Panthers, Patriots Brawl At Joint Practice ... Fan Injured In Melee

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The Patriots and Panthers' joint practice Wednesday looked more like a WWE match ... 'cause the two teams got into a huge brawl -- and the skirmish was so big, a fan was actually injured in the melee.

The fight initially started after Carolina star running back Christian McCaffrey was pissed over a tackle Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. put on him during 11-on-11 drills.

The 26-year-old got up after the hit and threw the ball at the Pats D-lineman ... and that's when all hell broke loose.

Video shows a bunch of Panthers players going after Wise and his teammates right near fans who were sitting in the bleachers -- and, at one point, players were thrown into the spectators.

According to Pat's reporter Tom Curran, a woman sitting in the stands was injured after one of the players' helmets hit her foot.

She reportedly refused any medical help, and did get an offer for tickets to a game later this season.

This is the second brawl between the Panthers and Pats this week -- on Tuesday, several players, including Pats' Kendrick Bourne, Kristian Wilkerson, and Panthers' Kenny Robinson, went at it.

Their preseason game on Friday just became a must-watch!

Ironman Athlete Brian Kozera Dead At 44 After Bicycle Crash ... In Pennsylvania

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Ironman athlete Brian Kozera -- who was also a police officer and cancer survivor -- has tragically died at 44 years old ... after he was involved in a terrifying bicycle crash while he was training for an upcoming competition.

Kozera -- a 16-year veteran of the Norristown Police Dept. -- passed away after he struck a car on Saturday while he was biking in Caernarvon Township, PA.

According to a crash report, obtained by TMZ Sports, at around 9:48 AM ... Brian ran a stop sign and hit the passenger side of a pickup.

Kozera, according to the docs, was thrown from his bike and ended up being caught in the car's rear wheel. Cops say he was transported to a nearby hospital, but died from the injuries he suffered in the accident.

Kozera had been training for the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii in October 2022 ... according to a statement from the Norristown Fraternal Order Of Police Lodge 31.

In 2014, Kozera was diagnosed with a rare cancer called Lymphocyte-depleted Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He later beat it in 2015 -- and said his battle with the disease gave him the push to become an Ironman athlete.

Kozera was slated to compete in three more events leading up to the competition in Hawaii ... before his untimely death, according to his blog.

Brian is survived by his wife and three young daughters.

R.I.P.

Ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes Left Bloodied After Coyote Attack ... On California Trail

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Dean Karnazes -- a famous ultramarathon athlete -- was terrifyingly attacked by a coyote during a run on a California trail this month ... and the incident was so bad, it left him with a bloody face.

The 59-year-old went into detail about the encounter in an IG video ... saying he was running in Marin Headlands when a coyote ambushed him.

"I just had something rather terrifying happen," Karnazes said. "I'm out on a 150-mile trail run and I got attacked by a coyote."

"That's a first. It knocked me over and thankfully I'm running with poles so I whacked it and it ran away."

But, Karnazes did suffer injuries ... you can see in his selfie video he had blood all over his mouth, chin and shirt.

"Not sure what I’m gonna do," he said in the clip. "I guess I gotta keep going or else it'll probably come back for me."

After the experience, Karnazes -- who has won the Badwater Ultramarathon and Vermont Trail 10 Mile Endurance Run -- advised people to stop feeding coyotes on the trail, with the hopes it'll keep the wild animals further away from runners.

"If you see someone feeding a coyote, please say something," Karnazes said.

"The local Rangers are doing the best they can, but we trail runners are out in these areas more than anyone. Thank you. It's best for everyone, coyotes included. #letwildlifebewild"

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

FYI, this ain't the first time Karnazes has been attacked by a wild animal -- he also said on his social media page that he's had a scary run-in with a shark in the past as well.

"I've been attacked by a shark, and now a coyote," he said. "Both incidents were terrifying."

