Celebrity Health

Kathy Griffin says she has lung cancer, and doctors are moving swiftly to battle it.

The comedian announced Monday morning ... the cancer is in her left lung and she's going into surgery to have it removed today. Kathy notes she's never smoked in her life, and yet here she is fighting lung cancer.

Kathy writes, "The doctors are very optimistic as it is stage one and contained to my left lung. Hopefully no chemo or radiation after this and I should have normal function with my breathing." She goes on to say she should be up and running like normal in about a month.

KG goes on to say that she's also vaccinated against COVID, acknowledging that if she hadn't been -- this could've been much worse. She ends by telling her fans/followers to make sure to get themselves checked out with docs early and often, as it can save their lives.

She's already talked about the cancer diagnosis with ABC's 'Nightline,' where she sounded optimistic, and still had a sense of humor about the whole thing. It's classic Kathy ... watch for yourself.

Now, Kathy had a bit of a health scare last year that had her hospitalized for a bit -- which may or may not have been coronavirus related. It wasn't entirely clear at the time, because she said she wasn't able to get tested due to such high demand of the test kits ... the lack of which she blamed on Trump's early handling of the pandemic.

Besides the COVID scare, though, she hasn't had any major ailments we're aware of in recent years.

Simone Biles' Tokyo Olympics run is NOT over yet ... the gymnastics star is coming back to compete in the balance beam final, Team USA announced on Monday.

Biles has been out of competition for the last week ... after she says a mental block had her concerned for her safety.

But, Team USA says Biles is now apparently ready to go ... confirming Monday that the 24-year-old will be back for the beam event Tuesday.

"We are so excited to confirm that you will see two U.S. athletes in the balance beam final tomorrow -- Suni Lee AND Simone Biles!!" USA Gymnastics said in a statement.

"Can’t wait to watch you both!"

It was previously unclear if Biles would ever compete again -- let alone in this summer's Olympics -- after she said last week she was "petrified" of what she was experiencing while trying to do stunts.

Biles said her problems were called the "twisties" -- a mental block that terrifyingly wouldn't allow her to find her bearings while spinning in the air.

"Literally can not tell up from down. It's the craziest feeling ever. Not having an inch of control over your body," Biles said.

"What's even scarier is since I have no idea where I am in the air I also have NO idea how I'm going to land, or what I'm going to land on. head/hands/feet/back...."

Biles said she had found a place in Tokyo to help her try to to get over it all ... and it seems she's comfortable with the results she's seen in those training sessions.

The woman suing NutriBullet -- claiming it exploded, sliced and burned her -- is now revealing her alleged injuries ... and they're pretty gruesome.

TMZ's obtained photos of the alleged injuries Folana Jackson claims she suffered after her NutriBullet 900 blender allegedly blew off the canister while the blades were still spinning.

You know the deal by now ... the photos are pretty graphic, especially if you're weak of stomach. The pics show Folana's mangled fingers ... which seem to be but to the bone in places. Her left hand, wrist and arm are badly burned ... as are her leg and right breast, which show severe scarring.

In some images, you can see an orange liquid splattered all over the ceiling. As we reported, Folana says she was whipping up a juice with garlic, ginger, sliced lemons and water.

Jackson, who's being represented by attorneys at Abir Cohen Treyzon Salo, LLP, claims she used the blender for 1 minute before friction and heat caused a pressure build-up in the canister. Her lawsuit alleges the still-spinning blades caused lacerations, and the juice that splashed on her caused serious burns.

Cowboys fans, no need to panic ... Jerry Jones says Dak Prescott is "doing fine" -- and could play in a game right now, if it was necessary.

TMZ Sports talked to the Cowboys owner outside of Craigs in West Hollywood (Dallas holds training camp at nearby Oxnard, CA) ... and we asked Jones about his injured quarterback.

"He's doing fine."

Prescott -- who signed a 4-year, $160 million contract extension this off-season -- strained a muscle in his throwing shoulder last week ... forcing him to miss practice.

Of course, Prescott sustained a gruesome, season-ending compound fracture and dislocated ankle injury last year ... so Cowboys fans are justifiably uptight about their signal-callers health.

But, Jerry says if the Cowboys had a game Sunday, Dak could be under center.

"If we were playing a game [today], we could" ... Jones says when discussing Prescott's status.

