Celebrity Health

Cheems, one of the most famous dogs on the internet, is dead after a battle with cancer.

The viral meme dog died Friday during a surgical procedure ... according to his owners, who say he fell asleep during surgery and never woke up.

Cheems shot to fame way back in 2017 when an awkward photo of him went viral ... sparking a meme that is still shared to this day.

Also known as Pup Balltze or just Balltze, the shiba inu was famous for his love of cheeseburgers ... and he's got his own meme character, Cheemsburger.

The pup's owners say ... "Don't be sad, please remember the joy that Balltze brought to the world. A Shiba Inu with a round smiling face connecting you and me, he has helped many people during the pandemic and brought a lot of joy to many of you, but now his mission has completed."

Cheem's family believes he's in a better place now ... "running freely in the sky and having a lot of delicious food with his new friends."

Naturally, Cheems is getting a grand send-off on social media ... with the meme getting posted all over the place.

Cheems was 12.

The bantamweights are anchoring UFC 292 Saturday night -- with Aljamain Sterling and rival "Suga" Sean O'Malley fighting -- and the greatest 135er of all-time is breaking down the matchup!

"You're looking at pure dominance in grappling as a specialist or a knockout artist in Sean O'Malley, so that's a fun fight," UFC legend Dominick Cruz told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

"There's no way that this can't be fun!"

To make the fight even better, outside of the guy's incredible talents, there's also been a lot of trash talk.

"Especially because of the talking on the line. All the things O'Malley is saying, 'You're not gonna be able to hold me down. I'm gonna knock you down first,'" Dom explained.

"Well, now he has to prove that, we've all heard it. And Sterling has to prove he can get in there and not get knocked out. I mean they've all talked so much, that's what builds this thing. That's what makes this fun, and gets me excited about it."

Of course, 34-year-old Sterling is the champion, and 28-year-old O'Malley is the #2 contender, behind Merab Dvalishvili. Aljo and Suga have been talking trash to each other for years.

Sterling is in the midst of a 9-fight win streak and has beaten the likes of Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan, TJ Dillashaw and Cory Sandhagen. Some of the best fighters in the world.

Sean has only lost once in his career -- to Marlon "Chito" Vera in 2020 -- and last defeated Yan.

We also asked Dom about his future. He's injured, but not retired ... not at all. In fact, Cruz is still the 9th-ranked bantamweight and is eyeing another run at the belt once he gets healthy.

Boyz II Men's Shawn Stockman says he's concerned about Britney Spears as her marriage with Sam Asghari comes to an end ... and he thinks something like a conservatorship could help.

We got Shawn at LAX, where he opened up about his concerns for a fellow artist, saying it's clear to him she's been in need of assistance for some time -- but it's more crucial now that she's going to be on her own.

He harkened back to the end of Britney's conservatorship -- which shut down in November 2021 -- with her dad, Jamie, getting bashed by the fan-fueled "Free Britney" movement ... but in Shawn's eyes, a conservatorship might be what she really needs.

Shawn acknowledges Brit's fans do love her, but adds, that's not enough to help her through mental illness -- he says that's where her family could be essential. Unfortunately, we know she currently has no relationship with her mother, father or siblings.

As we reported ... Sam beelined to court Wednesday to file for divorce ... and we learned he believes she was cheating on him with a staff member in their home. Sources told us Sam claims there's a video of Britney and the staffer in a compromising position.

Shareef O'Neal just dropped some great news ... telling TMZ Sports Bronny James is doing well following his health scare -- and all signs seem to indicate the medical emergency won't affect his basketball career "at all."

Shaq's son -- who famously battled his own heart problems in 2018 -- provided the positive update while out at LAX on Friday ... saying he's been in contact with his good pal and LeBron James' kid since the 18-year-old returned from the hospital after suffering cardiac arrest.

"He's good," O'Neal said.

As for the recovery process and how he anticipates all of it impacting Bronny's future goals on the hardwood ... Shareef said he believes the young James should be just fine moving forward.

"I don't think it'll affect anything," he said.

Of course, Shareef knows a thing or two about it all ... after he had open-heart surgery five years ago -- he went on to make a full recovery and returned to the court without issue.

It's still not yet known publicly what exactly caused Bronny's ailment or if it's even remotely similar to O'Neal's ... but we learned earlier this month he hit up doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. to try to pinpoint the exact problem.

