Health

Britney Spears' fans believed something was seriously wrong with the singer after her Instagram account disappeared ... calling the cops to her home to see if she was in danger.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Britney deleted her Instagram account -- something she's done many times -- at some point within the last 12 hours. For whatever reason, fans became alarmed, believing the deleted account meant Britney was in trouble ... and called the Ventura Co. Sheriff's Office.

Deputies from the sheriff's office then went out to Britney's home and determined there was no reason to believe she was in danger. It's unclear if they spoke to Britney directly, or if someone else assured them she was OK.

The incident comes less than two weeks from when Britney was spotted at a local restaurant where witnesses tell us she became "manic," frustrating her husband, Sam Asghari, to the point of getting up and leaving. Video, obtained by TMZ, showed Spears babbling nonsense at the table.

As we reported, Britney recently changed her name on her Instagram account to River Red, posting a video dancing and announcing, "I changed my name to River Red" ... and including, "don't underestimate the power of purity."

TMZ broke the story, Britney recently started showing her Calabasas home off-market to potential buyers. She only bought the home last year -- but we're told she was never really a fan of the place -- buying it for $11.8 million and now selling it for $12 million.

The welfare check was conducted at the home she's lived in for years in Thousand Oaks.

Ex-NFL defensive tackle Chris "Swaggy" Baker had a serious health scare ... revealing he suffered a stroke -- but thankfully, he appears to be doing better and on the road to recovery.

The 35-year-old former Washington star shared an update on his Instagram story ... saying, "Tell Your love ones you love em my life almost ended 2days ago."

"I can't believe I had a stroke but God not done with me yet."

Baker also shared video from a Hartford, CT hospital room ... showing him sitting up and talking to a nurse as he appears to be hooked up to IVs.

Baker's mother says he suffered the "serious" stroke on Friday ... but doctors stated he is responding as if it were minor, and he is expected to make a full recovery -- calling it a "miracle."

She added Baker required emergency surgery following the stroke.

Baker was a lovable figure during his nine seasons in the league ... and was never shy to show off his dance moves on and off the field.

In fact, TMZ Sports has covered plenty of instances of Baker boogying on the runway at charity events in the past.

The Connecticut native most notably played for Washington from 2011-16 ... and racked up 214 tackles and 12 sacks over the course of his career.

Josh Allen is taking aim at all the conspiracy theorists and tinfoil hat-wearers who have insisted there was a Damar Hamlin body double at the Bills' playoff game on Sunday ... saying straight up, "That's stupid."

Allen addressed the outlandish internet rumors while appearing on "Kyle Brandt's Basement" podcast ... urging people to "stop that s***."

"Yeah, that's stupid," Allen said ... before adding, "There's absolutely zero chance. That's the Damar Hamlin. That's our guy. That's our brother."

The theories swirled up after Hamlin wore a mask, hoodie and sunglasses to Buffalo's postseason contest against the Bengals on Sunday ... with trolls suggesting it was all in an effort to hide something.

But the Bills' star QB says that's all B.S.

"One, that's Damar's swag -- he likes wearing that," Allen said. "Two, he was in the locker room with us pregame. So, yes. That was Damar."

Maybe hockey players are the toughest athletes.

Islanders star Brock Nelson pulled his tooth out on the bench after being inadvertently hit in the mouth with a hockey stick Monday night -- and the scene was ... wild!

It happened during the Islanders-Maple Leafs game at Scotiabank Arena, Brock cleared the puck out of the defensive zone when Toronto star William Nylander's stick hit Nelson in the face.

The stick got Nelson pretty good ... dropping the former first-round pick and 10-year NFL veteran to the ice, and when he got back to his bench, he realized his tooth was hanging on for dear life.

Instead of waiting for his next dentist office visit, Brock took matters into his own hands -- literally -- pulling his tooth out and handing it to the team's trainer.

The craziest part -- Brock sprang up from his seat after the tooth removal and was ready to get back in the game.

Different.

Obviously, most tooth extractions are done in an office under the care of a dentist, using local anesthesia. But, not Brock Nelson's.

A "WaterWorld" performer at Universal Studios Hollywood is hospitalized after taking a 30-foot drop into a tank, and not coming back up for air ... TMZ has learned.

Authorities tell TMZ ... the incident happened during a Monday show at the theme park. We're told the performer went into the water -- as planned in the show, but it was clear something went wrong when he did not immediately surface.

