Celebrity Health

"The Sopranos" actor and broadway legend Robert "Bob" LuPone has died.

The Tony-nominated actor passed following a 3-year battle with pancreatic cancer, according to his rep.

The MCC Theater, an off-broadway space Bob founded, released a statement, saying he "lived fearlessly and with great curiosity, good humor, a boundless passion for connection, and a whole lot of heart. We will miss him deeply and always."

Fans of "The Sopranos" will remember his work as Dr. Bruce Cusamano -- the family physician and next-door neighbor to Tony. He also starred in "Sex and the City," "Guiding Light," and "All My Children," for which he got a Daytime Emmy nom.

Bob, the brother of Patti LuPone, was born in 1946 in Brooklyn -- he graduated from Juilliard School in '68 with a degree in dance. His Broadway debut was the same year, in a production of Noel Coward’s "Sweet Potato."

He later was nominated for a Tony award for his work in the original run of "A Chorus Line" ... even convincing the director to play the role of Zach after the original cast member left the show. He received a best-featured actor Tony nomination for the role.

Bob is survived by his wife Virginia, his son Orlando, his sister Patti, and his brother, William.

He was 76.

Samantha Diaz, the winner of "American Idol" in 2020, has been hospitalized with what appears to be a serious illness, but it seems she's on the upswing.

Samatha, who goes by "Just Sam," had posted a scale with the caption, "100lbs is crazyyy ... I seriously need help."

On Friday she seemed to be saying the situation is being handled ... "I'm grateful for the prayers everyone. I'm doing much better now."

The hospitalization news came Wednesday, when she said on Instagram, "Thank you to everyone that checked on me. I am ALIVE and out of the hospital."

AEW star Darby Allin says moments before he drove a Jeep 96 feet over his home and into trailers, legendary stunt performer Travis Pastrana gave him a scary warning -- you're gonna break your back, dude!!!

TMZ Sports spoke with Allin right after he pulled off the insane, death-defying stunt ... and the 29-year-old told us Pastrana -- who set the whole thing up -- gave him some chilling parting words.

"Travis Pastrana helped set it up," Darby said. "And he's like from Nitro Circus, [the] first-ever double backflip. He's a wild man. So he helped set it up."

"And he straight up told me like before I went, 'There's a good chance you're going to break your back doing this.'"

Allin told us the stunt was far more dangerous than he initially led on -- 'cause his car was missing some VERY key parts!!

"I was terrified because when I got the stunt car, it didn't have any brakes, and it didn't have a speedometer," Allin said. "So, I was just like, 'Alright, here we go, dude.' I literally didn't know how fast I was going."

"If I got scared and decided to pull out at the last minute, I couldn't because I had no brakes," Allin said. "So, I just winged it."

Darby said the experts told him to go 36 MPH during the stunt, but because he was without brakes or a speedometer, he couldn't tell how fast he was going.

DA says he lost track of where he was while flying through the air, but the moment he hit the trailers, he immediately told his AEW boss Tony Khan, who was on FaceTime with him for the entire stunt -- "I can make it Wednesday."

Allin's pulled off a lot of wild stunts in the ring ... but he describes this one as a "totally different feeling."

Little League World Series player Easton Oliverson has taken yet another huge step toward a full recovery from his terrifying bunk bed fall ... his family just announced he underwent successful skull surgery Friday morning.

Oliverson's relatives shared a picture of the 12-year-old -- who suffered severe injuries in a near-fatal fall in the Williamsport dormitory on Aug. 14 -- showing the little boy resting comfortably in his hospital bed after doctors replaced a piece of his skull that they initially removed following his accident.

"This sweet boy is out of surgery.🤍," the family said in a caption on the photo. "We couldn’t be any more thrilled to let everyone know that his surgery went perfect."

Oliverson's family also said in the social media post that doctors "are very happy with the outcome" -- adding that Easton would be staying the night in the PICU for observations.

"THANK YOU for the thoughts, prayers, and messages concerning this procedure," they said. "Easton, his parents, and our entire family will be forever grateful 🤍💙"

"We are so grateful."

Easton has slowly but surely recovered since he needed emergency surgery earlier this month ... taking his first bites of food and his first steps just days after suffering the injuries.

He's even been spotted playing catch with stuffed animals in his hospital room.

Easton's family said Thursday they anticipate him returning home to Utah soon "if he continues to work hard and listen to his doctors."

French Montana recently hit a big milestone with his song, "Unforgettable," but the artist isn't focused on that -- he's laser-focused on helping addicts by providing them with the privacy and help they need to recover.

French joined "TMZ Live" Friday ... talking about his partnership with Guardian Recovery Group to form NAQI Healthcare -- it's aimed at expanding access to in-home and private detox services to privacy-sensitive clients.

He's lost people over the years to addiction, in particular, his pal Mac Miller ... and doesn't want anyone to feel shame by seeking help before it's too late.

NAQI is offering up help in Florida, NY, and Cali, and will soon expand nationwide. The company's also donating a percentage of profits to MusiCares -- a charity that offers health, finance and rehab resources to musicians.

FYI -- French got his diamond-certified plaque for "Unforgettable" Wednesday ... not only is he the first African-born artist to go diamond (10 million units moved), but he's also the first artist from the South Bronx to hit the mark!!!

French is leveling up his rap stock even more with a joint album with Kodak Black and an upcoming doc in which Drake will serve as the executive producer.

Charlie Sheen has decided to settle his lawsuit with an ex-girlfriend who claimed he exposed her to HIV ... putting to bed the case that's been simmering for years.

Legal docs, obtained by TMZ, show the stipulation was filed Wednesday in L.A. County Superior Court ... the actor agreed to settle with the woman for $120K -- which will be paid to her in $10K monthly installments over the next year.

As we reported back in 2017, the woman, who filed as Jane Doe, claimed she met the "confidential male defendant" and they quickly began having sex -- eventually unprotected sex -- according to the lawsuit.

She never mentioned him by name in the initial docs, but she did note the person she was suing announced his HIV status on national TV on November 17, 2015. That's the day Sheen went on "Today" and told his story, so she wasn't doing much to conceal his identity.

She claimed he dismissively told her to take pills to prevent transmission, but told her to not believe "the convenient rumors of the medical community," saying, "You don't need to be on all that f****** s***."

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.