Health

Ex-NBA commissioner David Stern suffered a "sudden brain hemorrhage" on Thursday and underwent emergency surgery, the NBA announced.

77-year-old Stern collapsed at the Brasserie 8 1/2 restaurant in Manhattan while dining on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Stern was rushed to a nearby hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

Stern served as NBA commish from 1984 to 2014. He famously shook LeBron James' hand when he was selected with the #1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.

He was the 4th NBA commish and current NBA commish Adam Silver was his protege.

The NBA hired Stern in 1980 as the Executive Vice President after he put in 2 years as the league's general counsel.

Stern famously implemented the NBA's dress code which required players to wear business casual attire to games. It also required players to wear a sport coat and dress shoes while on the bench (if that player wasn't active for the game).

Stern is married to Diane Bock Stern and they have 2 adult sons together, Eric and Andrew.

During his run as commish, Stern helped launch and grow the WNBA.

Ex-NHL star Tim Thomas is explaining why he vanished from the public after his retirement in 2013 ... saying he's been dealing with serious brain damage from a concussion.

45-year-old Thomas -- a 2011 Stanley Cup champ and Boston Bruins legend -- got emotional with reporters before his U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame induction on Thursday ... saying his everyday life was changed after a blow he suffered in his final season.

"I woke up the next morning after it and I couldn't decide what I wanted to eat, where I wanted to go," Thomas explained.

"I couldn't plan a schedule. I survived following the team schedule the rest of the year and just made it through that season."

Thomas said his condition worsened to the point where he moved to the woods to avoid speaking with people close to him ... and didn't watch hockey because he couldn't keep up with it.

"I couldn't communicate with anybody for a few years," Thomas said.

"I didn't call my dad. I didn't talk to anybody. There was a time period where I hated the game, so to speak ... My rebound effect was like, this wasn't worth it."

Thomas says he's gotten much better recently ... thanks to recovery methods like oxygen therapy and water with ionic minerals.

Great news for Terrelle Pryor ... the NFL star was walking on his own -- IN STYLE -- on his way into a Pennsylvania courthouse Thursday, less than 2 weeks after he was stabbed.

Pryor and his girlfriend Shalaya Briston were both scheduled to be in court to face criminal charges stemming from the Nov. 30 incident.

The hearing was lackluster -- the case was pushed to next week because prosecutors want more time to review evidence. According to WTAE, the NFL sent a representative to the hearing to monitor the case.

Pryor is still trying to continue his NFL career -- he was cut by the Jaguars before the 2019 season and was hopeful he'd get signed by another team before the stabbing.

If the NFL finds he violated the league's Personal Conduct Policy, he could face a suspension if he does get signed by a team in the future.

But, the most noteworthy event happened in the court hallway ... where Pryor was walking without assistance and even climbed stairs on his own.

Impressive, considering he ALMOST DIED from the stabbing -- and was hospitalized for several days after undergoing emergency surgery to save his life.

As we previously reported, Briston has been charged with attempted homicide and aggravated assault. Pryor was charged with misdemeanor simple assault.

According to the police report, a witness says Pryor attacked Briston and her friends first ... leading Briston to ultimately stab the NFL player in defense.

Harvey Weinstein has gone under the knife in hopes of alleviating his severe back pain and is now recovering.

The disgraced studio mogul underwent what's called bilateral laminectomy surgery Thursday at an NYC hospital. We're told the procedure lasted around 3 hours. The surgery -- better known as decompression surgery -- enlarges the spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves.

As we reported ... Weinstein could barely walk on his own when he headed to court last week. He needed help from 2 handlers. He's also needed assistance from a walker. You'll recall Weinstein's lead attorney said earlier this week HW would undergo surgery while also slamming haters who accused Weinstein of attempting to play the sympathy card.

Pure honesty from Larry Holmes ... who says his decades-old feud with Leon Spinks was real and mean, but he's praying for his old rival to fight through his current medical crisis.

If you know your boxing history ... you know Holmes had REAL animosity for both Leon and his brother Michael Spinks.

