Health

More COVID drama for Kevin Durant -- the NBA superstar is reportedly set to quarantine for 7 days (and will miss the next 4 NBA games) after being exposed to someone with the virus.

The team has confirmed the 32-year-old is out -- and according to NBA protocol, he must quarantine for 7 days and produce negative tests in order to return.

The Brooklyn Nets are hoping KD will return to face the Denver Nuggets on January 12 -- it's the earlier Durant can return if he continues to test negative.

Remember, Durant battled coronavirus himself back in mid-March -- but recovered and tested negative in early April. He was one of the first superstars to test positive for the virus. Nevada governor Steve Sisolak used KD as an example to show that no one is safe from COVID.

The Nets have lost 4 of their last 5 games -- and could definitely use KD as they get ready to face Utah, Philadelphia, Memphis and OKC over the next week.

Tanya Roberts' death has been greatly exaggerated, because her rep now says she's alive, despite the rep not only telling TMZ she died, but sending out a press release with that information.

TMZ reported Sunday Tanya had died after collapsing at her home on Christmas Eve and being rushed to the hospital and placed on a ventilator.

The rep had told us she died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. He told us Tanya's husband had informed him that Tanya had passed.

We even got a quote from the rep from Tanya's husband, Lance, saying, "As I held her in her last moments, she opened her eyes."

Now the rep, Mike Pingel, tells TMZ, Lance got a call just after 10 AM Monday from the hospital saying Tanya was still alive. Pingel said Lance truly believed Tanya had died.

What's more shocking, Lance was recording an interview with Inside Edition when he got the call from the hospital to deliver the news ... a very emotional call.

Interestingly, friends of the family also contacted TMZ Sunday saying Lance had called them to inform them of the "That '70s Show" star's death.

As for how this could happen ... beats us.

Alex Trebek was in pain in his last days of life, riddled with cancer, yet he opened his heart to "Jeopardy!" viewers, asking them to open their hearts and wallets to help COVID victims.

This is Alex's last week of shows, taped 10 days before his death. He says, "You'll recall that about a month ago, I asked all of you to take a moment to give thanks for all of the blessings that you enjoy in your lives." He is, of course, referring to his Thanksgiving message.

You can hear he has trouble speaking ... his voice is very raspy.

He goes on ... "But today, I'd like you to go one step further. I'd like you to open up your hands and open up your hearts to those who are still suffering because of COVID-19.  People who are suffering through no fault of their own."

Alex ends with this ... "This is the season of giving. I know you want to be generous with your family, your friends, your loved ones," adding, "We're trying to build a gentler, kinder society and if we all pitch in -- just a little bit -- we're gonna get there."

Alex died on November 8. A great man to the end.

While anti-maskers around the country continue to freak out, here's the Boston University men's basketball team wearing mouth coverings during their game on Monday.

And, get this ... they WON!!

FYI -- Boston U. implemented a new rule during the COVID-19 pandemic ... which requires players to wear masks during their home AND away games this season.

The Terriers debuted their new look in their season debut against Holy Cross ... with the players rocking red masks to match their jerseys.

The masks didn't come between BU's hopes at securing a dub, though ... with the Terriers coming up with an 83-76 win over the Crusaders.

HC didn't mask up in Monday's matchup, but players on both teams will be wearing face coverings when the Crusaders visit BU on Tuesday.

The matchup -- or should we say, "maskup" -- is believed to be the first time both teams will be wearing masks in a college hoops game.

March Madness -- the entire NCAA college basketball tournament -- will take place in the state of Indiana in 2021, officials confirm.

It's the first time in the history of the tournament that all 67 games will take place in the same state -- and, of course, it's all because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NCAA says it's "partnering with a local health provider to administer COVID-19 testing within the controlled environment for players, coaching staffs, administrators and officials."

"The Marion County Health Department has approved medical protocols shared by the NCAA and will continue collaborating with the NCAA leading up to and during the championship."

The majority of the games will take place in Indianapolis -- with some contests going down in West Lafayette and Bloomington.

Several Indiana-based universities will technically "host" the tournament -- including Ball State, Butler, Indiana University and Purdue, among others. The school will lend their facilities and staffs to assist with tournament operations.