We don't know if the performer had a medical emergency while underwater, or if he was somehow injured by the 30-foot fall into the tank ... possibly getting knocked out on impact.

When folks noticed the performer wasn't coming out of the water, we're told employees pulled him out and he was given CPR on the spot for more than 5 minutes.

Those employees were able to get his heart beating again, and the performer was then rushed to a hospital. It's unclear what his condition is currently.

A spokesperson for Universal Studios Hollywood confirms the performer is still being treated at the hospital.

Damar Hamlin's presence at the Bills' playoff game has fueled wild conspiracies on the Internet among the tin foil hat-wearing crowd ... with some suggesting a body double was used in the 24-year-old safety's place.

But, multiple sources tell TMZ Sports that's simply not true ... sorry, conspiracy theorists.

Hamlin attended the Bills-Bengals game Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium ... his first time back at an NFL game since he went into cardiac arrest on the field in Cincinnati on January 2.

Damar, wearing a mask, hoodie, and sunglasses, was shown on television and the stadium scoreboard ... but between the accessories and bad weather in Buffalo, it was difficult to see Hamlin.

FYI, it was 30 degrees in western New York on Sunday.

Given Hamlin didn't speak with the media, and his face wasn't seen clearly, some people went to Twitter and online forums, suggesting a stand-in was used in DH's place.

The speculation has even gotten to the point where people were dissecting other pictures of Damar ... including the one teammate Matt Milano posted last weekend, which was believed to be Hamlin's first return to the Bills facility.

In the interest of debunking Internet conspiracy theories, we made some calls ... and multiple people close to Damar say it's absolute nonsense.

Bottom line -- Damar Hamlin was at the Bills game.

Drake's concert at the Apollo hit pause after a fan fell from a second-story balcony into the crowd below ... and TMZ's got it all on video.

The scary incident happened about 90 minutes into Drake's set, and in the view from the floor seats, you see a body come falling out of the sky ... landing on top of other fans.

Another view, from the mezzanine, shows a man leaning over the balcony and then falling over the ledge.

Drake didn't appear to see the fan fall from the mezzanine, he had his back turned to the crowd at that exact moment, but a few seconds later a crew member runs onstage to tell Drake to pause the show.

You can hear Drake tell the audience, "Just gotta make sure somebody's OK."

Officials tell TMZ ... the person who fell was a 26-year-old man who was possibly intoxicated. We're told the man was uncooperative with officials and was taken to a Harlem hospital.

A rep for the Apollo says "the fan and other audience members reported that they were OK. No major injuries have been reported."

Formula 1 superstar Lewis Hamilton is opening up on the racism and bullying he faced as a kid ... saying his classmates called him the N-word during "the most traumatizing and most difficult part of my life."

The 7-time world champion made a rare podcast appearance with "On Purpose with Jay Shetty" this week ... where he spoke about the impact his childhood experiences had on his life.

"I was already being bullied at the age of six," Hamilton said. "I think at the time of that particular school, I was probably one of three kids of color and just bigger and stronger bullying kids were throwing me around a lot of the time."

"I was always the last picked, you know, when you're standing at the playground, and you're in the line of when they're picking teams for football, I was always the last one chosen, or not even chosen, even if I was better than somebody else."

38-year-old Hamilton -- who is mixed-race -- said the way his peers treated him made him question his identity and sense of belonging ... claiming people even threw bananas at him and used the N-word "just so relaxed."

"People calling you half cast and, you know, just really not knowing where you fit in," he added.

"That, for me, was difficult. When you then go into like history class and everything you learn in history, there are no pictures of people of color in the history that they were teaching us.”

FYI, Lewis' father, Anthony Hamilton, is Black and of Grenadian descent, and his mother, Carmen Larbalestier, is White British, hailing from Birmingham in England.

Hamilton, a prominent advocate against racism and champion of diversity in motorsport, suppressed the traumas he was experiencing ... but said racing helped him channel his emotions properly.

"I didn't want my dad to think I was not strong," he said. "And so, I would, if I had tears, I would hold them back. If I had emotions, it would be in a quiet place."

"It wasn't really 'til I started racing that I was able to channel this emotion that I had into my driving," Hamilton said. "And, it's like when I put this helmet on, Superman was my favorite. I loved how he fought for the people, and I loved how he did the right things."

"And, he was a really inspiring character for me. But again, no superhero was of color, so, you know, but you can still aspire to be someone that's if they don't look like you, you know?"

