Celebrity Health

Anne Heche's horrific crash into a California home now has the potential to land the actress into even deeper legal trouble ... she's now under investigation for felony DUI.

LAPD sources tell TMZ ... they've now upped the investigation to a felony because the woman inside the home Anne barreled through with her Mini Cooper claims she was injured -- suffering cuts requiring medical treatment.

Cops believe Anne was driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol ... because she was driving erratically and recklessly, hitting a garage and a parked car before slamming into the home.

Cops also took note of a photo of Anne in the car just before the crash, with what appeared to be a bottle of alcohol in a cup holder.

Anne's rep says the actress is still fighting for her life ... she lost consciousness shortly after the crash, and has been in a coma ever since.

TMZ broke the story, Anne almost struck a woman before hitting another vehicle and crashing into a garage in the moments leading up to the fiery explosion.

Horrible news from the sports world ... Ben Stelter, the 6-year-old Edmonton Oilers super fan battling brain cancer has passed away, his father announced Wednesday.

"The world lost the most special boy and an absolute hero last night," Ben's dad wrote on social media.

He continued ... "Ben, you were the best son we could ever hope for, and you were my best bud ever. Your sisters were so lucky to have you as such a sweet brother."

"You fought so long and hard and beat so many odds," he added.

Ben -- who was diagnosed with glioblastoma (an aggressive type of cancer that can occur in the brain or spinal cord) about a year and a half ago -- got a chance to meet the Oilers team in March, even accompanying team captain Connor McDavid onto the ice before a game.

That night, Ben -- gearing up for another stint of chemotherapy -- wore a custom Oilers jersey with his last name "Stelter" and the number 2 ... as the fans and players provided support and words of encouragement.

Ben attended many Oilers games throughout the season ... and became a good luck charm for the team, evidenced by their impressive record with him in attendance.

"Ben’s coming to the game tonight and has his eye on the cup," Mike wrote in June. "The @EdmontonOilers are 10-0 with Ben in the building at Rogers Place. #LetsGoOilers #BenOilersStrong."

The organization addressed Ben's passing online, Tweeting ... "We are mourning the passing of our dear friend, number one #Oilers fan, good luck charm & inspiration, Ben Stelter. Although small in stature, Ben's impact on our team & community were massive.  Play La Bamba, baby. 💙🧡"

The Oilers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Avalanche in game 4 of the WCF. Colorado went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Ben's presence will forever be missed on the ice and in the locker room going forward.

A competitive eater is breathing a (fiery) sigh of relief today ... 'cause officials just revealed the man's insane ghost pepper meal back in November has officially become a new watermark.

Gregory Foster gobbled down 17 of the world's spiciest ingredient in one minute roughly nine months ago in San Diego ... and Guinness World Records formally crowned him the new king of heat eating on Wednesday.

It's great news for the guy -- because his run at the record was excruciating.

Check out video of his snack ... the peppers were packed with so much fire, he actually had to wear gloves for the occasion. Yet, somehow, he nearly ate the full plate -- consuming a total of 3.98 ounces -- in 60 seconds, barely beating the old record of 3.42 ounces.

"This attempt was solely a personal endeavour to achieve another Guinness World Record alongside my currently standing [ones]," Foster said after the record was announced Monday. "I love chilli eating and pushing myself."

Of course, Foster is used to feasts like these -- the two other Guinness records he holds are the most Carolina Reaper chilies eaten in one minute, and the fastest time to eat three Carolina Reaper chilies.

He's also the founder of Inferno Farms -- where they make sauces in the hottest flavors -- so, yeah, he's a glutton for this kind of stuff.

Olivia Newton-John's husband, John Easterling, is reeling from the loss of his wife, but finding strength to post some beautiful words in the wake of her death.

John use Olivia's official Instagram account Wednesday to share a message, "Our love for each other transcends our understanding. Every day we expressed our gratitude for this love that could be so deep, so real, so natural. We never had to ‘work’ on it. We were in awe of this great mystery and accepted the experience of our love as past, present and forever."