Jamie Foxx clearly isn't taking life for granted after his life-threatening medical emergency ... because he's havin' a blast on vacation, and looking as healthy as ever.

The actor was spotted living it up Wednesday in Tulum, Mexico where he enjoyed a dip in a cenote -- ya know, those natural water pits in caves that put your backyard pool to shame!

Safe to say the guy's getting better every day after April's health scare, which required months of treatment, and rehab and recovery. We finally started seeing him last month, out and about in the Chicago area.

Jamie gave his fans a very promising update Wednesday, saying he's "finally startin to feel like myself ... it's been an unexpected dark journey ... but I can see the light."

He said he's someone that's incredibly grateful -- and offered up his thanks to everyone that was wishing him well in his uncertain time.

Rachel Leviss is reemerging way outside the "Vanderpump Rules" orbit ... soaking up the Arizona sun in a bikini.

The 'VPR' star was poolside in Scottsdale Wednesday, the day before Lisa Vanderpump told us she was not coming back to the Bravo show for season 11 ... and looking absolutely unbothered.

Rachel lounged around in a daybed and took a dip in the water ... rocking a palm leaf bikini set and sunglasses.

It looks like Rachel has the entire pool area to herself, a much different situation than what she'd face on set of the popular reality show.

Rachel's been back in her home state since the 'VPR' reunion, where things got heated and emotional as a result of her role in the Scandoval.

She spent around 100 days in a mental health facility, and she surfaced earlier this month at a Massage Envy in Tucson.

The Philadelphia Eagles had to go through not one but two terrifying moments during their preseason game on Thursday night ... when a duo of their players needed stretchers to leave the field after sustaining scary injuries.

The moments happened in the second half of the Eagles' 18-18 tie against the Browns in Philadelphia ... when receiver Tyrie Cleveland and defensive lineman Moro Ojomo hurt their necks on separate plays.

Tyrie's looked the most horrifying ... in the third quarter of the contest, he jumped up to haul in a pass -- but when he came down, he landed awkwardly on his head. He stayed on the turf for several minutes ... before he was strapped to a backboard and carted off.

One quarter later ... Ojomo was going in to make a tackle on a scrambling quarterback, when his teammate came in and accidentally collided with the back of his neck. He, too, stayed on the ground for minutes -- before requiring a stretcher to leave the field.

The Eagles ruled both guys out of the game almost immediately ... though, thankfully, the team said each one did have movement in all their extremities.

"I haven't talked to the doctors yet, but it sounds like they're moving around," head coach Nick Sirianni said after the game. "I don't know anything else besides that."

Four other Eagles players were injured in the contest as well -- including first-round pick Nolan Smith -- though none of their ailments were considered as serious as Cleveland and Ojomo's.

TikTok star Caleb Coffee is lucky to be alive -- but in really rough shape -- after a horrific fall off a cliff in Hawaii and onto lava rock ... sending him to the hospital with serious injuries.

Caleb was hiking with friends Wednesday when he allegedly slipped and fell from a 60-80ft cliff, landing on the rocks below. He was immediately airlifted to a hospital, but has suffered a fractured spine, broken femur, elbow, and wrist with gashes and burns across his entire body.

A GoFundMe created for the 18-year-old features several images of him in the hospital with his family. The page says Caleb didn't have health insurance at the time of his injury, and currently features a goal of $100K in fundraising.

Caleb's got more than 11 million followers on TikTok, and 1 million on Instagram.

His high-energy posts and photos often feature him out in nature, working out and hanging with friends.

Christina Aguilera traded in her walking shoes for a set o' wheels at Disneyland ... celebrating her daughter's birthday while also giving her feet and legs a rest.

The singer -- and former "Mickey Mouse Club" member -- took to the Happiest Place on Earth Wednesday, donning matching tie-dye shirts with her partner, Matthew Rutler, and some pals for Summer Rain's 9th birthday.

Her group was escorted by a private tour guide, getting front-of-the-line access to rides like Alice in Wonderland ... but while the rest of her crew was walking around the park, Christina remained seated on a motorized scooter.

Disney normally rents the transports out to guests, and a source close to Christina tells us the singer needed it because she's currently nursing a minor knee injury.

It's nothing too serious, but we're told she's trying to rest it to make sure it doesn't get worse.

Big milestone for Brooks Koepka and Jena Sims -- the golf star and his model wife brought their child home this week ... 20 days after the baby boy was born.