President Biden's hand-signed memoir -- gifted to the nurse who took care of his son before he died of cancer -- is up for grabs, giving buyers a chance to own the exclusive note from the Prez.

The signed copy of Biden's book, "Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose" is currently listed on the Moments In Time auction site.

The site acquired it from a collector, who bought it directly from Beau Biden's nurse, Roz, and, it comes with a $28K price tag.

We're told the then-former VP personally wrote a message to Roz, in 2017, for taking care of Beau while he was battling cancer. The note also mentions Howard, another nurse who assisted Beau.

Joe wrote, "I know what you did for my son. I learned after the fact. You are both the definition of generosity. Roz- if they have angels in Heaven they are all nurses. Thank you both and keep the faith." It's dated December 19, 2017.

As we reported, the younger Biden died of brain cancer in 2015 when he was 46.

As for the book, it's said to be the only substantial handwritten document from the now President. He's signed many things in office, but we're told he typically only signs his name.

Damar Hamlin showed up for his guys in person Sunday -- the first time he's been back in a football stadium since his life-threatening injury ... and it was quite a moment to behold.

The free safety rolled into Highmark Stadium before kickoff, being escorted by security on a team cart ... where he seemed to be trying to lay low with a pair of shades on and a jacket as well. It became clear though, that DH was there -- and utter excitement filled the venue.

He was taken to a private suite, with cameras and reporters following him almost all the way through the door. Damar didn't really stop and chat much -- he seemed way more interested in locking down his bird's-eye view of the field and watching the Bills take the field.

Once he was situated and away from the frenzy, Damar did motion to the home crowd from his window. He was seen throwing up a heart sign gesture with his hands and also hyped up the spectators ... who were roaring for him. The broadcasters found it touching too.

This is an especially big day for Buffalo. They're facing the Bengals -- the same team they were playing a few weeks when Damar went into cardiac arrest following a hard hit after a routine play ... which sent the game into an indefinite pause before it was scrapped.

Both teams have continued to play well since, and now ... they're meeting up once again. The Bills are currently down by double digits, but there's still a fair amount of time left.

Drake did his make-good Saturday night at the legendary Apollo Theater in NYC for SiriusXM, and he did NOT disappoint.

The show was a timeline of his life, staged in his childhood bedroom where he began dreaming of a music career ... to the boardroom of his record label, and then to an NYC bodega.

His songs punctuated the time periods of his career ... with a little help from 21 Savage and The Diplomats.

During the childhood phase, Drake told the crowd how he sat on his bed and wrote a slew of songs.

Drizzy was amped, imploring the crowd rise up with energy ... "Don't play shy with me!"

Lots of celeb guests on hand, including Kevin Durant and Ice Spice.

Drake was supposed to perform at the Apollo back in November, but he postponed it because he was mourning the death of Takeoff. It was rescheduled for December 6th and 7th, but that had to be pushed because of production issues.

Jeremy Renner just revealed the full extent of his injuries from his snowplow accident ... saying he shattered more than 30 bones in his body!!

The actor took to Instagram Saturday morning to give fans an update on his condition ... and that's when he dropped the bomb.

He said, "Much love and appreciation to you all. These 30 plus broken bones will mend, grow stronger, just like the love and bond with family and friends deepens."

Renner added that his daily routine has been impacted as a result of what happened, particularly his morning workouts. He gave an example by posting a photo of himself doing leg stretches in bed as part of his physical therapy.

As we reported, Renner jumped out of his snowplow to help a family member whose car was stuck in the heavy snow near Jeremy's home in Tahoe, Nevada, on New Year's Day. The 7-ton plow then started to roll ... Renner tried to get back into the driver's seat to gain control over the plow, but he was crushed underneath it.

Multiple first responders rushed to Pensacola Beach earlier this month to tend to Peyton Hillis after the former NFL star nearly drowned while trying to save his children ... new police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

In the footage, captured on an Escambia County Sheriff's deputy's body camera, you can see Hillis was in bad shape on the Florida sand after he was pulled from the water on Jan. 4.

The ex-Cleveland Browns running back, who did not have a shirt on, appeared to be breathing heavily ... and seemed to be in a great deal of pain.

But, at least four medics on the scene provided him aid ... administering an IV while checking his vitals.

At one point, they even helped him roll over on his side to make him more comfortable -- while providing a beach towel as a pillow. They also urged him to keep talking in an effort to make sure his condition wasn't worsening.

