Celebrity Health

Joe Rogan's suggestion that young people don't need to get the vaccine isn't sitting well with Dr. Anthony Fauci, who says that's a totally selfish approach to battling a pandemic.

The Spotify podcaster got a lot of backlash this week for saying folks in their 20s aren't susceptible to serious illness if they get infected ... and adding that he'd tell them not to get vaccinated.

Fauci was on NBC Today and fired back at Rogan's remarks ... saying the guy is simply wrong. He notes that while, yes, younger people aren't as likely to get deathly ill from COVID ... that's not really the point.

He says those people can still contract it -- even without showing symptoms -- and give it to someone else, who might be more prone to getting sick ... and possibly even dying. So, in other words, Fauci says it's a me vs. the world mentality -- and a selfish notion to avoid getting vaccinated just because you think you're healthy and would be fine without it.

JR, meanwhile, doesn't seem to have been down with a lot of the COVID protocols that were rolled out over the last year, and has often questioned the legitimacy of CDC guidelines. He's also entertained conspiracy theories and speculation over COVID ... without any expertise on the matter.

"As many as you guys know, I've struggled with depression and anxiety for some time."

That's undefeated boxing superstar Ryan Garcia bravely choosing to talk about the reason he withdrew from his July 9 fight against Javier Fortuna ... revealing he's in need of a mental health break.

Over the weekend, the undefeated 22-year-old posted the fight news on IG -- saying he wanted to focus on managing his "health and wellbeing" ... but didn't really expand on what that meant.

"I have decided to take some time off to focus on becoming a stronger version of myself," Garcia has posted.

But on Tuesday, Garcia expanded on his health situation -- saying he's often "pushed through" some difficult moments ... but feels it's important to slow down and get some professional help.

"I pushed thru so many times but I need some time off and I'm choosing to finally get some help with my mental health," Garcia said.

Garcia is currently in Hawaii with his girlfriend, Drea Celina, and their 4-month-old daughter ... and from the looks of things, they're focusing on health and relaxation.

Caleb Farley -- a former Va. Tech star who's expected to be a top 20 pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday -- has tested positive for COVID and has now been barred from the league's official party.

The DB's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, made the announcement in a statement to Pro Football Talk on Wednesday ... saying the 22-year-old is feeling fine, but will now not attend the NFL's in-person draft event in Cleveland this week.

"Caleb Farley tested positive for Covid 19 yesterday on a test administered by the NFL," Rosenhaus said.

"He is totally asymptomatic and feels completely normal. However, he won’t be allowed to attend the draft in Cleveland."

Farley had been just 1 of 13 former college football stars scheduled to be in Ohio for the annual selection process ... so it's obviously a big bummer for the CB.

But, Farley's draft night should still be a memorable one nonetheless -- he's been projected by draft experts to possibly go as high as #9 overall to the Denver Broncos.

Farley -- who opted to sit out the 2020 season over COVID concerns -- played in 23 games in his 2-year career at Virginia Tech, logging six total interceptions.

Kenny Chesney is hoping to get back to performing massive stadium concerts in the near future ... and says he's looking to the NFL to come up with a COVID-conscious blueprint.

"We're watching really closely what the NFL is going to do this year," Chesney told Brett Favre on the Hall of Famer's "Bolling With Favre" podcast this month.

"We're watching really closely to what the NFL does and how many people they allow in there and I think that's going to allow us to see what we're going to do in 2022."

Chesney says he and his band have no plans to tour this summer ... but he's anticipating putting together shows that'll stop at plenty of NFL stadiums in '22.

He explained to Favre that he's going to watch how the NFL handles attendance ... and could potentially mimic the same regulations when he's ready to return to the big stage.

"We all got our fingers crossed that we're going to be able to go with no restrictions -- with a lot of people in there," Chesney says.

Chesney added he's foaming at the mouth to get back to playing, telling Favre, "I can tell you that I have really missed it. I missed the energy."

As for how the conversation with Favre all came about ... it turns out, Brett is actually a HUGE country music fan who's been buds with KC for a long time.