In fact, Holmes knocked out Leon in the 3rd round of their 1981 title fight -- only to get beat TWICE by Leon's bro Michael later in his career.

Now, with Leon fighting for his life in a Las Vegas hospital, we asked Holmes how he felt about the situation ... and his response was about as real as it gets.

"Leon was a fighter that ... if you ain't ready, don't get in the ring with him! Because he's ready. He fought hard, man."

Here's where things got real ...

"I didn't really like him as much as a fighter because he said some things to my wife that I didn't like," Holmes said ... "And, I held it back on him a little bit."

"But, when it came down to me fighting him, he was total different guy."

Holmes added, "You don't want to kick a man while he's down. That's what a lot of people want you to do, kill him while he's down. I don't want to do that. I'm not mercenary. I got in the boxing game to make money, to take care of my family. Not to hurt nobody."

"And, I hope that I didn't hurt him, but I probably was one of the guys that caused whatever problem that he's having now."

Illinois hoops star Kofi Cockburn was TRYING to celebrate after hitting a crucial shot Wednesday -- but accidentally clocked the ref in the face instead with a BRUTAL elbow.

In fact, the ref immediately dropped to his knees -- and was HOSPITALIZED for further treatment.

Cockburn -- 7'0", 290 lbs -- had just hit a put-back floater (and got the foul) in the 2nd half against Michigan ... and tried to celebrate with a big Tiger Woods-styled fist pump.

But, ref Lewis Garrison accidentally got in the way ... and took a BIG elbow right to the face.

Garrison dropped to his knees and had to be helped off the floor ... and after trainers checked him out at the stadium, he reportedly went to a local hospital for further evaluation.

Thankfully, doesn't seem Garrison's injuries are too serious ... it's reported the trip to the emergency room was for precautionary reasons -- but still, scary stuff!!

As for the game, Cockburn ended up leading Illinois to a huge 71-62 win over the Wolverines -- a massive upset.

Boxing legend Leon Spinks -- who famously beat Muhammad Ali in 1978 -- is fighting for his life in a Vegas hospital, TMZ Sports has learned ... and his wife is asking for prayers.

Details surrounding the 66-year-old's condition are unclear -- but we know his family and friends are very concerned.

In fact, Leon's wife, Brenda, went to social media saying, "Reaching out to ask you to kindly send some prayers out for my Beautiful Husband Leon so that he may overcome the obstacles that have crossed his path."

Spinks has fought back from serious medical situations in the past -- he was hospitalized in 2014 after a piece of bone from a chicken wing caused major damage to his intestines.

The boxer underwent several surgeries and spent weeks recovering at a rehabilitation center.

Spinks is a boxing legend -- he was inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017.

His 1978 victory over Muhammad Ali to win the heavyweight championship of the world is widely considered one of the greatest upsets in boxing history.

Spinks is also a military veteran who served in the U.S. Marines from 1973 to 1976.

Too sick to work ... but not too sick to bowl?!

That's the situation with Jets star running back Le'Veon Bell who was ruled out of Sunday's game with the flu ... but was healthy enough to go BOWLING the night before.

Obviously, some people feel if Bell was good enough to hit the lanes Saturday night -- the guy who just signed a 4-year, $52 million contract should tough it out and strap on the pads.

NY Jets head coach Adam Gase was asked how he felt about the Bell situation during a press conference Tuesday ... and it's pretty obvious he's annoyed as hell.

Gase told reporters it's bad optics for Bell -- but he won't punish the guy because the team can't exactly quarantine him.

"What am I going to discipline him for?" Gase said. "I can't tell him you have to stay in your house."

"I'd rather him not be [bowling]," Gase said ... "I'd rather him be at home just getting better."

Gase also explained he didn't want Bell coming to the team hotel either -- "The locker room was still contagious."

Gase said he'll speak with Bell about the situation later ... but now he's got bigger problems -- the Jets are playing the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday and we're guessing all Jets fans will feel sick to their stomachs after that game.

Harvey Weinstein's lawyer has his back, and not just in court -- she's making it clear the disgraced studio mogul's NOT faking back pain for sympathy, and will actually need surgery.