We also asked Jerry about the Cowboy's COVID-19 vaccination status.

Remember, if 90% of players on a team get the vax, pandemic restrictions are eased -- so hitting that figure is a pretty big deal.

"We're at 90% [vaccination] and going up."

Dak ✅, Vax ✅

Here's the last time ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill performed with the band before his death ... and you can tell something's just not right with him.

TMZ obtained this video from ZZ Top's last concert with Dusty -- July 18 at the Iroquois Amphitheater in Louisville, KY -- and he's clearly having a tough time performing in what would ultimately be his final gig.

As you can see, Dusty is playing bass as he sits down on a large speaker ... and we're told he was sitting like this for the entire show and had to be helped off the stage because he couldn't walk on his own.

A few days after this video, ZZ Top announced Dusty was heading back to Texas due to a hip issue.

A source close to Dusty tells TMZ ... things had gotten so bad recently, he had to stop touring because of a hip injury, so he went home early to recover, and that's when he died.

Simone Biles will NOT pay a financial price for pulling out of the Olympics -- she actually might make MORE money -- so says financial guru Daymond John.

The "Shark Tank" star joined Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" ... when DJ was asked about the monetary implications of Biles's decision.

"I think this is great," John tells us ... "Not what she's going through, but a great example of showing she's human."

Daymond says that will likely translate to additional sponsorship dollars.

"I think this makes her extremely relatable, and I think this makes a company look good because they say we don't only care about people when they're on top, we care about people when they're going through struggles, and we're gonna address this cause we're all human."

Of course, 24-year-old Biles pulled out of the team and individual all-around gymnastics competitions in Tokyo after explaining mounting pressure took a toll on her mental.

Simone is already one of the Summer Games' highly endorsed athletes ... working with companies like Visa, Athleta and Uber Eats, amongst others.

And, get this ... Biles won't be the only athlete who benefits from the gymnastics G.O.A.T. pulling out.

DJ says Suni Lee -- the all-around individual gold medalist -- likely will also get the bag!!

"I think the other young lady who stepped up and represented America, and represented everybody so great, with Simone cheering her on, I think she's also gonna get sponsors."

Lee is on her way ... she's already accumulated over 1 million Instagram followers in the days since her clutch performance.

Conor McGregor's healing process just got a lot more fun -- the dude is hobbling his way around Universal Studios while he's on the mend ... and looks to be having a helluva time.

The wounded UFC star was out and about Friday at Universal Studios in L.A., and he wasn't just standing idly by watching his kids and whatnot have a blast -- the guy was straight-up getting on rides as well.

Check out this video we got of CMG at the theme park, where at one point he was boarding "The Secret Life of Pets" ride ... limping his way over with the help of his crutches, and eventually plopping himself down. Not bad for a guy with a broken leg!

This just shows that despite being seriously injured, Conor is still living his best life and isn't letting the rubber bone moment put a damper on his plans outside the Octagon.

Besides this Universal trip, he's been cutting loose -- as much as he can, anyway -- with rehab stints alongside MLB players, poolside bro seshes with pop stars ... all while lugging himself to wherever he needs to go with the help of his trusty crutches.

It looks like he's also gotten some updated footwear too ... rocking a boot at the park instead of just the bandaging he's been wearing of late.

Pretty incredible considering just how gruesome the break was at the time. It speaks to Conor's toughness -- and at this rate, we kind of expect him back sooner rather than later.

The NFL Alumni association was paid a whopping $3,500,000 by the CDC to promote the COVID-19 vaccine, TMZ Sports has learned.

U.S. Federal Procurement docs show the CDC and the NFL Alumni assoc. signed the multi-million dollar deal at the beginning of May.

The total value of the contract is listed at $3.5 mil ... with the money earmarked for "NFL Alumni (NFLA) Health COVID-19 Vaccination Community Outreach and Education Project."

FYI, the NFL Alumni was founded in 1967 by a group of retired football players. The organization's current president is former NY Giants lineman, Bart Oates.

The NFL Alumni's website features pro-COVID-19 vax testimonials from former NFL stars like Franco Harris, Rod Woodson and Harry Carson, amongst others.

The site also has a "Vaccination Tracker" and a link to access vax locations.

The group is a separate entity from the NFL ... though you must have played or coached in the league to be a member.

