Celebrity Health

Rockmond Dunbar is taking Disney and 20th Television to federal court over his ouster from "9-1-1" ... accusing the studios of discriminating against him based on his race and religion.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Rockmond claims he was the only Black male lead actor on the TV show and his dismissal severely damaged his career.

In the docs, Rockmond claims he submitted paperwork seeking both a religious and medical exemption for the COVID-19 vaccine, and says producers assured him they wanted him to remain on the show and his schedule would be adjusted to accommodate him being unvaccinated.

Instead, Rockmond claims he was barred from the set and assured his character's storyline would show him leaving temporarily, keeping open the possibility for him to return down the road.

But Rockmond claims that never happened either ... in his suit, he says Disney and 20th Television fired him in retaliation and refused to pay him the hundreds of thousands of dollars he says he's still owed.

What's more, Rockmond claims the studios not only refused to accommodate his vaccine exemption requests, but also deliberately made it sound like he was an anti-vaxxer ... and he says he essentially became persona non grata in Hollywood.

Rockmond's going after the studios for money, and he wants an injunction barring the studios from discriminating against anyone based on race or religion when it comes to vaccination policies.

We reached out to Disney and 20th Television ... so far, no word back.

Linda Evangelista's through with laying low after she was allegedly left disfigured by a cosmetic procedure -- she's back in the public eye while her lawsuit proceeds.

The OG supermodel was out and about Wednesday in NYC, and although she was wearing a face mask and a puffy winter coat ... it was a big step for her, following her horrifying claims a fat-freezing procedure has "permanently deformed" her.

As we reported, Linda filed a lawsuit last September, alleging CoolSculpting "brutally disfigured" her in several places. She says she noticed bulges growing in the very areas she'd wanted to shrink when she decided to have the procedure.

She's intentionally avoided the spotlight since then, but now she tells People, "I'm not going to hide anymore. I hope I can shed myself of some of the shame and help other people who are in the same situation as me ... That's my goal."

Linda says a doctor diagnosed her with Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia -- a rare side effect of the procedure, which many have called an alternative to liposuction.

The possibility of seeing Tiger Woods in this year's Masters is growing slimmer and slimmer ... the golf legend just said he's had "very limited" practice work and still has absolutely no idea when he'll be able to return to the PGA Tour.

Woods spoke with the media Wednesday for the first time since he returned to somewhat competitive golf action at the PNC Championship in December -- and he made it clear, he's a long ways away from battling Phil Mickelson at Augusta in April.

Tiger said he hasn't been able to swing his driver or his other woods as much as he'd like due to the leg injury he suffered in a Feb. 2021 car crash ... and added that walking around a course is still challenging.

"I wish I could tell you when I'm playing again," Woods said ... adding that he still has "a long way to go."

Tiger did say his short game -- chipping, putting, and lower irons -- is good ... and he said when he can use a cart, he's totally fine.

But, Woods made it clear -- he's nowhere near ready to walk a course for a full week at a major championship like the Masters.

As for his injured leg, Tiger joked that's it's certainly altered ... telling one reporter, "My right leg does not look like my left."

As we reported, Woods needed multiple procedures to fix comminuted open fractures in his leg following his wreck in L.A. 12 months ago.

A beach in Sydney has been temporarily closed after some folks witnessed a gruesome killing -- a 15-ft shark devouring a swimmer.

A Rep for New South Wales Police Force tells TMZ ...  cops were called about the terrifying shark attack around 4:35 PM on Wednesday.

We're told folks were fishing off the nearby shoreline, and they heard the swimmer scream in terror and saw the entire attack unfold.

As you can see in the video, a shark was still lurking around and the guy recording yelled out, "Someone just got eaten by a shark. Oh man! Oh no! That's insane." He believes it was a great white.

Police say when they arrived, they could still see human remains in the water.

As of now, they don't know details about the deceased swimmer, but police said they are investigating and might know more info later today.

The most famous voice in college basketball will be silent for at least the next month ... Dick Vitale just announced he's been ordered to undergo "4 weeks of total voice rest" following vocal cord surgery.

Dickie V revealed the doc's orders on his Facebook page Wednesday morning ... saying the Tuesday operation on his throat went well, but he's got a long way to go before he's back talking hoops on TV again.

"[The doctor] feels optimistic that if I follow his plan (which I will)," Vitale said, "that he will get me back on courtside to do what I truly love talking college hoops during the 2022-23 season."

