Celebrity Health

This can't be good.

Good luck finding a patch of sand if you tried hitting the beach Saturday in San Diego, because it was wall-to-wall sunbathers.

Thousands of folks hit the beach in the middle of a semi-brutal heatwave in SoCal.

The good news ... San Diego County public health officials said Saturday the positivity rate in the County is fewer than 100 cases per 100,000 tests. And, people are outside, which is way safer than inside.

Still, it's the proverbial packed-in-like-sardines scenario, where almost no one is wearing masks as people are eating, drinking, talking, laughing ... and maybe there's an occasional sneeze or cough. All not good when it comes to spreading the virus.

San Diego wasn't the only Southern California beach that was jammed packed. Check out Venice Beach in L.A. County, where coronavirus is way more prevalent.

A young New Yorker drew outrage for taking a dip in the infamous Hudson River -- but as it turns out, she might've had the last laugh ... 'cause it's actually safer than you might think.

TikTok user Donna P -- a 20-year-old food blogger from the Big Apple -- posted some videos of herself jumping off a boat into the murky waters right near the Statue of Liberty, which put a whole lot of Twitter truthers into a tizzy ... with a lot of them calling her out.

Folks were making fun of her, saying she was foolish and generally deriding the fact she thought this could possibly be safe ... not to mention she did it with so much verve and free-spirited passion. Basically, people thought this was downright dumb, putting her health at risk just for a TikTok video. There were also plenty of jokes and memes to go around.

BUT, it looks like Donna mostly walks away with the W in this sitch, 'cause she did her homework. When she caught wind of the "backlash," she decided to do a bit of research and took people to school with the facts -- per the NY Dept. of Environmental Conservation.

If you go to their page about the Hudson River, it dishes out a lot of info as to whether it's safe or not to swim in. Long story short ... yes and no. The Dept. notes, generally speaking, it probably won't do much harm to take a swim or a dive. Fact is, the river's not quite as toxic or polluted as it was in the old days -- even though people are under the impression that it very much is. BTW, Donna tells us she knew this going in ... and that she's fine.

Now, we don't recommend taking to New York's river waters regularly -- good for the back as it might be. Frankly, it's probably not the best habit, 'cause there can still be some gnarly stuff in there that could be harmful. Different parts of the Hudson are certainly worse than others, and rain runoff can mix in with the city sewage and can seep in, even today.

Luke Gulbranson -- who stirred up drama on the Bravo reality series "Summer House" -- is making the most of a his failed engagement, and helping a great cause in the process.

Luke partnered up with the folks over at IDoNowIDont.com -- the name says it all, really -- to sell an engagement ring he bought for an ex-GF before he was on the show. Fans know he brought up that 3-year relationship and the engagement ring frequently ... and it's kinda why things never took off Hannah Berner in the house.

He also talked about wanting to get rid of the ring, and it's finally happening. The Tiffany & Co. round solitaire diamond is just under 1 carat, and set in 18k white and yellow gold. It retails for $11,500 but, get this ... the starting bid at IDoNowIDont starts at $5,000. Potential bargain!!!

We're told Luke and the jewelry site will donate a percentage of the proceeds to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a non-profit that's been dedicated to fighting blood cancer since 1949.

So, why L&LS? Luke's mother is currently battling Leukemia and he wants to share his gratitude to the group and its incredible work around the world.

Bellator star Corey Anderson says he literally feared for his life after a super scary medical incident ... which ultimately lead to him leaving the UFC.

Remember, the 30-year-old MMA star "blacked out and collapsed" on February 21 while outdoors scouting land ... smashing his face on the gravel road.

Corey was rushed to the hospital ... where 1 doctor told him something was wrong with his heart.

Anderson -- one of the most feared fighters in the world with wins over guys like Johnny Walker and Glover Teixeira -- admits he was literally afraid he was going to die.

"It was a scary process. You don't know if one, is your heart gonna be okay, two, every night you go to sleep, is my heart gonna stop in the middle of the night?"

Shortly after the incident, Anderson -- a top 5 UFC light heavyweight at the time -- asked Dana White to release him from his contract (which DW did) ... before ultimately signing with Bellator.

