Nurse!

NBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman violated her 21-day Ebola quarantine by making a secret run to a New Jersey restaurant ... sources connected to the investigation now confirm to TMZ.

As TMZ previously reported ... several people say they spotted Snyderman last week in the back seat of her Mercedes outside the Peasant Grill near Princeton University. TMZ has now confirmed ... New Jersey officials have investigated and determined Snyderman was indeed in the car, and someone from the NBC crew -- also under quarantine -- went inside the restaurant to pick up food.

We're told a third member of her crew -- also under quarantine -- stayed inside the car with Snyderman, who was wearing shades and had her hair in a ponytail.

The lapse on the part of Snyderman and her crew was enough for the New Jersey Health Dept. to turn the voluntary 21-day quarantine into a mandatory order.

But Stephanie Carey, the local health officer in Montgomery Township where the restaurant is located, tells TMZ there is absolutely NO health risk as a result of the quarantine violation. Carey says all members of the NBC crew are asymptomatic and therefore it is impossible for someone to contract Ebola even with direct contact.

Carey adds the restaurant is 100% percent safe. She says she even ate there today, and it was delicious.

As for NBC ... they are locked down tight as a drum. TMZ has attempted multiple times to get a statement, but they say they will not comment because of "privacy concerns." Since NBC has been reporting extensively on Ebola, quarantines and breaches, it's unclear why they consider this a private matter.

Boxing legend Leon Spinks -- who famously beat Muhammad Ali in 1978 -- is hospitalized in Las Vegas, TMZ Sports has learned ... and his friends say the situation is very serious.

Sources connected to the 61-year-old Olympic gold medal winner tell us ... Spinks underwent surgery this weekend for abdominal problems (his 2nd surgery for the issue) and there were complications during the surgery.

We're told the situation seemed dire at first ... but Spinks seems to be doing better.

Leon's wife issued a statement saying, "It's going to be a long road ahead, but he's strong and he's starting to recover."

Leon's good friend Tony Orlando -- the famous singer -- is asking people to "Please pray for my friend Leon Spinks" ... and said the boxer is "facing the greatest fight of his life."

Karina Smirnoff went down so hard during a "Dancing With the Stars" rehearsal ... she had to get lifted onto a stretcher and rushed to the hospital.

TMZ obtained video of EMTs whisking Smirnoff away after she bit it in practice ... suffering knee and wrist injuries. Watch the video ... Karina's clearly in pain, and her wrist is already wrapped up in an ice pack.

Sources close to the show tell us x-rays show she didn't fracture anything, but just in case ... producers are scrambling to find a replacement. Karina's already been voted out, but she still performs in each show.

Dr. Nancy Snyderman may have gone all home remedy to prevent Ebola ... because she may have made a very secret run Thursday to a New Jersey restaurant known for its soup ... thus violating her voluntary quarantine.

The NBC doc and her news team were placed on a 21-day voluntary quarantine as a precaution because one of the cameramen they worked with tested positive for Ebola.

But Snyderman reportedly violated the quarantine by going to the Peasant Grill in Hopewell Boro, New Jersey Thursday afternoon. Several people say they saw Snyderman in her Mercedes with shades and a ponytail as a man walked inside the restaurant to pick up some grub ... this according to Planet Princeton.

We're told the owners of the restaurant did not see Snyderman there.

The risk of Ebola for Snyderman and her crew is low ... nonetheless, the New Jersey Department of Health has now issued a mandatory quarantine for the group.

Someone connected to the restaurant tells TMZ ... the Peasant Grill is one of Nancy's favorite restaurants ... so much so she sometimes uses them to cater dinner parties.

NBC News will not discuss the matter, telling TMZ there are privacy concerns. We also left messages for Snyderman and her rep ... so far no response.

NBC got back to us and said they couldn't comment "due to privacy concerns." They added their team -- including Dr. Nancy Snyderman -- was deemed "low risk" and agreed to follow guidelines. According to the Health Dept. ... someone didn't.

NBC News -- which has scared the crap out of American citizens by warning them of the dangers of Ebola and the cautions that must be taken -- did exactly the opposite.

The New Jersey Health Department just revealed the NBC crew that had agreed to a voluntary 21-day quarantine after one of its cameraman tested positive for Ebola ... VIOLATED the quarantine.