Vitale -- who's also currently in a battle with cancer -- was diagnosed with the vocal cord issue just a few weeks ago ... revealing the problem would force him out of calling games for the rest of the 2021-2022 season.

FYI, Vitale's doc is world-renowned ... having treated stars like Adele and Steven Tyler for vocal issues. So, Dickie's in good hands.

Vitale explained Wednesday the issues were "dysplasia" and "ulcerated lesions on my vocal cord."

Fortunately, Dickie V said the doc was "confident" he fixed everything ... putting Vitale hopefully on the path to callin' basketball games in the future.

"[The doctor] was very confident after the 3 hours of intense surgery that he was able to achieve his goal," Dickie V said.

Ryan Garcia -- one of the best young boxing talents in the world -- is opening up on his serious mental health struggles ... admitting at one point, he felt like killing himself.

"When I was deep in it, I didn't think I was gonna live," Garcia said in an interview with Dan Canobbio on "Inside Boxing Live." "I was so depressive and I went to bad habits. I started drinking, and I never drink, ever."

He continued ... "But I was getting drunk all the time. I wanted to kill myself at one point."

Remember, the 23-year-old undefeated boxing star withdrew from his scheduled bout against Javier Fortuna last April ... expressing he needed a break to focus on his "mental health and well-being."

Ryan's last professional fight was January 2021 against Luke Campbell ... when he defeated him via knockout in the seventh round.

Garcia knew he needed a break when his thoughts were so scattered that his mind felt paralyzed at the time. The champ said he couldn't even begin to describe the torment he was experiencing.

"It was so bad, so intense, that I thought maybe I just rather not be here,'" Garcia said. "I didn’t understand what was going on. I needed professional help."

Ryan said he knows his depression stemmed from mismanaging stress -- like taking on too many things at once ... and not having the right support system in place around him.

Thankfully, RG received the help he needed ... and said he's feeling great.

Garcia returns to the ring April 9 ... where he will fight Emmanuel Tagoe.

Kodak Black is out of the hospital after being shot in the leg ... and he very clearly needs help getting around.

Check out this video TMZ obtained, showing Kodak leaving Cedars-Sinai Monday afternoon in Los Angeles ... as you can see, he's using a walker and moving pretty slowly.

Kodak's also got a ton of bodyguards around him as he climbs into the back of a black SUV ... and for good reason.

As we reported, Kodak was among 4 people hit with bullets in a shooting that broke out early Saturday morning following Justin Bieber's after-party at the Nice Guy.

Remember, Kodak was struck in the leg and taken to the hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.

After his COVID vaccine stance cost him a shot at his 21st major title in Australia, Novak Djokovic says he still won't get the shots ... saying he'll now opt out of tournaments with vax mandates going forward.

The tennis star broke it all down for BBC in an interview published Tuesday ... explaining that even after all the drama he went through at the Australian Open last month, he's still not going to get the vaccine.

In fact, he told the outlet if Wimbledon or the French Open or any other huge tourney implements similar vax rules ... he'll just now sit those out, saying he feels that strongly about the vaccine.

"Yes," he said, "that is the price that I'm willing to pay."

Djokovic explained he's not an anti-vaxxer -- saying, "I was never against vaccination, but I've always supported the freedom to choose what you put in your body."

Djokovic essentially said he's not willing to get the COVID vaccine just yet because he just doesn't know what it might do to his body.

"Principles of decision making on my body are more important than any title or anything else," he said. "I'm trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can."

The comments are the first ones that Djokovic has made since he was famously kicked out of Australia due to his unvaxxed status.

Djokovic told the outlet he didn't fabricate anything when it came to his application for his visa ... and he added that he "completely" disagreed with the government's officials' decision to deport him from the country.

There had been some buzz that Djokovic could, potentially, get the vaccine following it all ... and while Novak didn't slam the door on one day getting it, he made it clear it ain't happening anytime soon.

A Super Bowl ring appears to have come with a big cost for Odell Beckham Jr. ... the wide receiver is believed to have torn his ACL during the game -- and his 2022 season is now in jeopardy.

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport just reported the news ... saying testing on the Rams star's left knee appears to show he shredded his ACL during L.A.'s win over Cincinnati.

If it ultimately is confirmed ... it'll sadly be the second time Beckham has torn the ligament in his career -- you'll recall, he busted up the same knee when he was with the Cleveland Browns in 2020.