The NCAA says teams will be allowed to use the Indiana Convention Center as a practice facility, with multiple courts set up inside the venue.

Most teams will stay at Marriott hotel properties -- which happens to be an official NCAA corporate partner.

COVID protocols will be in full effect -- "All teams will be housed on dedicated hotel floors, with physically distanced meeting and dining rooms, as well as secure transportation to and from competition venues."

The NCAA says Selection Sunday is still scheduled for March 14 -- with the Final Four games set to take place on April 3 and 5.

The org notes, "The exact preliminary round dates are still to be determined."

"This is a historic moment for NCAA members and the state of Indiana," NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement.

The coronavirus pandemic is still going strong in 2021 -- in fact, there's a worse strain going around now -- but wild party scenes in several cities show many people just don't care.

The RedBar Brickell club in Miami stayed open and allowed patrons to party maskless much later than the mandatory closing time of midnight in South Beach over the New Year's weekend.

As you can see ... the hot spot was packed with celebrating revelers in tight quarters. Fact is Florida has few restrictions right now, but blowing off the few there are -- such as closing time -- shows many are ignoring the nearly daily record-breaking COVID numbers in the U.S.

FL ain't special, though ... irresponsible celebrations ringing in 2021 also went down in Puerto Vallarta with massive dance parties and fireworks over Las Vegas created large gatherings on the Strip.

And, as we reported, residents living on the Isle of Man gathered as per usual on New Year's Day to take a dip in freezing cold water ... with no COVID precautions in place.

Gamer Jarod Nandin -- known by fans as "South Park Guy" for re-creating the show's infamous World of Warcraft character -- has died after contracting the coronavirus.

Nandin died Sunday ... according to the WoW outlet, Wowhead. Jarod revealed his condition in mid-December, and on Dec. 22 he shared a photo of himself from the hospital saying he tested positive, but didn't seem overly concerned.

He wrote ... "I’m really sorry to worry you guys. I’m in the hospital getting treatment. Things look good. Im just looking at Covid with a sh*t eating grin on my face and saying: "How do you Kill that which...has no Life?"

Nandin, who famously went by NWBZPWNR in the role-playing game's community, used this sense of humor to make a big splash at BlizzCon 2013.

Jarod arrived at the event cosplaying as the slobby 'Warcraft' gamer on the Season 10 episode of "South Park" titled, "Make Love, Not Warcraft."

He even shaved his head to re-create the guy's baldness and clearly ... he nailed the entire look.

After that ... Jarod affectionately became known as "South Park Guy" in the gaming community, and today many are tweeting their condolences and tributes to him.

Jarod was 40.

Very cool and inspirational move from NFL star Alex Smith ... the QB transformed his leg-saving brace into a trophy -- and the piece came out AWESOME.

Smith's wife, Liz, revealed the artwork before the signal-caller and the Washington Football Team locked up the NFC East title Sunday night ... saying, "No matter the outcome, Alex has already won."

Liz added praise to the welder who fabricated the piece ... writing, "Special thanks to @coldhardart for transforming a symbol of hard times to a trophy of triumph we can proudly put on our shelves."

Of course, you'll recall ... Smith needed the brace for several months after he broke both his fibula and tibia during a violent hit from J.J. Watt in a November 2018 game.

Alex nearly lost the leg while trying to recover ... ultimately requiring 17 surgeries to fix the break and the ensuing infection it caused.

The 36-year-old, though, has miraculously shown no signs of deteriorated play in his return this season ... and it seems staring at the twisted metal that used to be affixed to his leg has helped in all of that.

The piece is clearly inspired by the Lombardi Trophy -- which is awarded each year to the winner of the Super Bowl.

For the artist's part, Cold Hard Art wrote of transforming the brace, "Might be one of the most unique projects to be part of turning a leg stabilizer into a symbols of strength and determination."

UFC fighter Mike Perry is on the mend after slicing himself open during a bizarre incident late Sunday night -- posting footage showing doctors stitching up his wound.

The 29-year-old initially posted video showing him lying in a pool of blood Sunday next to a shattered glass door. It appears as if Perry opened a massive gash while trying to smash through the glass.

While on the ground, Perry says to himself, "F*ck am I supposed to do about this?"

