Health

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle may have something in common ... they've both gotten vaccinated.

You'd think Kate would be fully vaccinated by now, but nope ... she got her first shot Friday at the London Science Museum. Seems London's a little behind the U.S. of A. in the vaccine department ... Kate, who's under 40, just became eligible.

Kate said after getting poked, "Yesterday, I received my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine ... I'm hugely grateful to everyone who is playing a part in the rollout. Thank you for everything you are doing," adding she's "hugely grateful."

Her hubby, Prince William, got his shot a few days before at the same site.

It's unclear which vaccine they both received. They'd be entitled to either Pfizer or AstraZeneca.

Mark Zuckerberg not taking any chances sharing the ocean with sharks ... because he's hooked himself up to a contraption that supposedly keeps them at bay.

Mark was out on his hydrofoil surfboard in Kauai, Hawaii Thursday, wearing an ankle bracelet called Sharkbanz. The promise is that sharks don't like what it emits, so they stay clear of surfers. The device sends out an electrical current that apparently drives sharks away.

But, there are other, more subtle deterrents. His board has a zebra pattern underneath ... the theory goes that sharks like seeing solid colors because it resembles food, so they're not into stripes. Good theory, but sounds a little sketchy.

Shark Week is coming up on Discovery ... they shoulda featured Mark on how not to get eaten!

Zuck posted video of him on the board, and gotta say .... he's really good in the water. It's pretty choppy, but Mark stays up and bounces atop the swells. He's been surfing for years.

Kim Kardashian had a really bad case of COVID-19 along with her kids, which shut down production of her show for 2 weeks ... and she says it disrupted her studying for her second crack at the baby bar.

A teaser for "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" already revealed Saint had tested positive for the virus -- but on Thursday night's episode we find out the health crisis went far beyond her oldest son, and affected her whole brood.

Kim says Saint tested positive after an apparent outbreak at his school, and she was really worried about him because he was crying and coughing a lot ... on her. Of course, with 3 other kids in the house, she was also concerned about it spreading, and that's exactly what happened.

North started feeling sick soon after, and eventually both she and Kim discovered they had COVID too. At that point, producers decided to shut down all 'KUWTK' shoots for 14 days while the family quarantined.

Kim says she had some severe symptoms, like a 104-degree fever ... exactly when she was supposed to be putting in 12-hour daily study sessions to retake the baby bar exam -- which as we reported, she'd previously flunked.

Fortunately, everyone in the fam recovered okay, but it seems Kim failed on take 2 of the test. Earlier this week, she said she was studying to take it again.

It's still unclear exactly when COVID hit Kim and her kids since the show was filmed months ago, but we know Khloe contracted the virus sometime in 2020 and revealed on 'KUWTK' that her symptoms were so bad ... Kris Jenner called every doctor she could think of for help.

Kim previously stated Kanye West also had it in the very early days of the pandemic.

Susan Sarandon wants Americans to know they have a right to see what medical services will cost before you're treated -- it's the law now -- but she's ripping hospitals for keeping that hush hush.

The Oscar winner joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" to shine a light on something most of us have no clue about -- the law that passed back in January requiring hospitals to give patients access to a full rundown of prices for procedures or treatments.

Susan told us hospitals aren't exactly going out of their way to volunteer that information -- and she says that prevents patients from being able to shop around for the best prices.

The problem's bad enough that the feds are warning dozens of hospitals to get with the program or else. Susan started banging this drum during the Oscars.

As we first told you ... Susan and Cynthia Erivo went after hospitals charging hidden fees in a PSA they debuted during the Academy Awards, letting patients know about their right to demand hospitals disclose pricing.

Susan tells us why hospital pricing transparency could actually make the market more competitive -- creating lower prices for patients -- and she's ripping corporate America for brainwashing generations.

Tiger Woods is keeping it 100% real about his rehab for the injuries he suffered in his car crash -- saying it's the most painful experience of his life.

"This has been an entirely different animal,” Woods told Golf Digest ... "I understand more of the rehab processes because of my past injuries, but this was more painful than anything I have ever experienced."

As we previously reported, Woods suffered major injuries to his right leg in the Feb. 23 crash -- shattering multiple bones which required several complicated surgeries and a metal stabilizing rod.

After nearly a month in the hospital, Woods was eventually allowed to travel back home to Florida to continue his treatment and rehab.

