Terrifying Crash 5 Dead as More Than 100 Vehicles Pile Up On Icy Texas Highway

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More than 100 vehicles -- including dozens of 18-wheelers -- were involved in a horrific, and fatal, pileup on an icy North Texas highway.

The massive chain-reaction wreck unfolded early Thursday morning in Fort Worth on Interstate-35W -- slick road conditions spelled disaster as an 18-wheeler barreled into dozens of cars already piled up.

Video posted by a local CBS reporter showed the carnage that was spread out over more than a mile.

At least 36 people were reportedly rushed to hospitals with serious injuries. Some victims were hard to reach because vehicles were so mangled and stacked on top of each other.

At least 5 deaths have been reported.

Cops said this was a terrible weather-related accident after freezing rain and sleet fell overnight. There were 19 multiple-vehicle crashes just between midnight and 6 AM in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Kim Kardashian & Jeff Leatham Donate Flowers to Frontline Workers ... Early V-Day 'Thank-You'

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Kim Kardashian sent a flowery token of appreciation to hospital staff who've been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic for nearly a year now.

Sources with knowledge tell TMZ ... Kim had a photoshoot earlier this week for an upcoming project, with an abundance of gorgeous flowers on a set designed by celeb florist Jeff Leatham.

Instead of just tossing the flowers out after the shoot was over, we're told they whipped up dozens of bouquets and delivered them to frontline workers at the USC Verdugo Hills Hospital ... along with a thank-you note.

Hospital CEO Keith Hobbs presented the early Valentine's Day gifts to his staff, including RN Catherine Pradt and several others.

Hopefully, all the workers have time to stop and smell the roses this week ... they deserve it.

Colin Cowherd Hospitalized for Blood Clot In Lung ... 'Incredible Pain'

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Colin Cowherd was hospitalized Saturday night for what turned out to be a blood clot in his lung -- after a terrifying medical emergency at a restaurant.

The 57-year-old host of FS1's "The Herd" -- one of the biggest stars in sports talk -- says he was having dinner with his wife near his home in Southern California when he felt a sharp pain on the right side of his chest.

So, Cowherd phoned a friend who raced over, picked him up and sped Colin to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.

Cowherd says he was in "incredible pain" and was understandably scared -- thinking he may have come down with COVID.

Doctors told Colin he tested NEGATIVE for coronavirus twice during his hospital stay -- but noted they found a small blood clot in his right lung.

The clot was limiting Cowherd's breathing so doctors admitted him to a room and used morphine to control the pain.

"I was pretty much knocked out with morphine, a narcotic, for 16 to 18 hours," Cowherd said.

Now, doctors are trying to figure out WHY Cowherd suffered the clot.

"I'm waiting for the blood work," Colin said ... "I have no idea why it happened. I have been doing a lot of skiing at high altitudes, traveling, that could be it. We don't know. We’ll find out in a few days."

Cowherd says he's already feeling better -- noting he went on a 30-minute walk on Tuesday ... "which is amazing considering where I was 48 hours ago."

Cowherd says the goal is to return to his show as soon as possible -- but the focus is on his recovery ... and he shouted out FS1 and iHeartRadio for being incredibly supportive during this scary time.

Get well soon, Colin.

Gorilla Glue Hairdo I Finally Cut My Ponytail Off ... But My Scalp Still Burns!!!

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Tessica Brown, the woman who put Gorilla Glue in her hair, is one step closer to relief ... she managed to chop off her ponytail, but she's still got painful days ahead.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Tessica worked on her rock hard hair for 4 hours Tuesday night after work, and she needed a helping hand and some super glue remover to cut off her ponytail for a little bit of relief.

We're told Tessica and her friend used "Goof Off" superglue remover to try and rid her hair of Gorilla Glue, and as you can see they made some progress.

The process looks pretty painful ... Tessica's friend was able to get her ponytail gooey enough to cut it off in tiny chunks using a pair of household scissors.

But, we're told the hair on Tessica's scalp kept hardening and she's still planning to fly to Los Angeles to meet with the Beverly Hills doctor who says he can remove the rest of the adhesive spray product that started this whole saga.

Tessica joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday with a message for her haters ... she says she only put her saga on social media as a cry for help, and vehemently denies she's doing this for clout.

She added that all she wants is her hair fixed, because all previous attempts made her scalp burn intensely.

Tessica looks and sounds like she's been through a lot ... and told us why this nightmare will stick with her for the rest of her life. No bad pun intended.

NHL's Nils Hoglander Takes Slapshot To Face ... Blood Everywhere!

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Need further proof hockey players are some of the toughest people on the planet??

Vancouver Canucks winger Nils Hoglander was left a bloody mess after taking a puck to the face Monday night -- BUT HE STAYED IN THE GAME!!!