The first-time parents shared the awesome news on Thursday ... posing with little Crew at the Jupiter Medical Center, where he spent nearly three weeks receiving treatment in the NICU.

Sims praised everyone involved in treating their son over that tough period ... calling the staffers "angels on earth."

"He's ours now," Sims said.

It's been a long journey to get Crew home after he was born six weeks early. At the time, Sims detailed the agony she was going through, saying, "leaving the hospital without your baby is something I wish on no one."

But, things are much better now ... and the family couldn't be happier!!

In fact, Crew is now getting acquainted with their adorable pup, Cove ... with the four-legged friend already sniffing around as he lay in a carrier at home.

Britney Spears isn't just losing her husband in the wake of Sam Asghari filing for divorce, she's also losing her strongest supporter ... and there's no family around her to pick up the pieces.

Sources close to Britney tell us ... Sam is fully out of her life. He had moved into his own place before he filed for divorce Wednesday.

Britney is again estranged from her entire family. As we reported, her mother, Lynne, visited in May and it looked like the 2 had patched things up. But sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, that relationship has soured again, and they are once again not on speaking terms.

She's not speaking with her siblings or her dad, and we're told there are no friends around to support her. Her children have moved to Hawaii, without saying goodbye. She hasn't spoken to them in a long, long time.

As one source put it, "She has one confidant, [her manager] Cade [Hudson]. Then there's her security team, and after that her support system falls off a cliff." We're told her mom and other family members are very worried.

As you know, her conservatorship had doctors, specialists and a team to make sure her day-to-day ran smoothly ... that's all gone now. She's alone in her house.

It's unclear who will step up and help Britney, as we're told she just isn't capable of handling things on her own, but it will need to happen soon.

As for her book -- set to drop in October -- Britney signed off on the final copy a few weeks ago, and it's still set to release ... but obviously, won't include the split drama.

TMZ broke the story, Britney and Sam split after just 14 months of marriage, and he filed divorce docs just hours after we published. Sources tell us Sam moved out last week after a blowout fight where he accused Britney of cheating -- though we don't know the validity of those accusations.

Sam's currently living on his own, away from Britney ... and that's what scares her loved ones the most.

We covered the story on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Painful night at the ballpark for Lars Nootbaar ... the St. Louis Cardinals star foul-tipped a ball so hard into his man region -- he had to leave the game.

The incident happened in the fifth inning of the Red Birds' Wednesday night tilt with the Oakland A's ... when Nootbaar was trying to send a changeup over the outfield wall.

Instead, however, his bat barely got a piece of the baseball as it crossed the dish ... and it, unfortunately, bounced off the ground and ricocheted right into his junk.

At first, the game's announcers believed it had smacked off one of his shins -- but when the replays showed it went directly into his family jewels ... they knew exactly what was going down.

Nootbaar, meanwhile, was in a world of pain ... he writhed on the ground for several moments -- before he somehow got up. He would go on to strike out during the at-bat ... and then leave the game to get all checked out.

It's unclear exactly how the guy is now doing ... the Cards only said afterward he was removed "due to a lower abdomen contusion."

To add insult to injury, Nootbaar's Cardinals lost 8-0.

Jamie Foxx says he's only now starting to feel like himself again, but getting back to normal has been an "unexpected dark journey."

The Academy Award-winning actor posted his most encouraging health update to date on Instagram Wednesday, explaining he finally "can see the light." He also gave props to everyone who supported him and promised to personally thank them. He ended with a shout-out to the Almighty, writing, "GOD IS GOOD."

A carousel of images accompanied his message, showing Jamie looking stronger than ever while sporting a white V-neck shirt, bucket hat and Aviator glasses. Many fans and celebs showered Jamie with heartwarming words of encouragement in the comments section.

Jeremy Renner, who was nearly killed in a snowplow accident, wrote, "Bless you my friend !!!❤️❤️."

Actress Octavia Spencer referenced Jamie's "GOD IS GOOD" remark, saying, "Yes He is!!! Glad you’re better." Fellow actress Garcelle Beauvais added, "God is amazing and so are you!"

As you know, Jamie suffered a major health scare in April in what his family described as a 'medical complication,' the nature of which still remains a mystery. After Jamie was released from the hospital, he was seen around Chicago, boating and hitting golf balls.