Long story short, Corey said his decision was financially motivated -- he thinks Bellator will be more lucrative for him in the long run, so he signed on the dotted line.

We asked Corey who his first Bellator opponent will be -- but they're still working out those details

Brooklyn Nets star DeAndre Jordan is doing his part to personally assist those combating the coronavirus -- by surprising 200 frontline workers with free meals!!

TMZ Sports has learned -- the 6'11" center popped up at the myCovidMD in Los Angeles on Thursday ... teaming up with Postmates to provide the large group of workers administrating COVID tests with food from one of his favorite local joints -- Harold & Belle’s.

We're told Jordan hooked the workers up with chicken creole and his personal fav -- veggie jambalaya.

Of course, it's a great gesture coming from Jordan -- who was unable to compete in the 2020 NBA restart after testing positive for COVID-19.

Heavyweight boxer Otto Wallin -- the man who took Tyson Fury to the brink in 2019 -- says he's fully recovered from his battle with COVID and can't wait to fight again on Saturday.

Remember, Wallin is the guy who bloodied Fury badly during their Sept. 2019 bout -- opening 2 huge gashes on the champ's face. He ultimately lost by unanimous decision, but gained a ton of respect in the boxing world.

Wallin later contracted COVID-19 in March -- but tells TMZ Sports he beat the virus pretty quickly and got back to training hard in a matter of weeks.

"I was out for maybe a week and a half, 2 weeks when I had it," Wallin says ... "But then we started training. Took it slow because we didn't know if it would affect me but we haven't noticed anything and we stepped it up from there."

"Now we've had a few months with good training. I feel like I've improved since the Fury fight so hopefully, that will come out."

Wallin steps back into the ring on Saturday to fight Travis Kauffman -- and another impressive performance could put him back in the mix for a rematch with Fury ... or a shot at other top fighters like Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua.

"I already showed Fury I'm very good ... I'm not too far off from those guys."

Kauffman ain't exactly rolling over -- he's been talking a bunch of trash too.

"If I don’t beat Otto Wallin, I’m retiring," Kauffman told BoxingScene.com.

"And, here’s why: I have a lot more experience and I have a lot more ability than Otto Wallin has. His claim to fame is truly losing to Tyson Fury."

Peter Fonda died because the hospital and doctors that were supposed to treat him failed to do their damn jobs ... so claims Peter's widow in a new lawsuit.

Margaret Fonda is suing Providence Saint Joseph's Health Center in Santa Monica and a number of its doctors, claiming they negligently failed to properly consult, diagnose and treat the late actor.

According to newly filed legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the hospital and doctors allegedly failed on a score of issues -- such as ordering proper tests, advising him of the necessity of more frequent follow-up tests and recommending he seek treatment from other specialists.

Margaret alleges Peter died due to the hospital and doctors' failure to perform those duties.

TMZ broke the story ... the iconic actor died from lung cancer back in August 2019. He was 79. Margaret is suing for damages.

We've reached out to the hospital for comment, so far no word back.

George Floyd had at least 8 civilian onlookers, including a Minneapolis firefighter, pleading for his life ... and this newly released police body cam shows the panic and horror they all felt.

The footage comes from the body cam of now ex-officer Tou Thao -- he's the one who was doing crowd control during Floyd's arrest. The video shows the initial attempt to put Floyd into a patrol car and, seconds later, the 3 officers -- including Derek Chauvin -- taking him down onto the pavement.

As soon as George was on the street, with Chauvin's knee on his neck, Thao went straight to the curb where a handful of onlookers could immediately tell Floyd was in life-threatening distress.

While one young woman, Darnella Frazier, recorded the original video the world saw of Floyd's killing ... the most vocal citizen on the curbside was a black man who repeatedly asked Thao if he was just going to watch the other officers "choke him like that?"

Another onlooker, who identified herself as a Minneapolis firefighter, made multiple attempts to get a closer look ... and yelled at Thao, "Does he have a pulse? Show me his pulse!"

