Celebrity Health

The blitz on Aaron Rodgers is in full force -- Jon Stewart is now railing the superstar quarterback over his COVID-19 vaccine stance ... roasting him in his stand-up gig on Monday.

"There is good news on the pandemic," the former 'Daily Show' host said at the Stand Up for Heroes event in NYC. "I was talking to my Dr. Aaron -- Rodgers, and it looks good. It’s almost over."

"He read something in a bathroom," Stewart added, according to Page Six. "I don’t remember what it was. How the f*** does a quarterback not understand the concept of protection? Prevention and protection!!"

Stewart also made cracks about Rodgers' new long hairstyle -- which, for what it's worth, was for his John Wick costume for Halloween -- but the main theme was clearly about his vax stance.

"Let’s say you’re a vulnerable person so you get five big -- they’re not even like human -- they’re like antibodies, like fire," Stewart said. "And then you stand behind them, and then one of them just says, 'I believe in freedom. So, go ahead.'"

"I don’t know, but I don’t like any of this s*** because I’m old."

The Stewart diss piles onto what Howard Stern said Monday morning ... when he ripped the QB's comments and said he'd kick him out of the NFL if he could.

Drake is speaking out for the first time since joining Travis Scott on stage at Astroworld the same night 8 concertgoers lost their lives ... saying he's devastated and vowing to be of service in any way he can.

Drake posted a lengthy statement Monday, saying, I've spent the past few days trying to wrap my mind around this devastating tragedy. I hate resorting to this platform to express an emotion as delicate as grief but this is where I find myself."

He continues, "My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering. I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way I can. May God be with you all."

Drake was a surprise performer at Friday's festival in Houston, jumping on stage to perform "Sicko Mode" and other hits with Travis.

Sources close to both Drake and Travis tell us neither had any idea of the severity of what was happening in the crowd ... with waves of fans pushing forward, and suffocating others.

While it wasn't his event, Drake has still been named a defendant in injury lawsuits from those claiming the concert left them in serious physical and emotional stress.

TMZ broke the story ... Travis will cover the funeral expenses of the 8 people who died at the show -- without question -- and is teaming up with BetterHelp to offer mental health services to anyone who may need them.

Travis Scott is stepping up to help the families of those who died at Astroworld Fest -- offering to pay funeral costs -- and extending even more help for those affected.

Sources close to Travis tell us he'll be fully covering any and all funeral costs that might come about for the families of the 8 people who passed away at the concert this weekend.

We're told this is going to be coming from Travis' own pocket, and that there'll be no questions asked as it pertains to those 8 individuals and what their families might need to properly lay their loved ones to rest.

There's more ... Travis is also going to be partnering with BetterHelp -- a network of mental health professionals -- to offer mental health services, for free, to anyone who attended Astroworld Fest who may need to talk through their trauma.

The BetterHelp resources will amount to one-on-one virtual therapy sessions with trained, licensed professionals working with the org. On top of this, BetterHelp will also team up with the National Alliance of Mental Illness for people who may need more help than just virtual ... and there's going be a hotline set up to that end, which Travis is also overseeing.

Unclear how exactly Trav and co. will vet claims for the service, but we imagine it's going to be a system that vets people ... to make sure they were, in fact, in attendance Friday.

Of course, that may mean there are thousands of people who take him up on it -- as there were countless folks in the crowd that night who might've been affected ... and if that happens, it probably won't be a cheap endeavor to ensure all those folks are cared for.

It's certainly a nice gesture ... and just one step of Travis trying to do right by his fans. Obviously, there's a lot more that may have to be done -- but at least he's starting here.

As we reported ... in addition to those who died, dozens more were injured to varying degrees and hospitalized -- and some of those people have already started to file lawsuits against Travis and Live Nation.

Travis Scott and Live Nation continue to have lawsuits pile up against them, with one Houston injury attorney just submitting 7 in the last hour for various clients, and famed attorney Ben Crump is also repping victims.

The docs, obtained by TMZ, are mostly identical -- filed by the Houston law firm of Roberts Markland LLP --  but switch out the petitioner name each time. Each lawsuit claims both Travis and Live Nation failed to provide adequate security and a security plan to protect attendees ... and conditions at Astroworld Festival "caused several stampedes and a crowd compression" that led to the 8 deaths and hundreds of injuries.

The attorney behind these lawsuits -- Sean Roberts, doesn't list specific injuries for his clients, but says they were "seriously and permanently injured."

In the docs, Travis and LN are accused of failing to warn fans of safety risks and failing to provide appropriate medical staff at the event.

