Celebrity Health

Director Edward Buckles Jr. is taking a unique look at the lasting effects of Hurricane Katrina ... looking at the disaster through the lens of children who were traumatized by it.

The film's director and New Orleans native joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and talked about the lingering trauma that is highlighted in the doc, "Katrina Babies."

Edward says PTSD is a real thing with folks who are now in their 20's and 30's but were children when the vicious storm hit 17 years ago. He also sees a connection to the violence today among young people in New Orleans.

He has personal experience ... Edward was just 13 when Katrina hit, and although he was able to make it out, some of his cousins did not.

Edward says the government's poor response to the hurricane has also had a lasting impact ... creating cynicism and anger among young people.

Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson's finally ready to flaunt an amazing makeover -- delayed for months due to a possible cancer discovery -- and he's truly looking like a new man!!!

As you can see, Honey Boo Boo's father got a massive overhaul, which included a hair transplant, botox, and dental surgery ... according to his manager, Gina Rodriguez.

This was no SuperCuts job either, Sugar Bear's new 'do required a visit to Jacques Abrahamian at LA FUE Hair Clinic in Pasadena ... where he got more than 3,500 FUE grafts to restore the top half of his scalp.

The procedure, which takes individual follicles from other parts of the body to the scalp, can set someone back $30K.

Sugar Bear also hit Bev Hills for 75 units of Botox from Dr. David Saadat, who injected his eyebrows, forehead and those pesky crow's feet.

As for the new pearly whites ... Dr. Joseph Goodman of Beverly Hills removed 20 teeth and replaced them with top and bottom snap-in dentures -- normally a $35K procedure.

This makeover was a long time coming for SB ... TMZ broke the story, he started the process to get a makeover in May this year after going through his recent divorce from Jennifer Lamb.

The procedures were put on hold after a dentist discovered possible cancer in his gums.

Shia LaBeouf is back from the brink of a terribly dark place, and he's crediting his latest project, "Padre Pio" ... saying the role and God pulled him back to the light.

Shia revealed he did some serious studies on Catholicism for his upcoming film ... talking about his journey to meet with Bishop Robert Barron of the Word on Fire Catholic Ministries.

He says he even prepped for the role of the Franciscan Capuchin friar by living in a monastery with other friars.

Shia admits he went into production at a rough point in his life -- as we reported, he was sued by his ex, FKA Twigs, in 2020 for sexual battery, and claims he felt suicidal. He says he told the Bishop, "I had a gun on the table. I was outta here. I didn't want to be alive anymore when all this happened."

However, he thinks his studies made him a lot more grateful to be alive, saying ... "It was seeing other people who have sinned beyond anything I could ever conceptualize also being found in Christ that made me feel like, 'Oh, that gives me hope.'"

He believes God was behind his whole realization, claiming he was "using my ego to draw me to him."

Devastating news for the OKC Thunder ... Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, is expected to miss his entire rookie season due to a foot injury.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Wednesday that the Thunder fear Holmgren -- who stands 7'0" tall and weighs 190 lbs -- suffered ligament damage in his foot.

The worst possible scenario was confirmed just minutes ago -- he suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Lisfranc injuries vary widely in seriousness ... but often require surgery to the midfoot, where bones are broken and/or ligaments torn. The injury isn't particularly common, but has occurred to NBA players in the past.

Oklahoma City selected Holmgren behind Duke star Paolo Banchero, who went to the Orlando Magic, hoping Chet could be the cornerstone of their franchise moving forward.

Holmgren sustained the foot injury in Jamal Crawford's Pro-Am game in Seattle ... where he was shown limping awkwardly after guarding LeBron James.

In the clip, you see LBJ one-on-one with Chet, who was in retreat mode, and after the 7-footer contested James' bucket, he appears to favor his right foot.

Thunder GM Sam Presti released a statement on Holmgren's injury ... saying, "Certainly, we are disappointed for Chet, especially given the excitement he had about getting on the floor with his teammates this season.

"We know Chet has a long career ahead of him within our organization and the Oklahoma City community. One of the things that most impressed us during the process of selecting Chet was his determination and focus."

"We expect that same tenacity will carry him through this period of time as we work together and support him during his rehabilitation."

