooper if there ever was one.

A super scary moment went down during a Sunday night showing of The Beatles LOVE in Las Vegas ... when one of the stunt performers took a nasty fall.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a member of the Cirque du Soleil team was injured during the show at The Mirage and transported to a hospital. Fortunately, we're told the performer suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Could have been much worse, according to witnesses, who say a male LOVE performer was doing a rope stunt at a very great height when he lost control and fell. Those in the crowd described the incident as "shocking," "just awful" and "traumatizing."

Immediately after the fall, the show was stopped due to the medical situation and the audience was asked to leave. We're told the fall happened near the end of the show.

We don't know which song they were performing at the time, but the show is packed with incredible acrobatics set to Beatles hits. It's been one of the most popular shows on the strip since opening in 2006.

A rep for the show tells us the show stopped "as a precautionary measure and in accordance with our emergency response protocols."

They continue, "As always in the case of an accident, the artist will continue to be monitored by the show's medical and coaching teams to determine when he can return to his activities."

Nikita Pearl Waligwa -- a young actress who starred in a Ugandan Disney movie about a chess prodigy -- has reportedly died ... this after battling health issues a few years earlier.

According to the Ugandan news outlet, The Daily Monitor, Nikita recently passed away. While they don't say exactly how, the paper seems to link her death to a 2016 diagnosis ... which found she had a tumor in her brain. Unclear if she was fighting full-blown cancer.

Even more tragic ... the Monitor says a funding campaign was started for Nikita to get treatment in India, because local doctors were quoted as not having the proper equipment.

As for her acting career, it appears she only starred in the one Disney flick, "Queen of Katwe," playing a friend of the actual chess prodigy, Phiona Mutesi. It also featured Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo -- the film's got a great Rotten Tomatoes score, critics loved it.

Nikita was only 15 years old.