The terrifying scene all went down in the Canucks vs. Maple Leafs tilt in Toronto ... when in the first period, Jordie Benn threw a puck at the net that accidentally caught Hoglander right in the forehead.

Fortunately, Hoglander was wearing a visor ... but the force of the shot was so strong, it still cut the 20-year-old badly.

Check out the clip, Hoglander was bleeding so profusely from his nose and forehead area ... it covered his entire visor!

But, in true #HockeyGuy fashion ... Hoglander wiped it all away with his hand, and then returned to the game a short time later!!

Bad news ... Vancouver ended up losing, 3-1.

The good news? No doubting hockey players are still tough as hell!

Dr. Jerry Abraham Creates Awesome COVID Vaccine Model To Service Minority Communities

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I'M THE SQUEAKY WHEEL!

COVID vaccines are not making their way to underserved neighborhoods and it seems no one has figured out how to make that happen ... no one except Dr. Jerry Abraham.

Dr. Abraham runs the Kedren Community Health Center in South L.A., whose population is heavily black and brown. The County overlooked the Health Center in the vaccine distribution, but Dr. Abraham pounded on doors until he got their attention ... and the vaccines came.

The next hurdle was figuring out how to get South L.A. residents to the Health Center ... a tall order, given that many had no Internet to make appointments and no transportation. Dr. Abraham got all hands on deck and he and his staff went out to the community and helped people make appointments and then made sure they had a way of getting to the Center.

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BREAKING BARRIERS

He's also put his psychologist hat on ... explaining to residents why the vaccine was so essential.

The upshot ... he's created a model that can become a shining light of equity in the distribution of vaccines.

One other thing ... he's also made it a party, with music and dancing to make sure people don't get frustrated and scared and bail.

This model deserves national attention ... because it works.

Jennifer Lawrence Injured By Glass on Movie Set ... Eyelid Cut and Bled Profusely

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Jennifer Lawrence was injured on a movie set early Friday morning, after a "controlled glass explosion" went haywire ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the production tell TMZ, Jennifer was shooting "Don't Look Up" in Boston with Timothee Chalamet when they were filming the final scene at 1 AM. JLaw was inside a restaurant when a window was supposed to explode as part of the scene.

The explosion did not go as planned and we're told a shard of glass cut Lawrence's eyelid and it would not stop bleeding.

The extent of her injury is unclear, although we're told "it wasn't that bad." Nevertheless, we're told production was shut down for the scheduled Friday shooting.

The photos (above) were taken in the scene before the "controlled glass explosion" scene. The scene from the photos is where Jennifer and Timothee are kissing and snuggling on a mattress with a 6-pack of beer at the ready.

NFL Commish Roger Goodell To Joe Biden ... Use Our Stadiums As COVID Vaccine Sites

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Awesome gesture from Roger Goodell and the NFL ... the Commish is opening up all of the league's stadiums and urging Joe Biden to use them as COVID vaccine sites.

Goodell made the offer in a letter to POTUS on Thursday ... saying he and the league want to do everything they can to end the pandemic and promote vaccinations.

In the letter to Biden, Goodell said 7 NFL stadiums are currently being used as mass vaccination sites ... but he insisted all of the league's other facilities are more than ready to take on the task as well.

"We can expand our efforts to stadiums across the nation more effectively because many of our clubs have offered their facilities previously as COVID testing centers as well as election sites over the past several months," Goodell said.

"We look forward to further discussion with your administration as well as your partners in state and local governments to advance this effort."

The offer to the President comes just a few days after the NFL announced it's giving away 7,500 free tickets to this weekend's Super Bowl to vaccinated health care workers.

Huge props to the NFL for the moves.

Dustin Johnson Hits Bystander With 300-Yard Drive ... 'There'll Be A Nasty Bruise'

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FORE LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dustin Johnson's wayward tee shot Friday missed its target by so much ... it pegged a bystander right in the back -- but, thankfully, the dude somehow survived the golf ball attack.

The insane scene all went down in Saudi Arabia at the Saudi International golf tournament ... where DJ was teeing off on the Par 4, 10th hole.

Johnson -- the 2020 Masters champion who's known as one of the most powerful drivers in the game -- hit his shot and immediately saw it go left.

With no fans in attendance due to the pandemic ... no real issue, right?

WRONG -- 'cause somehow Johnson's tiny ball found the square of a man's back ... and the dude crumpled in pain!!!

FYI, this could have been disastrous ... people have been seriously injured by wayward shots on the course before -- remember in 2018 when a woman claimed her eyeball exploded after being hit by a Brooks Koepka shot??

Fortunately, the guy got up okay on Friday ... shaking off the stinger and rubbing his back.

"He's just fine," one of the announcers said ... before adding, "There will be a nasty bruise."

