No Doubt's Adrian Young Suffers Nasty Cut to Hand ... Going Into Surgery

Published | Updated

The longtime drummer for No Doubt is going to be on the mend for a while -- 'cause his hand was all cut up, leaving him with a gnarly gash that'll take time to heal ... no doubt about it.

Adrian Young -- who's performed in the band for years -- suffered the injury Saturday at his home while preparing for dinner. Sources familiar with the situation tell us he was holding a glass in his hand when he tripped ... and the whole thing shattered in his palm.

As you can see from his graphic photo ... the cut ended up being pretty deep, as 2 big pieces of glass made their way inside. He was taken to the ER right afterward.

Crazy enough, the docs weren't able to get the glass out right then and there ... and actually recommended he undergo surgery to remove it all. So, that's what he's doing now ... preparing to go under the knife, in what we're told is a relatively minor procedure.

Our ND sources say Adrian's hopeful this will work itself out, and that his drumming career can resume. No word on how long he'll be out of commission for just yet.

VP Kamala Harris I'm the Captain (For) Now!!! While Biden Goes Under

Published | Updated

VP Kamala Harris is making history by getting a little taste of POTUS power, courtesy of President Joe Biden getting his colon checked out.

Remember the date ... Nov. 19, 2021 now marks the first time a woman's had Presidential power in the United States.

The Prez waved to reporters as he headed to Walter Reed Medical Center Friday morning for a routine checkup, which included a colonoscopy and required him to be under anesthesia.

The White House confirmed Biden did temporarily transfer power to the Veep while he underwent the procedure. To be clear, she wasn't sworn in as Prez ... she just had the legal right to make all decisions in place of POTUS.

Yeah, it's only for like 30 to 40 minutes, but still kind of a cool moment in history. Keep it in mind ... you'll win a trivia contest someday.

As for what VP Harris did with all that power? Not much, as far as we can tell -- she was NOT out and about Friday morning. Thursday she did host meetings with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Mexican Prez Lopez Obrador ... after they'd met with Biden.

We're guessing POTUS was busy doing his colonoscopy prep. NOT a great time for state dinners!!!

Joe Exotic Transferred to Fed Medical Center While He Battles Cancer

Published

Joe Exotic is going across several state lines as he continues to battle an "aggressive cancer," and while he's still in federal custody ... his new home will help cope with his condition.

Federal prison officials tell us Joe was transferred from FMC Fort Worth, TX to FMC Butner in North Carolina Tuesday. According to its website, Butner provides "extensive medical services" with a full hospital and cancer treatment facilities.

As we reported, Joe recently had a biopsy performed on his prostate which revealed an "aggressive cancer." It was late summer when Joe said he was "ready to die" after believing the cancer had spread to his pelvis and to his stomach.

The transfer just happens to come the same week "Tiger King 2" dropped on Netflix. Joe appears in the new season from behind bars, desperate to get out.

It's currently unclear what type of cancer treatments he'll undergo. Bernie Madoff, who suffered from kidney disease, was an inmate at FMC Butner before his death in April 2021.

Cancer or not, Joe's done his best to benefit from the immense popularity of "Tiger King" -- he's launched a weed line and underwear line, while continuing to fight for freedom.

Saints' Ty Montgomery Gruesomely Dislocates Finger ... On Catch Attempt

Published

Ty Montgomery horrifically dislocated his finger during the Saints' game Sunday ... and, yeah, look away now if you're squeamish.

The New Orleans tailback was running a route against the Titans in the first quarter of their weekend matchup when a ball clanked off his hands, sending him crashing to the ground arms first.

At some point during the play, Montgomery's digit got hit -- and you can see in the video from the game's broadcast, it bent in a way a finger never should.

Cameras showed the finger pointing 90 degrees away from his hand ... and, in fact, a little piece of bone even appeared to be exposed.

Montgomery left the game and was initially ruled as questionable to return -- but he never made it back into action ... and seems like a good bet dude will get a few more days off this week.

Ice up!

