Celebrity Health

New York Yankees pitcher Zack Britton says he was ROCKED by COVID-19 ... revealing he lost 18 pounds in 10 days while battling the virus ... and he's still not fully recovered.

The 33-year-old southpaw says he contracted the coronavirus back in January ... and went into detail with reporters about his experience on Wednesday.

"I was surprised," Britton said. "I think I got it at the hospital when we were having our kid, so it was even worse."

"I was not expecting to be hit that hard by COVID. It wiped me out pretty good."

"The weight loss was surprising and just the after-effects I've been dealing with showed me how serious this can be, even for somebody that's healthy and how that can impact you months even after you've gotten over the roughest symptoms."

FYI -- Britton is 6'1" and reportedly usually weighs around 200 pounds ... in other words, he's in pretty good shape.

"It just wiped me out pretty good for about 10 days," Britton said. "Lost about 18 pounds, which could be good, I guess? But, I wasn't looking to lose 18 pounds and it happened quickly, so that's not good on your body and puts pressure in a lot of places."

Britton says the virus prevented him from throwing for about 3 to 4 weeks during the offseason ... but he's finally starting to feel like himself again.

But, COVID isn't the only health issue Britton's dealing with -- the 2-time All-Star is set to undergo surgery to remove a bone chip in his left elbow ... and is expected to miss several months of the season.

Rory McIlroy -- one of Tiger Woods' best friends on the PGA Tour -- says Tiger is "doing better" after his horrific car crash ... and could be discharged from the hospital in the next week or so.

McIlroy made the revelation on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on Tuesday ... saying he's spoken with Tiger since the 45-year-old was seriously injured in a rollover crash on Feb. 23 -- and is getting positive news from the golf legend.

"He's doing better," Rory told Fallon ... "Hopefully if things go well over the next week or so he might be able to get home and start recovery at home."

It'd be great news for Woods ... Tiger's right leg was severely broken in the accident -- requiring multiple procedures to fix the issues since.

McIlroy, though, said Woods has been in good spirits during his recovery ... even sending Rory encouragement -- and even some friendly trash talk -- over his performance at this past weekend's Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida.

"Even from the hospital bed," McIlroy said with a smile, "he's still giving me some heat."

Tiger has not spoken publicly since Feb. 28 -- when he thanked the pro golfers, including McIlory, who paid homage to him by wearing red and black during their rounds.

Cleveland Browns WR Ryan Switzer says his 9-month-old son was discharged from the hospital Tuesday night following a major health emergency which required 3 blood transfusions and a major surgery.

Switzer says his baby boy, Christian, was initially hospitalized on March 6 after he "woke up in his blood."

To make matters worse, Christian also tested positive for COVID.

A team of doctors (which included a pediatric gastroenterologist) feverishly searched for the source of Christian's bleeding -- and ultimately decided to perform emergency surgery on March 7.

During the procedure, doctors found "several sites of bleeding" -- but couldn't identify the specific issue at the root of the situation.

Unfortunately, Christian continued to experience bleeding episodes after the surgery -- and his parents asked the public to "pray for our baby."

Christian lost so much blood during the ordeal, he required 3 infusions to stabilize his hemoglobin levels.

But, things finally took a turn for the better on March 8 -- "There were no more bleeding spells overnight and all of [Christian's] labs remained normal," Ryan said.

Finally, on March 9 ... doctors concluded Christian was stable enough to continue his recovery at home and he was formally discharged from the hospital!!!

Many questions about Christian's condition remain -- but it seems he's trending in the right direction and on Wednesday morning, Ryan shared a video showing his son smiling and happy at the family home.

"We didn’t get any clear answers on why what happened, happened but, to see him sleep through the night with no bleeding and wake up in a playful mood this morning means our prayers are being answered."

Lyft's not waiting around for an attack to go down in one of its cars -- it's banning the maskless rider who coughed on and attacked an Uber driver.

Lyft hilariously dissed the woman who vowed she'd only use Lyft after Uber banned her. The app said it made a preemptive decision to ban the rider permanently ... citing her disrespectful behavior.