He went on to call her a healer and the most courageous woman he's ever known ... "It is only the grace of God that has allowed me to share the depth and passion of her being for so long. In her most difficult times she always had the spirit, the humor, and the will power to move things into the light."

He continued, "Even now as her soul soars, the pain and holes in my heart are healed with the joy of her love and the light that shines forward" ... and thanked folks for their love and support.

As we reported, Olivia died peacefully Monday, surrounded by family and friends at her ranch in Southern California. The star battled breast cancer off and on starting in the 90s ... and a source close to Olivia tells us the cancer was the cause of her death.

Brett Favre says based on everything he's learned since he's retired, he believes he suffered "thousands" of concussions in his NFL career.

The Hall of Famer explained his theory on The Bubba Army radio show this week ... after he was asked how many serious head injuries he had while playing QB in the NFL.

Favre said if he had gotten that question a few years ago -- he would've said just three. But, after digesting recent studies on concussions, the 52-year-old believes the number is now actually in the four-figure range.

"Concussions happen all the time," Favre said. "You get tackled and your head hits the turf, you see flashes of light or ringing in your ears but you're able to play -- that's a concussion."

"So, based on that, [I've suffered] thousands," he continued. "Had to be, because every time my head hit the turf, there was ringing or stars going, flash bulbs ... but I was still able to play."

Favre was obviously never formally diagnosed with that many -- but he certainly did hit the turf a lot in his 20-year career. In his stints with the Falcons, Packers, NY Jets and Vikings, he was sacked 525 times just in regular season games alone.

One of Favre's scariest head injuries came in a 2004 game against the Giants ... when the Packers star threw a touchdown pass to Javon Walker after hitting his head -- something he didn't remember doing, according to then-Giants QB Kurt Warner.

"That's what's kind of frightening about the concussion thing -- it's the ones that seem minor that do the damage 'cause you're able to play and keep going," Favre said.

Shawn Mendes is spending time doing the simple things in life, along with some therapy, to regain his life balance.

We talked to Shawn Tuesday at LAX and asked how he was spending his time after opening up about some mental health struggles, which ultimately caused him to cancel his world tour.

Shawn said he's doing what most of us like to do ... spending time with friends and family, going to dinner with pals -- things like that.

He says he's also getting therapy ... and it's cool he's so open about it because it helps everyone.

When you watch the video, it's pretty clear ... Shawn's been on such a crazy schedule, he hasn't done ordinary things that make life enjoyable, so he's doing it now.

We've seen Shawn hanging at the beach and looking fantastic ... something that did not escape our photog's eye!

Dr. Anthony Fauci's no longer havin' trouble with the curve -- 'cause after he epically botched his first pitch effort in D.C. in 2020, he was able to redeem himself with a respectable toss at the Mariners game on Tuesday night.

Fauci took the bump just before the M's played against his childhood favorite Yankees in Seattle -- and while he didn't exactly look like Gerrit Cole out there, the pitch was MUCH better than his first go-around two years ago.

You'll recall, at that Yanks vs. Nationals game in Washington, Fauci threw a ball so poorly, it landed some 10-15 feet away from home plate. The COVID-19 expert was dragged for the throw, with social distancing jokes continuously flying following the terrible heave.

But, Fauci has clearly worked on his arm since -- and was nearly able to throw a lollipop strike to Mariners manager Scott Servais at T-Mobile Park.

Fauci gave a fist pump following the toss -- and Servais was stoked for him, congratulating him, and then getting him to sign his mask!

As for how the doc was received at the game ... there was a smattering of boos from the crowd, but overall, it seemed to be a pleasant evening for Fauci -- who got to see the home team win a 1-0, 13-inning thriller.

A plane crash on a busy California freeway certainly caused for some serious traffic delays, but video from the incredible scene shows just how lucky the pilot and passenger were to escape.