Tiger Woods Walking With Noticeable Limp ... During L.A. Visit

Published | Updated
111521_tiger_woods_kal2 11/14/21
WOODS WATCH

Tiger Woods has ditched the crutches and the walking aids ... but the golf superstar still has a noticeable limp in his gait -- new video shows.

Woods was spotted arriving at a hotel in Los Angeles on Sunday night ... and you can see in footage, his surgically repaired leg is still clearly far from 100 percent.

Woods walked gingerly as he headed out of his car and upstairs into the L.A. venue ... all while his leg was still encased in a compression sleeve.

As we previously reported, Woods seriously injured his right leg in a car crash in the Los Angeles area back on Feb. 23 -- and needed a rod, screws and pins to repair the damage.

Woods has made slow and steady progress since the surgery -- using crutches for months, before eventually putting his full body weight on the leg recently.

101121_tiger_woods_kal
ON THE PROWL

Tiger has been seen walking around golf courses following his son, Charlie ... though it's unclear if Woods has even remotely attempted a swing since the accident.

1112-justin-thomas-tiger-woods-audio-art-desktop-01
GIVING IT A SHOT

As for a possible comeback, Tiger's good pal, Justin Thomas, said last week he fully expects Woods to make every effort possible to return to the PGA Tour -- but judging by this latest clip, it could be a while longer before that happens.

'Rust' Set Worker Won't Lose Arm From Spider Bite ... Working on Workers' Comp

Published | Updated

The "Rust" film worker who suffered horrific injuries from a spider bite on the job won't need to have his arm amputated ... and it sounds like he's going to get some workers' comp.

The film worker, Jason Miller, tells TMZ ... his left arm will be saved despite the grizzly photos of his severe reaction to a bite from a venomous brown recluse spider, which bit him while he was breaking down the movie set.

Jason, who is diabetic, says he underwent invasive surgery where doctors removed a bunch of muscle and skin from his left arm, but he's responding well to treatment and surgeries, so amputation is being ruled out after initial concerns he might lose his arm.

He says "Rust" should be held accountable for the poisonous spider bite in the wake of the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins ... and the wheels are in motion for him to get workers' compensation.

Jason claims he was getting dodged by folks at "Rust" after reaching out 6 times about workers' comp, but now his attorneys say they are working with the movie's insurance company to get him paid for his troubles.

While Jason says he greatly appreciates the wave of public support, with over $13K donated to his GoFundMe, he insists what happened to him was a freak accident ... and he wants the focus on Halyna Hutchins because he thinks her shooting death could have been avoided.

Jason's attorneys, Justin and Lydia Pizzonia, tell TMZ ... while things are currently moving smoothly, they are prepared to file a complaint against the insurance company for "Rust" if Jason is not properly compensated.

SZA in SLC, Utah Stops Show Over Passed-Out Fan ... Talks Astroworld Fest As 10th Victim Dies

Published | Updated
111421_sza_kal_1
"WHERE'S THE WATER?"
UPDATE

5:50 PM PT -- 9-year-old Ezra Blount has reportedly died ... this per ABC13.

UPDATE
UPDATE

Reporter Stefania Okolie shared the news Sunday, writing ... "My heart 9 YO Ezra Blount who was trampled after falling from his fathers shoulders at AstroWorld has passed away at Texas Children’s Hospital after one week on life support." She added, "He fought hard but ultimately there was a different plan. Please raise his family in prayer #Abc13."

UPDATE

She went on to ask for thoughts and prayers to be sent to the family during this difficult time. The Astroworld Fest body count is now at 10.

SZA wasn't about to relive Astroworld Fest all over again -- which is why she brought her latest concert to a dead halt ... just to make sure a fan who'd passed out was okay.

The singer was performing in Salt Lake City Thursday at the Union Event Center -- when at some point during the show ... she pumped the brakes on everything after noticing someone had apparently fainted out in the audience, and may have needed help.

111421_sza_kal_2
get the medic in here!!!

