Health

Kodak Black was being targeted by hitmen when his security guard was shot in the leg ... at least according to cops, who are reviewing threats made against him before the shooting.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Monday morning's shooting down in Florida appears to be a hit and not just an armed robbery. We're told police are aware of a series of online threats to Kodak's life, and cops are looking into them.

We’re told cops are specifically reviewing threatening comments apparently made by music producer Southside during an Instagram Live Sunday, seemingly in response to Kodak's IG Live mention of Southside's girlfriend, City Girls rapper Yung Miami.

However, our law enforcement sources tell us they have no named suspects in the shooting right now ... and the investigation remains open and ongoing.

As we reported ... Kodak and his entourage were ambushed around 3 AM Monday outside a fast food joint in Tallahassee, resulting in a serious gunshot wound for one of his security guards, with law enforcement saying the shooter opened fire from a car that was tailing Kodak after he left a nightclub.

The reality of missing out on The Masters is settling in for Tiger Woods ... his golf pal, Justin Thomas, says the injured star is “bummed" to not be playing this weekend.

JT explained the situation to reporters at a news conference Tuesday ... saying Tiger just hit him up last week and expressed sadness over not being able to compete for his sixth green jacket.

"We texted Friday morning, and he said it's kind of starting to set in," Thomas revealed. "He's bummed he's not here playing practice rounds with us, and we hate it too."

Thomas -- who normally has all of his Masters practice rounds with Woods -- says he's visited Tiger several times in the past few weeks out in Florida.

JT didn't reveal how the recovery process is going for the 45-year-old ... but the fact that he's texting about golf appears to be at least a somewhat good sign he's on the mend.

As we previously reported, Woods suffered horrific leg injuries in a car crash in California on Feb. 23 ... and just returned to Florida from the hospital about 3 weeks ago.

He's not expected to make an appearance at this weekend's event -- a tourney he's DOMINATED over the years -- but some of the guys are still honoring him, nonetheless.

In addition to Thomas lamenting not being able to play with him this week ... Woods' other golf bud, Fred Couples, rocked a Tiger mask at the course Tuesday to show support.

"Not the same without you," Couples tweeted.

Travis Scott is joining the millions across the world in hoping the best for DMX as the rapper remains on life support in a New York hospital for what will be day 4.

We got Travis and a friend in his Bugatti Chiron Monday night, and he shared his favorite DMX song and left us with a parting, "Love DMX, X for life!!!" before peeling out in his ride.

As we reported, hundreds -- including X's fiancee, kids and ex-wife -- attended a prayer vigil outside White Plains Hospital Monday night ... it was an emotional event, with some attendees breaking down in tears during prayer.

The hospital has enforced a strict visiting policy because of COVID-19, and only X's fiancee, Desiree, mom, Arnett, and some of his kids -- who arrived Sunday and Monday -- have been able to see him on a limited basis.

As for DMX's condition, we're told not much has changed since Saturday. TMZ broke the story, the rapper was rushed to the hospital after suffering an overdose.

Paul Ritter -- best known around the globe for playing Eldred Worple in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" -- has died.

A rep for the British actor says Paul died of a brain tumor Monday night. He died peacefully at home with his wife Polly and sons -- Frank and Noah -- by his side. The rep added, "He was fiercely intelligent, kind and very funny. We will miss him greatly. Paul was an exceptionally talented actor playing an enormous variety of roles on stage and screen with extraordinary skill."

Some of Paul's bigger credits include appearing in the James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace" as government adviser Guy Haines. In his homeland ... Paul was best known for playing the family patriarch in the long-running Channel 4 comedy "Friday Night Dinner."

He was also a brilliant stage actor that landed him both Olivier and Tony Award nominations. Paul's work in "Coram Boy" earned him an Olivier nomination in 2006. His starring role in "The Norman Conquests" in 2009 snagged him a Tony nomination.

He was most recently in the HBO miniseries "Chernobyl" ... portraying Anatoly Dyatlov, the supervisor who was blamed for not following safety protocols leading to the nuclear disaster.

Paul was also set to appear in the upcoming World War II drama "Operation Mincemeat."

Kim Kardashian seems to be taking a page from little sister Kylie Jenner's playbook ... 'cause she's tapping into the skincare business.

Kim filed trademark docs to lock up the rights to a skincare line she presumably plans to launch ... and it looks like she's calling it "SKKN BY KIM."

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, KK is looking to slap the name on a wide range of products for skin, hair and nails, plus fragrances and cosmetics ... pretty much anything people buy to make their skin and bodies look and feel good.

It's kinda hard to believe, but Kylie is the only sister with her own dedicated skincare line, Kylie Skin ... at least now.

DMX's family, friends, fiancee, kids and fans have turned out big time to send him prayers and positive vibes at the hospital where he's still fighting for his life.

The rapper's family announced there would be a prayer vigil outside White Plains Hospital in New York, and hundreds showed up Monday for X.