Weinstein's lead attorney, Donna Rotunno, says Weinstein's back problems have gotten worse and he's scheduled to undergo surgery this week to fix the issue. The back issue, Rotunno says, stems from a serious car accident in August, which also resulted in a concussion.

Rotunno says Weinstein's been using a walker to assist him as his pain's increased. You'll recall, last week Weinstein could barely walk out of court without help from a couple of handlers. Weinstein was widely slammed for attempting to play the sympathy card.

But, Rotunno came out swinging ... slamming haters by saying, "I was dismayed to see all the press coverage incorrectly stating that Mr. Weinstein was trying to garner sympathy at his court appearance."

She went on, "Prior to entering the court, he wanted to leave the walker in the car, so it did not appear that he was looking for sympathy as he is not. The press surrounding his physical condition is mean spirited and false."

Marie Fredriksson -- lead singer for the pop-rock duo, Roxette -- has died after a 17-year battle with cancer ... TMZ has learned.

According to her management group ... the Swedish musician passed away Monday. After being diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2002, Marie received aggressive treatment that was ultimately successful, allowing Roxette to return after a long hiatus and release new music.

However, Marie was advised by doctors to stop touring and focus on her health in 2016.

Roxette formed in 1986 and became an international sensation with their breakout #1 hit in 1989 -- "The Look."

The duo's success continued the following year with the single "It Must Have Been Love," which was featured on the soundtrack of the iconic Julia Roberts/Richard Gere rom-com, "Pretty Woman."

The group's other big hits include "Listen to Your Heart" and "Joyride." All in all, Roxette put out 10 albums to go along with 10 major tours.

Marie's management says she "leaves us a grand musical legacy." It says, "Her amazing voice – both strong and sensitive – and her magical live performances will be remembered by all of us who was lucky enough to witness them," adding ... "But we also remember a wonderful person with a huge appetite for life, and woman with a very big heart who cared for everybody she met."

Her former bandmate, guitarist and singer Per Gessle, says ... "Thank you, Marie, thanks for everything. You were an outstanding musician, a master of the voice, an amazing performer. Thanks for painting my black and white songs in the most beautiful colours. You were the most wonderful friend for over 40 years."

Fredriksson's survived by her husband and 2 children.

She was 61.

French Montana is back on the social circuit ... hitting up a hot WeHo restaurant Monday night ... resurfacing in public after a prolonged, scary hospital stay.

French grabbed dinner with his pal, Megan Thee Stallion, at Catch restaurant. They arrived and left separately.

TMZ broke the story ... French was rushed to the hospital last month with an undisclosed illness ... with symptoms that included severe stomach pain and an elevated heart rate. He believes the problems surfaced as a result of seriously overworking.

He was laid up in ICU for 7 days before being moved to a private room. In all, he was hospitalized for nearly 2 weeks.

Doctors have ordered French to bed rest for 30 days. He's allowed to grab some grub, but no working, traveling, exercising, performing or partying ... though, since his new album, "Montana," just dropped.

Ex-Boston College baseball player Pete Frates -- the man who inspired millions of people to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge -- has passed away at 34 years old, the school announced Monday.

Frates -- who served as team captain in 2007 -- was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease in 2012 ... and 2 years later, became the face of the worldwide campaign that raised more than $220 million for ALS research.

Frates didn't create the Challenge but was one of the first to do it -- and he's credited with being one of the most important factors in the Challenge going mainstream.

Huge names from Bill Gates to Lady Gaga to Alex Rodriguez participated in the fundraiser, which required people to dump freezing-cold buckets of water on their heads.

"Pete was an inspiration to so many people around the world who drew strength from his courage and resiliency," his family said in a statement.

"A natural born leader and the ultimate teammate, Pete was a role model for all, especially young athletes, who looked up to him for his bravery and unwavering positive spirit in the face of adversity."

"He was a noble fighter who inspired us all to use our talents and strengths in the service of others."

Frates had a successful career as an outfielder for the Eagles -- he had 11 home runs and set a modern BC record with 8 RBI in one game.

