The creator of the F-Factor diet says her company is practically on financial life support ... and she's pointing the finger at an Instagram influencer for allegedly destroying her business by conjuring up fake claims.
Tanya Zuckerbrot -- a registered dietician and Instagram influencer -- is suing Instagram influencer Emily Gellis claiming that beginning in July she's made more than 4,500 false claims over a 75-day period that her F-Factor diet causes physical harm ... and in some cases, death, this according to docs obtained by TMZ.
In docs, Zuckerbrot says she created protein powders and protein bars in 2017 touting her F-Factor diet, which she describes as a "liberating and sustainable approach to weight loss and optimal health based on scientifically proven fiber-rich nutrition."
Zuckerbrot claims Gellis has 750 minutes of video trashing the diet. She says Gellis falsely claimed F-Factor products caused a woman to miscarry a pregnancy. Zuckerbrot also claims Gellis falsely claimed the products contained unsafe levels of arsenic. According to the suit, Gellis also falsely claimed someone died from using the product.
Zuckerbrot's got a laundry list of things she claims Gellis -- who boasts 208k followers on IG -- said about her and the diet products, including accusing Zuckerbrot of "selling f***ing packaged poison" and “profit[ing] off this cult-like mentality.”
She claims the company was generating over $1 million a month in revenue ... until Emily's "illegal, abusive and harassing social media misconduct," which Zuckerbrot says caused "devastating financial damages and enormous emotional distress."
For her part ... Zuckerbrot touts her credentials as a dietician that includes a private practice for more than 20 years, a master's in nutrition and food studies from NYU and being an accredited member of the American Dietetic Association. She says Gellis has no background in nutrition. Zuckerbrot is suing for defamation and wants more than $500k in damages and for Gellis to keep her mouth shut about her and her product.
6:00 PM PT -- Crede Bailey, a top White House security official, is gravely ill with the virus and has been hospitalized since last month, according to a report from Bloomberg News.
President Trump says his COVID diagnosis was a blessing from God in disguise ... and he wants the American people to get the same treatment he did -- for free.
Trump just released another video update on his health, and he says he's feeling great after getting treated with Regeneron. Trump promised to give the therapeutic to Americans who come down with COVID, and it's all gonna be free.
Ok ... lots of issues. First, Trump was speaking at The White House with NO MASK, despite the fact he has COVID, is contagious, and a hundred people who work in the residence quarters may be compromised.
What's even more ridiculous ... Trump says he's the one who decided he should take Regeneron. So, with all the doctors at Walter Reed, Trump decided he knows best so he's self-medicating.
And, there's this ... people with COVID can take a dramatically bad turn 5 to 7 days in, even if they feel good. In other words, he's not out of the woods. And, he's on steroids, which mask the symptoms.
Watch the video ... one minute in, you see Trump, and as he says "A short 24 hours later," spittle shoots out of his mouth. We point this out to show the dangers of the President being around people while he's still recovering from the virus.
BTW ... Trump's medical treatment for COVID would have cost more than $100,000 in our health care system, according to The New York Times.
Trump claims there are huge amounts of Regeneron just waiting to get sent to hospitals all over the country. He's also strangely calling it a cure and saying there are vaccines right around the corner.
2:48 PM PT -- The way the issue of Britney's declaration came up ... her lawyer, Sam Ingham, told the judge Britney does not want to perform again ... while Ingham said Jamie is intent on Britney resuming her career.
UPDATE
That's when the issue of hearsay came up ... that Britney hasn't told the judge in a declaration what she wants to do with her career.
Britney Spears lacks the mental capacity to sign a sworn declaration in her conservatorship case ... and her own lawyer compared her inability to sign a document to a comatose patient.
There was a hearing Wednesday in Britney's conservatorship case ... it was routine at first, but then the judge started asking questions about Britney wanting a co-conservator of her estate, to work alongside Jamie Spears.
Britney's lawyer, Sam Ingham, had been conveying Britney's feelings about the conservatorship to the court, and they got into a discussion as to whether all of that was inadmissible hearsay.