Ya think?!

Keyontae Johnson On-Court Collapse Not COVID Related ... Doctors Say

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COVID was not a factor when Florida Gators basketball star Keyontae Johnson collapsed on the court back in December, according to several prominent doctors.

The 21-year-old collapsed on the court during Florida's game against Florida State on Dec. 12. He was hospitalized in Tallahassee and later transported to the UF hospital in Gainesville. At one point, he was placed in a medically induced coma.

Johnson had tested positive for COVID months before the incident -- and there was rampant speculation the medical emergency was triggered by the virus somehow.

But, Johnson's family has just issued a statement saying the NCAA star's case has been analyzed by multiple doctors from top medical programs across the county ... and they've determined COVID did NOT have a role.

"The unanimous conclusion of all experts is that Keyontae's medical emergency was not related to or a result of a previous or current Covid diagnosis," the family said.

The family notes Keyontae's doctors consulted with physicians from the Cardiac and Vascular Institute of Gainesville, University of Washington Center for Sports Cardiology, Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Yale University School of Medicine.

As for what DID cause the incident, the family is not releasing that information at this point.

Meanwhile, Johnson was released from the hospital just before Christmas and has rejoined the Florida Gators basketball program -- though he's not expected to play anymore this season.

"He will spend the rest of the season focused on being the best coach and teammate he can be," the family says.

"What comes next for Keyontae is for him to share on his own timeline."

Before the incident, Johnson averaged 19.5 points per game and was a projected 1st round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

NBA's Meyers Leonard All Smiles After Shoulder Surgery 'I Will Come Back Stronger!!!'

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Good news ... Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard says his shoulder surgery was a success -- and now he's focused on getting his big ass back on the court!

The 28-year-old suffered an injury to his left shoulder during a January 9 road game against the Washington Wizards. The team described the injury as a "shoulder strain" but obviously it was more serious than that.

Leonard went under the knife on Tuesday -- and posted photos that appear to show him leaving the famous Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in L.A. with a smile on his face.

FYI, Leonard had previously undergone surgery on that same shoulder at Kerlan-Jobe in 2016.

This time, the 7-footer was in good spirits on his way out -- pulling down his COVID mask to smile for a quick pic.

The surgery likely means Meyers' season is over -- and it's unlikely he'll return to the Heat.

Still, Meyers is staying positive ...

"I truly do believe that God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers," Meyers said after the procedure.

"I'm blessed in so many ways and I will come back stronger from this. Thankful for a successful surgery and for everyone’s continued support."

Meyers immediately got support from his famous friends, teammates and even Miami Heat owner Mickey Arison who commented, "Good luck Meyers. Get well soon."

Meyers was a 1st-round pick in the 2012 NBA Draft -- and spent his first 7 seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers before being traded to the Heat in 2019.

During the offseason, he signed a 2-year $19.5 million free-agent contract to come back with the Heat ... but only the $9.4 million for this season was guaranteed.

UFC's Chris Weidman Lost 12 Pounds During COVID Battle ... 'Sucked Pretty Bad'

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UFC star Chris Weidman says he lost 12 pounds during his brush with COVID-19 --  mostly because he felt like complete dog crap and could barely eat.

But now, the 36-year-old insists he's out of the danger zone ... and will be ready to fight again in April.

The former middleweight champ initially tested positive last week -- forcing the UFC to pull him from the UFC 258 card on Feb. 13, when he was scheduled to take on #8 ranked Uriah Hall.

That fight has been pushed to April -- and Weidman says it's for the best, because COVID wrecked his body.

"The first couple of days definitely sucked pretty bad," Weidman told Submission Radio.

"For about 3 days I had a fever, body aches, bad headache, and it just kind of sucked. And, then after that, I just kind of felt tired."

Weidman says he suffered from bad headaches and was ultimately forced to take about 2 solid weeks off from the gym

"I also lost 12 pounds," Weidman says ... "I was eating soups and stuff. My appetite wasn’t that great and I ended up losing 12 pounds throughout the process. Which, I was like, wow, my weight cut is not gonna be as bad, I really got my weight low."

The good news, Weidman says he feels fully recovered now and ready to resume his fighting career.

"I feel good and I don’t feel like I have lingering effects because I really rested and made sure to do the right things."

Weidman is 15-5 as a pro -- with signature victories over legends like Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort.

Pats Owner Robert Kraft Surprises Health Care Heroes Take My Team Jet to Super Bowl!!!

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Since the Patriots won't be using the team jet during Super Bowl weekend (for once), Robert Kraft is packing it with health care heroes and flying them to the big game!!

The 79-year-old billionaire just surprised 76 frontline health care workers from the New England-area and invited them to be his special VIP guests for Super Bowl 55.