Karnazes has competed in several running and swimming events throughout his career -- in fact, he swam across the San Francisco Bay and ran a marathon in every state in the U.S. for 50 consecutive days in 2006.

He's also a columnist for Men's Health and the author of "Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner."

Speedy recovery, Dean!

Motley Crue Concert Fan Apparently Falls from Upper Level ... Rushed to Hospital

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Motley Crue is known for their wild antics...but things really got out of control at their Indianapolis concert Tuesday night ... a fan was lying motionless on the ground after apparently falling from the upper level.

TMZ has obtained video of people at the show gathered around the man and tending to him as the legendary '80s rock band was belting out their classic, "Looks That Kill." A witness told us there was a puddle of blood around the victim.

The Indianapolis PD says they assisted an injured person, who was "awake and breathing." Cops confirmed they were investigating whether the man was extremely intoxicated, leaned over the railing and fell from the upper level to the lower level. His condition is currently unknown.

Motley Crue was headlining a classic rock concert with Def Leppard, hitting the stage at Lucas Oil Stadium around 9:30 PM. The fan took the spill from the upper level about 45 minutes into the band's set.

People in the crowd jumped to their feet and gasped as they realized what happened. Police and paramedics arrived quickly, placed the man on a gurney and wheeled him out of the stadium.

Motley Crue seemed oblivious, completing their set and walking off stage at about 11 PM. To be fair, the band may not have gotten word about what happened. The stage was pretty far away from where the alleged accident occurred.

We've reached out to Motley Crue for comment ... so far no word back.

Anne Heche Desperate 911 Call from Crash Scene ... Someone is Trapped

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Anne Heche was trapped in her vehicle as fire quickly spread and onlookers worked desperately to get her out ... and the panic plays out in the 911 call from the scene.

The caller -- who appears to be a neighbor of the home Anne crashed into -- tells the dispatcher Anne's car went through the home "very fast." At first, it doesn't appear the caller is aware of the fact Anne is trapped in the car, but you can hear people yelling in the background making it clear that someone is in trouble.

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The call gets much more desperate when smoke starts to surround the vehicle -- and the caller works to get a water hose to the crash scene.

You can start to hear sirens in the background as the caller states the smoke is getting really black and fire breaks out ... and there's more shouting in the background about someone being trapped.

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TMZ broke the story, it was August 5 when Anne crashed into the home -- an event that put her in a coma and eventually killed her. Law enforcement sources told us the actress had cocaine and possibly fentanyl in her system at the time of the crash.

Anne was declared brain dead Friday and taken off life support on Sunday, a medical team worked to harvest some of her organs for donation.

Deion Sanders Gifted Fake Toes For Birthday ... 'Y'all Got Jokes'

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Deion Sanders is feeling "complete" on his 55th birthday ... 'cause the NFL legend hilariously got hooked up with some new fake toes to replace the appendages he had amputated this year!!

The Jackson State football HC got the gag gift from his pal, Sam, on Monday ... and shared the whole gift-giving on his Instagram story.

The Hall of Famer was chilling in the JSU facility when Sam handed over some massive rubber feet ... which featured veins to make 'em look real.

Sanders -- who had two toes cut off earlier this year -- didn't get pissed about the personal jab ... instead, he laughed it off and said, "I like that!!

"Y'all got jokes!! Thank you. I really feel complete now."

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But, Sam better watch his back ... Sanders clapped back, "I'mma kick some butt today, starting off with you Sam."

As for the color of the feet -- Sam says Deion had previously joked he wanted two white prosthetic toes ... so he figured he'd do his part.

As we previously reported, Sanders had to get surgery on his left foot due to a longtime injury he suffered during his 14-year NFL career.

He got the procedure done last fall, but suffered complications and had to go under the knife eight more times ... including removing two toes in March.

Sanders has been in good spirits since -- from dancing to working out and celebrating his 55th birthday on Aug. 9.

Happy (belated) bday, Primetime!