The judge asked Ingham if Britney would sign a declaration so there'd be a first-hand account of her feelings. Ingham said Britney lacked the capacity to sign a declaration, and likened her to a comatose patient. He was not saying she is comatose by any means, but he used it by way of example to show she was not capable of signing a legal document. Ingham said even comatose patients can have their lawyers speak for them.
The lawyers and the judge started discussing whether hearsay regarding Britney's feelings were admissible, but the judge put the matter over to another day.
As you know, there's a social media movement to free Britney from her conservatorship, but her own lawyer telegraphed that she's not able to do some fairly basic things.
Jacob Blake is out of the hospital, but still getting extensive medical treatment in a new facility ... all while his father's getting threats against his life.
Jacob's uncle, Justin Blake, tells TMZ ... Jacob was quietly released from the hospital about a week and a half ago, and he's currently recovering at a spinal rehabilitation center in Illinois.
We're told the family decided to transport Jacob from the hospital and keep it under the radar because his father has recently been receiving death threats, which also had the family concerned about Jacob's well being in the Milwaukee hospital. Fact is, lots of people knew he was there.
As you know ... Jacob was shot in the back 7 times by Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey Aug. 23, and his family says he's paralyzed from the waist down and needs a miracle to walk again.
Jacob's uncle is keeping a positive outlook on his nephew's health ... telling us Jacob's currently doing as well as any paralyzed person can be, and trying to adapt to his new settings.
The latest 'Jurassic World' flick just got hit with a viral meteor, of sorts, and it's putting things on ice behind and in front of the camera, yet again.
Director Colin Trevorrow made the announcement Wednesday, saying a new batch of COVID-19 cases were discovered on the set of "Jurassic World: Dominion" ... and, as a result, production is going on a brief hiatus.
Woke up to the news we had a few positive Coronavirus tests on Jurassic World: Dominion. All tested negative shortly after, but due to our safety protocols we’re going to pause for two weeks. Back soon. pic.twitter.com/DxuqX9UdgX
He writes, "Woke up to the news we had a few positive Coronavirus tests on Jurassic World: Dominion. All tested negative shortly after, but due to our safety protocols we’re going to pause for two weeks. Back soon." So in other words, potential false positives here.
In any case, it's enough to give Universal Studios pause. The studio says its rigid protocols don't allow for them to resume, even if the cast/crew tested negative right afterward -- emphasizing they'd rather be safe than sorry. Those affected have gone into self-isolation.
It's unclear who within the production -- cast or crew -- might've contracted coronavirus. Chris Pratt is the lead and Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill are all reprising their role from the original "Jurassic Park."
None of them are discussing their health ... but all have been plugging the movie over the past 24 hours.
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This 'rona development is the most recent setback for the film. It also shut down back in March due to the pandemic -- and earlier this week, Universal pushed its release date a full year to June 2022!
Tough year for cinephiles, man. Dinosaur fans, too.
Americans should absolutely be concerned the man with our nuclear codes is on steroids, because the reality is President Trump's judgment could be impaired ... according to Dr. Robert Wachter.
Dr. Wachter, considered the father of the hospitalist field, joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and told us older COVID patients sick enough to be hospitalized have a decent chance of experiencing cognitive problems.
He added ... coupling that with steroids increases the odds POTUS might not be thinking straight.
Dr. Wachter, who's the chair of UC San Francisco's Dept. of Medicine, says Trump could be experiencing euphoria or sometimes even mania due to the steroids ... which might explain some of the President's recent tweetstorms. Let's be honest, its hard to tell.
Just to give you an idea how impairing steroids can be ... Dr. Wachter says the FAA wouldn't allow the Prez to fly a plane -- if he were a pilot -- due to his steroid dosage.
The hard part for President Trump's doctors has everything to do with the patient himself ... and this good doc told us what they're up against.
Patrick Mahomes says he's sleeping in a completely different bedroom from his pregnant fiancee due to the Chiefs' COVID-19 scare ... because he understands the gravity of the situation.
