Health

Michael K. Williams' death of an apparent drug overdose has triggered a criminal investigation ... because law enforcement sources tell TMZ cops are trying to locate the drug dealer.

Our law enforcement sources say NYPD detectives are conducting an investigation into the origin of the narcotics cops found at the site of the actor's death over the weekend ... which we're told are believed to be heroin-based.

As we reported ... Michael was found dead in his Brooklyn apartment, and authorities found drug paraphernalia. An official autopsy has yet to be conducted ... but we're told drugs seem to be at play. A toxicology report should provide answers, but that could be weeks away.

A relative found Michael after not hearing from him for a few days ... and once he was discovered, a swarm of NY officials descended on his Brooklyn high-rise.

Michael, of course, had a prolific career ... and might perhaps be best known for his award-winning role as Omar in "The Wire." He also starred in "Boardwalk Empire," "12 Years a Slave" and "Lovecraft County." He was working up until recently ... with a few projects in the can, and a handful of others released in the past year or so.

He was 54.

Ex-NBA star Cedric Ceballos is asking everyone to pray for him ... revealing he's been hospitalized in the ICU, battling COVID-19.

The 1992 NBA dunk champ broke the troubling news Tuesday -- posting a photo of himself wearing an oxygen mask in a hospital bed on social media.

"On my 10th day in ICU, COVID-19 is officially kicking my butt!" Ceballos said.

"I am asking ALL family, friends, prayer warriors healers for your prayers and well wish for my recovery."

The small forward added, "If I have done and anything to you in the past, allow me to publicly apologize."

"My fight is not done!"

Ceballos -- a 2nd-round draft pick in 1990 -- played 11 seasons in the NBA for the Suns, Lakers, Mavericks, Pistons and Miami Heat.

Cedric famously won the 1992 Slam Dunk ... with an epic blindfolded dunk. He also made the 1995 All-Star team. Ced averaged over 14 points and 5 rebounds during his NBA career.

After retiring from the NBA, he continued to hoop overseas and in other leagues across America.

The sports world -- from NBA to NFL stars -- has been showing love to the 52-year-old basketball star ... including Paul George who wrote, "keep fighting OG"

Clinton Portis could be headed to prison for a LONG time ... 'cause he's now facing up to 10 years behind bars after he agreed to plead guilty to a fraud charge last week.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, the former NFL star cut a deal with prosecutors on Friday ... and pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

As a result, per the docs, 40-year-old Portis now faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison ... as well as HEAVY fines.

Portis had been hit with multiple charges by federal prosecutors in 2019 ... after prosecutors say he -- and several other ex-NFL players -- developed a scheme to get cash from the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Plan.

Prosecutors say Portis and the other former players made up fake claims and submitted them to the plan, which was initially designed to help retired players pay for medical bills.

Prosecutors alleged Portis and the players made huge coin after the plan reimbursed them.

Investigators say some of the fraudulent claims the players were reimbursed for included pricey hyperbaric oxygen chambers and ultrasound machines.

Portis went to trial over the allegations last week, but jurors could not reach a verdict. The case had been set for a re-trial ... before Portis ultimately reached his deal with prosecutors.

Portis' sentencing hearing is slated for January.

MLB umpire Manny Gonzalez will be away from baseball diamonds for the foreseeable future ... after he suffered a head injury while being drilled in the face by a foul ball on Monday.

The scary scene all went down in the first inning of the Red Sox's game against the Rays ... when Tampa Bay first baseman Jordan Luplow fouled a pitch right into Gonzalez's jaw.

You can see in the footage of the play, the ball hit Gonzalez so hard, he was staggered ... and he eventually dropped to the ground.

Trainers raced out from the dugouts to check on the 41-year-old -- who was so dazed, he needed to be removed from the game.

Sources tell TMZ Sports ... Gonzalez is now currently being evaluated under the MLB's concussion protocols and is out indefinitely.

Of course, this is far from the first time we've seen terrifying incidents involving umps behind home plate.

Remember, back in April, Kerwin Danley appeared to be knocked out after he, too, was hit by a foul ball. And, in 2020, John Tumpane was drilled in the face by a 99 MPH Gerrit Cole fastball and was slow to get up.