The injury could mean Beckham will have to sit out the entire 2022 season, as ACL injuries are known to take around 12 months to fully recover from.

It's a huge bummer for Odell -- who's a free agent this offseason -- as he had revived his career with the Rams -- hooking up for a bunch of TDs with Matthew Stafford, including one in Sunday's game.

Beckham, though, still was able to celebrate the win despite the bleak injury ... he was seen crying tears of joy on the field after the game and was also spotted dancing in the locker room after the win.

Dr. Oz just got his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame -- but because he dived into politics as a Republican ... he thinks his spot on the boulevard will get the Trump treatment.

We talked to the daytime TV legend -- who's now running for an open U.S. Senate seat out of Pennsylvania -- amid his WOF ceremony Friday, and talked shop about his race ... and the implications it carries for how his star might be dealt with publicly.

Check it out ... Oz addresses the obvious comparison many will draw between Donald Trump and himself -- namely, being a celeb-turned-GOP politician.

Because of this ... he says flat-out, his star may get defaced between now and the finish line -- but he suggests if that does happen, it'll be done without merit -- 'cause he's his own man with his own views ... and the only thing he shares with Trump at this point is a party.

We asked what he'd have to say to would-be voters wary of electing another celeb in the wake of what many consider a not-so-great run with DT at the helm ... and Oz tells us his record, as a doctor and then as a media personality, speaks for itself -- especially on facts.

As you may have heard ... Oz's campaign is kinda controversial, and he hasn't been embraced by nearly as many celebs as one might've thought would come out in his corner. That's okay though, so says Mehmet ... because he says the issues/his solutions are what will convince the people of Pennsylvania to get behind him come November.

Barry Manilow was weaponized against protestors in New Zealand pissed over vaccine mandates in an attempt to get 'em to scram -- but it doesn't sound like the ploy worked.

You might've heard about this ... there are demonstrations happening down there that have gone on for quite some time now, with scores of people flocking to the Parliament building in Wellington over the past week or so and occupying the streets ... refusing to leave.

This is very much in the same vein as the Canadian trucker convoy movement happening in Toronto. The big difference here being ... NZ officials got creative Friday with their attempted disbursement methods, resorting to what they appear to consider annoying music!

Multiple reports describe NZ law enforcement blasting Manilow's greatest hits on a 15-minute loop, and not just that ... but, apparently, the "Macarena" got trotted out on repeat as well.

Unfortunately, there isn't much video showing this hilarious scene -- although, there's one clip that shows the New Zealand protestors dancing to Boney M's "Rivers of Babylon," which also seems to have gotten blasted over the speakers.

There are even accounts of the protestors playing Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" in response to the government's attempt to drive them crazy with earworms.

It also appears they were jamming out to their own soundtrack throughout the day, with Lenny Kravitz's "Let Love Rule" making a cameo at one point. Essentially, it looked a lot like a Woodstock event ... and, eventually, a battle of the songs between the dueling groups.

Deion Sanders' foot issues were actually MUCH worse than people thought ... 'cause at one point, doctors feared the Hall of Famer could lose his leg.

The shocking detail was revealed in a trailer for the next 6 episodes of Sanders' "Coach Prime" doc with Barstool Sports and SMAC Productions ... showing the Jackson State play-caller in excruciating pain during a hospital visit.

Sanders has previously opened up about the complications he experienced after going under the knife to fix a dislocated toe ... but previously did not disclose much more details.

Now, we know just how serious it was.

"A lot is still to be determined, but he's gonna have a procedure done a little later today," the doctor says in the clip.

"You could lose your leg."

BTW -- Sanders still doesn't know exactly how it happened ... but has been documenting a lot of the process on social media.

The next batch of episodes of Sanders' show will drop starting Feb. 22 ... and will also feature the past football season and an inside look at how JSU landed top recruit Travis Hunter.

"'Coach Prime' is back and I'm ELATED to share this project with you all because WE DON'T HOLD BACK," Sanders says.

"All season, we've been getting questions about what really went down at Jackson State this fall ... We're going to clear up the rumors, set the record straight and always keep it 100% with you."

The extended trailer for "Coach Prime" will drop during Barstool's Super Bowl Live Stream on Sunday.

Don't feel bad, Matt James ... CC Sabathia also hit a guy with an errant tee shot on the course in Arizona on Wednesday -- drilling a Yankees fan in the leg just hours before the 'Bachelor' star hit a photog in the thigh.