"It's something I think about every day," the K.C. Chiefs star QB said. "You have to think about that with her being pregnant and kind of that high-risk category."
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So, it must have been scary when Kansas City's practice squad quarterback, Jordan Ta'amu -- who shares the same meeting rooms with Mahomes -- tested positive for coronavirus Saturday.
And, Patrick says he was so worried about possibly having COVID and how that might affect Brit and the baby, he avoided her at all costs around their house.
"When I went home over the weekend, I slept in a different bedroom and stayed away from her as much as possible."
Mahomes said he eased back on those restrictions once his COVID tests came back negative ... but he added the safety of his fiancee and their baby is still ALWAYS on his mind.
"I just try to do my part just to kind of keep myself away from her and social distance whenever stuff like this arises," Mahomes said.
Of course, there's a chance Mahomes might now have to go through a similar arrangement with Matthews this week after the quarterback came in close contact with COVID-19-positive Patriots star Stephon Gilmore during their game Monday.
The Miami Dolphins have been granted permission from the governor of Florida to allow full capacity at Hard Rock Stadium.
You read that correctly. We're talking 65,000 seats. In the middle of a pandemic.
The green light comes by way of Gov. Ron DeSantis -- whose spokesperson told Andy Slater the team is now allowed to pack their stadium as part of statewide removal of COVID-19 stadium restrictions.
That doesn't mean the Dolphins will rush to allow 65,000 people to watch the team at their next home game ... Slater says the org. still plans on limiting the number of fans to 13,000 at the next home game on Oct. 25.
The news comes on the heels of an announcement from the Green Bay Packers -- which just pressed pause on the possibility of opening up Lambeau Field to fans any time soon.
"Due to the concerning increase of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the Green Bay area and across Wisconsin, the Green Bay Packers today announced that the organization has put an indefinite hold on hosting fans for games at Lambeau Field this season," the team said in a statement.
Plus, with NFL teams like the Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, K.C. Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders dealing with possible COVID outbreaks among the players ... it just doesn't seem like the best time for a team to pack a stadium with people!!
Florida State coaching legend Bobby Bowden has been taken to the hospital to help aid in his battle with COVID-19 ... his wife said Tuesday.
Ann Bowden, who's been married to Bobby for over 70 YEARS, told the Tallahassee Democrat the 2-time national champion coach was transported to the hospital via ambulance.
Ann says the trip is precautionary at the moment ... but she added 90-year-old Bobby is experiencing fatigue and will have further testing done at the facility.
"I feel sure he's going to be OK," Ann said. "I am very positive. I am not an alarmist."
Bobby had previously been in the hospital over the past few weeks due to a skin infection on his leg ... and learned toward the end of his stay there last week that he had tested positive for COVID.
The former Seminoles head man said Monday from his home he wasn't experiencing any symptoms ... and appeared to be confident he'd be fine.
But, Ann said Tuesday, "He hasn't been getting around much at all due to his leg; it has been pretty painful. He sleeps much of the day."
Ann said she's hopeful Bobby can leave the hospital again in a few days.
In the meantime, she says she and other family members staying with the coaching icon have tested negative for the virus after receiving tests Monday.
Mike Holmgren is going to war with Donald Trump ... blaming the president for the Packers' new fan ban -- and claiming POTUS is single-handedly responsible for "devastating" Green Bay's economy.
The Packers coaching legend spelled out his issues with DT in a scathing statement Tuesday ... just hours after the team announced fans would NOT be allowed at Lambeau Field for the foreseeable future due to rising COVID cases in the area.
"Today's announcement makes one thing very clear -- President Trump's failure to mount a forceful response to the coronavirus pandemic has had profound consequences for Green Bay's economy," Holmgren said.
"Small businesses in the community are paying dearly. We are now months into this crisis, cases are surging across Wisconsin, and President Trump still doesn't have a plan to get the virus under control."
Holmgren added, "It didn't have to be this bad."
Mike says the Packers pulling the plug on fans this season will have a HUGE negative impact on the city's economy -- claiming it could cost locals roughly $160 MILLION.