Rachel Leviss made a killing on the last season of "Vanderpump Rules," TMZ has learned ... which makes Bethenny Frankel's claim Rachel made less than her interns a bunch of BS.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ Rachel made more than $350k for season 10 of the show -- nearly $20k an episode for a total of 19 episodes -- so certainly not chump change.

ICYMI, Bethenny told Rachel on her "Just B" podcast Wednesday that her own interns make more dough than Rachel did on 'VPR,' which came as a shock to Rachel.

Fans online slammed Bethenny's interview as embarrassing, and reminiscent of Howie Mandel's unhinged interview with Tom Sandoval back in April -- focusing more on his mustache than the cheating scandal.

Folks also pointed out the fact Bethenny didn't seem prepped for the interview, and she even admitted on the podcast that she had never watched the Bravo show and had only seen clips online after taking interest in Rachel and Scandoval.

So Bethenny either had no clue what Rachel really made, or she's completely overpaying her interns ... 'cause $350k ain't bad.

You'll recall, Bethenny and her attorneys have been hearing from dozens of NBC reality stars after firing off a legal threat earlier this month, claiming production employees have been tormenting the shows' castmembers. She's even been fighting for reality stars to unionize.

We covered the story on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

One tough matador is on the mend after getting gored in the ass during a recent bullfight ... but despite the horrifying scene, he says he's doing OK.

It all went down this week at the annual Prieto de la Cal in Madrid ... when Alejandro Conquero -- the son of famous matador The Hurricane of Huelva -- challenged a white bull with a pink cape.

In footage of the competition, the 28-year-old matador clearly held his own until one of the bull's horns caught him ... and he got sent flying into the air.

That's when it turned gruesome -- the massive bull rammed his horns right into Conquero's rear end and threw him up several feet for a second time.

Thankfully, other matadors jumped into the ring to divert the bull away from Conquero ... and he was rushed to a nearby hospital.

Doctors told COPE that Conquero suffered "a goring in the posterior perianal region, which dissects the rectum through the coccyx and could affect the external sphincter of the anus" ... but the matador says he feels fine.

"I am excited and I give a thousand thanks to those who at this time have thought or have been interested in me," Conquero said per his IG story.

"The evolution is positive, there is no fever, pain, the normal one but with the hope of being able to dress up soon. Thank you very much."

The goring comes just weeks after the "Messi of Matadors" was struck by a 1,100-pound bull in Spain during a show ... suffering injuries to his neck, face, and legs.

Rachel Leviss is breaking her silence for the first time since getting out of rehab, talking about Scandoval, and revealing how she feels she was unfairly labeled as the show's villain despite her castmates pulling off the same conduct in the past.

Leviss sat with 'RHONY' alum Bethenny Frankel on her 'Just B' podcast to explain why she took several months out of the public eye at a mental health facility, saying, "... part of the reason why I wanted to go to a treatment facility was to understand my behaviors and my goal was to really get down to the bottom of, "OK why am I choosing men that are unavailable, why do I keep finding myself in unhealthy relationships, what are the things that I need to change about my behavior?"

Rachel also says she believes it was unfair she took so much hate for her affair with Tom Sandoval, when just about every single other cast member has been involved in cheating.

Leviss says of affairs, "It's bad in normal life, but with producers it's good ... affairs are good for TV."

Then, she turns her attention to Tom and their whirlwind relationship, saying while she felt she was in love with him at the time, she now realizes it wasn't real ... and she doesn't believe he truly loved her, either.

The chat with Bethenny wasn't all defensive, however, saying, "I do want to take a moment though to just acknowledge the hurt that I brought to a lot of people. I was not careful in my actions and I was not thinking long-term. I was completely wrapped up in heartbreak and wanting to get certain needs met."

Rachel also hints at her future with the show, and while she doesn't say it directly, it doesn't sound like she's coming back, stating, "And you mentioned something about the addiction of doing reality TV and the way that they always dangle that carrot in front of you, like, ‘Well, you need to tell your side of the story otherwise it’s gonna be written for you.’ And that’s terrifying. So I almost went back, I know just because of that.”

As we reported, Bethenny is leading the charge in a war against NBC, Bravo and others for what she believes has been the unfair treatment of reality stars over the years -- fueling contestants with booze, ignoring their mental health and adding additional stress.

Unclear if Rachel will join that fight, but we spoke to attorney Bryan Freedman who says he's been contacted by a ton of former stars who all want to join in against the networks.

We covered the drama on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.