They eventually got the 36-year-old off the beach and into a helicopter ... which flew him to a nearby medical facility for treatment.

Hillis' initial prognosis wasn't good -- his uncle said in a Facebook post he suffered damage to his lungs and kidneys in the swimming accident -- but, thankfully, his longtime girlfriend said last week he had a breakthrough and was "on the road to recovery."

Hillis now seems to be in far better condition -- he was just seen smiling in his hospital bed on Thursday after Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith popped by his room for a visit.

Peyton Hillis got a special visitor at his hospital on Thursday ... Emmitt Smith stopped by -- and the visit went so well, both former NFL running backs were seen smiling ear to ear with one another.

The Dallas Cowboys legend -- who was born and raised in Pensacola, FL -- made the trek to the Escambia County medical facility to check in on Hillis ... just over two weeks after the former Browns tailback nearly drowned in an ocean rescue effort on Pensacola Beach.

Hillis appeared to be in great spirits -- flashing a grin in a photo with Smith, who called the 36-year-old in an Instagram post following the visit "a recovering hero."

Smith didn't directly provide any updates on Hillis' condition, though he appeared optimistic about the former Madden cover athlete's prognosis.

"Stay strong Peyton!" Smith said. "Praying for you, your family and wishing you a speedy recovery."

Hillis, according to his uncle, suffered damage to his lungs and kidneys back on Jan. 4 ... after he reportedly jumped into the ocean to save his children who were caught in riptides.

Initially, things looked dire for Peyton -- who had to be life flighted to the hospital -- but his longtime girlfriend, singer and actress Angela Cole, said last week he had a big breakthrough and is now on the mend.

Hillis played in the NFL from 2008 through 2014 ... and multiple players, both past and present, have wished him a speedy recovery since the accident.

Andy Murray was so pissed that he couldn't take a piss during a marathon match at the Australian Open on Thursday night ... he unloaded on the chair ump, calling her refusal of a potty break a straight-up "joke."

Murray and Thanasi Kokkinakis battled for over FIVE HOURS at the famed tennis tournament in Melbourne ... and just the before the match went to its fifth set, Murray asked to hit the toilet.

The problem? He had already been once previously during the contest -- so, the ump refused his request.

And, that's when Murray snapped.

"Do you know something?" Murray said as it neared 4 AM in Australia. "I respect the rules. It's so disrespectful that the tournament has us out here until three, f***ing four o'clock in the morning and we're not allowed to go take a piss."

Murray continued, "It's a joke. It is a joke. And you know it as well. It's disrespectful. It's disrespectful to you, it's disrespectful to the ball children. It's disrespectful to the players and we're not allowed to go to the toilet. It's ridiculous."

Former No. 1-ranked tennis player Andy Roddick agreed with Murray ... writing on Twitter during the match, "This is just so dumb."

Murray somehow recovered despite not being allowed to relieve himself ... earning a 4-6, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 7-5 win that started on Thursday night and officially ended at 4:05 AM on Friday.

The Buffalo Bills were surprised with special gifts in honor of Damar Hamlin ahead of their playoff game against the Bengals ... receiving "3" pendants for the entire team.

Von Miller -- whose season ended prematurely after he tore his ACL on Thanksgiving Day -- showed off the new jewelry on social media ... and the team is clearly pumped about the gesture.

NYC-based jeweler Gabriel Jacobs of Rafaello and Co. gifted 80 pendants to the team and Damar's family ... which feature a 2.5-inch, 14k gold #3 and a heart.

We're told Damar will be getting his very own customized pendant ... which will also feature diamonds.

The backs of each pendant feature one of Hamlin's viral quotes -- "If you get a chance to show some love today do it! It won’t cost you nothing."

Jacobs explained his decision to gift the pendants ... saying, "Like many others, when I saw what happened to Damar Hamlin, I couldn’t help but feel connected thinking that this could happen to a family member of mine."

"I was extremely moved by all the outpouring of love and donations that came from all across the world. Being a jeweler, I wanted to give back in my own way by gifting these pendants as a way for the Buffalo Bills team to continue to honor Hamlin."

24-year-old Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins on Monday Night Football ... a moment that shook the sports world.

Hamlin was since released from the hospital after spending time in the ICU ... and head coach Sean McDermott said Wednesday the Bills safety has been at the practice facility "almost daily."

McDermott said Hamlin is still taking things day by day ... and is trying to get back into a routine suitable for his current stage in recovery.