Health

Terrifying scene on the NHL ice Tuesday ... a referee needed to be taken away on a stretcher after he was hit in the head in an accidental collision with a player.

The scary moment all went down just before the Kings vs. Coyotes preseason game in L.A. ... when Arizona center Liam O'Brien ran into linesman Ryan Gibbons.

Video of the play showed O'Brien's shoulder went right into Gibbons' jaw ... causing the ref to immediately crumple to the ice in pain.

Gibbons stayed down motionless for several moments ... before trainers and medical personnel were able to get him on a stretcher and off to a nearby hospital.

According to The Athletic, Gibbons suffered a concussion ... but was, thankfully, discharged from the medical facility later in the evening.

It's unclear how long Gibbons -- who's been reffing games in the NHL since 2015 -- will be sidelined with the injury.

Bam Margera's struggles with substance abuse put himself and anyone around him in harm's way ... at least according to the "Jackass" franchise director.

Jeff Tremaine -- who's shepherded the "Jackass" movies for years now -- claims in new legal docs he loves Bam like a brother, but says he's had a front-row seat to Bam's vices and it hasn't always been pretty.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Jeff says whenever Bam's intoxicated he's a danger to himself and others ... and he claims Bam's recent behavior has brought a dark cloud over the movie franchise.

Jeff's responding to Bam's lawsuit over his firing from the upcoming 'Jackass 4' ... as we first told you, Bam claims he was forced to sign an agreement that he claims amounted to psychological torture and got the boot when he didn't live up to the conditions.

In the docs, Jeff says Bam voluntarily signed the sobriety commitment agreement but stopped cooperating with his wellness program in July 2020 and began taking illicit amphetamines. Tremaine claims the "Jackass" fam tried to find a way for Bam to be in the movie, but Bam's wellness coach shut them down ... and Paramount Pictures ultimately dropped the ax.

As we've told you ... it's been a very rocky year for Bam, who has publicly beefed with the "Jackass" crew, with Tremaine even getting a restraining order against him.

BJ Penn knows what he wants to do with his life post-fighting career ... run the state of Hawaii, 'cause the UFC legend announced he's running for governor of The Aloha State!!!

42-year-old Penn -- a UFC Hall of Famer -- threw his hat in the proverbial ring (Octagon?) this week, and even laid out several policies he would immediately overturn.

"As soon as I step into Hawaii's Governor office I will remove all new federal and state mandates that have been hurting our economy, residents, and 'ohana," BJ wrote.

"We will get the best doctors, medicines, therapies, and health care the world has to offer to fight this pandemic and always keep Hawaii among the safest and healthiest states in the union."

Penn -- who last fought in the UFC in 2019 -- also vowed to ax the policy mandating people traveling to the state must be vaxxed, writing ... "We will get rid of all vaccine passports. Hawaii will be vaccinated with Aloha and unvaccinated with Aloha policy for everyone."

On masks? Similar deal.

"Same with the masks 😷. We will follow the constitution to the tee 👌. I am not here to fit in with the other politicians, I am here to get our freedoms back!"

Of course, BJ's had several run-ins with the law over the last few years ... but the MMA great isn't hiding from his past, addressing it head-on.

"I've made a lot of mistakes in my life but I would never run from a fight, or sell out my people."

Democrat, David Ige, is the current sitting gov of Hawaii. His term ends late next year.

Former NASCAR driver John Wes Townley attacked his ex-wife and another man with a hatchet just before he was shot to death ... this according to police.

It's all spelled out in new documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, which show cops say Townley showed up to his ex's house in Athens, Ga. on Oct. 2 and allegedly snapped.

In the docs, cops say Townley got to the home and attacked his ex, Laura Townley, and another man, Zachary Anderson, with a hatchet.

Police in the documents say, though, Anderson shot John in the altercation ... striking the former driver and accidentally hitting Laura, as well.