Ezra Miller Getting Help for 'Complex Mental Health Issues'

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Ezra Miller is finally addressing what many have believed were significant mental health issues ... this after months of erratic behavior and run-ins with the law.

The 'Flash' star apologized Monday for their bizarre antics and confirmed they're getting help for some significant problems.

Ezra says, “Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment."

Ezra goes on, “I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.”

Ezra has had a mountain of legal troubles of late ... getting arrested several times in Hawaii and Vermont.

Ezra's latest brush with law enforcement came just last week when they were accused of burglarizing a Stamford, VT, home, from which they allegedly swiped several bottles of booze.

And, back in April 2020 ... Ezra was seen on a viral video CHOKING a woman at a bar in Reykjavik, Iceland ... Ezra was not charged for that incident. Ezra's also been accused of keeping an 18-year-old away from their own family, and bringing them around the country.

Ezra was busted in Hawaii back in March after getting into it with bar patrons, and then with cops during transport to jail.

For the past couple of months, Ezra's team of agents and close friends has been trying to get the actor back on track, but nothing seemed to work.

Warner Bros., the studio producing the $200 million 'Flash' movie scheduled for release next June, has reportedly been encouraging Ezra to get help.

It now seems Ezra is listening. Fingers crossed.

Author Salman Rushdie Attacked On Stage Stabbed in Neck

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UPDATE

9:41 AM PT -- A spokesperson for the NY State police tells TMZ Rushdie was stabbed in the neck, he also suffered a minor head injury His condition is not yet known.

Novelist Salman Rushdie, who has received death threats for years because of his work, was just attacked and possibly stabbed during an event.

The author, who was formerly married to "Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi, was set to give a speech Friday at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. Reports say Rushdie was on stage, when someone jumped up and struck him multiple times. Reports say Rushdie was stabbed during the incident.

His current condition is unknown, but the attacker has reportedly been taken into custody.

Rushdie's novel, "The Satanic Verses," sparked tons of controversy in the 80's ... with the book getting banned from Iran for being deemed blasphemous, as it had references that mocked the Prophet Muhammad and Islamic culture as a whole.

In 1989, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini called on Muslims to kill the Indian-born writer and his publishers because of what he wrote.

Originally Published -- 9:05 AM PT

Anne Heche Cops Investigating Crash as Felony DUI

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Anne Heche's horrific crash into a California home now has the potential to land the actress into even deeper legal trouble ... she's now under investigation for felony DUI.

LAPD sources tell TMZ ... they've now upped the investigation to a felony because the woman inside the home Anne barreled through with her Mini Cooper claims she was injured -- suffering cuts requiring medical treatment.

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Cops believe Anne was driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol ... because she was driving erratically and recklessly, hitting a garage and a parked car before slamming into the home.

Cops also took note of a photo of Anne in the car just before the crash, with what appeared to be a bottle of alcohol in a cup holder.

Anne's rep says the actress is still fighting for her life ... she lost consciousness shortly after the crash, and has been in a coma ever since.

TMZ broke the story, Anne almost struck a woman before hitting another vehicle and crashing into a garage in the moments leading up to the fiery explosion.

Heche was pulled from her car as it burned and loaded onto a stretcher by paramedics. The vehicle was left a smoldering pile of metal.

Brett Favre I Had 'Thousands' Of Concussions ... In NFL Career

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Brett Favre says based on everything he's learned since he's retired, he believes he suffered "thousands" of concussions in his NFL career.

The Hall of Famer explained his theory on The Bubba Army radio show this week ... after he was asked how many serious head injuries he had while playing QB in the NFL.

Favre said if he had gotten that question a few years ago -- he would've said just three. But, after digesting recent studies on concussions, the 52-year-old believes the number is now actually in the four-figure range.

"Concussions happen all the time," Favre said. "You get tackled and your head hits the turf, you see flashes of light or ringing in your ears but you're able to play -- that's a concussion."