Simone Biles is clapping back at her critics yet again ... this time shutting them down in savage fashion by saying, "I can't hear you over my 7 olympic medals."

Biles -- apparently still hearing from trolls for the way she pulled out of several events at last month's Tokyo Olympics -- posted the fiery message on social media over the weekend.

In the commentary, accompanied by a photo of the silver and bronze medals she won at this summer's Games, Biles insisted she is not a quitter.

"Can't believe it's already been a month," Biles said. "Definitely not the way I planned the Olympics going but I wouldn't change anything for the world 🤎."

"I'm proud of myself and the career I've had thus far. this Olympics doesn't erase the past accomplishments I've achieved nor does it define who I am as an athlete."

Biles continued, "I've pushed through so much the past couple years, the word quitter is not in my vocabulary. for some of you that may be how you define me but keep talking because I can't hear you over my 7 Olympic medals which tied me for the most decorated gymnast EVER as well as most decorated American gymnast."

As we previously reported, Biles said a mental block was caused her to have the "twisties" while competing in Tokyo.

The issues were so bad for the 24-year-old gymnast, she called them "petrifying" and feared she could hurt herself by competing.

Brielle Biermann looks like she's had a rough couple of weeks following surgery, but she says recovery's actually going smoothly ... and she can't wait to eat pizza like a normal person.

Kim Zolciak-Biermann's daughter says she had double jaw surgery a couple weeks ago, but that it was NOT an aesthetic procedure ... but to improve her quality of life.

According to the "Don't Be Tardy" star ... she suffered from TMJ and a significant overbite due to sucking her thumb for years, which resulted in her having major biting and breathing issues.

Brielle writes ... "Have you ever thought about what it's like to not be able to bite into pizza? or omg trying to bite into an onion on a burger? impossible for me. I had to use my tongue to help me chew and almost choked every time I ate."

So, she says she needed the surgery to correct her problems but was very scared, but her family, friends and support system came through for her ... along with her doctors.

Brielle says the first 2 weeks of recovery were supposed to be the hardest, but it's been "easy breezy" ... despite what the photos and videos she posted suggest!!!

Howie Mandel got alarmingly candid with us over his struggle with depression during the pandemic ... half-jokingly saying his own mental health crisis has propelled his therapist into a higher tax bracket.

Howie went on "TMZ Live" to promote a new documentary -- "Howie Mandel: But, Enough About Me" ... and the doc exposes the extreme difficulty he's had as a germaphobe, and how his issues magnified during lockdown.

It's pretty stunning ... Howie said his private struggle -- which he has endured for years -- almost ended his marriage. He says his wife gave him an ultimatum at some point ... either go to therapy or she's out. He chose therapy, but that wasn't the end of the story.

The 'AGT' judge says he's become solitary and depressed, and there's no easy fix.

That said, Howie says the silver lining to an awful period in American history has been that so many others are struggling at varying levels ... there's a newfound awareness that getting help for mental struggles is admirable.

Sarah Harding, a member of Girls Aloud, has died.

Sarah had been battling breast cancer and lost her fight Sunday.

Sarah's mom wrote, "It's with deep heartbreak that today I'm sharing the news that my beautiful daughter Sarah has sadly passed away," adding, “Many of you will know of Sarah’s battle with cancer and that she fought so strongly from her diagnosis until her last day."

Sarah got her big break in 2002 on the British talent show, "Popstars: The Rivals" ... where the band was formed. Sarah was picked last of the 5 women, and she sobbed like crazy.

Just 3 weeks after the show ended, Girls Aloud had a number one hit, "Sound of the Underground." Girls Aloud became England's biggest girl group of the 21st Century.

Sarah had plenty of heartbreak ... she was engaged to DJ Tom Crane, but the 4-year relationship ended and she went into a tailspin. In 2011 she went to rehab for depression and alcohol addiction. She said after getting out, "I've been to hell and back ... I'm just glad I survived."

Girls Aloud reunited in 2012 -- their 12th anniversary -- but the group broke up again the following year.

In 2017, Sarah was on "Celebrity Big Brother" and won.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020. She said at the time doctors told her she would not see another Christmas.

Sarah's mom says cancer should not define her daughter ... "I know she won’t want to be remembered for her fight against this terrible disease – she was a bright shining star and I hope that’s how she can be remembered instead.”