Cops say John was shot through the chest and later died from his injuries at a local hospital. Police added Laura was struck in the abdomen, but is expected to survive.

Cops say an investigation into the incident is still ongoing.

Police noted in the docs John and Laura had recently finalized a divorce.

Andrew Wiggins is making it clear -- he did NOT want to take the COVID vaccine ... telling media members Monday he felt like the NBA and the government "forced" him into getting the shots.

"The only options were to get vaccinated or not play in the NBA," Wiggins said. "It was a tough decision. Hopefully, it works out in the long run and in 10 years I'm still healthy."

The Golden State Warriors forward had fought tooth and nail to avoid getting the jab ... even at one point applying for a religious exemption with the NBA.

But, that was denied ... and with health officials in the Bay Area requiring anyone 12 or older to be fully vaxxed to attend indoor events -- Wiggins said he felt like he had no other choice but to take the vaccine.

"It's not something I wanted to do," Wiggins said after Golden State's preseason game Monday night. "But I was kind of forced to."

He added, "I guess to do certain stuff -- to work and all that -- I guess you don't own your body. That's what it comes down to. You want to work in society today, then I guess they make the rules on what goes in your body and what you do."

Despite getting the vax ... Wiggins told reporters he's hopeful others don't feel as much pressure as he did to take the shots.

"Hopefully there's a lot of people out there that are stronger than me and keep fighting and stand for what they believe," Wiggins said, "and hopefully it works out for them."

Fear not, Smash Mouth fans ... Steve Harwell's recent absence is due to health conditions, but he's on the mend and will soon hit the stage again.

A rep for the American rock band tells TMZ ... Steve had not been feeling well due to issues with cardiomyopathy and heart failure, which forced him to miss a few performances. Steve's had cardiomyopathy -- a form of heart disease where the heart muscle becomes enlarged and weak, making it difficult to pump blood -- since 2015.

Fans were speculating Smash Mouth fired Steve. Someone recently tweeted the band asking, "Hey @smashmouth did y'all replace your singer & not say anything?" Someone else wrote, "ok a couple things 1) @smashmouth did you really fire your singer and B) can I be your new singer."

The answer's an unequivocal "No" to all those questions. We're told Steve manages his heart condition with meds, but recently some issues came up and things needed to be adjusted. You'll recall he was rushed to the hospital in 2017 due to his heart condition.

The band's current singer is someone the band knows and was substituting for a few shows, but it's NOT a permanent move.

Rob Gronkowski ain't down in the dumps at all after busting up his ribs ... in fact, his "spirits are high" and he WILL be back this season better than ever -- so says his best pal Mojo Muhtadi.

The former WWE star and co-host of the "TMZ Sports" TV show on FS1 (airs nightly) said Monday he's been in talks with Gronk constantly since the Bucs TE was injured against the Rams on Sept. 26 -- and he raved over how the Bucs star is handling everything.

"His spirits are high," Rawley said. "If anything, he's probably a little bit more bored this week not being able to turn up and go full tilt."

"But, man, I'll tell you what, I don't care if he would have punctured both lungs, broke every rib in his body -- you can only keep that man down for only so long."

Rawley -- just like Tampa Bay themselves -- isn't sure when the 32-year-old will make his return to the field ... but he did make it clear, the injury is no threat whatsoever to ending Rob's career.

"It's going to take a lot more than that to stop Robbie G!" Mojo said.

That's got to be great news for Tom Brady ... 'cause in the first game without Gronk on Sunday against the Pats -- the star QB threw for just 269 yards and no TDs on 43 pass attempts.

"I'd say this is probably the sixth, or the ninth-most severe injury I've seen from Rob," Rawley said with a smile. "So, yeah, we're good. Don't worry about it."

Dog the Bounty Hunter believes Brian Laundrie is alive because his profile does not meet someone who is suicidal.

Dog appeared Monday on "TMZ Live" ... and he's convinced Laundrie has been hiding in the Florida Everglades where he's been searching.  Dog was quick to add Laundrie may have hightailed it out of there in the last few days, but he's adamant ... Laundrie's been there.