In fact, Favre told a funny Chesney story about how he was once on the singer's tour bus with Vince Vaughn when the thing caught on fire!

Looks like a pile of snapped twigs, right?!

Except that's the x-ray of Chris Weidman's mangled leg bones ... and good lord, that must've hurt!!

"Before and after X-rays of this nightmare," Weidman said Tuesday morning ... 3 days after snapping his tibia and fibula at UFC 261.

Weidman spelled out the main concern is his recovery -- and it's jaw-dropping.

"The primary concern is the bone punctured through my calf and skin when I put my weight on it, making sure the laceration doesn't get infected."

Yeah, whoa.

Weidman says despite the severity of the injury, doctors told him he'll be leaving the hospital TODAY -- and he's "excited to get back home."

36-year-old Weidman suffered the injury to his right leg while throwing a kick against Uriah Hall in the opening seconds of their UFC 261 fight in Jacksonville.

He was rushed to the hospital where doctors performed surgery to treat the injury -- which included using a metal rod to stabilize his tibia.

Ex-NFL linebacker Geno Hayes died Monday night while in hospice at his parents' home in Georgia. He was only 33.

Hayes -- was drafted in 2008 and played 7 seasons in the NFL -- had been diagnosed with chronic liver disease in 2019.

The former Florida State linebacker believed the condition was brought on by a combination of nonprescription pain medications and a family history of liver disease.

Hayes' health had been declining in recent weeks so he was moved to hospice care -- where he spent his final days being visited by family members and close friends.

After his passing, Florida State head football coach Mike Norvell issued a statement saying, "Thoughts and prayer for the family and friends of Geno Hayes."

"He lived his life as a tremendous Seminole who impacted so many throughout his journey on and off the field. His legacy will live on. #RIP #NoleFamily."

Hayes was a football star since his high school days -- when he was personally recruited by Florida State legend Bobby Bowden.

Geno lived up to his potential at FSU -- earning 1st Team All-ACC honors in 2007.

He went on to have a 7-year run in the NFL -- which started when he was selected by the Tampa Bay Bucs in the 6th-round of the 2008 Draft.

Hayes went on to play with the Chicago Bears and the Jacksonville Jaguars before his pro career came to an end following the 2014 season.

Chris Weidman and his shattered leg are on the road to recovery ... 'cause the UFC star says doctors successfully fixed his broken tibia and fibula during surgery on Sunday.

Only 17 seconds into the 1st round of his fight with Uriah Hall, the former middleweight champ fired off a leg kick ... literally snapping his leg while the packed crowd in Jacksonville watched in horror.

36-year-old Weidman posted a video on social media ... updating his fans from his Florida hospital bed, saying, "It's pretty brutal but I'm going to get through this."

Weidman continued ... "They put a titanium rod through the tibia so they go through the knee and put the rod and drill it through the tibia make it straight and hard. My fibula was broken as well."

As for how long Chris will be off his feet, it's going to be 2 months before he can so much as walk unassisted.

"I think it's gonna be 8 weeks until I can walk without crutches and stuff and drive and all that."

Weidman says he's heard from a TON of family, friends, fighters and fans since suffering the devastating injury.

"I'm so thankful for all the love and support."

But, will Weidman ever fight again?? It sure sounds like he's going to try ... but, it's gonna take some time.

Chris says it'll be 6 to 12 months before he can start training again.

DMX's family and closest friends gathered together to honor the rapper one last time before he is laid to rest in New York ... and the private funeral service was full of emotion.

Sunday marked the second service for the late rapper and this one, at an NYC church, was restricted to those who knew X best. A larger event went down Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn which featured a choir, X's kids all taking the stage and words from his closest celeb friends like Nas, Eve and the original Ruff Ryders.

The church service started around 11:30 AM PT and was broadcast on BET ... as well as here. Right from the jump, the service proved to be incredibly poignant and heartfelt -- especially when some of his children stepped to the podium to remember their father.