... and guess what, THEY ALL SAID YES!!!

"As guests of the Kraft family, these healthcare 'superheroes' will be granted an all-expenses paid trip to Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Fla., including roundtrip travel on the Patriots team plane," the team announced.

All 76 of the heroes have already been vaccinated, according to the Patriots. The team hopes to inspire others to get their vaccinations as soon as possible.

It's not the first time Kraft has used the Patriots team jet to fight COVID -- he famously sent it to China back in April to bring back more than 1 MILLION n95 masks.

"Last April, when our plane returned with masks from China, we never could have imagined the devastation this pandemic would cause, nor could we have dreamed of the heroic stories and achievements that have come to be as a result, especially the dedication of healthcare workers on the front lines and the creation of safe and effective vaccines," Kraft said.

"10 months later, it's an honor for us to celebrate these healthcare workers by giving them a well-deserved break for a day and an opportunity to enjoy the Super Bowl, a reality that is only made possible because of the vaccines."

"Once again, we want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all of the healthcare heroes who have risked their well-being to ensure ours. They are truly superheroes to us."

#Respect

SoulCycle Instructor I Was Wrong to Cut Vaccine Line ... Played 'Educator' Card!!!

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A suddenly infamous SoulCycle instructor is saying, "My bad" ... after calling herself an "educator" in order to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Stacey Griffith apologized Monday "from the bottom of my heart" after posting a picture of herself getting the highly sought-after vaccine. The 52-year-old later admitted she was eligible because she presented herself as an "educator" on vaccine sign up forms.

Upon further review ... she called the shady move a "terrible error in judgment."

In her since-deleted post ... Griffith -- who's taught the likes of Oprah and Kelly Ripa -- started her caption with, "VACCINE DAY! Step one of the Moderna magic!! One hour drive to STATEN ISLAND worth every minute! It takes a village."

Griffith even added, "Now I can teach @soulcycle with a little more faith that we're all gonna be OK."

Of course, some real school teachers are still struggling to get vaccinated in NY where there's a shortage.

NY is currently prioritizing people older than 65 plus teachers, school staff, in-person college instructors, child care workers, first responders, public transit workers, frontline workers and people working/living in group homeless shelters.

Yeah, fitness instructors? Even popular/famous ones? NOT on the list.

Even NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio seemed puzzled by Griffith getting the vaccine saying, "Doesn't sound like someone who should've gotten vaccinated to me."

Tony Bennett Battling Alzheimer's Disease ... Since 2016 Diagnosis

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Tony Bennett is revealing he's suffering with Alzheimer's Disease ... but he says he's been battling it since 2016.

The beloved singer revealed his diagnosis to AARP magazine ... and his family says there were warning signs well before doctors confirmed it. Like in 2014 when he and Lady Gaga got together to record "Cheek to Cheek." Tony's wife, Susan, said Tony was already showing clear signs of the disease back then. The duo went on to tour together in 2015.

Moments after AARP posted the article ... Tony tweeted, "Life is a gift -- even with Alzheimer's. Thank you to Susan and my family for their support, and @AARP The Magazine for telling my story."

Susan and Tony were open about some day-to-day struggles ... like when she had to tap Tony on the shoulder to remind him they were doing an interview while talking to AARP.

But, there's also reason to be optimistic. Dr. Gayatri Devi, the neurologist who diagnosed Tony back in 2016, says, "He is doing so many things, at 94, that many people without dementia cannot do. He really is the symbol of hope for someone with a cognitive disorder."

The world's pulling for ya, Tony.

Rob Gronkowski Surprises Health Workers with Super Bowl Tix ... Awesome Video!

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Rob Gronkowski channeled his inner-Oprah to surprise 4 healthcare heroes -- YOU'RE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL, YOU'RE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL ... EVERYBODY'S GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!!

The Tampa Bay Bucs superstar dropped in on 4 local healthcare heroes (via video chat) to deliver the good news ... that they've been hand selected by the team to attend the big game at Raymond James Stadium in person on Sunday.

The heroes include Mandy Mueske, Belinda Spahn, Woody Nixon, nurses who have been caring for COVID patients.

Heather Stegmeier is an infection control manager at AdventHealth -- who "educates and assists team members in obtaining and properly using personal protective equipment (PPE)."

And yeah, they're all STOKED about going to the game!!

"The first time the home team is the actual home team and I'm going to be there. I can't believe that," Woody Nixon said.

Mandy is pumped too -- especially since she's never been to a Bucs game before!

"I'm so excited! I watch games every Sunday. Go Bucs!"

The NFL says all 4 heroes will have completed their COVID vaccinations before being allowed into the stadium to watch Tom Brady and the Bucs take on Patrick Mahomes and the KC Chiefs.

Congrats!!!