Fans on social media expressed concern for the fighter who seems to be in a downward spiral -- following allegations of domestic abuse and a separate violent incident at a steak restaurant back in July.

But, early Monday morning, Perry posted video from what appears to be a hospital room -- showing a doctor treating the wound on his lower right leg.

A few hours later, Perry posted more footage showing himself walking his dog -- so, all better?

Perry has fought in the UFC since 2016 and has flashed real potential -- earning multiple fight of the night and performance of the night bonuses along the way.

But, losses to guys like Cowboy Cerrone, Geoff Neal and most recently Tim Means (in Nov.) have kept him from reaching that next level.

The Black teenager who was falsely accused of stealing a woman's phone is now in need of therapy because the incident has seriously scarred him ... this according to his parents.

Keyon Harrold tells TMZ ... he and his ex-wife, Kat, are currently vetting therapists and looking to get their son -- 14-year-old Keyon Jr. -- into trauma therapy soon. Keyon (the dad) tells us his son is seriously traumatized ... and a lot has to do with Miya Ponsetto immediately zeroing in on him.

Keyon Jr. asked his dad a simple question that unearths lots of serious issues, including self-doubt ... "Why Me?"

Keyon says he's raised his son to become a proud, Black man, saying, "I have tried to instill dignity in my son. I'm trying to build his ego, because for so long egos of Black men have been shattered."

Keyon feels without professional help, his mission may be torpedoed by Ponsetto's vicious attack on his son. His dad tells us, "He wonders if he's good enough to own an iPhone, or whether he's out of place at a nice hotel." That, Keyon says, must immediately be nipped in the bud.

There's also a practical problem. Both parents are musicians and travel a lot, which means they stay at hotels quite a bit. Keyon says his son is now showing fear about going to hotels. Keyon Jr. has told his dad he's afraid someone will come from behind and tackle him. He's also afraid of being accused of a crime. In fact, he told his dad the day of the incident he felt like a criminal.

Keyon's handling it with broad strokes ... "You definitely belong, everywhere you go."

By the way ... long before the incident, Keyon and his son have talked about social justice issues, and the tragedies of Emmett Till, Michael Brown, George Floyd, and on and on.

Donald Trump has no shame when it comes to grousing that he's not getting the credit and praise others are getting in the COVID fight, and it seems the person who pisses him off most is one Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Trump unloaded Sunday on Twitter, saying ... "Something how Dr. Fauci is revered by the LameStream Media as such a great professional, having done, they say, such an incredible job, yet he works for me and the Trump Administration, and I am in no way given any credit for my work. Gee, could this just be more Fake News?"

Ok ... a few points to consider

1.  Tony Fauci is a DOCTOR who has been the leader in infectious diseases for decades.  Trump never spent a day diagnosing anything, because he has no medical training.

2.  Dr. Fauci has been a leader in urging mask-wearing and social distancing. Trump has undermined the effort, inspired millions of others to flaunt precautionary measures and is responsible for an untold number of COVID infections as a result.

3.  Fauci has walked the walk, celebrating holidays and other occasions at home without much of his family. Trump has held super-spreader events for friends, family and strangers.

4.  Fauci has carefully advised the nation about therapies and vaccines. Trump has mused about drinking bleach to combat the virus.

5.  Fauci's actions have made him COVID-free. Trump got the virus, along with his wife, child and God knows how many other White House staffers.

In short ... that's why Trump hasn't gotten the credit Fauci has.

Fauci has been the leading voice on infectious viruses for decades, far beyond Trump's presidency.

He's been beloved for sharing the cold-hard facts in an easy to understand manner.

Zelene Blancas, the teacher who touched the hearts of millions after posting a video of her students hugging each other, has died of COVID.

Zelene taught Spanish at the Dr. Sue A. Shook Elementary School in El Paso and was on a path to becoming a bilingual special ed teacher.

She gained national -- even worldwide -- attention back in 2018, after posting a video of students leaving for a weekend break. As they left, they hugged one and another in a showing of caring and love that produced 23 million views.

Zelene tested positive for coronavirus in late October and ended up in the hospital shortly after her diagnosis. She spent nearly 2 months in ICU and when things became financially desperate last month, her brother set up a GoFundMe account on her behalf.