It's pretty ridiculous ... NBC seemed almost breathlessly excited in reporting that it's people became part of the story.

Now the health department has laid down the law and ORDERED medical correspondent Nancy Snyderman and the other crew members to stay put and comply with the basic safety rules.

The person who tricked Amanda Bynes into flying to L.A. where she ended up in a mental ward is none other than the man who some say created life-threatening peril for a then-unstable Britney Spears.

TMZ has learned ... Sam Lutfi -- who Britney's parents say was recklessly medicating her before she was eventually strapped to a stretcher and taken to a psych ward in 2008 -- contacted Amanda Thursday and convinced her to sue her parents. He got her to fly to L.A. so he could hook her up with a lawyer.

Here's what Amanda DIDN'T know ... Lutfi was secretly working with Amanda's parents and it was all an elaborate ruse to lure her out so doctors could place her on an involuntary psychiatric hold.

We now have more clarification as to how Lutfi pulled it off. He told Amanda her car would be making 2 stops. First, to the lawyer's office in Pasadena and then to the London Hotel in West Hollywood where she would confront her parents and tell them about the lawsuit.

She never got to the London, because the driver went to a Pasadena hospital which looked like an office building. Amanda thought she was going to see the lawyer but when she walked inside she was surrounded by hospital staff.

TMZ broke the story ... Amanda was placed on a 72-hour psych hold which can be extended for 14 days. We're told during that time her parents will attempt to get another conservatorship.

Amanda Bynes just arrived in L.A. and went directly to a hospital outside L.A. ... where doctors placed her on an involuntary psychiatric hold.

We're told Amanda thought a car service was taking her to The London Hotel where her parents and their attorney were going to meet her. In fact the parents had made arrangements with the car service to take her to a Pasadena hospital instead ... where their lawyer, Tamar Arminak, was waiting with doctors.

We're told doctors placed her on a 5150 psychiatric hold, where she will be held for 72 hours. That hold can be extended for 14 days, and we're told during that time there will be a move to get another conservatorship.

Take a look at the video of Amanda arriving at LAX. She clearly needs help.

8:51 A.M. PDT -- The lawyer for Bynes' parents -- Tamar Arminak -- is responding to Amanda's tweets, telling TMZ ... "My clients are heartbroken by these false accusations. Their older children are also horrified at the situation."

Lynn Bynes denies her husband ever abused Amanda or any of their children, saying "Rick has been the best father and husband a family can ask for." She adds, "These allegations stem from Amanda's mental state at the moment. They have no basis in reality."

Amanda Bynes is fleeing New York City after learning her parents were planning to go to NYC to get her in a mental health facility ... TMZ has learned.

We're told Bynes first went to LaGuardia to get out of town but was ordered out of the Airport after screaming at a ticket agent. She was agitated that a flight wasn't immediately leaving. She then jumped in a car to make her way to JFK.

Our sources say ... Amanda's parents have been trying to reason with their daughter to get help for her condition, but Amanda has refused. We're told Amanda's parents had already made plans to put her in a specific facility and had reserved a room, provided they could get their daughter on board.

Amanda is now on the warpath against her dad, saying on Twitter, "He called me ugly as a child." She goes on to make an unsubstantiated sexual misconduct accusation.

She also says, "My dad was verbally and physically abuse (sic) to me as a child."

So far ... Amanda's parents can't find her.

Good news Lakers fans ... Nick Young's recovery from thumb surgery is going GREAT ... at least according to his superstar GF Iggy Azalea.

Iggy was at LAX yesterday and told TMZ Sports all about how she's pampering the NBA star while he's healing up at home -- starting with gourmet meals served up by Chef Iggy herself.

Besides dishing on Nick's post-surgery diet (lots of kids food) ... Iggy says Nick's found the silver lining in the whole ordeal -- HE'S LOVING THE EXTRA ATTENTION!

Fear of Ebola led to the scary scene in this video and it should be a lesson to everyone these days -- NEVER say "Africa" right after sneezing on a plane ... because you could be removed by men in hazmat suits.

A US Airways flight from Philadelphia landed in the Dominican Republic Thursday, and was immediately greeted by health officials after a passenger decided to make a stupid joke.

According to passengers the man sneezed and then said he'd just come from Africa. Flight attendants immediately reported it ... even though the man pleaded with them that he was only joking.