As we reported ... the woman and the Bay Area Uber driver got into a dispute over a mask policy last weekend that quickly escalated when she coughed on the driver and ripped off his mask. Cops say the woman and her 2 friends also attacked the Uber driver with what they believe to be pepper spray.

Of course, Uber banned the rider ... and shortly after the ban, she posted a video excusing her behavior. She did apologize for pretending to have COVID-19 during the incident -- admitting "that was disrespectful as f***."

However, she added she's going to sue Uber, cursed out the driver ... and said, 3 times, this is why she takes Lyft.

Paul Rodriguez -- one of the 'Original Latin Kings of Comedy' -- underwent heart surgery, but the good news is he's on the mend.

A rep for the legendary comic tells TMZ ... Paul recently had quadruple bypass surgery, but is recovering nicely at his home. They add, "Paul wants everyone to know he is grateful for all the amazing care he has received and will be back better than ever very soon."

While it's great to hear he's getting better, it's unfortunate to learn this is the latest setback for the actor/comedian. Just last year, he revealed to FOX26 that a house he'd once purchased for his late parents burned in a fire. The outlet reported that the home was uninsured, so Paul essentially lost the property.

Not only that, but he also told them he'd fallen on hard times financially as well -- saying an accountant he'd worked with for years told him he was nearly "broke."

Paul told FOX26 he was going to try to get back on his feet through a 40-acre lemon farm he owns in the valley.

Bam Margera is learning hot tubs and fresh ink don't mix -- he needed a hospital stay to treat a staph infection from his latest tattoo.

The "Jackass" star was hospitalized over the weekend after experiencing pain in the same leg that's home to his new Farsi tatt. Bam's no stranger to pain -- it's kinda been his job for years -- so ya gotta imagine he was really hurting bad.

Bam says he had a staph infection, and sources close to him tell us the leg was likely infected when he went into a hot tub.

As anyone with tattoos likely knows, you're supposed to take it easy after getting inked up ... and hot tubs really sound like a bad idea, especially with leg tatts. Tough lesson here for Bam.

LeBron James was just asked if he would get a COVID-19 vaccine when he's able to -- and rather than firmly come out and say yes, he waffled ... which is startling.

King James did a 20-minute-plus interview Sunday for NBA All-Star Weekend ... and at one point he was asked how he's been able to stay COVID-free and relatively healthy throughout the pandemic. Bron chalked it up to luck and faith ... saying he just follows the protocols handed down by the league to a T, going straight home after he plays in games/practices.

Another 'rona question was raised at the very end of the interview ... a reporter asked if he himself would get vaccinated whenever that became an option, and whether he'd encourage everyone in the Players Association to do the same. He also referenced Adam Silver's recent remark that he was gonna leave it up to NBA players and not make it mandatory.

Silver said ... "My hunch is that most players ultimately will choose to get vaccinated. They have to make personal decisions at the end of the day."

In response, LeBron said this about his own decision on the vaccine ... "That's a conversation that, you know, my family and I will have. And, probably pretty much keep that to a private thing." He said he was aware of Silver's comments, but insisted it was something to be discussed among the family and not in public, and that's where he was going to keep it.

That's fascinating, considering LeBron is by far one of the most influential people in the world ... and perhaps the second or third most influential African-American. The fact he's wishy-washy on whether he'll get it speaks volumes, and could well influence others in the community.

Of course, vaccinations have been a major issue in the Black community ... as many simply don't trust it -- due to a number of historical atrocities perpetuated onto African-Americans and other factors as well. But, many prominent Black role models have been trying to convince the Black community this vaccine is safe and worth taking ... like the late, great Hank Aaron.

This is a Ted Lasso-type feel-good moment, as 2 cops saved a dog that fell in icy waters.

The rescue went down Thursday in the village of Manteno, Illinois, when the PD got a call, "There's a big dog in the water about four houses down."

That canine's a lucky dog, thanks to officers Quincey Spears and Jessica Rourke, who answered the call and sprung into action. They got a paddleboat to get near the struggling K-9, using a pole to help reach the dog, to no avail.

So, their only remaining option was to jump in the frigid water, along with a few good Samaritans, to save the pooch.