The famous bounty hunter does not think Laundrie's escaped to Mexico or South America ... he'd be a marked man, especially in Mexico.  Dog believes Laundrie is comfortable in the marshland ... noting he's a survivalist who has traversed the Appalachian trails for months at a time.

That said, Dog doesn't think Laundrie is doing well now because of the conditions and the amount of time that has elapsed since his disappearance.

Harvey & the gang talked about Dog's manhunt for Brian Laundrie in the latest TMZ Podcast.

An Idaho man collapsed and died during a marathon on Saturday ... just minutes from reaching the finish line.

He was just 22 years old.

Hayden Holman, from Sugar City, Idaho, was running with family members in the 26-mile St. George Marathon in Utah ... when tragedy suddenly struck near the end of the race.

Holman, according to officials, collapsed and stopped breathing -- but was revived by emergency personnel, who rushed him to a nearby hospital.

Unfortunately, he later died there.

Holman's stepmother, Karin Holman, told the East Idaho News that Hayden had spoken with loved ones just before he went down.

"He called (family members) when he was two minutes from the finish line to make sure someone was there to take a picture," Karin said. "But, he never showed up."

"Hayden was one of the most outgoing and nicest people," Karin added. "He loved everyone and wore his heart on his sleeve. He will be missed for a long time.”

A cause of death has not yet been revealed.

Holman -- who was a student at Brigham Young University-Idaho -- had just gotten married earlier this year. A GoFundme has been set up to help his wife, Charlotte, with funeral costs.

Tragic news ... MMA fighter, Justin Thornton, has died at 38 years old, just weeks after he was violently knocked out in an August fight.

Thornton was seriously hurt after Dillon Cleckler KO'ed him during a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event on Aug. 20.

The scene in the ring was very scary ... after taking multiple punches to the face, Thornton crashed headfirst into the mat and didn't move for several minutes.

BKFC officials confirmed Monday that Thornton -- who had reportedly been battling serious injuries from the fight -- has died.

It's unclear, however, if the KO had anything to do with the passing, as a cause of death has yet to be revealed.

"This morning we were very saddened to be notified of the passing of one of our fighters, Justin Thornton, who competed at BKFC 20 on August 20, 2021," BKFC president Dave Feldman said in a statement.

"We join the rest of the combat sports community in sending our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones."

Thornton had been professionally fighting for over a decade ... compiling a 6-18 record.

Shannen Doherty has prevailed in the lawsuit against her insurance company, which she claimed didn't want shell out money to build her a new home after a wildfire ... but it looks like they'll have to pay up now.

The '90210' actress just won her civil lawsuit against State Farm, which she filed last year ... saying the insurance giant refused to pay out enough money under her policy to restore her Malibu home from the ground up after it was damaged in the wildfires.

State Farm said her home had only suffered from residual smoke and simply needed a cleaning -- but Shannon begged to differ ... and after a trial, a jury agreed with her.

As for damages, her attorney, Devin McRae, tells us he'll be filing a proposed judgment consistent with the jury's verdict in the amount of around $6.3 million ... covering everything from the house rebuild itself to personal belongings she lost, as well as emotional distress and attorneys fees.

It's been a rancorous battle ... with mud-slinging back and forth, but especially toward Shannen, who said State Farm was trying to shame her for smoking in the past -- something she says she stopped after her cancer diagnosis.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley has a bone to pick with Bills Mafia ... calling out the diehard fan base for jeering at him during Sunday's home game for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

"Only place I get boo'd is at our home stadium," Beasley tweeted Monday. "Then some of the same people want me to take pictures and sign autographs. I thought bills fans were the best in the world? Where'd they go?"

FYI -- Highmark Stadium currently requires fans to have at least one shot of the COVID-19 vax in order to attend games.