In reality he had NOT been to Africa, and as he was removed he said ... "I ain't from Africa. S**t!"

Dumb joke to make, and his fellow passengers were not amused. You can see them hurling taunts and boos as he walks off the plane.

Ex-NFL star Larry Johnson has been sued by the man he allegedly ATTACKED WITH A BROKEN BOTTLE at a Miami hotel ... claiming LJ is a violent thug who scarred him for life.

TMZ Sports obtained the lawsuit filed by Drew Johnson -- a club promoter who says he was "minding his own business" in the VIP section of the club inside the Delano hotel on Oct. 7th when he was attacked by a "heavily intoxicated" LJ.

Drew claims LJ "broke a bottle and then began using the bottle as a weapon, cutting [Drew] with the intent on causing serious bodily injury."

As we previously reported, Drew required several stitches to close the gash on his arm he claims he sustained during the fight.

In the suit, Drew points out he's only 5'8", 150lbs ... and LJ is 6'2", 230 lbs ... and explains he couldn't have provoked the fight because "no one in their right mind would pick a fight or get into an altercation with [Johnson]."

Drew says he's suffered physical pain, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, physical scarring and disfigurement and medical expenses ... and he's demanding more than $15k.

As for LJ, he was arrested for aggravated battery -- and was released on $7,500 bail.

We reached out to Larry for comment -- so far no word back.

Iggy Azalea was standing by her man Monday ... even when he couldn't ... escorting Lakers star Nick Young out of a medical building following surgery on his thumb.

Besides his GF, Nick's parents were also there as he was wheeled into a waiting ride in L.A. -- after undergoing surgery to repair the torn radial collateral ligament in his right thumb.

Despite the fact he'll be out for 8 weeks, we're told Young was still smiling on his way out of the surgical center ... possibly because he'll still be raking in paychecks from his new 4-year $21 million contract.

That'll make ya feel better.

Michael J. Fox's foundation is attacking a Parkinson's lab for destroying tens of thousands of critical samples ... and setting back much-needed research in the process.

The Foundation claims in a new lawsuit ... Coriell Institute exposed more than 25,000 specimens to the elements by leaving a freezer door open. The samples were supposed to be kept at negative 80 degrees Celsius but all of the bio-specimens thawed ... ruining them.

Michael's group claims the 5-year project is now seriously compromised ... and they're out more than $3 million precious dollars.

Your first reaction to watching Amanda Bynes ride a bicycle haphazardly through the streets of Manhattan might be to laugh ... but this is going to end badly unless she gets some help ... STAT.

Bynes was spotted this weekend riding a Citi Bike ... where she nearly took out a few pedestrians as she sloppily rode through a crosswalk. The video was shot right near Penn Station ... one of the more heavily trafficked parts of the city.

Early Monday morning, a Twitter account believed to belong to Bynes posted a photo of a lit cigarette that appears to be weed ... but Bynes loves to say how she doesn't smoke pot. And if you believe that, we have a bridge we'd like to sell you ...

As TMZ first reported, Bynes flew from L.A. to N.Y. on Friday and her behavior was all over the map. Amanda's friends all think Amanda needs help ... or else she might wind up in serious trouble.

Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Tom Johnson was TASED by cops at a Minneapolis nightclub ... BECAUSE PEPPER SPRAY DIDN'T STOP HIM ... this according a police report obtained by TMZ Sports.

Johnson was arrested early Sunday morning at Seven Steakhouse Sushi Ultralounge Skybar -- where he was allegedly causing trouble around 3AM.

According to the police report, Johnson was told to leave the building -- but refused ... so cops decided to break out the pepper spray.

But Johnson -- 6'3", 288 lbs -- wasn't fazed ... so cops broke out the stun gun.

He was eventually taken into custody and booked for disorderly conduct and trespassing.

Johnson posted $78 bail -- and was released later that day. He's due back in court on Oct. 17.

Mariah Carey struggled to get through the first night of her tour Saturday evening in Japan ... with her voice giving out -- and the video is PAINFUL to watch.

Carey kicked off her Elusive Chanteuse World Tour in Tokyo ... and based on the video -- as well as multiple others online -- it's clear she couldn't hit the high notes she's famous for.

During some portions of the concert, it seemed like Mariah forgot the lyrics ... however it's possible her microphone gave out -- since the stand broke during her performance of "We Belong Together."

Heartbreaker.