The big question everyone wants to know about the 45-year-old superstar -- will he ever play golf again ... professional or recreationally??

Woods did not give a straight answer to Golf Digest -- fact is, he probably doesn't know yet ... but said he's currently more focused on learning to walk again.

"My physical therapy has been keeping me busy. I do my routines every day and am focused on my No. 1 goal right now: walking on my own. Taking it one step at a time."

Woods also acknowledged the worldwide outpouring of support -- saying it's been "incredible" to get so much love from fans and friends.

"I have had so much support from people both inside and outside of golf which means so much to me and has helped tremendously."

As for the accident, Tiger didn't get into specifics regarding the crash or the police investigation.

Remember, he 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.

Incredible scene during Maple Leafs' workouts Thursday ... John Tavares was back on the ice just 1 week after severely injuring his head -- and he looked GOOD!!!

Tavares took a flying knee to the face last Thursday ... and the damage was so bad, the 30-year-old Toronto captain had to spend the night in the hospital.

But, great news, Tavares is already back on the ice ... reporters shot video of the dude skating around the Toronto rink Thursday morning as if nothing had happened!!

Check out the clip, Tavares appeared to be moving just fine ... ripping slap shots and weaving around the ice no problem.

According to TSN's Kristen Shilton, Tavares' on-ice work lasted about 20 minutes ... before he eventually headed back into the locker room.

It's unclear if this means a return to actual gameplay is nearing for Tavares ... last week, the Leafs said in a statement John would be out "indefinitely."

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka says she's taking a break from speaking to reporters at the French Open ... saying it's time for the media to focus on the mental well-being of athletes.

The 23-year-old, #2-ranked player in the world penned an emotional letter explaining her decision to go silent on Wednesday ... saying, "I've often felt that people have no regard for athletes' mental health and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one."

"We're often sat there and asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I'm just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me."

She added ... "I've watched many clips of athletes breaking down after a loss in the press room and I know you have as well. I believe that whole situation is kicking a person while they're down and I don't understand the reasoning behind it."

Osaka says the decision is nothing against Roland-Garros or the journalists she's gotten to know over the years ... but it's a stance she's willing to take, even if she's punished.

"However, if the organizations think that they can just keep saying, 'do press or you're gonna be fined,' and continue to ignore the mental health of the athletes that are the centerpiece of their cooperation then I just gotta laugh."

Osaka says if she IS fined for skipping media availability, she hopes the money will go towards a mental health charity.

The French Open kicks off on Sunday.

WARNING: LOOK AWAY IF YOU'RE SQUEAMISH!!!

Atlanta Braves star Marcell Ozuna JACKED UP his hand sliding into a base during a game Tuesday night ... and there's worry he could now miss significant time over it all.

The gnarly injury all went down in the 3rd inning of the Braves game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park ... when Ozuna was trying to avoid a tag at third base.

In video of the play, you can see as the ATL outfielder went head-first into the bag ... his hand got caught on Red Sox star Rafael Devers' left foot.

Ozuna's fingers were crunched so badly at impact, TWO of them dislocated -- and the digits were apparently so wonky after the collision, players on the field had to look away!

Braves manager Brian Snitker said after the game the ring finger AND the middle finger on Ozuna's left hand were popped out of place ... and he's being sent back to Atlanta for further evaluation.

"I saw him," Snitker said. "He had splints on [the fingers]. He wasn't feeling real bad, but it did them both. So, they're just going to make sure everything's good in there."

Snitker continued, "Hopefully it's just, you know, put them back [in place] and he's a little stiff for a few days."

Ice up, Marcell ... and get better soon!

The teenager who recorded George Floyd's death under Derek Chauvin's knee is reflecting on her year since witnessing the murder ... and says she still bears the weight of that traumatic moment.

18-year-old Darnella Frazier just shared a ton of insight on what her life's been like since seeing Floyd's life taken from him, and she says witnessing his murder changed her forever.

Darnella, who was 17 when she whipped out her phone to record the fatal arrest, says the incident changed how she viewed life ... explaining "it made me realize how dangerous it is to be Black in America."

Darnella says a part of her childhood was taken from her while watching Floyd's death, just like it was for her 9-year old cousin, who was with her during what they thought would be a normal walk to the corner store.