One of X's daughters, Sasha, delivered a tearful remembrance ... sobbing throughout. She said she finds it difficult to know that the world will go on without him around, not to mention the fact that X won't be there to see her graduate college ... or walk down the aisle.

Despite this, she said X being at peace was more important than any of that -- and that she finds comfort in the fact that he's no longer in pain and resting easy in heaven. She also said she knew he'd be encouraged that all of his children had gotten together under one roof.

Her speech was very moving ... and drew a big round of applause from the crowd. More of his kids also spoke, and all of their words were touching ... with some comic relief sprinkled in as they reminisced on their dad's life and memories with him.

X's young children were so well-composed and eloquent in their remarks ... it was incredible to watch. One of his sons, Manny, joked about his dad always asking him about how many girlfriends he had ... while also relaying that X wanted his boys to listen to him, but not necessarily follow in his footsteps, as X had traveled a rocky road. Manny said he'd remember that ... and that his dad was right. The crowd responded well.

Some of X's other children -- including his younger daughters -- also spoke, reading poems and delivering parting words, including thanks ... which were brief but poignant. His kids seriously stole the spotlight throughout the beautiful church service.

There were a lot more speakers who stepped to the mic ... including members of the Ruff Ryders, and Swizz Beatz once again -- who was a lot more chill with his remarks this time around. He kind of explained why he was so fierce on Saturday ... and it became clear they were like family, so Swizz going to bat for him like he did is understandable.

Another powerful moment presented itself when two mothers of DMX's children came together at the podium -- his ex-wife, Tashera Simmons, gave a stirring speech about how she met X and their time together. Then, she intro'd DMX's fiancee, Desiree Lindstrom, who delivered a somber account of their loving relationship ... all while crying and sobbing throughout.

The two women embraced ... and it got everyone clapping and cheering. There was no shortage of tears either -- you could hear people choking up in the audience as Desiree wept, ending her remarks with "Forever X."

There was a slight disturbance toward the end of the service -- when a man who said he'd actually toured with X in recent years got up and started going on a bit of a rant ... only to be interrupted by the pastor who was running the show and walked off stage.

That didn't ruin the good vibes, though, and the event ended in a sweet prayer. The whole thing ran somewhere in the ballpark of 4 hours or so ... and it was never a dull moment, full of musical performances in between all the speeches given.

It was just over 2 weeks ago when X died in a New York hospital following complications from a drug overdose. He was on life support for a week before he passed away, and while he was hospitalized friends, family and loved ones gathered to pay their respects.

A 17-year-old boy with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was punched in the head by a cop, who threatened even more punishment.

The incident went down Wednesday in Vacaville, California. Cops responded to a call of a possible stabbing or assault with either a pipe or a knife and found Preston on his scooter.  Preston was allegedly in a scuffle with a neighbor and picked up the alleged weapon but no one was injured.

In the video, you see the officer toss Preston's scooter to the side and order the teen to sit.  He gets in Preston's face and the boy then gets up and tries to run. The cop grabs him, yanks him to the ground and delivers a punch to the head.

You hear Preston scream, "You punched me in the f***ing head." The officer responds ... "You're gonna get hurt. Don't make me hurt you more. Don't make me hurt you more."

Preston's dad, Adam Wolf, posted this ... "The officer screamed at him to sit down which he did. The officer then moved Aggressively toward my son, threw his scooter and got in his face. My son became fearful, as would any child with Autism. The officer went to touch Preston, at which point Preston moves away.  At this point, Preston was confused and afraid and moves away from the officer even more."

Adam goes on ...  At that point the officer felt it was a good idea to THROW Preston to the ground ... I don't believe that Preston will ever trust a police officer again. I am pro police, but I am not pro ABUSE! This individual and department must be held accountable for their actions. NO child, disability or not, deserves to be treated like this."

Police detained Preston for an hour ... he was cited and released.

Former "American Idol" finalist Avalon Young has been through the wringer the past few months, and though she's staying strong and positive ... she needs help.

The singer's been diagnosed with brain cancer, telling TMZ a series of medical issues around Thanksgiving led to the discovery of a large brain tumor ... and a 16-hour surgery in February to remove it.