This video was captured by a TikTok user and posted the next day ... and it shows SZA addressing what happened just last weekend in Houston, where she performed earlier in the day ... before mass casualties started to go down during Travis Scott's headlining set.

SZA says people passing out in crowds is quite common -- but what is abnormal is people dying ... and she says that's gotta change going forward, starting right then and there.

She actually forces stagehands to bring out water to the person in distress, and anyone else who may need to rehydrate. In a second video ... SZA starts to get flustered when nobody working in the venue promptly attends to the person who'd fallen unconscious -- and the crowd is fully behind her in her indignation.

It's pretty astonishing to see ... and as SZA alludes to herself, it may start to become the norm at live shows going forward, regardless of the crowd size. She seems to be saying that the artist should take responsibility if they see something ... and ditto for concert-goers.

As we reported ... a total of 9 people have died since the concert last Friday -- with one more on life support right now ... 9-year-old Ezra Blount, who was trampled in the chaos.

Sounds like SZA is putting her foot down on fans walking the line of life and death on her watch ... and won't let people fall victim to that, not as long as she can help it.

Originally Published -- 12:58 PM PT

MMA Fighter Ruptures Testicle During Training ... Surgically Removed

Published

This is nuts.

MMA fighter Christian Lohsen of the Professional Fighters League just revealed he had to have a testicle removed after it ruptured during training this week ... and the crazy part??? He's already cracking jokes about it!!!

The 26-year-old out of Florida shared the cringeworthy news on Thursday ... saying, "So, last night was rough ... in a training accident I got my left testicle ruptured by a knee which led to it getting surgically removed."

Lohsen says the procedure went well and he's at home and recovering ... adding the loss will not result in loss of testosterone or ability to have kids.

While the incident sounds serious, Lohsen has maintained a sense of humor throughout the whole ordeal ... saying, "If I lose the other one however it's a different story, so from now on if you hit me in my last testicle we aren't friends ... lol."

The 9-2 fighter added a couple of clever hashtags ... saying, "#NoNutNovember #OneBallWonder #MMAIsADangerousGame #TookNoNutNovemberWayTooFar"

Lohsen has won 5 of his last 6 fights ... losing to J.J. Okanovich in the Dana White Contender Series in 2019.

Get well soon, Lohsen ... and ice up.

'Dolphin Tale' Star Dead at 16

Published | Updated
UPDATE

7:56 PM PT -- The aquarium says Winter passed away around 8 PM as a veterinarian was prepping her for what they hoped would be a lifesaving surgery.

UPDATE

Clearwater Marine Aquarium said a team of 15 vets and technicians were going to attempt to treat the gastrointestinal blockage, but they noticed vital signs declining. We're told a necropsy will be done to determine the cause of death, but at this point, they believe it was heart failure.

UPDATE

Winter was 16-years-old.

UPDATE

RIP

Winter, the dolphin that grabbed global attention after being the focus of the movie "Dolphin Tale" is fighting for her life after developing a serious infection.

Winter, who lost her tail in 2005 at just 2 months old when it became entangled in a crab trap, had been cared for at The Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida for her entire life. Her caretakers announced that while they treated her for what they thought was a gastrointestinal infection, her condition got worse this week ... and she's now in critical condition.

"Dolphin Tale" -- released in 2011 -- was based on Winter's journey from her injury as a calf to the prosthetic tail that was made for her, and her progress after.

Among the movie's stars were Harry Connick Jr., Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd and Kris Kristofferson.

The aquarium announced they'll be closed until at least Saturday "to create the best possible environment for her medical team."

A statement from the Clearwater aquarium team says, "We thank everyone for the incredible outpouring of love and support you have shown Winter since her rescue in 2005 and especially these last few days.”

They continue, “Many are inspired by her resiliency and this amazing response reminds us of how deeply she has affected millions, including so many on their own health journey.”

Girls Basketball Teenager Sucker Punched In Game ... Video Shows

Published | Updated
110921_basketball_punch_kal_1 November 2021
RIDICULOUS REACTION
UPDATE

11:22 AM PT -- 11/10 -- A spokesperson for the Garden Grove Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports cops are investigating the incident.