Officer Spears explained what happened ...  "When he was walking on the ice, he went into a spot where the sun was beating down on the ice, and it actually potentially melted that part of the ice, which the dog fell in."

Beyonce paid homage to one of her fans who tragically died Friday after a 2-year battle with brain cancer, and it was truly moving.

Lyric Chanel's journey was chronicled by her family on Instagram. 600,000 people followed her, along with numerous celebs including Cardi B and, of course, Beyonce.

Things took a turn Wednesday, when the family was told Lyric only had days to live. After her passing Friday, an account posted in her honor -- Go Gold for Childhood Cancer.

Beyoncé connected with Lyric back in September. Lyric caught Bey's attention after posting a video of her years earlier, singing Bey's "Love On Top."

Beyonce's tribute song features a montage of Lyric photos and videos ... it's a celebration of her life, showing her singing and dancing to a mashup of "Brown Skin Girl," "Halo" and "Love On Top."

Notice how she switches out the word "baby" with "Lyric."

Lyric was 13.

Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras looked very much like pre-pandemic times, but there were actually some precautions taken.

An estimated 35,000 people watched the annual parade at the Sydney Cricket Ground. That's a ton of folks, but way less than the 200,000 that lined Oxford Street in Mardi Gras's past.

Rita Ora headlined the event ... she got emotional, at one point telling the crowd she was fighting back tears, telling everyone how much she missed performing during the pandemic. Other performers included The Wiggles and singer G Flip.

Australia has fared way, way better than the U.S. They've had just over 29,000 COVID cases and a total of 909 deaths. From our eye, most people were not wearing masks, but the fact is ... Australia has had stringent rules and apparently it has paid off.

When you look at the pics through an American lens, it seems they've pulled out all the stops, but a number of people who attended called this year's event "muted" compared to past Mardi Gras.

Timothy V. Murphy is ready to throw back some Irish whiskey and beer for St. Patrick's Day ... and he'll be doing it at a pub, even though the CDC wants the holiday to go virtual.

We got the "Sons of Anarchy" star at LAX Friday afternoon and our photog asked the famous Irishman about his St. Paddy's Day plans.

Timothy says he's looking forward to drinking at some popular Irish pubs in L.A. and he's not about to cancel the holiday for the second year in a row, despite the CDC urging folks to stay home and celebrate.

The way Timothy sees it ... St. Patrick's Day just doesn't work in a virtual setting, so he's keeping it live and in person. L.A. has outdoor dining (and drinking) again, so he'll have options.

Our guy also asked Timothy about Conor McGregor catching heat for buying a bottle of Proper 12 inside a liquor store without wearing a mask. Sounds like Timothy's glad he's not back in Ireland, or New York City, for that matter.

Sampson the service dog is a very good -- and smart -- boy who deserves lots of treats for learning an important new trick -- how to wear PPE so he can help his disabled neuroscientist mom.

The scientist, Joey Ramp, conducts her lab work at the University of Illinois, but says she wouldn't be able to do her job without the aid of her assistant ... the first pup ever granted access to the college's chemistry lab.

For safety reasons, Sampson, a golden retriever, is required to wear protective gear just like the humans do, and as you can see ... he's mastered it.

Joey suffered a traumatic brain injury in a 2006 horse-riding accident and now studies the human brain, and she says her good boy's crucial to her research. She explains that he's not only there for her if she drops something and needs support kneeling down to pick it up ... but he's also trained to spot signs of her PTSD.

Joey says, "I couldn't possibly navigate academics or a neuroscience program without his assistance," and she's advocating for more service dogs to be allowed in labs for students with disabilities ... with guidelines like making the pups wear PPE.

Kim Kardashian says she totally understands what it's like to be Britney Spears after watching the new documentary about the singer's life ... because she went through the same intense media scrutiny when she was pregnant.

Kim just opened up on her own experience with media shaming, saying she totally empathizes with Britney after watching the "Framing Britney Spears" documentary.

For Kim, she says the hardest part was when she was pregnant with North, she recalls the media giving her a hard time over her weight gain ... and says the constant magazine covers, like the one comparing her to a whale, made her cry.