Avalon says it was gnarly, but she was hopeful after it was done she was getting better. Sadly, she was recently told there's still cancer in her brain, and she needs another surgery to remove what's left of the tumor ... along with undergoing radiation treatment.

Like we said though, Avalon's got a great attitude heading into her next procedure -- which is scheduled for May 27 -- but she desperately needs funds to cover the cost.

That's why she tells us the GoFundMe she set up is so important to her and her family, and hopefully ... this next surgery will get the job done, and she can get back to work.

Susan Sarandon and Cynthia Erivo are planning to draw attention to a little-discussed issue they want people to know about during the Academy Awards ... hospital pricing transparency.

TMZ has learned a PSA is set to air Sunday during ABC's broadcast of the award show -- which will star the two Oscar-caliber actresses doing a spot for a campaign known as Power to the Patients ... a national org that fights for patient rights when it comes to this issue.

We got a hold of the ad early, and it looks like Suze and Cynthia are fully on board with the effort ... noting that hospitals across the country are required by law -- as of this year -- to give patients a full rundown of what their services cost ... BEFORE using 'em on folks.

Most people who've been to the ER or who've had long-term hospital stays know this nightmare all too well ... you're in there getting treated for whatever it is you need, and not long after -- you get a FAT bill in the mail that amounts to tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of dollars you never knew you were agreeing to while being treated.

The whole idea here is educational ... basically letting people know they have a right to know going in, and not to be afraid to demand a hospital's staff to disclose that type of info.

DMX's Celebration of Life featured was an emotional event that featured his children, celeb friends, Kanye's Sunday Service Choir and a stern message from Swizz Beats to the people who failed X when he was still alive.

One of the more powerful moments of the entire ceremony came from X's friend Swizz Beats. He shared love to X's family and his late friend ... but didn't hide his anger in seeing some faces in the crowd he knew didn't have X's back when the rapper was alive.

In fact, Swizz says if anything, X's death has taught him the importance of loyalty and keeping good people in his circle.

We're told Kanye and the Yeezy creative team were behind the stage design for the memorial, and Kanye teamed up with Balenciaga to create DMX merch ... with proceeds going to his family.

X's red casket was center stage most of the ceremony and was first accompanied by his widowed fiancee Diseree and their son, Exodus. His other children eventually joined them on stage, and his final wishes of loving Jesus and family were relayed.

Some of X's children even got on the mic and spoke as well ... delivering somber remembrances of their father. One of his younger sons read a eulogy from his phone, fighting back tears ... and his daughter shared an original piece as well.

Nas took the mic at one point as well, with remarks that were brief but impactful -- with him remembering X's rise to fame and how he knew he'd become a musical icon. Nas and X starred in a movie together -- the cult classic 'Belly' from 1998.

There were other notable speakers, including some of the original Ruff Ryders ... Eve, Jadakiss, Styles P,  and Drag-On were just a few to take the mic as well. All of them thanked X for putting them on and paving the way in the biz.

DMX's family is also planning a more private funeral service Sunday, at a church in the NYC area.

Baby Blue's a fast learner ... just one day after saying he'd have to learn to breathe and walk again he got up out of his hospital bed to start the process and take his first steps.

TMZ's obtained this video showing the Pretty Ricky rapper on Friday with hospital staff helping him get on his 2 feet and use a walker to stroll down the hallway of the Florida hospital where he's recovering from gunshot injuries.

It's clear Baby Blue's not completely out of the woods just yet ... but this vid is a good sign for his recovery. Plus, we're told he's now breathing on his own after he initially needed a ventilator.

TMZ broke the story ... Blue was shot in the shoulder area, with the bullet piercing his lung and getting stuck in his back. That prompted him saying he'd have to "learn to breathe & walk again" ... but he also added, "God Got Me."

As we reported, Baby Blue was trying to protect his cousin earlier this week during an attempted armed robbery. He grabbed the gun from one of the suspects ... and ended up getting shot.

TIGER WOODS!!!

