Celebrity Health

Aaron Carter's getting the help he desperately needs in rehab largely in part to precision, patience and execution from the guys at "The Doctors."

Sources close to the Carter family tell TMZ ... "The Doctors" sent an interventionist to Aaron's Florida crib last week. The person showed up Thursday, knocked on Aaron's door, to no avail. The interventionist wasn't deterred and waited a whopping 4 hours.

The interventionist returned Friday, and the troubled singer finally agreed to talk and ultimately was convinced to go to rehab. We're told the show is footing the bill. It's unclear what it'll cost, but Aaron's supposed to be in rehab in California for 3 months, which can't be cheap.

As we reported ... 'Doctors' offered to send Aaron to rehab when he was on the show, but he refused. A rep for Aaron tells us ... "Aaron’s decision to enter a facility was his own and a choice he made for himself. He very much wishes to be left alone so he can focus on his wellness."

BTW, our sources say Aaron's meeting with the interventionist wasn't filmed for the show.

Aaron Carter is finally giving in and checking into rehab, TMZ has learned, the day after police rushed to his home to do a welfare check.

TMZ broke the story ... cops in Florida responded when someone reported Aaron seemed high on something during a FaceTime conversation. Aaron's rep tells us, "Aaron has decided to enter a facility to improve his health and work on his overall wellness. He is going to do this privately and focus all his attention on being the best person and performer possible," adding Aaron's grateful for the support and love from his fans.

We're told Aaron went back and forth for a while, but finally agreed to get help.

As we reported, Aaron taped an episode of 'Doctors' last month, but fled the studio at the first mention of him going into rehab. Family members have also been concerned he's relapsing.

As of now he's agreeing to check into a program, but as one source put it ... his decision "changes every hour."

Aaron Carter was in his right mind -- relatively speaking -- when authorities rushed to his home Thursday for a welfare check.

TMZ broke the story ... law enforcement rushed to Aaron's home after getting a call from someone who felt he was slurring his speech and not of sound mind. The man who interacted with Aaron was FaceTiming him.

According to dispatch audio, Aaron was evaluated at his Florida apartment and they found no "suspicious activity" when they saw him face-to-face.

Ric Flair's daughter, Charlotte Flair, tells TMZ Sports she knew her father would "kick out" after a medical emergency left him in a coma ... and says he's doing MUCH better now.

Charlotte says her father has finally been cleared to go home after living in a treatment center since he was released from the hospital -- "We're all happy."

The Nature Boy himself has been opening up about the situation to the media -- essentially saying the medical emergency culminated from years of hardcore drinking.

Charlotte tells TMZ Sports her father is "for the most part healthy" now ... and advises future pro athletes to learn from Ric's mistakes.

Here's Bill Belichick passing the buck like he's Tom Brady when asked about how the New England Patriots inform players about the dangers of CTE.

With Aaron Hernandez's fiancee suing the Pats and the NFL for allegedly hiding key information about CTE from players ... a reporter asked Belichick on Friday straight-up how the team deals with CTE.

That's when Belichick took a deep breath and said this -- "Umm. Well that's really ... you know, the whole medical questions are, you know, one that come outside of my area."

Belichick noted that the question is better handled by the team medical staff.

When the reporter asked Belichick for his thoughts on how the NFL informs players on the dangers of CTE he deflected once again.

Dr. Bennet Omalu -- the man who discovered CTE -- tells TMZ Sports, "There is no question in my mind that CTE drove Aaron Hernandez to suicide and other criminal and violent behavior."

FYI, Dr. Omalu is the real-life doctor who inspired the Will Smith movie, "Concussion."

We reached out to Omalu after Hernandez's fiancee filed her lawsuit against the NFL and the New England Patriots -- claiming the league failed to share information connecting CTE and suicidal tendencies.

Omalu believes she absolutely has a case -- and hopes Aaron's story will inspire parents to pull their kids out of contact sports.

"If you read my book 'Truth Doesn’t Have a Side' you will encounter the Chapter titled 'I bet my license OJ Simpson Has CTE,' therefore, it should not be surprising that Aaron Hernandez eventually committed suicide."

"I am yet to examine the brain of professional football player who does not have CTE or other forms of brain damage. And we have always known for centuries that if you suffer forceful and/or repetitive blows to your head in whatever human activity, you will suffer brain damage."

"If a child plays football, there is a 100% risk exposure to brain damage. No child under the age of 18 in today’s America should be playing any of the high-impact, high-contact sports, and the big six are football, ice hockey, mixed martial arts, rugby, boxing and wrestling."

"Let us keep our children healthy and make them play only non-contact sports."

"Clerks" star Lisa Spoonauer died from an accidental overdose of a powerful painkiller ... TMZ has learned.

According to the Ocean County Medical Examiner in NJ, Lisa died of acute and chronic intravenous use of hydromorphone ... the generic brand of the narcotic, Dilaudid. She was also battling cancer, anemia, lung disease and immune deficiency ... all of which contributed to her death.

Lisa, who played Caitlin Bree in the cult classic film ... was only 44 when she died in May. At the time, her family said she'd been fighting undisclosed illnesses for years.

Her death prompted "Clerks" writer/director Kevin Smith to post an emotional tribute.