She shared a bunch of the covers, with headlines like ... "Dumped at 200 Lbs," "I'll Never Be Sexy Again," "I Can't Stop Eating," "Paid To Get Fat," "Don't Call Me Fat," "I'll Eat As Much As I Want," "Alone & Binge Eating," "Yes, I'm Fat," "Kim's Body Struggle," "You Call This Fat" and "My Butt Won't Stop Growing."

Kim says she was shamed on a weekly basis just like Britney and it really broke her spirit ... and she says no one deserves to be treated with cruelty or judgment, no matter how famous they are or how public their life is.

While KK says she eventually turned the media scrutiny into motivation, she says it still took a toll on her mental health.

It's the best news Tessica Brown's gotten since getting the Gorilla Glue out of her hair -- the masses found in her breasts are not cancerous.

Tessica's manager, Gina Rodriguez, tells TMZ ... test results for the 2 lumps, one in each breast, came back negative, and Tessica is ecstatic. She says doctors say the benign cysts are the result of fibrocystic breast disease which comes with its own complications.

We're told the disease generally makes it tougher for doctors to ID potentially cancerous lumps. As a result, Tessica will now have to get a mammogram every 6 months.

As we first reported, Tessica had gone back to Dr. Michael Obeng -- who defeated the Gorilla Glue -- to get a mommy makeover that included a boob lift/implants and some abdominal lipo. It was during a pre-surgery consultation that he discovered the lumps.

Dr. Obeng removed the cysts during Tessica's other procedures and sent them to the lab for testing.

Tessica remained optimistic -- even while waiting for results -- telling us she felt everything had happened for a reason: the Gorilla Glue ordeal brought her to Dr. Obeng ... who then found the lumps.

Sad news out of Canada ... Wayne Gretzky's father, Walter Gretzky, has died after a battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 82.

"It's with deep sadness that Janet and I share the news of the passing of my dad," Wayne said in a statement late Thursday evening.

"He bravely battled Parkinson's and other health issues these last few years, but he never let it get him down."

"For me, he was the reason I fell in love with the game of hockey. He inspired me to be the best I could be not just in the game of hockey, but in life."

The stories about Walter Gretzky's role in Wayne's career are legendary -- he served as The Great One's personal coach growing up, hammering home the fundamentals of the game.

One of his most famous lessons for Wayne focused on ANTICIPATING the action -- skate to where the puck is going, not where it's been.

Walter loved hockey -- but never played at the pro level. He played junior and senior hockey growing up in Canada but realized he wasn't good enough to make a career out of it.

His son, however ... well, we all know how that turned out.

In fact, Walter basically built a shrine to his son at the family home in Ontario -- which somebody actually burglarized back in 2020.

Family members reported roughly $500,000 worth of Wayne Gretzky memorabilia was stolen from the home .. including game-used sticks, jerseys, gloves, pants and even a Player of the Year award.

But, the story had a happy ending for Walter ... after a 3-month investigation, cops recovered a bunch of the items.

Wayne concluded his tribute to his father by saying the family is at peace knowing Wayne has been reunited with his late wife, Phyllis, who passed away in 2005.

'Walking Dead' makeup artist and executive producer Greg Nicotero doesn't need CDC guidelines to prepare for a zombie apocalypse ... he already knows a safe place to hide.

We got the genius behind the show's most epic zombies at LAX and asked him what would be in his zombie preparedness kit, something the CDC is actually advising folks to have just in case Nostradamus is right about his big 2021 prediction.

Greg tells our camera guy he just needs a makeup kit to survive ... because it would allow him to blend in with the rest of the zombie horde.

Of course, Greg's the most skilled zombie makeup artist in the world ... but for the rest of us, he says duct tape could really come in handy and the big key is hiding out in a place no zombie would ever think to look, like the dentist's office.

As we reported ... the CDC updated its website's "Zombie Preparedness" section and the overall theme is "Get a Kit. Make a Plan. Be Prepared."

Greg says he's sat on zombie panels with CDC doctors and he thinks the federal agency just wants Americans to at least think about what they would do in a situation like a zombie apocalypse. In reality, the CDC is just clowning a bit, but with a purpose ... to drive younger people to the site for important medical info.