Prior to awarding the windfall of cash, the CDC issued a Notice of Intent, announcing the grant.

"The [CDC] intends to award a sole source firm fixed price purchase order to The NFL Alumni Association (NFLA). The overall purpose of this contract is to facilitate collaboration among NFL Alumni and federal state and local public health officials as well as other local leaders to address vaccine hesitancy through communication and engagement with communities less likely to get vaccinated."

The notice continues ... "The CDC Vaccine Task Force will work directly with the NFLA to promote community-level and national COVID-19 education outreach and vaccination acceptance."

The agreement with former players is interesting, because many current players and coaches are pissed about the NFL's new COVID vax rules

The league has threatened to take away players' game checks and even force forfeitures if unvaccinated players cause COVID outbreaks.

29-year-old superstar WR DeAndre Hopkins tweeted his frustrations with the rules, even hinting at contemplating retirement. Minnesota Vikings assistant coach Rick Dennison was even reassigned after refusing to get the shot.

Biz Markie is getting a grand sendoff from his famous friends and family ... his celebration of life is set for Monday in New York City.

Sources tell TMZ ... Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy and celebs like Fat Joe, LL Cool J, Papoose, Big Daddy Kane, Al B. Sure! and Leland Robinson will be front and center to pay their respects to the trailblazing rapper.

It sounds like Biz will have an open casket ... we're told he will be dressed in a custom outfit designed by Harlem fashion icon Dapper Dan. Biz, of course, was one of Dapper Dan's biggest supporters when their careers were both getting off the ground.

There's a private family viewing set for Monday from 11 AM to 1 PM ET and the funeral service is scheduled to begin at 1:30 PM and run until 3:30 PM. TMZ and BET will be live streaming the celebration of life starting at 2 PM.

The New Orleans Saints are doing their part to try to get people vaccinated as COVID cases are surging in Louisiana ... trading signed jerseys for shots at their training camp Friday.

N.O. officials made the vaccines available to fans at their practice facility in Metairie ... and encouraged people to show up by giving away autographed Michael Thomas and Cameron Jordan swag.

And, while they limited the cool gear to just the first 15 people who got the shots, the gesture is a powerful one ... considering how bad COVID is hitting the state at the moment.

More than 20,000 people have tested positive for the virus in Louisiana in the last week ... making it arguably the nation's biggest COVID hotspot area.

Of course, Sean Payton knows all too well the effects of the virus ... the Saints head man was the first big NFLer to test positive for COVID in 2020, and battled fever and chills in his bout with it.

Good news, folks ... Bob Odenkirk is in such good spirits he's now joking around with friends, according to one of them ... actor David Cross.

Cross says the "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" star is doing so good, in fact, fans will soon be hearing from him. Cross updated Bob's legion of fans Friday morning saying, "Just got off the phone with Bob and he's doing great!"

David added, "Both [Bob] and his family are overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and concern everyone has shown. You will be hearing from him soon. But he's doing really well!!!"

That's welcome news considering what he's gone through over the last couple of days. TMZ broke the story ... Bob was rushed to the hospital after collapsing on the set of "Better Call Saul" while filming in New Mexico.

We later learned the emergency was a "heart-related" incident. For a moment it was touch-and-go. He was not conscious during his initial hours in an Albuquerque hospital before he eventually woke up -- and Cross now sounds confident Bob will be back to his old self.

As we reported ... there was an outpouring of support following the medical scare. "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston shared a pic on Instagram and asked fans to "please take a moment in your day today to think about him and send positive thoughts and prayers."

Message delivered.

Conor McGregor certainly looks like a guy hellbent on resuming his fighting career ... 'cause he's already back in the gym, less than a month after gnarly leg surgery!!

The UFC superstar showed off some pics from his late-week workout on Friday ... and by the looks of the photos, it seems Conor ain't holdin' back much in the weight room.

The 31-year-old got in some quad work, some pull-ups and some shoulder exercises ... a truly remarkable feat, given what he went through just days ago.

As we previously reported, Conor went under the knife for nearly four hours on July 12 to fix a broken leg he suffered while fighting Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.

The procedure was not a simple one ... docs had to place plates and screws in his lower leg to repair all of the damage.

Many wondered if it could be career-ending... but Conor's dropping major hints that he's eyeing a comeback -- writing on his social media page along with the workout pics, "There are no limits to what we can overcome."