The 32-year-old wideout has not gotten vaccinated against COVID-19 ... and seems to believe that he is being booed by the vaxxed fans at home as a result.

"If the vaccine works then why do vaxxed people need to be protected from unvaxxed? #letemin," Beasley added.

CB has been openly passionate about his decision to not get vaccinated, saying "I may die of COVID, but I'd rather die actually living."

A beat reporter for the Bills played devil's advocate and asked Beasley if the fans were actually chanting "Beaseeeeeeee?" ... to which Cole replied, "Some are. Then I got some right behind the bench yelling at me to get vaccinated and talking s***."

Bills fans have certainly had a lot to cheer about recently ... winning 3 straight games after dropping their Week 1 opener to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It doesn’t seem like this drama is going anywhere anytime soon ... that is, unless Beasley decides to get vaccinated.

But, the chances of that happening appear to be VERY slim.

Andrew Wiggins just made a nearly $15 million decision -- the Warriors forward has officially put his COVID-19 standoff to rest and is vaccinated, Steve Kerr confirmed Sunday.

The 26-year-old was previously hellbent against getting the jab ... saying he had nothing against other folks being vaccinated, but it was his personal decision to elect against it.

Considering the San Francisco Dept. of Public Health currently requires anyone 12 or older to be fully vaccinated to attend indoor events, Wiggins would have missed every Warriors home game this season -- and the paycheck that comes with it.

But, Kerr says the saga is over ... telling reporters the star decided to cave in and get the vaccine.

"Andrew got vaccinated," Kerr said. "He just told me today that he was fine with us acknowledging it and that will be the end of it. I'm not going to answer any questions beyond that."

As we reported before, Wiggins had applied for a religious exemption with the NBA ... which was denied.

Now that Andrew is vaccinated, the Warriors can put their focus on the upcoming season as they look to some noise in the Western Conference this season.

Bam Margera says he was photographed with a drink in his hand at a Florida casino, and it was part of a domino effect that ended with cops giving him a ride to a rehab facility.

The "Jackass" star tells TMZ ... he had spent 140 days in a facility in Arizona for his manic bipolar disorder before being transferred to an outpatient facility in Florida.

Bam says he was taking daily outpatient classes in Florida, where he was staying with a friend and relative, and his wife and son were coming to visit him ... but when their flight was delayed, he started killing time at a casino.

BM says fans posted pictures of him with what appeared to be a drink in his hand, and he believes a panicked loved one saw the images and alerted law enforcement. That person also claimed Bam threatened to jump off a bridge ... something Bam says was a misunderstanding.

TMZ broke the story ... deputies responding to a call about an emotionally distressed person at the Don CeSar Resort Hotel in St. Pete Beach encountered Bam and gave him a ride to rehab in the back of a cop car. He was NOT arrested.

A Texas pilot is lucky to be alive after his plane crashed into a massive store sign on the side of the road ... sending the vessel to the ground.

The incredible video -- taken Saturday in Winnie, TX -- shows the plane take off from Highway 124, clip a streetlight and then crash into a large sign before going down.

Local reports say the plane had been used in a parade as a float, and the pilot decided he would take off from the street to get back home. Luckily, the pilot was not injured in the crash, but the crash caused the street to be closed for several hours.

Brielle Biermann sounds like she's been through hell recovering from double jaw surgery -- both physically and mentally -- but she's staying positive ... with her sights set on Thanksgiving!!!

We got the "Don't Be Tardy" star at LAX, where she gave us an update on the gnarly procedure she had done in August to correct some major biting and breathing issues she's dealt with most of her life.

As you see ... Brielle's still in post-op mode with a splint in her mouth, and tells us she's several weeks away from being able to eat foods, like meatballs.

She says her limited diet's resulted in her dropping 15 pounds, but the silver lining -- if there is one -- is her doctor's instructing her to have a daily milkshake to get her weight back up.

Brielle says the recovery process has been incredibly challenging, and she's been feeling down lately ... what with missing her friends and socializing.