Of course, there will certainly be more lawsuits filed by concertgoers, and wrongful death litigation is expected as well. Attorney Ben Crump -- who repped the family of George Floyd -- has also stated he is representing Astroworld attendees.

Ex-MLB player Pedro Feliciano -- who pitched for the New York Mets for 9 seasons -- died on Sunday night, baseball analyst Eduardo Perez reported.

He was just 45 years old.

Perez did not reveal a cause of death for Feliciano ... but the ESPN broadcaster did say the former reliever passed away in his sleep.

"He was a really good [baseball player] but a better person off the field," Perez said. "He will be missed."

Perez added Feliciano had been out jet skiing with his family earlier Sunday.

Feliciano was drafted by the Dodgers in 1995 and ultimately made his MLB debut for the Mets at 25 years old in 2002.

He went on to throw for the Mets until 2010 -- and then signed a two-year deal with the Yankees, though he didn't play for the Pinstripes in either 2011 or 2012 while battling injuries.

He eventually re-signed with the Mets in 2013, but didn't log any more time in the Big Leagues following that season.

Feliciano revealed in '13 he had been diagnosed with a rare medical condition -- one in which he said doctors found he had a "little hole" in his heart. It's unclear if that played any role in his death Sunday.

RIP

"Sons of Anarchy" star William Lucking's years as a Hollywood tough guy and stuntman took a toll on the actor's body, and his wife says those injuries made his final years very painful.

Lucking, who played Piney Winston on the popular show, died October 18 at his home in Vegas surrounded by family. His wife, Sigrid, tells us Lucking had a myriad of injuries over his career -- which started in the '70s -- including one motorcycle accident where he fell 80 feet off a bridge during filming for "Harold and Maude" ... landing him in a body cast for weeks.

Not only that, Lucking fell off a lot of horses and broke a lot of other bones throughout the many action roles he took up ... 2 knee replacements, back surgery, shoulder surgery and more.

Sigrid tells us Lucking spent the last year of his life in a wheelchair, was having breathing problems and his heart was failing ... "He just gave up. He was tired and in a lot of pain."

Lucking's 'SOA' character in some ways reflected his real-life, Piney Winston -- who was the most senior member of the bike club -- slowed down physically and was on oxygen as the series progressed.

Lucking was 80 when he died ... he leaves behind Sigrid, two daughters, grandkids and a sister.

The legal floodgates are starting to open -- Travis Scott and Live Nation have just been sued by somebody alleging they were injured during Astroworld ... the first claim of what may prove to be many more to come.

A guy named Manuel Souza already lawyered up and reportedly filed suit Saturday in Harris County District Court -- claiming he was hurt during the madness that unfolded ... and alleging both negligence and gross negligence on behalf of Trav, LN and others he lists as defendants.

In his docs, obtained by Billboard, Souza says the tragedy was "predictable and preventable" -- due, in part, to what he characterizes as warning signs earlier in the day that he says should've been red flags to festival organizers ... but were allegedly ignored.

Souza describes how people first stampeded their way into NRG Park when things were first opening up ... with folks allegedly climbing over security gates and trampling over one another. Despite this, Souza claims nothing was done to further address or curtail things.

He goes on to allege that concert organizers made a conscious effort to let the show go on, despite clear evidence all around them that people were in serious distress ... and suffering "serious obvious injury." Souza believes they purposely chose this route, claiming they were well aware of the rising risk that was escalating by the minute during the night.

As for why Souza thinks Travis is at fault here ... it's not entirely clear what he's claiming Trav did or didn't do during the show that led to what Souza believes was avoidable. He does cite Travis' history of allegedly encouraging violence among fans at past concerts of his, which Souza says has led to people getting hurt. But beyond that ... it doesn't appear he connects specific dots in this instance as to why TS, specifically, is to blame.

It's also not entirely clear what injuries Souza is claiming were inflected against himself, but he does repeatedly cite the 8 dead and dozens of others who were also hurt ... while going on to claim that profit was chosen over the safety and well-being of concertgoers.

Souza is suing for at least a million dollars in damages. We're working on getting a copy of the lawsuit ourselves -- we've reached out to Live Nation and Travis for comment.

Kanye West wants to honor the victims who died at Astroworld -- and he's using his religious vehicle of Sunday Service to do just that.

The rapper's latest spiritual music gathering is going on right now -- and before things officially got underway at around 1 PM PT ... there was a message posted on behalf of Kanye and co., reading, "Sunday Service dedication to the loved ones of Astroworld."