CC's unfortunate drive happened on the 18th hole of the Waste Management Phoenix Open Pro-Am ... when a witness tells us the former Yankees superstar pushed his shot so far to the right on the par-4, it struck a man in the leg.

Video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows the collision was so powerful ... it actually caused the guy to bleed.

Thankfully, we're told the fan ended up being OK -- and, watch the clip, CC was super nice and apologetic about it all.

Sabathia can be heard chatting it up with the man, who actually said he was a big Yankees and CC fan.

Sabathia ended up signing a golf ball as an apology souvenir ... before he headed off to finish out his round.

In case you were wondering, Sabathia is normally a fairly decent golfer -- reportedly with a handicap in the teens.

John Mayer's live show came to a screeching halt Wednesday night after he noticed a fan went unconscious.

The singer was performing at the SiriusXM and Pandora "Small Stage Series" at the Hollywood Palladium ... Heidi Klum and actress Vanessa Hudgens were both front and center and the show was rolling along just great ... that is, until Mayer noticed a fan in the crowd was in clear distress. John abruptly stopped the show.

"Give me a thumbs up if they're alert," he asked the crowd. It was interesting ... the crowd cheered John for showing concern.

The house lights went on and Mayer told the crowd he was stepping off stage as a female was taken out in a wheelchair.

When he walked back on stage, he told the audience: "Anyone in the crowd who was worried, I'm told she waved goodbye, so she's OK. The system works. Thank you very much."

John is the latest performer to stop the show when an audience member had a medical emergency ... a sharp contrast to the Astroworld Festival, where the show when on for 40 minutes after people were dying in the crowd. Billie Eilish stopped her show briefly a few days back when a fan had trouble breathing, and then threw shade on Travis Scott.

Matt James now owes a golf photographer far more than just a bunch of roses ... 'cause the former 'Bachelor' star nailed the dude with an errant tee shot at a Pro-Am event in Arizona on Wednesday, nearly hitting the guy in his family jewels!!!

The hilarious (and terrifying!) scene all went down at the Waste Management Phoenix Open Pro-Am ... when James stepped to the tee box barefoot at the world-famous 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale to try to win some money for charity.

Matt was gunning to be the closest to the pin on the par-3 ... but you can see in the video, he had trouble even getting the ball off the ground.

His first hack was terrible -- he got nothing but grass and dirt -- and then he shanked his second swing so badly, it went 15 yards to the right and drilled a camera guy right in the thigh.

James was super sorry for the miss ... he ran over immediately and gave the guy a hug and offered him the golf ball as an apology souvenir.

The man, meanwhile, said, thankfully, he was OK.

"We came within centimeters of causing some real damage," James said of the shot. "I'm going to try to find him. I'm going to sign this ball for him. And I'm going to take him out to dinner."

Added the photog, "He felt bad. I felt it ... Next year, I'm wearing a cup."

Might be necessary, 'cause James said he intends to come back in 2023 for redemption.

A former fitness influencer sold bogus meal plans to a ton of people dealing with eating disorders -- so says the State of Texas, anyway ... which is taking her to court.

The woman’s name is Brittany Dawn Davis, and she’s being sued by the Texas Attorney General’s Office for what they claim was an outright scam perpetrated on scores of women between the years of 2014 and 2019 ... when she’s alleged to have dished out countless meal and exercise regimens that were the opposite of personalized and safe.

Per the lawsuit, Davis sold herself as someone who overcame an eating disorder with proper workouts and healthy eating ... which prosecutors say led to countless people soliciting her services to do the same. Except, instead of getting personalized advice that would help them ... the Texas AG claims she fed ‘em BS, in the form of super low-calorie diets that were actually detrimental to a lot of those who actually needed to put on weight.

Davis is also alleged to have responded to people who emailed or DM'd her with cookie-cutter messages, like "You’re killing it!" and a bunch of hype lines that hardly addressed the specific needs of each client. Plus, a lot of her ex-customers claim she’d often fall off the face of the earth after just one or two interactions ... even though the AG says many signed on with the expectation of regular one-on-one consultations.

S*** hit the fan for Davis in 2019 when the backlash became so big she finally had to address it on camera ... offering a tearful apology and vowing to make things right. Unfortunately, it sounds like it was too little, too late for the AG.

The State of Texas is asking for damages of up to a million bucks ... citing what it calls false, misleading or deceptive practices.