Among those in the crowd are his fiancee, Desiree, his ex-wife Tashera Simmons, who he has 4 kids with, Yadira Borrego, who he has children with as well as some of his kids, including his sons, Xavier and Exodus. Along with all the support outside the hospital ... workers on the inside have also joined in on the spirit of the event by standing in the windows holding up an "X" sign.

Monday night's prayer vigil is just the latest showing of love for the rapper. Members of the "Ruff Ryders" motorcycle crew rolled up to the hospital Sunday to pay tribute, and several hospital staff members held their own little vigil Sunday evening.

As we've told you ... X's kids began arriving Monday to visit their father one at a time in the ICU, where he's on life support and his outlook remains grim. Desiree and X's mother have been with him since the weekend.

TMZ broke the story ... DMX overdosed Friday night, which triggered a heart attack. Though resuscitation efforts kept him alive, we've been told X was left without oxygen to his brain for nearly 30 minutes, resulting in very little brain activity.

MLB fans in Texas pretended like it was 2019 on Monday ... packing into the Rangers' stadium to see a game with absolutely no regard for social distancing.

The scenes from Globe Life Field are WILD ... there's hardly an empty chair in the 40,000-seat stadium -- and people wearing masks over their noses and mouths are few and far between.

In fact, it straight-up looks like nobody in the stadium has any worry that a global pandemic is still raging onward.

Of course, we knew this was coming ... the Rangers announced last month they would not put a limit on attendance for Opening Day against the Blue Jays -- something President Joe Biden blasted the team for.

"I think it's a mistake," POTUS said to ESPN last week. "They should listen to Dr. Fauci, the scientists and the experts. But, I think it's not responsible."

The Rangers have said repeatedly Monday will be a one-time-only event ... with team president of baseball operations Jon Daniels saying he believes there will be no more sell-outs following Monday's action.

"I think after Opening Day, reality is we're not going to be at full capacity, I doubt it," Daniels said.

The Rangers have insisted they'll enforce a mask policy -- only allowing fans to drop the face coverings to eat or drink.

Some of DMX's children have flown to New York to visit their dad in the ICU -- a visit that could be a final goodbye -- but it's been complicated by COVID.

Family sources tell TMZ ... a number of DMX's kids have touched down in White Plains, NY, and are now on the ground at the hospital to get time with their father -- this as we're hearing his condition remains unchanged and dire.

Our sources tell us his children will only be allowed to see X one at a time -- per COVID regulations. His fiancee, Desiree, and his mom have already been there with him. We don't know if the hospital has begun allowing some of the kids into the ICU, but that's the plan.

Unclear just how many of X's kids have arrived at this point -- remember, he has 15 children ... but it'd be safe to assume a good majority will get the chance to see him, especially those who are older and understand the situation.

As we reported over the weekend, X's chances of recovery are not looking good -- he's still on life support and there is little brain activity.

TMZ broke the story ... X overdosed Friday night, which triggered a heart attack. Despite resuscitation efforts, we've heard X was simply left without needed oxygen to his brain for nearly 30 minutes.

DMX's family's going to hold a prayer vigil at the New York hospital where he's still clinging to life.

The rapper's family announced the gathering will take place Monday at 5 PM ET outside of the White Plains Hospital, where on Sunday night ... staff members held a small vigil of their own.

As we reported ... DMX's fiancee and mother have both been allowed to visit him in the ICU, where he remains on life support following the heart attack he suffered during an overdose Friday night.

We're told some of his kids are also flying in to see him, and family members are holding out hope that he's going to pull through despite our sources saying he has limited brain function and it does not look good.

For now though, everyone close to DMX is simply asking for prayers.

The Easter bunny's back at the White House after a 1-year hiatus ... albeit with a different look this year, but, hey, something's better than nothing.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden brought out the Easter bunny Monday during a White House ceremony to commemorate the holiday. They took the opportunity to also urge Americans to get vaccinated.

It's pretty cool considering the bunny did NOT make an appearance last year due to the pandemic. It's also the second consecutive year the annual White House Easter Egg Roll -- which draws tons of kids and has been hosted on the South Lawn almost every year since 1878 -- was canceled due to the outbreak.

But now, Peter Cottontail and Co. are getting back in the biz ... the bunnies have hopped back to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Good news, bad news for Chiefs fans ...

The good ... hey! Patrick Mahomes' family is absolutely adorable!!!

The bad ... despite having surgery TWO MONTHS AGO, the K.C. star quarterback's foot/ankle is still in a protective boot.

Mahomes' fiancee, Brittany Matthews, posted an Easter Sunday family pic featuring herself, Patrick and their newborn daughter ... and it created quite the stir in the NFL world.

You'll recall ... Mahomes injured his toe at some point in the Chiefs' playoff run last season, and the 25-year-old needed surgery just a few days after K.C.'s Super Bowl loss to repair the damage.

Most thought Patrick would be good to go for workouts at this point ... but Matthews' photo shows the quarterback still clearly has quite a bit of recovering left to do.

Thankfully, Mahomes said on Twitter late Sunday he's not worried about anything regarding the injury ... despite still being in the boot.