UPDATE

7:07 AM PT -- The teenage girl who clobbered her opponent during a basketball game this weekend has been banned from playing in future AVAC United games, the organization tells us.

UPDATE

AVAC United is a group made up of teams in Southern California ... and they're the people behind the tourney.

A teenage girl was leveled by a sucker punch in the middle of a basketball game Sunday ... and the violent swing was all captured on video.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the incident went down during a youth basketball game in Garden Grove, Calif. -- after a 15-year-old had bumped into a girl following her jump shot.

In footage of the play, you can see as both girls got back to their feet after the collision -- someone from the crowd appeared to yell, "You better hit her."

That's when the girl in the all-black uniform swung a massive left haymaker that connected with the other girl's throat and face area.

Immediately, the girl crashed to the floor in pain ... and we're told the game was stopped and then eventually canceled over the incident.

The punch victim's mother tells us the girl was injured on the play -- and is suffering from the after-effects so much, she still has yet to return to school.

The girl's mom also tells us she went to cops over it all ... though it's unclear if a criminal investigation is underway.

Originally Published -- 11/9 4:38 PM PT

Astroworld Fest 2021 Live Nation Sought to Protect Itself from Lawsuits ... But there's a Catch

Published | Updated

Scores of lawsuits are sure to be filed in the coming weeks over the Astroworld Fest tragedy -- but would-be plaintiffs could hit a legal snag over something on the Live Nation website.

We're talking about liability here ... and whether Live Nation -- the promoter of Travis Scott's event -- is on the hook for it or not as plaintiffs rush to court to file claims against them and others.

110621_astroworld_cpr_kal_v2 11/5/21
PROVIDING CRITICAL CARE

On its face, LN may have an out on that front -- or at least a partial one, anyway -- due to a standard form they made everyone agree to before purchasing tickets from the Live Nation site ... It's the limitation of liability waiver most folks don't read ... but always have to accept.

We did some research, and as it turns out ... an ironclad liability waiver in Texas would almost certainly provide cover for basic negligence -- something we know for a fact concertgoers are alleging against LN in the suits we've seen thus far.

The online waiver reads in part, "You voluntarily assume all risks and danger incidental to the event for which the ticket is issued, whether occurring before, during or after the event, and you waive any claims for personal injury or death against us."

What it doesn't provide is protection against gross negligence, among other claims, which may well be brought forth in court as well.

With that said ... you'd think Live Nation might be in the clear here -- at least on the negligence front -- but not so fast. TMZ took a good hard look at the liability waiver, and it's quite possible they screwed themselves ... and might still be exposed.

Not to bog you down in legal mumbo jumbo -- but in Texas, in order for a liability waiver to be enforced to protect against negligence, there are a few things that must be met first.

110621_astroworld_ambulance_kal 11/5/21
NAVIGATING THROUGH THE CROWD

The company has to feature clear language -- that your average Joe would understand -- directly addressing negligence in their waiver ... and from our check, Live Nation's Texas waiver does NOT seem to do this at all. Plus, the waiver itself is buried on their site -- which is another benchmark waivers have to clear ... ya gotta have it prominently displayed. In fact, there are clearly people who bought tickets without ever going to the website.

So, basically ... because Live Nation's liability waiver does not seem air-tight, it is NOT a foregone conclusion LN can wiggle out of liability in these mounting lawsuits.

Obviously, this stuff is going to be sorted out in front of a judge -- but if LN automatically thinks their liability waiver is gonna save them ... they could be sorely mistaken.

Katey Sagal Rolling on Crutches ... After Getting Hit by Car

Published

Katey Sagal is still on the mend after she was hit by a car -- and these first pics of her since the accident make it seem like it's gonna be a while before she's on her 2 feet without assistance.

The "Sons of Anarchy" star was spotted Tuesday in L.A. going to and from her car with the help of a pair of crutches. It looks like she was entering a healthcare facility. We're told she appeared to be there for a doctor's appointment.