Obviously, Ye is referring to the 8 people who died while Travis Scott was performing Friday night ... not to mention the countless others who suffered injuries to varying degrees.

So far, it seems this Service has a much more somber tone than last week's -- when he brought out Marilyn Manson, Justin Bieber and others in what appeared to be broad daylight, where everyone was wearing white hoods as they engaged in worship and singing.

This time ... Kanye's got his choir and other accompanying singers dressed in all black, and they're performing in what seems to be a huge dark building, with just a sliver of light breaking through. The main choir ran through a few hymns, including some songs from "Donda" -- and now, it looks like Kanye's got a choir out there who are singing too.

No sign of Ye himself just yet ... and nobody has shared any explicit words of condolences at this point ... the show got underway, and it's been nothing but music ever since.

Ya gotta imagine Kanye might make an appearance at some point, and even say something to address the Astroworld tragedy ... as Travis is essentially his brother-in-law, and we know they're tight.

Kylie Jenner seemed to be aware something was amiss during Travis Scott's set, evidenced in her serious demeanor shortly after he took the stage ... something you can now see on video.

TMZ has obtained concert footage we're told was taken about 10 minutes into Travis' performance, which eyewitnesses say got underway at 9 PM sharp ... and went on for about an hour and 15 minutes, drastically different from Houston PD's timeline of just 40 minutes.

Check out the clip ... you see Kylie, Kendall and a bunch of their entourage/security detail hanging out under a tent that's a ways away from the stage ... literally plopped down in the middle of a massive crowd that was surrounding them. At this point, Kylie appears solemn.

As you can see, she's wearing a face mask and has her hands folded together ... looking on with what one could interpret as a nervous expression, or at the very least -- a sobering one.

Her body language says a lot here too -- which is in stark contrast to her sister's ... who's maskless and rocking out with a big smile on her face. Kylie, for whatever reason, didn't seem to be in the same spirit at this point -- and one eyewitness suggests it's obvious why.

The person who shot this tells us they started to feel the crowd surge at this point and were losing control of their footing -- prompting them to want to get out ASAP. Unclear if the ambulance was working its way through the crowd by now -- or if the witness saw/heard of people passing out -- but it's plausible some of that might've been taking place here.

In any case, it's interesting the person who filmed this was feeling a sense of danger and dread right then and there.

Kylie had also filmed an ambulance in her own IG Story -- a clip she eventually deleted, while leaving the rest of her footage up.

Of course, the obvious point ... even if she was somewhat appraised of the graveness of the situation as everything unfolded, what could she have possibly done???

Indeed, probably nothing from where she was ... as she was nowhere near the stage, and had no realistic way to get a hold of Travis STAT as he carried on with his set. Still, the one thing that remains curious is Houston PD's timetable of when things were shut down.

The Chief, Troy Finner, said his team had been told by event organizers that Travis took the stage at 9:30 PM and wrapped at 10:10 PM, but people are disputing that ... claiming it went on for much longer, and that the danger was also present for much longer than just that window.

He also said, perhaps the reason things weren't wrapped earlier was because of fear of a riot breaking out among a young crowd ... which is interesting logic. Now, Finner did say they would look into the timing even further to pin down a more accurate sequence of events -- but based on this account we've been given, this madness lasted for quite a while.

Travis Scott is taking heat for apparently not reacting appropriately to scores of fans who were in distress, unlike other musicians who critics feel handled similar scenarios better.

A few different clips are making the rounds Sunday ... posted by folks who are pissed at TS for seemingly dragging his feet in shutting down his set as people in the crowd were dropping like flies all around him -- something Travis says he was not fully aware of.

However, many aren't buying that -- and feel he could've (and should've) done better, like Dave Grohl once did, or Billie Eilish once did ... or even like Playboi Carti did a few months ago.

The first video that's being compared to the Astroworld fiasco is a concert DG and the Foo Fighters put on in 2018 down in Minnesota ... where the frontman stopped the show to a dead halt to address a kid he saw near the front who didn't have a seat.

Dave moved mountains mid-performance to accommodate the boy and his parent -- something the child's folks appreciated after the fact. Not entirely the same as what went down at Astroworld, but it just shows ... Dave is aware of his audience even while playing.

Then, there's Billie ... who also paused her concert in 2018 over in Stockholm after fans in the crowd pointed out to her that someone had passed out, with BE handing down water from the stage and making sure the girl was alright. This didn't appear to be nearly as packed as Travis' concert was -- but still, people are making the comparison.