"So, based on that, [I've suffered] thousands," he continued. "Had to be, because every time my head hit the turf, there was ringing or stars going, flash bulbs ... but I was still able to play."

Favre was obviously never formally diagnosed with that many -- but he certainly did hit the turf a lot in his 20-year career. In his stints with the Falcons, Packers, NY Jets and Vikings, he was sacked 525 times just in regular season games alone.

One of Favre's scariest head injuries came in a 2004 game against the Giants ... when the Packers star threw a touchdown pass to Javon Walker after hitting his head -- something he didn't remember doing, according to then-Giants QB Kurt Warner.

"That's what's kind of frightening about the concussion thing -- it's the ones that seem minor that do the damage 'cause you're able to play and keep going," Favre said.

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Favre has now famously become an advocate for head injury awareness -- pleading for a ban on youth tackle football in order to protect young brains.

'Insecure' Star Denise Dowse in Coma After Case of Meningitis

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Actress Denise Dowse, famous for her roles on "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Insecure" is currently fighting for her life in a coma, TMZ has learned.

Denise's sister, Tracey, revealed the news late last week, saying, "I am requesting support and prayers be offered me and my sister, and my only immediate family Denise Dowse."

Tracey continues, "She is currently in the hospital in a coma brought on by a virulent form of meningitis. Her doctors do not know when she will come out of the coma as it was not medically induced."

It's unclear where Denise is currently hospitalized, but Tracey says her sister should have many years ahead of her, and all thoughts, prayers and support are greatly appreciated.

Denise played Dr. Rhonda Pyne on "Insecure" from 2017-2020 and has had roles in "Coach Carter" "Grey's Anatomy," "Good Trouble" "The Guardian" and "Rocket Power" throughout the years.

Many fans will recognize her for her 10 years on "Beverly Hills, 90210" where she played Mrs. Yvonne Teasley.

We spoke with Tracey Tuesday who said Denise's condition remains the same.

Little League Baseball Batter Drilled In Head By Fastball ... Comforts Pitcher Afterward

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Touching moment in a Little League World Series regional tournament on Tuesday -- a batter comforted an opposing pitcher after the kid accidentally drilled him in the head with a fastball.

The scene all went down in the first inning of the Texas East vs. Oklahoma matchup in Waco, Texas ... when Isaiah Jarvis was at the plate squaring off with Kaiden Shelton.

On the third pitch of the at-bat, a fastball got away from Shelton, and plunked Jarvis right in the side of his forehead.

Jarvis immediately crumpled to the ground in pain -- but he was able to shake it off after his helmet absorbed most of the blow.

Shelton, though, was so rattled by the wild pitch, he broke down on the mound. Video from the stadium shows he was in tears, and needed a few moments to collect himself.

That's when Jarvis walked over from first base to tell him he was fine. Field microphones also picked up the Little Leaguer adding, "Hey, you're doing just great."

Shelton ended up leaving the pitcher's mound to go play in the infield -- but Jarvis' gesture was clearly appreciated by everyone watching, including the game's announcers.

As for how the contest ended up -- it's currently still pushing forward, with Shelton's Texas East team leading 9-4 in the fourth inning.

Jockey Taiki Yanagida Dead At 28 ... Horrific Horse Racing Accident

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Awful news in horse racing ... jockey Taiki Yanagida -- known as "Tiger" -- has passed away days after he fell and was trampled during a race in New Zealand.

Taiki was only 28.

The accident occurred last Wednesday during the last race at Cambridge Jockey Club ... when the Japanese jockey fell off his horse, Te Atatu Pash, about 250 meters from the post, where the race begins, according to the NZ Herald.

Yanagida -- who lost his helmet in the fall -- was rolled on by his own horse and then trampled by another following closely behind.

The jockey suffered serious brain and spinal injuries and was transferred to the Waikato Hospital where he was placed into an induced coma.