It's encouraging to see Katey is well enough to walk around ... and there's no sign of a cast or walking boot either.

TMZ broke the story ... cops say Katey got clipped by a Tesla about a month ago while crossing the street, this as the driver was making a left turn.

The person got out of the vehicle to attend to her, and she was ultimately taken away by ambulance. The police did not cite or arrest the driver at the time -- as it would appear it was nothing but an accident.

We were told they were investigating the matter further, but since then no charges have been filed.

In any case, it's great she's scooting around best she can. Get better, Katey!

Deion Sanders Out Of Hospital After Complications Following Foot Surgery

Published

Good news from Deion Sanders -- the Jackson State football coach just gave an update on his current status after suffering complications from foot surgery ... and he's out of the hospital!!

Coach Sanders recently had a setback during recovery from surgery he had on his dislocated toe -- an injury from his NFL days -- back in September.

The 54-year-old has been sharing updates in the weeks following the procedure ... even posting bloody and gnarly images.

Sanders was told to chill for 6 weeks, but he was out and about via a 3-wheel scooter and golf cart during team drills and games -- until he was sidelined again by medical professionals.

It seemed serious since he ended up back in the hospital and missed JSU Tigers' last three games due to complications ... but Coach Sanders just announced on Wednesday everything is good.

"As you know there have been some complications following my foot surgery, but it brings me such joy to tell you that I'm now out of the hospital and on my path that we started TOGETHER."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

"I promise you I'm going to be smart and continue to adhere to my wonderful team of doctors' orders."

Sanders added, "Often times fast is looked upon as having speed, but fast in this instance is being fleet of thought."

Sanders also says he might make an appearance very soon -- in a better ride ... saying "Don't be surprised when you see me back on the field in a new whip 😎"

What can beat a custom-made Prime Time scooter and golf cart?!

FYI, Jackson State has gone 3-0 since his absence and are 8-1 this season. But, we're sure the team misses their coach and that Prime Time spirit.

Travis Scott Lawsuits Pile On ... Ben Crump, Others On Board

Published | Updated

Travis Scott and Live Nation continue to have lawsuits pile up against them, with one Houston injury attorney just submitting 7 in the last hour for various clients, and famed attorney Ben Crump is also repping victims.

The docs, obtained by TMZ, are mostly identical -- filed by the Houston law firm of Roberts Markland LLP --  but switch out the petitioner name each time. Each lawsuit claims both Travis and Live Nation failed to provide adequate security and a security plan to protect attendees ... and conditions at Astroworld Festival "caused several stampedes and a crowd compression" that led to the 8 deaths and hundreds of injuries.

110621_astroworld_cpr_kal_v2 11/5/21
PROVIDING CRITICAL CARE

The attorney behind these lawsuits -- Sean Roberts, doesn't list specific injuries for his clients, but says they were "seriously and permanently injured."

110621_astroworld_ambulance_kal 11/5/21
NAVIGATING THROUGH THE CROWD

In the docs, Travis and LN are accused of failing to warn fans of safety risks and failing to provide appropriate medical staff at the event.

Of course, there will certainly be more lawsuits filed by concertgoers, and wrongful death litigation is expected as well. Attorney Ben Crump -- who repped the family of George Floyd -- has also stated he is representing Astroworld attendees.

Roberts is suing for negligence, and wants an unspecified amount in damages for each of his clients.

Travis Scott Astroworld Security Pricked in Neck ... W/ Needle, Says Houston PD

Published | Updated
110621_astroworld_presser_kal
THERE WAS AN INJECTION
UPDATE

1:48 PM PT -- The Houston PD's Chief, Troy Finner, just confirmed what we'd been told ... namely, that at least one person had been injected with something via needle -- and there well may have been more.

UPDATE

Chief Finner said a security guard working the event felt a prick in his neck by an unknown assailant while he was trying to restrain a citizen -- and he quickly fell unconscious. Finner says the guard was revived by use of NARCAN ... and that medical personnel did, indeed, see something on his neck that indicated he'd been stabbed with a syringe.