After her video went viral, Darnella says she had to move away from her home because it was no longer safe, and she couldn't sleep for weeks ... often waking up shaking until her mom rocked her to sleep. She also says she still suffers panic and anxiety attacks when she sees police cars.

While some people hail Darnella as a hero for capturing the video which played a huge role in convicting Chauvin ... she doesn't think she's a hero, and says she was just in the right place at the right time.

She says she's still trying to heal, but she's proud of her resilience in the face of such a traumatic, life-changing experience.

The Cleveland Indians will be without star pitcher Zach Plesac for the foreseeable future ... and it's all 'cause the guy took of his shirt "aggressively."

For real.

Manager Terry Francona just made the bizarre announcement Tuesday ... saying Plesac broke the thumb on his throwing hand undressing earlier this week -- and is now going straight to the injured list.

"He was, I think, probably rather aggressively ripping off his shirt and he caught it on his chair,” Francona told media members.

"It was pretty swollen [Monday] so we sent him to get X-rays."

A broken digit on Plesac's throwing hand could cost the pitcher weeks -- if not months -- of the season, but Francona said they don't expect to have an official timetable for his return until the 26-year-old sees more specialists later this week.

"We're not going to know any more other than he is an [injured list]," Francona said. "We will get a lot more information [Wednesday]."

Of course, it's a weird injury ... but it's shockingly not that weird given the strange baseball injuries already this season.

You'll recall, Braves starter Huascar Ynoa broke his hand punching a bench in frustration ... while A's starter Jesus Luzardo injured his hand playing video games.

You hear that noise?? That's Who Dey Nation celebrating the sight of Joe Burrow making his big return to the practice field ... just 6 months after the star QB suffered a catastrophic knee injury!!

Remember, the 2020 #1 overall pick tore his left ACL and MCL and suffered partial tears to his meniscus and PCL in a Week 11 matchup on Nov. 22 ... putting an abrupt end to his solid rookie campaign.

But, 24-year-old Joey B has been rehabbing like crazy to get back to 100% before the start of the 2021 season ... and took his first steps towards that goal by participating in Cincy's OTAs on Tuesday.

The video's great news for Bengals fans. Burrow -- sporting a big knee brace on his left leg -- is shown dropping back and throwing darts to his teammates, including his old LSU teammate, Ja'Marr Chase.

Burrow spoke about getting back on the gridiron with reporters after practice ... saying he's feeling great and hoping to get the thumbs up to be ready in time for training camp.

"It felt really good today, it was optimistic," Burrow said of his knee.

"It was good to be back, good to see everybody ... It was fun being back on the field, that's for sure."

Burrow and the Bengals kick off their 2021 NFL season on Sept. 12 -- hosting the Minnesota Vikings.

William Shakespeare, the one famous for the COVID-19 vaccine, is dead ... 5 months after getting inoculated. The other Shakespeare's dead too, but you knew that.

The 81-year-old Englishman -- who went by Bill, btw -- died Thursday of an illness, which the BBC reports was unrelated to the vaccine.

As we reported, Bill was the first man, outside of clinical trials, to get the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine back in December when mass vaccinations began in England.

Jayne Innes, one of Bill's friends and local politicians, wants folks to honor him by getting vaccinated too. Innes says the "best tribute to Bill is to have the jab."

Bill got his shot at University Hospital Coventry, about 20 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of the OG Shakespeare. He was an inpatient in the hospital's frailty ward when he got the vaccine.

Bill's shots followed 90-year-old Margaret Keenan's, the first person in the world to get jabbed. By all accounts, she's still fine and dandy.

WWE superstar Alexa Bliss is mourning the death of her pet pig, Larry-Steve -- claiming the animal died in severe pain after multiple veterinarians turned them away because he was just too big.

Bliss had raised Larry-Steve since birth back in 2017 -- and loved him like a member of the family at her home in the Orlando area. He evolved into a social media star who racked up nearly 90,000 followers on Instagram.

But, tragedy struck on Monday -- when Bliss says she noticed Larry had become extremely ill and it was clear he was suffering.

"Larry is very ill, can’t move or walk. In a lot of pain," Bliss said ... "His usual pig vet said she is not comfortable treating him in his current condition."

Bliss added, "Most vets are not comfortable treating pigs. If anyone knows of a pig vet please let me know."