Sarah was 39.

Tom Brady got COVID ... and he thinks he contracted it celebrating his Super Bowl victory.

Brady tested positive back in February ... right after Tampa Bay snagged the Lombardi Trophy ... so he told the Tampa Bay Times. He believes he caught the virus at the Super Bowl Boat  Parade ... you'll recall, when Brady was super drunk and tossed the Trophy off his boat to his comrades in arms!

The Trophy wasn't the only thing that was caught ... 'cause Brady believes that's exactly where he caught COVID. He did not say if he had symptoms.

Brady thinks this season will be worse than last when it comes to the coronavirus ... "I actually think it's going to play more of a factor this year than last year, just because of the way what we're doing now and what the stadium is going to look like and what the travel is going to look like and the people in the building and the fans."

Barstool Sports president Dave Portnoy ain't fazed by going up against a 4-time major winner on Tuesday ... telling TMZ Sports he's gonna whoop golf superstar Brooks Koepka's ass on the links -- for charity!!!

El Pres is facing off against Brooks (who will be playing left-handed) in a $250,000 match on September 7 ... with the winner getting the huge chunk of change sent to the cause of their choice.

We spoke with Dave at the Slice app pop-up at Brooklyn Pizza Masters ahead of the big event ... and he says he's fully expecting 250k to hit the Barstool Fund afterwards -- courtesy of Mr. Koepka.

"He's mentally weak," Portnoy tells us. "I think he's a bum and I think I'm gonna beat him pretty easily."

"Brooks Koepka is a country club kid," he added. "He's not used to people talking trash to him and I'm convinced he's mentally weak."

Dave says he's been crushing it on the course leading up to the competition ... and is fully preparing to live rent-free in Koepka's head.

We also spoke with Portnoy about Barstool sponsoring the Arizona Bowl this upcoming college football season ... and he said they're gunning to make it "the most unique bowl in the history of bowl games."

Portnoy will be in the booth with Dan "Big Cat" Katz when the time comes ... and hopes the game will lead to even more exciting events in the future.

But for now, he's focused on getting that dub against Koepka.

Naomi Osaka had a disastrous match Friday ... repeatedly losing her composure and ultimately losing her U.S. Open match ... and she says her future in tennis is now uncertain.

Osaka won the first set against 18-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez ... but things unraveled for her in the second set. She threw her racket 3 times and when she lost the set she walked off the court.

The defending U.S. Open champ returned and the crowd began to cheer for Fernandez. Naomi shockingly double-faulted right out of the gate and ended up losing the match.

Naomi broke down in tears during a post-match interview, making it clear how much she's struggling and saying she's taking a break from tennis ... "I feel like I'm at this point where I'm trying to figure out what I want to do, and I honestly don't know when I'm going to play my next tennis match." In other words, Osaka herself has now made it clear ... her future in tennis is uncertain.

Johnny Bench says he's tested positive for the coronavirus and will not be able to attend the upcoming National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

The Cincinnati Reds legend announced Friday on social media he was battling the virus despite being vaccinated.

73-year-old Johnny, a Hall of Famer himself, says he's bummed to miss out on seeing the latest Hall of Fame class being inducted into Cooperstown.

The Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday in New York ... and Johnny sounds like he was looking forward to welcoming the Class of 2020, which includes Derek Jeter, Marvin Miller, Ted Simmons and Larry Walker.

Former wrestler Daffney Unger -- who starred in the WCW from 1999 to 2001 -- has died after posting a very disturbing video to her social media page, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

She was 46 years old.

A spokesperson for the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the death to TMZ Sports, but did not reveal a cause or manner.

Daffney's friend, wrestler Lexie Fyfe, said the former WCW star -- real name Shannon Spruill -- was found dead Thursday morning.

"We are very sad to have to announce the passing of Shannon Spruill aka Daffney Unger," said Lexie, who told us she and Daffney were so close, they "called each other sisters."

"We are posting this at the request of her family. Please respect their privacy at this trying time. I will miss you my logical sister from another mister."

Daffney had gone on Instagram Live late Wednesday night and appeared to be in a suicidal state, saying in her video, "Do you guys not understand that I am all alone? Do you not understand that?"

She later could be heard in the footage saying, "Remember, my brain goes to Boston."