He went on to become the team's director of baseball operations in 2012.

The family is accepting donations to the Peter Frates Family Foundation in his honor.

"The Frates family wishes to express its sincere gratitude for the abundant love, kindness, and support we have been the recipients of during the past eight years."

The "wife" in the derided Peloton ad is taking the mockery in stride, and unlike the "husband" in the spot ... she says everyone's been cool to her about it, and she considers all the hubbub to be a positive thing.

The actress, Monica Ruiz, was out walking her dog Sunday when she was asked about all the backlash to the commercial ... and she pretty much laughed it off like it's no big deal.

Monica says everyone's been really nice to her since the ad started getting roasted online -- along with being labeled sexist -- and contrary to popular belief ... she feels really lucky to have been part of it.

She also says she saw the jabs "Saturday Night Live" took at the ad over the weekend ... and she thought it was all hilarious.

It's interesting, because the actor who plays the Peloton hubby, Sean Hunter, seems to be having the opposite experience of Monica's. He said he doesn't find the situation -- or the 'SNL' jokes --- to be all that humorous, because he's getting flooded with hate mail while the world laughs.

Of course, Sean wasn't recruited to be in an ad for Ryan Reynold's Aviation Gin to help make light of the controversy like Monica was ... so he kinda got the shaft there.

Juice WRLD, the talented young rapper and singer whose career was just taking off, is dead after suffering a seizure in Chicago's Midway airport ... TMZ has learned.

Juice's flight from California landed early Sunday morning and, after deplaning ... witnesses tell us he suffered the seizure while walking through the airport. Law enforcement sources say he was bleeding from the mouth when paramedics got on scene.

We're told Juice -- real name Jarad Anthony Higgins -- was still conscious when he was transported by Chicago Fire. However, he was pronounced dead a short time later at the hospital. The cause of death was determined to be an accidental overdose.

Juice WRLD's major-label career was just starting after he almost climbed to the top of the charts in 2018. His first huge hit came in summer 2018 with "Lucid Dreams" ... which made it to #2.

His song, "All Girls Are the Same," also became a hit when Lil Yachty was featured on the remix.

In fact, it was that song's success that drew the attention of Interscope Records ... which signed him to a multi-million dollar contract. One month after releasing his first studio album, "Goodbye & Good Riddance" ... Juice released the 2-track EP, "Too Soon," as a tribute to Lil Peep and XXXTentacion.

Juice also had a feature on Travis Scott's enormous "AstroWorld" album, singing the hook on the track, "No Bystanders."

Higgins' stage name was reportedly inspired by Tupac Shakur's performance in the 1992 film, "Juice."

Juice WRLD just turned 21 last Monday.

RIP

Ron Liebman, the award-winning actor who starred in 'Norma Rae,' has died in New York City ... according to his family.

Ron passed away from pneumonia on Friday in his hometown after a long and illustrious career on stage, film and TV.

He costarred with Sally Field as Reuben, the union rep who inspires the title character in 1979's "Norma Rae." He also had important roles in "Slaughterhouse-Five," "Night Falls on Manhattan" and "Garden State."

Younger audiences will recognize Ron as Rachel's often-disappointed dad on "Friends."

He won an Emmy in 1979 for his starring role in "Kaz" ... a short-lived drama he co-created and wrote -- and also won a Tony for "Angels in America: Millennium Approaches" in 1993.

Most recently, Ron was the voice of Walter, Malory Archer's husband, on the FX hit animated comedy, "Archer."

He's survived by his wife, actress Jessica Walter, whom he married in 1983.

A woman on a United Airlines flight got wayyy more than a trip from point A to point B ... ending her journey instead with burning pain from multiple scorpion stings.

The woman says she was on a flight from San Francisco to Atlanta Thursday morning. She says while in the air, she began to feel a stinging sensation on her leg and went to the restroom when it intensified.

The woman says that's when the scorpion dropped out of her pant leg, still alive, and scurried across the floor. It was eventually caught by flight attendants.

Paramedics met with her once the plane landed to tend to her multiple stings. Luckily she's going to be just fine.