What's most interesting about this angle of the incident is you can see and feel the crowd's worry increase with every minute the officers are on top of George. It was painfully obvious to them a man was dying, and they got more and more agitated as the clock ticked through the 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

As you know, Thao and 2 other ex-officers, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Keung, are charged with aiding and abetting murder ... while Chauvin's been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, as well as an additional count of second-degree murder.

Harvey Weinstein doesn't want to be dragged to Los Angeles to face further prosecution for alleged sex crimes ... because he's already serving a 23-year sentence in New York and feels a trip to an L.A. jail would be a death sentence because of COVID.

The L.A. County D.A. wants Weinstein extradited to Los Angeles for another sexual assault trial, but Weinstein's lawyer, Norman Effman, tells TMZ ... he's gonna fight the move.

Effman says his client's health would be at serious risk if he's transferred to L.A. -- where coronavirus cases have been surging -- especially the county's jail system which has been plagued by COVID-19 outbreaks.

As you may recall ... Weinstein tested positive for the virus in March and recovered, but his lawyer says that's no guarantee he's immune now.

Effman points out the Wende Correctional Facility in upstate New York -- where Weinstein's currently locked up -- has had a low infection rate and zero COVID deaths.

So, he argues, there's no reason to send Weinstein from a relatively safe environment to a dangerous one.

Effman says Weinstein's not fighting extradition altogether ... he just wants to wait until the conditions are safer. The coronavirus outbreak already delayed his extradition back in May. A hearing's set for this week to address the issue again, but it's clear ... Weinstein won't go quietly.

Weinstein was sentenced in March to 23 years in prison in New York after being convicted of committing a criminal sex act in the first degree and rape in the third degree.

He's still facing 5 felony charges in L.A. -- sexual battery by restraint, forcible rape, sexual penetration by use of force, sexual battery and forcible oral copulation.

J Balvin's urging his fans to take coronavirus seriously ... and he should know, 'cause he says he got it and the virus hit him HARD.

The reggaeton superstar revealed his diagnosis Thursday while accepting an award for his "Rojo" music video during Premios Juventud 2020 (think Teen Choice Awards). The Colombian singer -- in a pre-recorded message -- said he's just getting done with battling COVID-19 ... adding "sometimes we don't think we'll get it, but I got it and it hit me hard."

J Balvin -- who has collabed with hitmakers like Cardi B and Justin Bieber -- took advantage of the millions watching the broadcast to urge his fans to understand the virus is real and dangerous ... and treating the pandemic and precautionary measures as a joke can be a disastrous mistake.

Former All-Pro linebacker Chip Banks -- the #3 overall pick in the 1982 NFL Draft -- is fighting for his life after he was shot in an apparent targeted attack in Georgia ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Cops tell us officers responded to a call about a shooting in the Atlanta area around noon on Wednesday and arrived to find 3 victims -- including Banks -- suffering from gunshot wounds.

One of the men, cops say, was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel.

The other two men -- including Banks -- were "alert, conscious and breathing" and transported to a local hospital for treatment, officials added.

We're told 60-year-old Banks, the 1982 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, is currently in "serious condition."

As for how the shooting went down ... cops told local media outlets Wednesday they believe a group of 5 or 6 men with masks on rolled up to the residence, shot a man in the driveway and then went inside and shot the other two men before running off.

Cops told local outlets they do not believe the shooting was random -- in other words, it appears at least one of the men was the target of a hit.

"Detectives are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident," a spokesperson for the Atlanta Police Dept. tells us. "The investigation continues."

Banks was a pretty big star in the NFL in the 1980s and early 1990s ... playing for the Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts.

Cleveland pitcher Zach Plesac says he's been wrongfully portrayed as a reckless monster for breaking MLB's COVID rules during a night out in Chicago ... insisting he was being safe the entire time.

"The media's portraying me and my best friend and teammate to be malicious with our actions when we were really ... practicing safe practices," Plesac says.

Here's the deal ... Plesac ADMITS he and teammate Mike Clevinger broke MLB rules by leaving the team hotel and staying out past curfew during a road trip to Chicago.

"I went out to dinner with some buddies. We ended up going back to his place -- the same group that we went to dinner with ... and we opened up baseball cards," Plesac says.