"Find the way!"

McGregor has stayed in great spirits since the injury ... laying poolside with drinks, rehabbing with MLB star Ronald Acuna, and even hanging with Justin Bieber.

Simone Biles is opening up about the mental block she's currently experiencing in Tokyo ... calling her issues "petrifying" and saying she fears she could get seriously hurt if she keeps trying to compete while it's going on.

Biles said during a social media Q&A Thursday night that the problems are called the "twisties" ... and explained her mind and body just simply won't connect now during stunts.

"It's honestly petrifying trying to do a skill but not having your mind & body in sync," Biles said.

"Literally can not tell up from down. It's the craziest feeling ever. Not having an inch of control over your body."

Biles added, "What's even scarier is since I have no idea where I am in the air I also have NO idea how I'm going to land, or what I'm going to land on. head/hands/feet/back...."

The positive news -- if there can be any sort of thing given the situation -- is Biles said she's experienced all of this before ... and claims it usually goes away.

"Typically for me it's usually 2 or more weeks when I've had them before," the 24-year-old gymnast said. "Honestly no telling time frame something you have to take literally day by day, turn by turn."

Biles said getting back to the basics and working in a foam pit can help her get her bearings back ... and fortunately, she says she's found a place in Tokyo to work on all of that.

While Biles has withdrawn from two big events already at this summer's Olympics ... she can still compete in several more events next week.

Unclear if she'll be ready in time ... but she made it very apparent she's not going to risk her health going for more gold.

"For anyone saying I quit, I didn't quit," she said. "My mind & body are simply not in sync."

'Bachelorette' star Ali Fedotowsky just got very personal with her followers, revealing why she's been hiding her face recently on social media, sharing she's been diagnosed with shingles.

Ali admits she's been using sunglasses and even her own hair to cover up patches of the painful rash in photos lately, saying, "I don’t really know why I wanted to hide it. I think it’s mostly because I didn’t want the added stress or pressure of the Internet while I was trying to rest and heal."

The reality star acknowledges that while she's young compared to other people who are diagnosed with shingles (50's/60's) -- she believes it was brought on by stress in her life -- and wants to help other young people detect it early for better treatment options.

Ali posted a series of videos, showing the early spots she got on her forehead and describes those first symptoms as itchy and tingly. The spots eventually worsened, swelling and impairing her vision.

Ali first appeared on season 14 of "The Bachelor" in 2010 was later named the lead of season 6 of "The Bachelorette." She accepted a proposal from Roberto Martinez, but the two called it off a year later. She went on to marry Kevin Manno in 2017, they have 2 kids.

Sharon Stone is taking a stand, demanding vaccinations on the set of a new project ... but as a result, she says she's "being threatened" with losing that job.

Sharon isn't naming names yet, but says it's a show shooting in Atlanta, which she calls "a good job" she really wants to do. However, she's insisting on the same precautions Sean Penn recently did for one of his sets. The difference is ... Sharon says she might get cut.

Stone is running for an actors' union position ... a seat on SAG-AFTRA's national board of directors, and according to Deadline she laid out the COVID testing nightmare in a campaign video. In another campaign vid she reveals a health insurance nightmare that's prompted her to run -- "I lost my vested insurance after 43 years in the business because of Covid. I was $13 short and, you know, I don’t really think that that is reasonable for any of us.”

As for the COVID testing -- Stone reportedly blames the Producers Guild of America for not guaranteeing everyone working on her potential show is vaccinated. It's a very personal issue for Sharon.

As we've reported, her family has been ravaged by COVID-19. Last year she tearfully revealed her grandmother and godmother both died in the pandemic. Her sister and sister's husband, Bruce, also battled the coronavirus, but survived.

"Top Gun: Maverick" star Lewis Pullman has a weak stomach ... a plausible explanation/justification for puking his guts out while filming his flight scenes.

We got the actor arriving at LAX Thursday and it seemed like an appropriate place to talk about his fear of heights. It certainly raises the question ... why on earth did he take on the role of Bob the pilot trainee for the T.G. sequel?

Lewis concedes .... at first, he didn't think the film was for him. But, he was later inspired by one Tom Cruise and his fearlessness when filming some of the baddest scenes on the planet.

Nevertheless, Lewis says his stomach could only take so much. And, he couldn't help but hurl, over and over ... and over.