"As a result of Trump's failure to respond to the coronavirus pandemic," Holmgren said, "the scaled-down Packers season is devastating to many Green Bay-area businesses."
Holmgren is adamant about booting Trump from office this election cycle ... saying he believes Joe Biden's plan for coronavirus would mean better news for Green Bay.
"He's a man of integrity," Holmgren said of Biden. "And, now more than ever, we need him in the White House."
The Packers, meanwhile, are 4-0 heading into a bye this week ... and are legitimate contenders to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl later this season.
Another New England Patriots start has tested positive for COVID-19 -- Stephon Gilmore ... and now there are serious concerns about a major NFL outbreak.
Gilmore is one of the top players on the Pats -- a 3-time Pro Bowl cornerback who was a part of the Patriots 2018 Super Bowl team.
He's also the 3rd Patriots player to test positive over the past week -- following QB Cam Newtonand practice squad defensive end Bill Murray. Newton had tested positive on Saturday, which led to the NFL moving the Pats vs. Chiefs game from Sunday to Monday.
The big concern, obviously, is that Gilmore played during Monday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs and was seen shaking hands with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes after the game.
Did Gilmore have COVID at the time even though he tested negative? It's possible. And, now everyone is concerned.
The Patriots have canceled their Wednesday practice while they try to figure things out. They're supposed to play the Denver Broncos on Sunday but now that game is clearly in jeopardy.
More bad news ... another Tennessee Titans player ALSO tested positive for COVID -- which means the team can't open their practice facility on Wednesday, as they were hoping to do.
It also puts their scheduled Sunday matchup with the Buffalo Bills in jeopardy.
EVEN MORE BAD NEWS ... a player on the Las Vegas Raiders has also tested positive. The Raiders are supposed to play the Chiefs on Sunday.
Remember, the NFL is NOT in a bubble environment -- though players and staffers are tested daily.
But, right now, there is serious concern about how the league can move forward if so many players continue to test positive.
Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker Bud Dupree is giving a firsthand account into what it's like to play during the pandemic ... telling TMZ Sports his life really consists of 2 things right now -- "go to practice and go home."
The NFL was hit with its first COVID outbreak following Week 3 ... with the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots reporting positive tests within their organizations.
Dupree -- who had an unexpected week off when the Steelers' matchup with the Titans was pushed to later in the season -- says his team is being EXTRA cautious to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to them.
"We try to stay away as much as possible just so we won't be on that end of the stick," the 27-year-old tells us. "We don't wanna be the ones who are holding the game up."
Dupree -- a 1st-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft -- points out the league's strict guidelines have essentially prevented him from doing anything other than reconnecting with family at home during his bye week ... or he'd face a fine.
As for switching gears from preparing for the Titans to getting ready for the Philadelphia Eagles this week ... Dupree says Coach Mike Tomlin makes it easy.
"With a coach like Tomlin, anytime adversity hit, he already got us coded to just keep going," he says.
"Live in the moment, be ready for whatever, just keep the punches going. He does a great job of preparing us for the moments even throughout training camp."
"We knew something like this would happen so we was already prepared for it."
4:50 PM PT -- Valerie Bertinelli, Eddie's ex-wife and mother to his only child, Wolfgang, just posted a heartbreaking tribute to the rock star. She called him "my love" and gave thanks that she was there with him in his last moments.
Eddie Van Halen -- the legendary guitarist and co-founder of Van Halen -- has died after a long battle with cancer ... TMZ has learned.
Sources directly connected to the rock star tell us ... he died at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica Tuesday. His wife, Janie, was by his side, along with his son, Wolfgang, his ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli, and Alex, Eddie's brother and drummer.
We're told in the last 72 hours, Eddie's ongoing health battle went massively downhill -- doctors discovered his lung cancer had moved to his brain as well as other organs.
As you know, Eddie has been battling cancer for well over a decade. Our sources say he's been in and out of the hospital over the past year -- including last November for intestinal issues -- and recently underwent a round of chemo.