Bliss says she ended up reaching out to 13 different animal doctors but couldn't find anyone close to care for Larry.

"Unfortunately in the state that Larry’s in right now there’s absolutely no way we are going to be able to transport him. He is in too much pain and weak."

Bliss says some vets hung up on claiming they only treat pigs "up to a certain weight" ... and Larry was just too big.

Later that day, Alexa had to leave for work to shoot "Monday Night Raw" -- but left him in the care of her family while she spoke with him on speakerphone.

"It is heartbreaking that all I can do is just listen to him squeal in pain and no one will come help. No one will even just come and give him pain meds to help take care of his pain."

Sadly, Larry ultimately passed away early Tuesday morning.

Alexa posted a message on IG noting he died on the day before his 4th birthday.

"This morning Larry-Steve gained his Angel wings," Bliss said ... "I’m so sorry we couldn’t find you the help you needed in time."

"Some people didn’t agree to help you. But I want you to know Larry, YOUR LIFE MATTERED. We are completely heartbroken."

Lady Gaga's dog walker says he's constantly reminded of that horrifying moment he was shot, because strangers constantly want to talk to him about it ... and he's tired of it.

Ryan Fischer poured his heart out Monday, saying over the last few weeks -- ever since Gaga's dognappers were arrested -- he's had to relive the trauma of being shot and nearly killed ... making his recovery and healing that much more difficult.

He says people come up to him and say, "You're Ryan! You got shot. You were shot! Where were you shot? Where'd they shoot you?" In the emotional IG post, Ryan added it's strange being known as the Gaga guy who got shot, but even worse ... he says those conversations bring him right back to the moment he got shot in the chest at point-blank range.

Ryan says, "It's not intentional; it comes from kindness and compassion that I welcome ... It just hasn't always been easy to navigate as I continue to find myself."

He also says he feels like he doesn't have a purpose "because I'm not yet in the proper headspace to care for dogs." Our Gaga sources say Ryan was back at work as recently as last week, but it's unclear when he decided he couldn't do it anymore.

TMZ broke the story ... Ryan was shot in February and thieves ultimately made off with Koji and Gustav ... leaving him bleeding and yelling for help on the sidewalk.

The NBA says LeBron James was not blocked from playing after violating the league's COVID protocol because officials decided he was NOT a risk to spread the virus.

In fact, the league says investigators determined everyone who was allowed at the May 17 event for LeBron's tequila company -- the event that triggered the violation -- was either vaccinated or tested negative for COVID before being admitted.

The event was attended by some massive celebrities including Michael B. Jordan and Drake.

There was some outrage after the league announced LeBron had attended the event -- with some calling for the NBA superstar to serve a mandatory quarantine before being allowed on the court out of fear he could infect someone else ... especially since he refuses to publicly confirm or deny if he's been vaccinated.

But, the NBA says there's nothing to fear ...

"LeBron James briefly attended an outdoor event last week where participants were required to be vaccinated or return a negative test result," a league spokesperson said Monday,

"Under these circumstances and in consultation with medical experts, it was determined that his attendance did not create risks related to the spread of COVID-19 and therefore no quarantine was necessary."

The NBA also says LeBron did NOT receive special treatment because he's a superstar.

"Over the course of this season, there have been numerous similar violations of the league's Health and Safety Protocols, which were addressed with the player's team in a similar fashion."

Then, the league added this line ... which makes it sound like Bron HAS been vaccinated.

"Under current NBA rules, vaccinated players are permitted to engage in outside activities including their individual commercial arrangements, such as sponsor appearances or ad shoots."

Bam Margera says his "Jackass" family betrayed, abandoned and rejected him ... so now he's on his own in Florida, where he says he's getting the help he needs.

The "Jackass" star ripped into his movie co-stars in a lengthy rant Sunday night, specifically going after Johnny Knoxville and director Jeff Tremaine, claiming they've treated him horribly.

Bam, as we first reported, was axed from the upcoming 'Jackass 4,' and says Johnny and Jeff "strung me along like a puppet" before a messy exit.

Steve-O is trying to get through to Bam, though ... he says Johnny and Jeff bent over backward to get Bam in the movie and all Bam needed to do was "not get loaded," but couldn't stay sober.

As we first told you ... Bam says his most recent rehab stint made his life much worse and he felt like he was going to die from an overdose or suicide.