Finally, we have Playboi ... who paused his set over the summer at Lollapalooza after a stagehand rushed up to him as he was taking center stage to tell him folks were going unconscious -- something PC literally addressed to the crowd right on the spot.

To be fair to Travis ... there are countless instances of big concerts continuing on as people fell ill or unconscious or anything else out in the sea of bodies -- something the performing artist cannot always see or take notice of considering the circumstances, even if it's up close.

The most prominent example of this occurring -- namely, the show carrying on while chaos unfolds below -- is Michael Jackson ... who would often cause fans to pass out/faint/convulse just seeing him ... which would require them to be carried out and away.

We're not aware of too many times where Mike stopped everything to check on one fan -- and, frankly, that's not really realistic to expect either for a concert of that size.

A horrifying video has surfaced, showing the chaos at the Astroworld festival had emergency workers so overtaxed, they tried taking one of the victims out on a stretcher but dropped her on her head.

The video shows a security guard, a police officer and another person carrying a woman on a stretcher to an elevated ledge ... in an attempt to bring her down onto a street where go-carts were waiting to take victims to a medical tent on the premises.

Three rescuers positioned themselves at one end of the stretcher ... near her feet. The 3 men were asking people around them to help bring the woman down off the ledge.

A passerby jumped in to help, but instead of grabbing the other end of the stretcher near the woman's head, he grabbed the area by her feet.

So, all 4 men were on one end of the stretcher and no one was on the other end. When they dragged the stretcher off the ledge, the woman's head violently drops and hits a metal grate below.

The men then put the woman on one of the go-carts and it drives to the medical tent.

We don't know her condition ... but it looks extremely serious.

As we reported, 8 people are known to have died during Friday's concert. Hundreds were injured after a stampede during Travis Scott's performance.

Katt Williams didn't want to take any chances Saturday night when someone passed out in the crowd ... unlike what happened at Astroworld -- but almost certainly because of it, Katt stopped the show.

Someone in the crowd lost consciousness and someone screamed, "Stop the show!" Katt heeded the advice and took a 10-minute break while medics rushed in to tend to the audience member.

Katt stayed on stage at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, pacing around and talking to the crowd, but he clearly didn't want to jump right back into his set until medical matters were handled.

You hear Katt tell the audience, "I'm sorry if I won't move on but that Astroworld s*** I mean we can't never continue till we know somebody motherf***ing good ... I'm not goin' to be leaving with that on my conscious ... just take five minutes ... thank you, sir ... I hope she's just having a baby. That's all."

It's unclear what happened to the man who lost consciousness. He was taken out of the auditorium and Katt said, "We made the right decision," adding, "Alright, come back from a commercial break." He continued on with his set.

Big Bird is one of the first on Sesame Street to get protection against COVID-19 -- and while some might question why he's late to the party ... the timing makes sense for his audience.

The 8-foot costumed character made the big announcement on Twitter Saturday -- the first time he's tweeted from his account since March. So, yeah ... major development for the reclusive BB.

Big writes, "I got the COVID-19 vaccine today! My wing is feeling a little sore, but it'll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy." He adds, "Ms. @EricaRHill  even said I’ve been getting vaccines since I was a little bird. I had no idea!"

No photo proof or anything showing Mr. Bird getting his jab, but we'll take him at his word here ... and even give him props for spreading the word on vaccine awareness.

Now, if you're wondering why he mentioned CNN's Erica Hill specifically -- it's because she and other CNN personalities hosted a "town hall" Saturday morning called "The ABCs of Vaccines," which featured a number of 'Sesame Street' puppets talking 'rona and the shot.

Of course, that includes Big Bird too -- and the reason they're all being recruited to even talk about vaccines at all is because the Pfizer jab was just approved for kids between 5 and 11 the other day ... and the government is encouraging parents to inoculate their children.

So, no Big Bird hasn't been holding out or "doing his own research" with vaccine hesitancy -- it's just that his core demographic is now eligible, and he wants to encourage them (and their parents) to get it done. Also, he's apparently only 6 years old or something? 🤷🏽‍♂️

Travis Scott's first night of his Astroworld concert in Houston turned into a horrific tragedy Friday night ... leaving 8 people dead and more than 300 injured, and there were signs of trouble even before the concert began.

50,000 people filled the sold-out venue, when, at around 9 PM people began surging toward the stage. People started getting crushed and panic ensued. According to Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena, "People began to fall out, become unconscious and it created additional panic."

At least 8 people died in the stampede. 11 people went into cardiac arrest and were rushed to the hospital. More than 300 fans went to the field hospital near the venue.