Fyfe tells us Daffney had been battling mental health issues in recent weeks ... and urged anyone who's going through similar struggles to reach out for help.

Fyfe also tells us cops initially had trouble finding Daffney following the posting of the video ... explaining Daffney had just moved into a different apartment just four days ago.

The wrestling world was rocked by the news ... with legend Mick Foley saying, "I'm so very sorry to learn of Daffney's passing. A terrible loss for her family, friends and wrestling. She was far ahead if her time in our business. #RIPDaffney."

Added wrestling star Frankie Kazarian, "RIP Daffney. Just, awful news. She was a guest at my wedding…This is so incredibly sad. Please, reach out. Always. Godspeed."

After her stint in the WCW, Daffney went on to have a big role with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling from '08-'11. She retired a short time later.

RIP.

LaMarcus Aldridge is poised to make a big return to the hardwood -- the 7-time All-Star has received medical clearance to play in the NBA again ... this, after retiring due to a health condition.

Remember, the 36-year-old abruptly retired in April ... after he experienced an irregular heartbeat following a game against the L.A. Lakers.

As it turns out, LA was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in 2006 ... but was able to play his entire 15-year career with the condition without issue.

After sitting out the rest of the 2020-21 season, Aldridge is free to continue his career ... and according to Shams Charania, the Brooklyn Nets are frontrunners to bring him back.

It's great news for Aldridge, who previously opened up on his struggles with retirement.

"I’ve been depressed, and I’m trying to figure out how to navigate through not competing on the floor, learning not to be depressed," Aldridge -- the #2 overall pick in 2006 -- said back in June.

"I still love basketball. I still feel like I have a lot to give. But, even now, I’m still trying to find myself. When you go from doing something you love for so long and you lose it overnight, it’s a shock."

Aldridge has played for the Trail Blazers, Spurs and Nets during his career ... averaging 19 points and 8 rebounds a game.

Longtime MLB exec Bob Boone -- Aaron Boone's famous father -- is leaving his job with the Washington Nationals ... and it's all 'cause the team has made COVID vaccines mandatory.

ESPN reported the news Wednesday ... explaining Bob -- a key front-office advisor for the team for YEARS -- is not willing to comply with the Nats' new policy that all non-playing employees must get the vaccine.

It's a huge deal -- 73-year-old Bob has been with the org. since 2005 ... and was most recently serving in a role as a senior adviser to Washington GM Mike Rizzo.

The Nats have said, according to The Washington Post, employees have until Sept. 15 to get the COVID vaccines ... otherwise, their contracts will be terminated.

Players, however, will still be allowed to remain with the organization even if they refuse to get the vax.

"As a company," the Nats said in a statement regarding the policy last week, "we have a responsibility to do everything we can to keep one another safe and felt that mandating vaccines was the absolute right thing to do for our employees and our community."

FYI, Bob's son, Aaron -- the New York Yankees manager -- has said he got the vaccine in March.

The Supreme Court has all but said Roe vs. Wade is history, but not without a few justices railing on the majority for grossly abdicating its responsibility.

The justices -- by a 5 to 4 margin -- refused to hear a challenge to the Texas anti-abortion law, which essentially makes it illegal for abortions to be performed after the 6th week of pregnancy. And, there's no exception for rape or incest. And, anyone in the United States can sue anyone who facilitates an abortion after the 6th week and collect $10k.

The justices who formed the majority were predicable ... Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and the 3 Trump appointees -- Kavanaugh, Gorsuch and Barrett. Trump said he was picking justices who would overturn Roe, and his picks were true to form.

The majority said the case was just too complex for a quick ruling ... presenting novel issues. The fact is ... the Texas law is squarely, undeniably at odds with Roe vs. Wade. The justices hung their hats on the enforcement mechanism -- that private citizens and not the State itself was responsible for enforcing the law. But the reality is ... the ground rules for an abortion in Texas fly in the face of Roe. Nevertheless, the justices chose to punt.

The dissents were blistering. Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the decision was "stunning," adding the majority chose to "bury their heads in the sand." She calls the law "clearly unconstitutional.

Sotomayor said, "In effect, the Texas Legislature has deputized the State's citizens as bounty hunters, offering them cash prizes for civilly prosecuting their neighbors' medical procedures."