The Miami Dolphins were forced to cancel practice on Thursday ... and it's all because a bunch of players can't stop puking.

The 'Fins were set to have a joint workout with the Philadelphia Eagles ... but as it turns out, some guys could barely sleep because they were blowing chunks all night.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo says some players thought all the vomiting was due to food poisoning ... but the team checked what everyone's been eating, and haven't found enough proof to back that theory.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel says the team believes it's a stomach bug going around ... and to be extra cautious, they decided to keep everyone home to make sure it doesn't spread.

Miami and Philly are set to play against each other on Saturday ... and so far, things are still set to go down according to plan.

Coach says he wanted to take extra caution to get everyone healthy for the matchup -- especially because the last week of preseason is crucial for so many guys who are trying to make the team.

As for how many players were affected, McDaniel says it's more than a few, but not half the team.

TikTok star Gabbie Hanna's page became a hub for a series of bizarre and emotional videos, clips that got her friends and fans so worried about her well-being they called the cops.

Gabbie -- who has more than 7 million followers and goes by the name "TraumaQueen" on the popular app -- posted close to 100 videos of herself Wednesday. The videos, all just a few seconds long, showed Gabbie in her home hysterically laughing, crying, yelling, at times declaring herself the smartest person on Earth and even claiming someone had broken in.

LAPD sources tell us the disturbing videos led to an influx of calls from people worried about Gabbie's well-being, and asking for officers to go and check on her.

We're told Gabbie greeted officers at her door and chatted for a few minutes before officers called for a psychological evaluation team.

Our sources say medical professionals had a long chat with Gabbie and determined she didn't pose a threat to herself or anyone else ... so they allowed her to remain in her home. We're told Gabbie was also given resources for the next time she may become upset.

As for what led to the wave of videos ... it appears trolls on Gabbie's account may have played a role ... recently mocking her for claiming she wanted to "save the world."

Lil Tjay's making a grand return to the 'gram -- his post on Wednesday is his first controlled appearance since being shot back in June, and he says he's got new music on the way.

The "Trench Baby" rapper was still in a neck brace as he addressed his 7 million Instagram followers with a bit of weary energy ... thanking them for their countless DMs and support through his recent rough patch.

His PSA follows the Bronx billboards popping up in his hometown simply telling the world he had returned and he doubled down and promised fans music was coming.

Tjay also acknowledged he was shot seven times -- as well as being one of the lucky individuals able to survive such acts of violence.

The return announcement was met with great excitement from Tjay's rapper friends ... Bobby Shmurda, Lil Zay Osama, Rowdy Rebel, Calboy and several others who wished him well going forward.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... Tjay underwent emergency surgery after he and another friend were shot during a botched robbery in Edgewater, New Jersey on the morning of June 22.

Police identified a man named Mohamed Konate as the assailant, charging him with 3 counts of attempted murder while 2 of Tjay's accomplices were slapped with gun charges.

Any rabid animal -- like this fox -- is nothing to mess with ... but the woman it attacked is no slouch either, as this surveillance video shows her putting up one hell of a fight and likely saving her life.

The wild incident went down in July in Ithaca, NY ... you can see the fox doesn't even hesitate as it sneaks up on her as she's chatting on the phone in her yard, and starts chomping on her leg nonstop.

She gives the animal a powerful kick, launching it into the air, but it doesn't give up ... eventually clamping its jaws down on her hand and doesn't let go while she tries to shake it off. A neighbor eventually shows up and scares it away.

Her hand seemingly got the worst of it, as these gnarly pics after the attack show. She must've gotten some extremely painful rabies shots, too.

According to her husband, who uploaded the video, the fox attempted to do the same to someone else nearby, but it was killed ... the body was taken to the vet lab at Cornell University, where they discovered rabies was in its system.

Sad news in the cycling world ... pro mountain biker Rab Wardell has passed away just days after winning the MTB XC Championships in Scotland.

He was only 37.

Scottish Cycling confirmed the news on Tuesday ... Wardell died in his sleep two days after winning the championship race on Sunday in Dumfries and Galloway.

Wardell's partner, Olympic cycling medalist Katie Archibald, says she was lying in bed with him when it happened ... and she tried to save his life.

"I still don't understand what's happened; if this is real; why he'd be taken now? So healthy and happy," Archibald said on her Twitter page.