"Lolol yeah," Mahomes said in response to Pat McAfee asking about the injury. "all good."

The Chiefs are set to begin Organized Team Activities in just 2 weeks ... and seems unlikely Patrick will be good to go by then.

With the season 5 months away though ... probably not the time to be sweating things too much in K.C. yet.

DMX is clinging to life in an ICU unit with little brain function, but a few family members who have visited the rap icon are not giving up.

Family sources tell TMZ, X's fiancée, Desiree Lindstrom, and mom, Arnett Simmons, have been allowed into the ICU to visit DMX, though he is not responsive. As we reported, family sources tell us some of his kids are coming to visit as well and are hopeful they will be allowed in.

TMZ first reported the OD and the fact he has limited brain function ... the result of oxygen deprivation after his OD late Friday night. One source with direct knowledge told TMZ the prognosis does not look good.

Nevertheless, the rapper's family is not giving up. DMX suffered a heart attack during the OD, and family members are holding out hope when the inflammation subsides his heart will restore itself. Of course, that does not have an impact on brain function.

A group of motorcycle heads who associate themselves with DMX's famous rap collective have rolled up to pay tribute to the man himself ... which made for an awesome scene.

A FOX5 reporter was on the ground Sunday outside of the White Plains hospital where X is currently being treated following his OD/heart attack -- and she captured a massive group of bikers pulling up across the street and gathering for what appeared to be a flash mob event.

Unclear what exactly they got planned, but what is clear is that they were there for X -- several were rocking the 'RR' brand, which is tied to X's pride and joy, the Ruff Ryders.

Ruff Ryders appears to encompass a wide-reaching community of members -- and they seem to have a biker community too, which would explain all the revving we hear going on here. The crowd was blasting DMX music too ... seems they're hoping he and his loved ones can hear them from inside.

It made for a super sweet moment, and it sounds like more of a demonstration is forthcoming. What this also speaks to is DMX's massive crossover appeal among different audiences ... he's a hip-hop legend, but his fan base is incredibly diverse, as you can see.

The Ruff Ryders first came onto the scene back in the late '90s, when X put out an anthem dedicated just to them. In the official music video, X employed a lot of motorcycles and motorcycle stunts, so he was definitely about that subculture even back then.

DMX suffered a drug overdose Friday night and is currently in the hospital ... and the prognosis is not good.

Sources close to the rapper tell TMZ, the OD occurred at his home at around 11 PM. Our sources say the overdose triggered a heart attack.

DMX was rushed to a hospital in White Plains, New York and is in the critical care unit. We're told he has "some brain activity." Another source says he's in a "vegetative state" and doctors have cautioned he may not make it.

As we have reported over the years, DMX, who was the cornerstone of the Ruff Ryders label, has battled substance abuse and has been to rehab several times. His last rehab stint back in 2019 came after he completed a 12-month sentence for tax evasion.

At the time, we were told DMX hadn't relapsed but checked himself into rehab out of fear he might again, as he felt temptations to use creep up on him again.

DMX made his return to the stage following rehab in December 2019 when he hit Hakkassan in Las Vegas, chatting it up and taking photos with fans before he hit the stage.

During the Vegas show, he took a moment to tell fans, "When you fall down, get back up, everyone here has been through some s**t and you never know what God is willing to do for you until you need him to do something for you."

Last we saw him perform was in July 2020, when X faced off with Snoop Dogg in a Verzuz battle which saw more than 500k viewers tune in, proving he still had an incredible ability to bring an audience.

We will, of course, update as information becomes available regarding his current situation.

Mariah Carey ended her COVID vaccine excursion on a high note -- literally.

America's diva rolled up her sleeve in NYC Saturday to get her first dose, but it wasn't without some trepidation. The "Emotions" singer had 2 of them -- excitement and nervousness, as the camera rolled for the money shot.

As the doctor sticks the needle in her arm, she belts out her signature, glass-breaking screech ... 2 times, no less!!!

It was all in fun, we think, and Mariah encouraged everyone to follow suit and shoot up.

Mariah is curious about the absence of blood, ending with this proclamation, "See, I've proven my point. I am actually a vampire."

There was another vicious attack against an Asian person in New York City ... this time in Central Park.

It happened last Saturday, at around 1 in the afternoon. A 38-year-old Asian man was approached by someone who punched him in the face and fled, according to the NYPD.

The injuries were serious enough that the man went to nearby Mount Sinai Hospital.

The victim had been enjoying the day with his wife and son when the attack occurred.

The victim told cops the attacker first came up to his family and started whispering something in his wife's ear that was sexual in nature. As his family tried to move away from the guy, he got in the victim's face. The victim said, "Hey, let's practice social distance, you don't have a mask on ..." The attacker then said, "You got a mask. That's an advantage."  Then came the hate, as the attacker added, "You guys always have the advantage." And, that's when the attacker punched the victim.

This kind of hatred is out of control against Asians all across the country. As we reported, a woman was viciously attacked around the same time in NYC by a man who is now under arrest for a hate crime.