The footage, obtained by TMZ, shows billows of black smoke towering above the crash on the 91 freeway in Corona, CA Tuesday. Surrounding drivers were forced to slow down and pull over, after a witness says the plane "blew up" on impact.

You can see the plane's pilot and passenger escape the flaming wreckage, sprinting away as the whole vessel becomes engulfed. ... luckily, authorities say both people riding in the plane escaped uninjured.

The flames have also since been put out, but there's some serious cleanup still to do to clear everything out.

Actress Denise Dowse, famous for her roles on "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Insecure" is currently fighting for her life in a coma, TMZ has learned.

Denise's sister, Tracey, revealed the news late last week, saying, "I am requesting support and prayers be offered me and my sister, and my only immediate family Denise Dowse."

Tracey continues, "She is currently in the hospital in a coma brought on by a virulent form of meningitis. Her doctors do not know when she will come out of the coma as it was not medically induced."

It's unclear where Denise is currently hospitalized, but Tracey says her sister should have many years ahead of her, and all thoughts, prayers and support are greatly appreciated.

Denise played Dr. Rhonda Pyne on "Insecure" from 2017-2020 and has had roles in "Coach Carter" "Grey's Anatomy," "Good Trouble" "The Guardian" and "Rocket Power" throughout the years.

Many fans will recognize her for her 10 years on "Beverly Hills, 90210" where she played Mrs. Yvonne Teasley.

Awful news in horse racing ... jockey Taiki Yanagida -- known as "Tiger" -- has passed away days after he fell and was trampled during a race in New Zealand.

Taiki was only 28.

The accident occurred last Wednesday during the last race at Cambridge Jockey Club ... when the Japanese jockey fell off his horse, Te Atatu Pash, about 250 meters from the post, where the race begins, according to the NZ Herald.

Yanagida -- who lost his helmet in the fall -- was rolled on by his own horse and then trampled by another following closely behind.

The jockey suffered serious brain and spinal injuries and was transferred to the Waikato Hospital where he was placed into an induced coma.

Unfortunately, Yanagida never recovered ... he died on Tuesday. Taiki is the first jockey to die in a race fall in New Zealand since 2016.

"He was such a wonderful young man," Yanagida's racing manager, Ted McLachlan, told the Herald.

"It really is a tragedy and so hard to watch what his mother and sister here have had to go through.

"This will really hurt the other people in the industry because Taiki was so popular."

Yanagida raced in New Zealand for several years and rode over 160 winners since 2017.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing CEO Bruce Sharrock also expressed great sadness at the loss.

"Our deepest sympathies are with Taiki’s family – his mother Kayano, sisters Chiaki and Ayano, and his grandmother," Sharrock said.

"We share their grief at the loss of such a talented, friendly, and well-liked young man."

Chris Sale's awful season just got a whole lot worse ... the Boston Red Sox revealed on Tuesday he suffered a broken wrist in a bike accident over the weekend and is now done for the rest of the year.

Sale -- who was nursing a finger injury that he sustained after taking a line drive off his hand on July 17 -- had been riding his bike on Aug. 6 when the accident happened, according to the team.

The 33-year-old was diagnosed with a "right distal radius fracture" ... and the Sox said he had to undergo surgery on Monday in Massachusetts to fix the issue.

Sale will now miss the rest of the season, but Boston said it expects him to be ready for Spring Training next year.

This year is certainly one the lefty pitcher would love to forget -- after starting the season on the injured list with a ribcage injury, he had an infamous meltdown in a rehab assignment, and then broke his finger just a few days later.

No, this isn't deja-vu ... China has discovered a new, potentially fatal virus within its borders, which experts say could trigger yet another pandemic.

The Langya Henipavirus, referred to as "Langya," has already infected 35 people, according to Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control ... it's in the same family as the Hendra virus and Nipah virus.