"That entire night, dinner and hanging out at my buddy's place after, we were not with more than 8 people the entire night."

The problem ... obviously ... is that MLB had put strict rules in place to prevent another outbreak after COVID hit the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals.

When news broke of Plesac's night out, he was killed in the media -- AND by teammates like Adam Plutko who felt he violated their trust and put the team at risk.

But, in a 6 minute and 30 second IG video, the 25-year-old pitcher argues he followed CDC guidelines that night and doesn't really understand why everyone is making such a big deal about it.

"You can't sit in a room all day," Plesac said.

Plesac says he's been doing research and vows to follow the rules moving forward -- but feels he's been "dragged across the mud."

He's adamant he'd never purposely put his teammates at risk -- citing his brother has diabetes and his mother is a nurse.

"I understand the significance of this illness and this disease and I know how important it is that we must follow certain procedures and guidelines to ensure safety for the entirety of the group."

Ultimately, Plesac says he's dying to get back on the mound and play again -- so he can "start shoving it up people" ASAP.

Florida State wide receiver Warren Thompson claims he's been "lied to" about COVID exposure on the FSU football team ... this after another FSU WR tested positive on Wednesday.

Thompson -- a 6'3", 200-lb. sophomore -- put the team on blast in a lengthy IG post Thursday ... saying "the proper leadership does not exist" to address the COVID threat.

"During this entire week of camp I have been lied to multiple times about the conditions of other players' health as well as mine."

"It has been shown to myself and the rest, that our leadership is based off an 'I' mentality with them only worried about their own future rather than their own athletes."

Thompson's allegations come one day after his fellow WR D.J. Matthews confirmed on social media that he has tested positive for coronavirus.

Matthews is the 2nd Noles player to confirm a COVID case -- with lineman Andrew Boselli testing positive back in March.

We've reached out to FSU for comment -- no word back. But, FSU has not given out any info on the number of players infected since the pandemic began.

As for Thompson, he claims he's already been "ridiculed" for speaking up about his concerns ... but wanted to go public in hopes of resolving the issues before the season.

"The lies from our leaders have backed myself into a corner putting my overall well being in jeopardy," Thompson continued. "The neglect to respond to this issue is very concerning and why I’ve drawn attention to it."

Thompson makes it clear he WANTS to play for FSU this season and has done everything in his power to stay safe ... but he's demanding transparency from the school.

A Russian powerlifting champ fractured both his knees and snapped both his quads in an 800-plus-pound squat attempt gone horrifically wrong ... and the video is TERRIFYING.

The awful scene all went down when decorated weightlifter Alexander Sedykh stepped up to the bar at a World Raw Powerlifting Federation event near Moscow this past weekend.

Sedykh -- the event's champ just a year ago -- loaded up 400 KG (roughly 880 pounds) on the bar ... and when he went to squat it, things took an awful turn.

WARNING: THIS IS GRUESOME.

In the video, you can see Sedykh's legs wobble ... before they eventually give out with a loud cracking sound.

Immediately, Sedykh is in serious pain ... and after he was rushed to the hospital, he reportedly required hours of surgery to fix his broken legs and quadriceps muscles.

"The main thing is that I must lie motionless in bed for two months,” Sedykh reportedly said of the injuries. “Then I'll be taught how to walk again."

If and when a coronavirus vaccine is rolled out, there will be people who refuse to take it for various reasons, but a Stanford Law School professor says such refusal will have consequences.

Hank Greely will appear on "TMZ Live" Thursday ... he's an expert in public health law and says people who refuse to take the vaccine could -- repeat COULD -- be denied the right to enter their workplace or their school.

Fact is ... there will probably be 3 groups of people who will refuse the vaccine -- the anti-vaxxers, the people who want to turn the vaccine into a political issue, and people who are afraid to take the vaccine because they worry it was rushed and not properly tested.

If the FDA, NIH and others show the phase 3 studies were thorough and established both safety and efficacy, Professor Greely says it will be hard for people to make the case they can refuse the vaccine and not be barred from work or school.

It's dicier, the good professor says, if phase 3 studies are less than thorough.