She died Monday from COVID complications.

Her death affected much of El Paso. In addition to teaching, Zelene taught evening literacy classes to parents. During the pandemic, she delivered food and other items to the homes of some of her students.

Zelene was 35.

Michael Blackson has a very important reason why people should get the COVID vaccine ... he says it's better than getting the virus, which he claims left his penis limp.

We got the comedian doing some holiday shopping on Rodeo Drive in Bev Hills, and he told us he had COVID and it sucked, which is reason enough in his mind to do everything you can to protect against the virus.

Michael's encouraging folks to get vaccinated so they don't suffer his fate ... a bout with the 'rona and a "limp d***." It's the COVID symptom you don't hear much about, but surely don't want to experience.

If the low sex drive isn't enough to make you fear COVID's wrath and head straight for the vaccination line, consider this ... Michael says the virus also had him pooping himself.

Michael knows he won't be among the first to get the vaccine, but he tells us why he'll join Barack Obama and other celebs in promoting the shot.

James Corden is sick of the way he looks, and he's changing things in a big way in 2021 ... or should we say a smaller way.

The late-night talk show host said he's "sick and tired" of failing at the weight game. He says that looking in the mirror is making him sad.

So, James has signed up to be the face of WW -- formerly known as Weight Watchers -- and presumably, everyone will follow his journey of the company's now forbidden words -- losing weight.

Corden said, "I want to change the way that I live. I want to be better for my children and for my family."

Corden got emotional, saying he's spent more than 10 years making failed New Year's resolutions to lose the lbs.

So, here's where his head is at now ..."I'm fed up with the way I look, I'm fed up with being unhealthy, this is the year I'm doing it."

James said he's the one who contacted WW and asked for help ..." They said if you stick with our regime, which is more about wellness and health and feeling better rather than lose a load of weight this can absolutely work."

The 42-year-old has plenty of inspiration ... "I don't want to wake up tired, or feel embarrassed when I'm chasing my son on the soccer field and out of breath after three minutes."

James joins Jennifer Hudson, Jessica Simpson, Tina Fey, DJ Khaled, and Oprah as WW clients.

When it comes to the coronavirus, what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas with COVID and all ... and that's why the New Year's Eve fireworks show is so troubling.

The city put on a typical fireworks display from The Plaza Hotel & Casino as the clock struck midnight in an untypical year, and spectators swarmed to watch and celebrate ringing in 2021.

Obviously ... not very safe with COVID-19 cases surging everywhere, and fireworks naturally draw crowds, so you have to wonder who made this decision.

Earlier on New Year's Eve, tens of thousands of people also thumbed their noses at the virus by walking the Strip like there's no pandemic ... despite Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak urging people to stay home.

It's all very strange, since Vegas did cancel other big parties and fireworks displays, even replacing one with an implosion of a huge 2020 sign.

A Nashville musician whose home was decimated by the Nashville blast is starting 2021 off with his cat who was missing for 6 days, and a new guitar to boot, thanks to Brad Paisley.

Buck McCoy was in his downtown Nashville apartment when the blast hit Christmas Day. The place was destroyed, and his beloved cat Molly must have freaked out and escaped.

Authorities who were conducting the investigation at the scene of the blast found the cat roaming the streets Thursday and reunited her with Buck.

Buck was ecstatic, saying, "I know she's just a little orange cutie thing, but she was everything to me ... The last 5 years she's always been there for me."

Buck lost everything in the bombing ... he shot this video immediately after the blast and it shows the devastation inside his apartment. As for why he didn't leave, Buck tells TMZ he heard gunshots -- something others heard as well but authorities say they found no evidence of it -- and then heard something coming from a loudspeaker but he couldn't understand it so he went back to sleep and was awakened by the blast.

Buck got some help from a famous Nashville resident who saw him on TV getting reunited with his feline friend. Brad called Buck and said he was sending him one of his brand new guitars so Buck could get back to work at Legend's Corner, where he plays with his band.

Buck's gonna put the guitar to immediate use when he performs Saturday at Legend's Corner.

Brad also offered Buck unlimited groceries at Brad's place, The Store, which offers food to all the people in town who are struggling.