"He went into cardiac arrest while we were lying in bed. I tried and tried, and the paramedic arrived within minutes, but his heart stopped and they couldn't bring him back. Mine stopped with it."

Archibald says she is devastated over Wardell's death and the pain she's suffering is indescribable.

"I love him so much and need him here with me. I need him here so badly, but he's gone."

Wardell -- who started cycling in his teens -- made his last appearance on BBC Scotland's The Nine show on Monday, describing how he was able to win the race after three punctures.

"I guess I still felt confident that I'd be able to catch the leaders and win," Wardell said, "so I just gave it my best shot. What more can you do?"

Magic Johnson just shot down a rumor claiming he recently donated blood ... with the Hall of Famer calling the story a flat-out lie.

A Twitter account posted what appeared to be a picture of Magic donating blood back on Aug. 18 -- and it quickly went viral, as it claimed the Lakers legend, who was diagnosed with HIV in the early 1990s, was giving blood in order to help those affected by COVID.

But, Johnson said Tuesday it's all completely fabricated.

"I'm aware of the false story circling the internet," the 63-year-old said, "and to be clear, I have never donated blood."

Johnson initially went public with his HIV diagnosis in 1991 -- announcing he was retiring after contracting the virus.

The former point guard did ultimately come back to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, and he also returned to the Lakers in the 1995-96 season.

Hope you have a strong stomach ... 'cause TV personality Steelo Brim suffered such a gruesome ankle injury during a pickup basketball game, it might make you sick!

The co-host of MTV's "Ridiculousness" showed off the nasty injury on Monday, saying he messed up his ankle after landing on someone's foot after banking in a layup.

Paramedics responded, and the foot was so jacked up they actually had to cut off SB's Air Jordan 10 sneaker to access the twisted appendage.

"They caught yo boy slippin 😂🤦🏾‍♂️," the 34-year-old said.

Thankfully, Brim says he escaped with "just" a dislocated ankle. Terrible pain aside, Steelo is clearly relieved.

"Luckily it’s just dislocated," Brim said, "Send me well wishes and money."

Several celebs reacted to the post, including NBA star Rudy Gay, who left a comment saying ... "Why you post that nasty s*** 😂😂😂. Shout out to Cedars Hospital staff tho 👏😂😂"

Frightening scene at the Sporting Kansas City vs. Portland Timbers game on Sunday ... when a fan in the stands was hit in the head by a stray free kick -- but luckily, word is she's doing better.

The incident went down during K.C.'s 4-1 win over the Timbers at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City ... when a Portland player lined up to take a free kick, but his attempt sailed over the net.

The ball then rocked the Sporting K.C. supporter in the side of the face ... knocking her over and forcing her to lose her balance as she fell into the seats.

The fans in the crowd then gasp and show concern for the woman ... with several people rushing over to help out.

We've reached out to Sporting K.C. for a status update on the fan ... so far, no word back.

The person who posted the original TikTok of the incident says he made contact with the woman and claims she suffered a concussion.

The poster also says the woman is "getting better" ... so here's to a speedy recovery.

The CW has had some of its big stars hit the pause button over mental health -- just the latest examples of what's becoming a big thing in Hollywood.

Jordan Elsass posted a video this week addressing his recent departure from 'Superman & Lois' ahead of its third season ... he plays a major character in the series, Jonathan Kent. Jordan says, it all had to do with mental health.

In his clip, posted to Cameo, JE explains he's been going through it, and had to step away from his on-camera job. He says he's needed some time to himself, and expresses solidarity for anyone looking to do the same ... including the guy to whom he's sending the message.

It's pretty interesting ... Elsass says he may never act again if it means he'll be happy.

Actor Tyler Blackburn -- who's on the CW show 'Roswell, New Mexico' -- has been experiencing something similar ... which has resulted in him being absent through much of Season 4 thus far, only to have him reappear on Monday night's new episode.

It was a pretty big deal, seeing how TB hadn't been featured since June -- he's only appeared in two episodes this season ... the premiere and one other.

He took to Twitter to explain his absence ... "Alex is alive! Thank you to my knight in shining armor @MichaelVlamis and the incomparable @heatherhemmens for her insane creativity, professionalism and patience. Also, thank you to the @RoswellNMRoom and the entire crew of @CWRoswellNM for helping me this season."