Unfortunately, Yanagida never recovered ... he died on Tuesday. Taiki is the first jockey to die in a race fall in New Zealand since 2016.

"He was such a wonderful young man," Yanagida's racing manager, Ted McLachlan, told the Herald.

"It really is a tragedy and so hard to watch what his mother and sister here have had to go through.

"This will really hurt the other people in the industry because Taiki was so popular."

Yanagida raced in New Zealand for several years and rode over 160 winners since 2017.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing CEO Bruce Sharrock also expressed great sadness at the loss.

"Our deepest sympathies are with Taiki’s family – his mother Kayano, sisters Chiaki and Ayano, and his grandmother," Sharrock said.

"We share their grief at the loss of such a talented, friendly, and well-liked young man."

R.I.P.

Chris Sale Breaks Wrist In Bike Accident ... Out For Season

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Chris Sale's awful season just got a whole lot worse ... the Boston Red Sox revealed on Tuesday he suffered a broken wrist in a bike accident over the weekend and is now done for the rest of the year.

Sale -- who was nursing a finger injury that he sustained after taking a line drive off his hand on July 17 -- had been riding his bike on Aug. 6 when the accident happened, according to the team.

The 33-year-old was diagnosed with a "right distal radius fracture" ... and the Sox said he had to undergo surgery on Monday in Massachusetts to fix the issue.

Sale will now miss the rest of the season, but Boston said it expects him to be ready for Spring Training next year.

This year is certainly one the lefty pitcher would love to forget -- after starting the season on the injured list with a ribcage injury, he had an infamous meltdown in a rehab assignment, and then broke his finger just a few days later.

Here's to hoping 2023 goes smoother ... get better soon, Chris!

China New, Potentially Fatal Langya Virus Detected ... Cause For Alarm Overseas

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No, this isn't deja-vu ... China has discovered a new, potentially fatal virus within its borders, which experts say could trigger yet another pandemic.

The Langya Henipavirus, referred to as "Langya," has already infected 35 people, according to Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control ... it's in the same family as the Hendra virus and Nipah virus.

While none of the patients have died or suffered serious illness, it's a virus that hasn't infected human beings prior to this outbreak ... so there are a lot of unknowns.

Being under the Henipavirus umbrella, it has the potential to do some serious damage ... WHO data classifies Henipavirus with a 40-75% fatality rate.

The symptoms might look all too familiar -- fever, headache, cough, fatigue, etc.

A report by the New England Journal of Medicine says the infected patients had a history of being in contact with animals ... however, it's now possible the virus has already been transmitted from human to human.

Covid, Monkeypox, and Langya -- oh my!!!

Ashton Kutcher I Had A Super Rare Autoimmune Disease ... Threatened Hearing and Sight

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BATTLING BACK

Ashton Kutcher hit up Dodger Stadium for a good cause ... and he arrived as his episode with Bear Grylls dropped, revealing he went through a serious health battle a couple of years back ... a battle that threatened his hearing and sight.

Before Ashton and Mila Kunis took to the stadium Monday night, the actor's episode of "Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge" showed the guy fought an autoimmune disease 3 years ago.

He tells Bear he battled vasculitis, which is a rare disease that inflames blood vessels, making it difficult for blood to flow.

While he says it was hard for him to see and hear, he decided to find the positive in it -- saying he's lucky to be alive and believes life is fun when you see obstacles as things designed to get you where you need to be.

Not long after the airing, Ashton and Mila were in Dodgers territory for Ping Pong 4 Purpose ... which is aimed to help turn at-risk kids and neighborhoods around, working with pitcher Clayton Kershaw and his wife Ellen's org, Kershaw's Challenge.

Ashton and Mila were just a few famous faces in attendance -- Will Ferrell, Mario Lopez, Lisa Leslie, Rob Lowe, Gabriel Iglesias, Brad Paisley, and Pete Wentz were there, just to name a few.

The guy also took to the beach over the weekend with Mila, enjoying his time in the sun.