Francia Raisa is getting ripped again ... but this time we're talkin' muscles.

Selena Gomez's best friend is back in the gym getting her sweat on just months after donating her kidney to save Selena's life. You can see her scars where doctors made the incision, but we suggest you check out her it's-always-bikini-season bod.

The surgery took its toll on Francia, a fitness queen forced to put her workouts on hold.

She wasn't ready to pose for paps last week on the set of her new TV show, "Grown-Ish," but she's now ready to show us what she's got.

And we dig it.

Ric Flair is opening up about his past struggles with alcoholism ... admitting that he consumed the equivalent of "20 DRINKS A DAY" during his legendary pro wrestling career.

The Nature Boy talked about his wild ways Thursday on "The Dan Le Batard Show" ... and how they nearly cost him his life.

"I just drank too much," Flair said. "Between 3,700 and 4,000 calories worth of booze ... in my body every day. Like 20 drinks a day."

Ric's alcohol abuse eventually caught up to him ... he says he was on life support for 10 days after having emergency surgery last month, and doctors didn't know whether or not he'd make it.

Good news, though -- Naitch says he's kickin' booze to the curb so he can have a long, healthy life.

WOOOOO!!

1:03 PM PT -- Usher's attorney, Zia Modabber, tells TMZ, "Usher will defend himself vigorously in court against these opportunistic claims and we will not comment further on private legal matters."

Usher's male accuser who claims the singer exposed him to genital herpes says the 2 had sex in a Koreatown spa in Los Angeles.

The 2 women and the man suing Usher have filed new legal docs. The woman who has not divulged her identity now says she had sex with Usher at least twice and, after contracting herpes from him, her twins were stillborn. She says stillbirth is a direct consequence of giving birth while infected with herpes.

Michael Bisping's teeth have taken a real beating during his 13-year MMA career -- with serious damage to 20 of his chompers -- but now he's renovating his entire mouth.

TMZ Sports was with The Count as he hit up the prestigious Roxbury Institute in Bev Hills where Dr. Thomas Connelly was about to begin reconstruction on Bisping's busted up grill.

Connelly -- who's worked on some of the biggest stars in Hollywood -- says Bisping needed major work that could run up to $80,000 at some of the higher priced dentists in town.

Good news for Mike ... Connelly says Bisping's mouth will be good as new in a week and there is NO concern that the procedure will affect his preparation to fight Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217 in Nov.

Smile!

Senator Bill Cassidy respectfully disagrees with Jimmy Kimmel as to whether his new health care bill is the right fix to Obamacare -- but as for that "Kimmel test" ... uhhh.

We got the Louisiana senator Wednesday on Capitol Hill -- where he and Lindsey Graham are trying to get a new health bill passed to repeal and replace Obamacare by the end of the month -- and he says Kimmel's misinformed about what this new law would do.

He says it WILL protect folks with pre-existing conditions, and WILL get more people covered in general. Jimmy believes the opposite, saying the bill gives states more power to allocate money from the government -- and he thinks that will backfire.

Jimmy went on the attack on his show Tuesday night ... saying Cassidy's bill is too complicated ... and furthermore, he lied ... in Jimmy's eyes.

UFC superstar Luke Rockhold kicked so much ass this weekend, his foot exploded.

Well, it certainly blew the hell up.

Take a look at video of Luke's insanely swollen and bruised right foot -- which he earned during Saturday night's dominant TKO victory over David Branch at 'UFC Fight Night' in Pittsburgh.

Maybe put some ice on it?

The good news ... Rockhold seems pretty comfortable recovering while chillin' at a rooftop pool in the Steel City.

Could be worse ... could be David Branch's face.

Keyshia Cole trusted a 12-year-old amateur singer to help her belt out a song at a post-Emmys bash ... and the result was simply awesome.

Keyshia performed her song, "Trust," Sunday night at the Golden Soiree at Viva Hollywood -- and she invited a 12-year-old named Serenity, who happens to be in the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

We're told Serenity's a huge fan of Keyshia's and had requested to sing with her -- a wish that was granted by Jimmy Iovine's son, Jamie ... who's close pals with Keyshia.

As you can see, the duo was a hit with the crowd ... and Keyshia even gave a special shout-out to Serenity and Jamie afterward.

Chester Bennington appeared happy and engaged with his own family less than 2 days before his hanging suicide ... based on a video his widow shared.

Talinda Bennington posted a video of Chester hanging out with one of his sons eating jelly beans ... she says it was shot just 36 hours before his death.

She captioned the vid saying "This is what depression looked like to us just 36 hrs b4 his death. He loved us SO much & we loved him."

We broke the story ... Chester committed suicide by hanging in July ... much like his good friend and fellow musician Chris Cornell did just a couple months before.

Kathy Griffin's sister, Joyce -- the one stricken with cancer who inspired Kathy to shave her head in July -- has lost her battle.

Joyce Griffin succumbed to an undisclosed form of cancer after undergoing extensive chemotherapy.

You'll recall, 2 months ago Kathy shaved her head in solidarity.

It's been tough for Kathy. Her older brother, Gary Griffin, died of esophageal cancer in 2014. Another sibling of Kathy's also died young. She had 4 siblings. Now there are 2.

Joyce was 65 years old. RIP.