While none of the patients have died or suffered serious illness, it's a virus that hasn't infected human beings prior to this outbreak ... so there are a lot of unknowns.

Being under the Henipavirus umbrella, it has the potential to do some serious damage ... WHO data classifies Henipavirus with a 40-75% fatality rate.

The symptoms might look all too familiar -- fever, headache, cough, fatigue, etc.

A report by the New England Journal of Medicine says the infected patients had a history of being in contact with animals ... however, it's now possible the virus has already been transmitted from human to human.

Ashton Kutcher hit up Dodger Stadium for a good cause ... and he arrived as his episode with Bear Grylls dropped, revealing he went through a serious health battle a couple of years back ... a battle that threatened his hearing and sight.

Before Ashton and Mila Kunis took to the stadium Monday night, the actor's episode of "Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge" showed the guy fought an autoimmune disease 3 years ago.

He tells Bear he battled vasculitis, which is a rare disease that inflames blood vessels, making it difficult for blood to flow.

While he says it was hard for him to see and hear, he decided to find the positive in it -- saying he's lucky to be alive and believes life is fun when you see obstacles as things designed to get you where you need to be.

Not long after the airing, Ashton and Mila were in Dodgers territory for Ping Pong 4 Purpose ... which is aimed to help turn at-risk kids and neighborhoods around, working with pitcher Clayton Kershaw and his wife Ellen's org, Kershaw's Challenge.

Ashton and Mila were just a few famous faces in attendance -- Will Ferrell, Mario Lopez, Lisa Leslie, Rob Lowe, Gabriel Iglesias, Brad Paisley, and Pete Wentz were there, just to name a few.

Anne Heche is fighting for her life, currently in a coma and dealing with significant injuries in the wake of driving her car through a home in Los Angeles.

A rep for the actress tells TMZ, "Shortly after the accident, Anne Heche became unconscious, slipping into a coma and is in critical condition. She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention."

TMZ broke the story, cops believe Heche was under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol when she committed at least 2 hit-and-runs before barreling through a home, igniting a massive blaze.

Law enforcement sources tell us they were able to get a warrant to obtain a sample of Anne's blood which will help them determine if she was under the influence.

Anne Heche clearly didn't care about the safety of others as she flew through neighborhood streets and alleyways -- at one point almost striking a woman -- before barreling through a home.

We've obtained new surveillance video showing Anne's blue Mini Cooper driving erratically in Mar Vista Friday. At one point, she almost hits a woman walking on the sidewalk, seemingly not even touching her brakes or swerving to avoid the possible collision.

We're told shortly after missing the woman, Anne struck another vehicle, a Jaguar, and then took off. Luckily, the driver of the Jaguar was not injured.

TMZ broke the story ... Anne drove through a home Friday, igniting a massive blaze. No one was killed in the crash, and Anne was hospitalized with severe burns. Prior to crashing into the house, we got footage of Anne after she'd crashed into a nearby garage -- she left that scene and then drove into the home.

Cops have obtained a warrant for a sample of Anne's blood. Our law enforcement sources say investigators believe she was under the influence of drugs and/or booze at the time of the wreck.

Cops believe Anne Heche may have been under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol when she slammed into a garage and a house, igniting a massive blaze.

LAPD sources tell TMZ, authorities got a warrant to draw Anne's blood. We do not know the results, but police believe she was intoxicated at the time of Friday's crash. We're told the results of the blood tests could take weeks.

We're told at the very least, the LAPD will refer the case to the L.A. City Attorney for possible hit-and-run charges. As we reported, after slamming into a garage she took off and eventually drove her car into a nearby house. She may have also struck other objects before coming to a stop.

In a photo we obtained of Anne just before the wreck, it appeared she had a bottle of alcohol in her cup holder.

Anne suffered severe burns as a result of the fire and remains hospitalized. Her clothes were charred as she was taken away on a stretcher.

TMZ obtained video of Anne tearing down a residential street before slamming into the house.