The golf superstar is up on his own two feet -- and flashing that trademark smile -- to mark the 2 month anniversary of that horrific car crash.

45-year-old Tiger is standing on crutches at one of his golf courses -- with a medical brace on his lower right leg and ankle ... standing next to his beloved dog.

"My course is coming along faster than I am," Tiger wrote on IG ... "But it’s nice to have a faithful rehab partner, man’s best friend."

It's a great sign to see Tiger smiling and upright ... considering the catastrophic injuries he suffered during that Feb. 23 car wreck in Southern California.

As we previously reported, Tiger suffered comminuted open fractures in his right leg -- meaning the bone was shattered in at least 2 places and broke through the skin.

Doctors used a rod to stabilize it, according to Tiger's medical team -- and he's reportedly been spending the past several weeks recovering and rehabbing at one of his residences in Florida.

Tiger was driving through Rancho Palos Verdes on his way to an L.A. golf course when he crashed his Genesis GV80 SUV down the side of a hill -- wrecking the car and suffering major injuries.

Investigators determined Tiger was doing driving at speeds between 82 and 87 MPH leading up to the crash -- more than 40 MPH over the 45 MPH speed limit ... and was doing 75 when he collided with a tree.

Officials said Tiger showed no signs of impairment and believe he may have panicked behind the wheel and stomped on the accelerator instead of the brake when he realized he was losing control.

Woods obviously missed The Masters tournament due to his injuries and many wonder if he'll ever be able to play pro golf again.

Chicago Bears legend Steve McMichael -- who later became a pro wrestling star -- has been diagnosed with ALS and is already paralyzed from the shoulders down.

The 63-year-old -- who was a key part of the famous 1985 Bears championship team -- revealed the diagnosis to the Chicago Tribune ... admitting, "This ain't ever how I envisioned [my life] was going to end."

"Mongo" McMichael was a 5-time All-Pro during his 14-year NFL career and was named one of the 100 Greatest Chicago Bears of All Time.

He later became a star pro wrestler with a stint in the WWE in 1995 before moving over to WCW where he took on the likes of Bill Goldberg and Ric Flair.

Steve was diagnosed with ALS -- also known as Lou Gehrig's disease -- back in February ... and unfortunately, it's ravaging his body rather quickly.

ALS is an "always fatal" progressive neurodegenerative disease -- that essentially shuts down the body's ability to function. Average life expectancy is 2 to 5 years from diagnosis, according to ALS.org.

According to Steve's official GoFundMe page, Steve's wife Misty "feeds him and supports him with all hygiene needs."

Steve is losing function in his legs -- and the Chicago Bears actually bought him a special custom wheelchair to help him get around.

Despite his medical situation, McMichael is still cracking jokes about the diagnosis ... telling The Tribute, "I thought I was ready for anything. But man, this will sneak up on you like a cheap-shotting Green Bay Packer."

UFC superstar Kamaru Usman was hit so hard by COVID following his July 2020 fight with Jorge Masvidal, he drove himself to the emergency room for treatment.

Usman says he was so dehydrated, he peed blood, lost his sense of smell and dropped 17 pounds as a result of the virus ... telling ESPN he was seriously concerned about dying.

The good news ... Usman insists he has recovered and is ready to go for his UFC 261 rematch with Masvidal this weekend.

But, man, the story behind his illness is scary stuff.

Usman told ESPN he started feeling symptoms after he flew from Fight Island in Abu Dhabi to his home in Colorado.

At first, Usman says he felt sick -- and he thought he would beat it easily. But, things escalated quickly.

After five days of symptoms, Usman says he couldn't wait it out anymore and went to a local emergency room for treatment.

Usman was admitted to the hospital, where he tested positive for COVID and was immediately given medicine to help him recover.

Usman tells ESPN his mind went to a dark place, admitting he thought to himself, "Man, I just made all this money and I'm not gonna be able to spend it."

Fortunately, Usman was able to make a complete recovery ... and returned to the octagon in February 2021, where he defeated the #1 welterweight contender, Gilbert Burns.