Last year we reported ... Eddie was flying between the US and Germany for 5 years to get radiation treatment. Though he was a heavy smoker for years, he believes he developed throat cancer from a metal guitar pick he used to frequently hold in his mouth more than 20 years ago.
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Nevertheless, he continued to attend concerts and rehearse music with his son, who -- if ya don't know -- became Van Halen's bassist in 2006.
Wolfgang mourned his father online, writing ... "He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift. My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss." He added, "I love you so much, Pop."
Of course, Eddie himself was considered one of the best and most influential guitarists of all time ... who first made a name for himself with his solo on Van Halen's "Eruption."
Eddie formed the classic rock group in Pasadena in 1972 with his brother, Alex, on drums, Michael Anthony on bass and David Lee Roth singing. Eddie served as the main songwriter on their self-titled debut album in 1978 ... which launched the group into rock superstardom in the '80s.
They went on to pump out hit after hit, including "Runnin' with the Devil," "Unchained," "Hot for Teacher," "Panama" and "Jump" ... and continued their success with Sammy Hagar on lead vocals after the departure of Roth in 1985.
While the band had already achieved hard rock superstardom, Eddie became a pop culture icon with the 1983 release of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" ... which featured Eddie's iconic guitar solo.
Though some members of Van Halen have changed, Eddie and Alex were the constants in the band ... with Eddie's acclaimed guitar work being the focal point of their legacy.
Van Halen was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, and Eddie is widely considered one of the greatest guitar players of all time.
The coronavirus outbreak in the White House continues to spread -- Stephen Miller, one of President Trump's most trusted advisers, is the latest to contract the disease.
Trump's senior aide reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 Tuesday ... less than a week after he was seen hopping onto Marine One alongside Hope Hicks, who got her positive test result on Friday.
That was the first of what is now well over a dozen people, including the President, to be infected.
Miller -- Trump's top speechwriter and policy adviser -- has reportedly been working remotely for the last 5 days and tested negative every day through Monday before today's test came back positive ... according to NBC News.
This is not the first time the virus has hit home for Miller. Just last May, his wife -- Katie Miller -- also tested positive. She's VP Mike Pence's communications director.
A number of White House correspondents also caught the 'rona ... resulting in the press briefing room getting sanitized to help stem the spread of the virus.
Tony Finau -- one of the top golfers in the world -- has pulled out of a PGA Tour tourney this week after testing positive for COVID.
"Earlier today, I received a positive result for Covid-19 under PGA TOUR on-site testing protocols and have begun a period of self-quarantine to protect others around me," the 31-year-old said Tuesday.
"I am feeling well, and am otherwise in good spirits.":
Finau -- ranked #16 in the world -- was supposed to play in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas this week ... but obviously, COVID has derailed those plans.
"I look forward to returning to action as soon as I am able, and I wish everyone at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open a great week ahead," Finau said.
The diagnosis could also prevent Finau from playing in the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas next week, if he had intended on participating.
Finau -- who's 6'4", 200 lbs -- joined the PGA Tour in 2015 and won the Puerto Rico Open in 2016.
He was a part of the 2018 Ryder Cup team and the 2019 Presidents Cup team.
President Trump's in quarantine at the White House, and now his wax statue is getting a taste of what isolation feels like.
The President's wax figure at Madame Tussauds in Amsterdam is following in his footsteps, being put in quarantine after the real Prez and First Lady Melaniaboth tested positive for COVID-19.
The famed wax museum is isolating Trump in the museum's front window, adding a blue and white surgical mask over his mouth and nose. So far, the mask has not been taken off, unlike the real Prez, and we can absolutely confirm ... the wax figure IS having trouble breathing.
One might say Madame Tussauds' POTUS is doing a better job conveying the risks of coronavirus to the public, than the actual President ... who continues to claim there's nothing to fear. The museum has placed huge caution signs and caution tape around Trump's wax statue.
No word how long the wax figure will be in quarantine, but 14 days is pretty standard.