Someone working the festival tells TMZ ... people were hopping on camera platforms, begging concert staff to end the show after the stampede erupted. They said, "Anything climbable was climbed." They also say there were several thousand pairs of shoes left behind as people fled. When the concert shut down, they said a stage manager said the venue was now "a crime scene."

The scene was chaotic ... medical personnel could not handle all the injured. There is video showing some of them performing CPR.

One concertgoer named Madeline, a nurse, tells TMZ, she was there with her boyfriend when Travis took the stage. During the first song, people started pushing toward the stage and she says she began to feel light-headed, telling us, "I passed out from the constant pressure on my chest and was one of the first people to be carried," adding, "They threw me on top of other people and crowd surfed me to other people, who lifted me over a fence where security was waiting." She says "security guards were bringing bodies from that area to the VIP area," as Travis kept performing, adding, "I see security carrying people who are not moving." She says once she regained her senses, she began administering first aid to others.

A slew of ambulances rushed to the scene ... which became direr every minute.

Before chaos erupted, Travis stopped the show several times during his 75-minute set ... after noticing some of the fans in the front seemed in distress. He told security to make sure they weren't hurt. At one point Travis asked for security to help a specific individual.

Shortly before the surge, Drake had performed with Travis ... and there was no indication the crowd would try to rush the stage.

However, there were some signs of trouble even before the show. A slew of fans knocked over barricades and rushed into the venue.

Kylie Jenner was on hand for the festival as the chaos erupted. She was there with her and Travis's daughter Stormi. As far as we know, they're fine. They were not sitting near the crush.

A reunification center was set up at a nearby hotel, so family members of concert-goers could reunite.

The Medical Examiner is in the process of determining the cause of death of the 8 fatalities.

This was the first night of what was supposed to be a 3-day festival. The second night has already been canceled.

Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. made a champion-esque move this week ... by visiting and donating 113,000 face masks to an Atlanta children's hospital the day after winning the World Series!!

The awesome visit happened on Thursday -- right after Acuna's Braves took home the Commissioner's Trophy and beat the Houston Astros in Game 6 of the 2021 Fall Classic.

The outfielder popped up at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta -- surprising fans including 11-year-old Nolan Madsen, who's a patient at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.

It turns out Nolan's hero is Acuna -- and he was in total shock when he came face to face with the superstar, who later handed him a signed #13 jersey and posed for pics with him!!

That wasn't the only thing Acuna gave away during his stop ... he also donated 113,000 masks to the hospital as a thank you for their hard work and dedication during the COVID pandemic.

"This day is for the kids," Acuna says. "I get to smile, and feel happy that I’m a World Series champion. They helped me get that. It’s only right if I can give that smile back."

The hospital thanked the 23-year-old via IG for the great gesture .. saying, "Thank you Acuna for making this incredible week even better for our kids! ⚾"

Aaron Rodgers says after contracting COVID this week ... he consulted with Joe Rogan and decided to take ivermectin to fight off the virus on the heels of the podcast host's advice.

The Green Bay Packers star revealed his at-home, coronavirus-fighting plan on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Friday ... saying he decided to down a cocktail of meds similar to the way Rogan did earlier this year after talking with the 54-year-old.

"I've consulted with a now-good friend of mine, Joe Rogan, after he got COVID and I've been doing a lot of the stuff that he recommended in his podcasts and on the phone to me," Rodgers said.

"I've been taking monoclonal antibodies, ivermectin, zinc, vitamin c and d, and HCQ," the NFL player continued, "and I feel pretty incredible."

Rodgers revealed he began feeling COVID symptoms on Tuesday, tested positive for the virus on Wednesday, and felt poorly on Thursday.

The 37-year-old, though, said he's now feeling great.

Rodgers also explained his highly controversial vaccine stance to McAfee and A.J. Hawk ... admitting he did NOT get the shots, despite appearing to say in August he had gotten them.

But, Rodgers said he "didn't lie" -- and explained when he said he was "immunized," he meant he had actually taken steps to naturally help boost his immune system.

As for why he didn't just get the shots ... Rodgers said he's allergic to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines -- and just straight-up didn't want the Johnson & Johnson one due to reported side effects.

He also said even though he's "not some sort of anti-vax, flat-earther" ... he clearly feels the forcing of vaccines on people is not right.

In fact, Rodgers actually quoted Martin Luther King Jr. -- saying, "The great MLK said, 'You have a moral obligation to object to unjust rules and rules that make no sense.'"