Blackburn adds, "I was dealing with intense health issues that lead to, at times, intense mental health issues during seasons 3 & 4. I had to step down from filming season 4 and every single person in the cast and crew, as well as everyone at @warnerbros and @TheCW  showed so much compassion."

Seems he's back now, and ready to roll again. But, yes, he too was on a break for a while ... just like Elsass is doing now.

Dr. Anthony Fauci is set to retire from his position as one of the country's top Docs ... but will see his duties through 'til the end of the year.

The director of the NIAID broke the news Monday with a lengthy statement. He says, in part, "I am announcing today that I will be stepping down from the positions of Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, as well as the position of Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden."

He adds, "I will be leaving these positions in December of this year to pursue the next chapter of my career." It's unclear what Fauci plans to do next.

Fauci goes on to say what an honor it's been to serve in his role for the past 38 years, not to mention his other 15 years of service at the NIAID before he was a honcho. He's graceful in his statement, writing ... "I have worked with -- and learned from -- countless talented and dedicated people in my own laboratory, at NIAID, at NIH and beyond. To them I express my biding respect and gratitude."

Fauci's career is quite storied ... he has served under multiple presidents, including Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Dubya, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and, of course, JB.

Along the way, Dr. Fauci has helped Americans combat major viruses that have plagued society in the 20th and 21st centuries -- including instrumental research and work in regards to the Ebola and Zika viruses ... not to mention the swine flu pandemic, the bird flu scare and other widespread infectious disease occurrences that hit the world over the decades.

His contributions to HIV/AIDS research can't be overstated ... Fauci was in the trenches in the '80s, and he has said much of his work is defined by that period. Dr. Fauci helped develop treatments -- although the rollout and discussion of it all were heavily criticized at the time.

Frankly, he's been a lightning rod for years now ... often bearing the brunt of widespread outrage and condemnation when it comes to the federal government's response to health-related outbreaks. That was, perhaps, most crystalized of late ... during COVID-19 pandemic.

Many will recall ... Fauci was often battling against his own boss, DT, when it came to discussing the coronavirus -- he wanted people to be cautious and get vaccinated, while Trump usually pushed for the opposite ... making for some heated public clashes.

Still, he stayed the course through it all ... and always maintained his composure. Fauci hasn't always been right from the get-go, but he did always pivot when more information surfaced and updated his recommendations as such. That much nobody can deny.

IG model Gena Tew has hope in her fight against AIDS, regaining some of the vision she lost after her diagnosis as she pushes to stay alive.

Gena tells TMZ ... she underwent a successful procedure on her eyes Thursday in Memphis. Tew says before the surgery she was totally blind in her left eye, but she's already able to see some shapes ... with hopes her vision will continue to improve.

Tew tells us at her sickest, she dropped to a shocking 65 pounds, but is slowly putting weight back on thanks to her medication and doctors.

Gena tells us when she first got diagnosed, she didn't feel she had the fight in her to live, convinced she'd soon be dead. However, with her recent progress, she tells us she's not giving up. Gena says she's hopeful she can live a good life as long as she can stay on top of her meds and doctor visits.

You'll remember, when we first talked to Gena months ago, she told us she was hesitant in sharing her story ... but now, she wants to act as a beacon of hope for other young people fighting AIDS.

Bill Maher has a warning ... online shopping is taking a not-so-hidden toll on America ... and he makes a case that going OG shopping is better for your head and the planet.

The "Real Time" host went scorched earth on people who like to order 9 pairs of pants to find the one that fits just right ... only to return the other 8. Those boxes go somewhere ... yep, landfills, oceans ... not good.

The visual tells the story ... buy a small item, it comes in a big box. Buy 3 items ... you get 3 big boxes. When you add it up, it's kind of an environmental disaster.

And, then there's the human toll ... Americans don't leave their homes like they used to because it's easier to push a button than to start a car and drive to a mall. Thing is ... Americans have become way more isolated, and it's taking a mental toll, because we are social creatures who increasingly have stopped socializing.

Thing is ... Kanye West may have figured all of this out with his latest creation at Gap stores ... the containers in which you find his designs have attracted customers ... people who might otherwise just sit on their sofa and order away.