Celebrity Health

Merril Hoge says a doctor's bad call didn't just end his NFL career ... it nearly ended his life ... and he can't help but think about his own NFL health scare when looking at the Jalen Hurts controversy.

The former Steelers running back and ESPN personality joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday to weigh in on the controversy surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles and their star QB, who was ruled out for the season due to blood clots.

Merril, who retired from the NFL in 1994, says he got some terrible medical advice when he was playing ... revealed just how badly things went wrong when he suffered a concussion on Monday Night Football with the Chicago Bears.

He says a team doctor cleared him to play just five days after the injury ... without ever examining him in person. Instead, he claims the doctor asked him one question over the phone: "How do you feel?"

Jalen Hurts is getting an apology from a former NFL player who questioned his blood clot diagnosis ... and now the guy admits he was way out of bounds.

Former NFL fullback and current NFL Network analyst Michael Robinson issued a public apology Monday night after catching heat for suggesting the Eagles star quarterback might be using his health issues to escape blame for Philadelphia's disappointing season.

Robinson wrote on social media ... "I want to sincerely apologize to Jalen Hurts, his family, the Philadelphia Eagles organization and fan base for my comments last Thursday."

Al Leong -- best known for his performance as a terrorist named Uli in "Die Hard" -- was hospitalized last week after suffering a stroke, TMZ has learned

Sources close to Al's family tell us ... the Hollywood actor and stuntman was rushed to the hospital after he had the stroke in California. The sources wouldn't say if Al was still in the hospital or shed light on his condition. We're told his family is requesting privacy at this time.

Al has had a long and successful TV and movie career, dating all the way back to 1981 when he played a circus performer at a funeral in his first film, "Going Ape." In 1986, he snagged the part of a Wing Kong Hatchet Man in "Big Trouble in Little China."

The sober living facility where Presley Gerber died from a suspected overdose saw police show up months earlier in connection with a separate overdose-related call ... TMZ has learned.

According to Santa Monica Police Department records obtained by TMZ, cops responded to Resolutions Living on February 18, 2026 ... when someone at the facility feared a patient had OD'd.

A source connected to Resolutions Living, with direct knowledge, tells TMZ ... the overdose involved a woman who was found unresponsive, but was eventually revived. We're told it took upwards of 5 doses of Narcan to bring her back to consciousness.

Hunter Schafer underwent a major gender-affirming procedure not too long ago ... revealing she had bottom surgery last year.

She told Elle ... "I just had bottom surgery in December, which was amazing, and I love it so much."

If you're unfamiliar, bottom surgery is an operation to change a person's genitals -- often through removal and/or reconstruction -- to better align with their gender identity.

Selena Gomez is opening up about her struggle to quit vaping ... revealing her nicotine habit has permanently changed the way she sounds.

The singer shared a candid video on her Instagram Stories, admitting she vaped nicotine heavily and warning fans not to make the same mistake.

Selena said nicotine is incredibly difficult to quit ... adding she wanted to speak out because vaping just isn't worth it.

"Beastmaster" star Marc Singer had a scary trip to the hospital this weekend ... TMZ has learned the actor was taken by ambulance after experiencing some pain.

Sources tell TMZ ... paramedics responded to Marc's Los Angeles-area home Saturday shortly after 2 PM and transported him to a nearby hospital.

We're told doctors ran tests and kept him overnight ... but thankfully, everything came back fine, and he's expected to be released Sunday.

Eric Dane said one of his scariest moments amid his ALS battle came in the water ... when his daughter had to help save him after he suddenly realized he could no longer swim.

The former "Grey's Anatomy" star recounted the terrifying and emotional experience in his upcoming autobiography, "My Book of Days: A Memoir of Moments," revealing how the disease had begun taking away abilities he once took for granted.

In an exclusive excerpt published by PEOPLE, Dane described being on vacation in Antigua back in 2024, when he got into trouble in the water. His daughter, Georgia, and one of her friends stepped in to help him once he realized he couldn’t swim.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will be out for an unspecified amount of time ... because he's dealing with a blood clot.

The team put Hurts on the injured reserve list Saturday ... sources revealed to ESPN and NFL Network.

Philadelphia believes the superficial blood clot is treatable, ESPN reports. People with blood clots are often prescribed blood thinners ... but the outlet states NFL players cannot take the field while on the medication.

Carrot Top has broken his silence after his shocking suicide attempt ... and he's even confirmed he'll soon take the stage in Las Vegas again.

The comedian posted to Instagram on Saturday ... telling fans he's “truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, support, prayers, and well wishes I’ve received over the past couple of weeks."

He says every message and text he received meant a lot to him ... and he wants fans to know he has felt their love and appreciation.

6:42 AM PT -- Pope Leo XIV was just spotted walking out of Gemelli Hospital in Italy, with a big security detail around him ... as a massive crowd wished him well just outside the front doors.

Good news for Pope Leo XIV ... the pontiff is set to be released Saturday from the hospital after a four-day stay during which he received lung cancer surgery, according to the Vatican.

The Vatican also announced that the Pope won't miss out on his traditional Sunday blessing from St. Peter’s Square.

As you know, the 71-year-old Leo had surgery on his right lung after doctors spotted what appeared to be a cancerous nodule. During the procedure, doctors confirmed it was adenocarcinoma, a very common lung cancer.

Music icon Billy Joel is giving a rare update on his health and he sadly says he may never perform again. 

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter the “Just The Way You Are” singer said when it comes to his future as a performer … “I don’t know. I have to take a series of tests before I know, but … I’m not allowed to drive. And I can’t do performances because what the neurologist told me, every time you do a show, it’s like you’re getting a concussion.”

As we told you, Billy is currently auctioning off over 70 of his motorcycles and told The Hollywood Reporter “I have a condition called hydrocephalus, which makes driving a little bit iffy. So I realized it’s time for me to turn it over to somebody else.”

Proceeds from the sale of Billy's bikes will go toward his organization, The Joel Foundation.

Joe Manganiello is giving his followers a firsthand look at what he was dealing with during his yearslong health battle ... and the hospital pics are pretty gnarly.

The actor shared a shot sitting in his hospital room, where he's hooked up to all sorts of machines and you can see he's significantly slimmer.

Joe explained in the caption that he'd lost 60 pounds in the 2 weeks after his surgery ... and notes you can see part of his ostomy bag if you look close enough.

Former Browns receiver David Bell just filed a massive $300 million lawsuit against multiple doctors and a large hospital system, claiming they nearly killed him and ruined his career.

In the explosive suit, filed Thursday in Philadelphia, Bell claims he was pushed into an unnecessary "core muscle repair" (referred to as a "Meyers Repair") to treat residual pain from a previous hip injury. He says docs told him the procedure was relatively low risk.

Instead, he claims the surgery caused severe injury to his femoral artery ... necessitating him being rushed to a local hospital for emergency vascular treatment that the filing describes as “life-saving but career-ending.”

Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer ... and doctors have removed part of his right lung in a successful surgery.

The Vatican announced Tuesday the 71-year-old pontiff underwent surgery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung after discovering a suspicious growth.

Doctors confirmed the growth was lung adenocarcinoma -- a type of lung cancer -- after examining tissue during the operation.

1:20 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... The FBI issued Selma a federal summons, which is called a violation notice. We're told the summons charges her federally with "assault within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States."

11:25 AM PT -- TMZ has also obtained audio from an eyewitness of when Blair was exiting the plane at JFK Airport ... and you can hear her screaming bloody murder as an alarm rings.