UPDATE

Finner also said some people had been trampled, so it appears there was a mix of reasons why people were injured/passing out ... and perhaps why some died. The total number of people who've passed away remains at 8, and autopsies are underway to determine the causes of death for each.

UPDATE
UPDATE

The mayor, Sylvester Turner, said something like this has never happened in Houston, and they will leave no stone left unturned to get to the bottom of how and why this occurred.

UPDATE

Live Nation and Travis Scott's camp are cooperating with authorities, and the investigation continues. Houston PD called on the public's help for those with legit information. One last thing ... Houston authorities insist the concert was shut down in a timely manner -- saying the first reports of people "going down" started around 9:30 PM, and that they closed up shop at around 10:10 PM ... which they feel was efficient considering the circumstances

UPDATE

1:04 PM PT -- Houston authorities are about to further address the tragedy at Astroworld Friday in a press conference ... and TMZ is streaming live.

UPDATE

What many will be looking for here is whether there's any evidence to suggest the 8 people who've died thus far might've been triggered into cardiac arrest via outside influence or a third party ... namely, a would-be culprit who was allegedly going around and injecting folks with a syringe.

UPDATE

Of course, we're also expecting an update on the body count ... and whether it has risen since Friday night.

UPDATE

12:33 PM PT -- More disturbing videos are surfacing, which clearly show people were attempting to flag down festival personnel in any capacity to get them to stop the show ... including one of the professional camera guys who was filming the action from afar.

UPDATE

Check out this footage ... you see a girl climbing a ladder up to a platform where a photog is recording Travis' set, presumably from somewhere far out in the crowd. She shouts, "There is somebody dying!" over and over again, and when she can't get the cameraman's attention, she climbs up and forces the issue.

UPDATE
UPDATE

The guy starts to panic, telling her to go back down, but she holds firm ... insisting he get the word out that something was going on down below. A young man joins her to shout the same warning. Meanwhile, you can hear what sounds like Travis Scott continuing to perform.

UPDATE

Again, this just supports the notion that people were, indeed, trying to raise awareness of the scary situation to who they thought were the right people ... but it's unclear if this message was received by those who could actually do something on the drop of a dime, like halt everything.

UPDATE

12:23 PM PT -- Travis's team tells TMZ ... "Travis stopped the show. He did see someone being carried out. He thought that person had passed out, as happens in concerts from dehydration or something similar."

UPDATE

12:02 PM PT -- A new video appears to show Travis reacting to this situation and calling for help.

UPDATE
UPDATE

This is from another vantage point, but it seems to line up with the guy getting carried out. You hear Travis ask for security to jump in and help the man out ... but he continues on singing.

UPDATE

11:50 AM PT -- More questions about the Astroworld tragedy in regards to what Travis Scott and festival organizers knew about what was going on down below, and when ... which is even more so under a microscope now after a video shows Trav looking down onto the crowd, where an unconscious guy is being lifted up and carried out, seemingly in TS's direct line of vision.

UPDATE
UPDATE

Check out the clip ... you see Travis up on a rafter or elevated platform of some sort, singing to the crowd -- while a lifeless, limp body is being carried off by security personnel. The clip makes it seem like this was right underneath Travis' nose, and presumably something he could see. The caption reads "dead body" but we don't know if this person was dead.

UPDATE

Of course, we also have no idea if Travis even saw this or not ... although many online are claiming people in the crowd, including some who were near the front of the stage, were shouting at him to stop the show, as there were people falling unconscious in the audience.

UPDATE

We've reached out to Travis's camp to ask specifically about this video ... and whether he saw or heard any of this going on while he continued to perform. No word back yet.

UPDATE

10:30 AM PT -- Speaking of ambulances ... here's a disturbing video. Astroworld fans dancing on top of an ambulance that was working its way through the dense crowd.

UPDATE
UPDATE

It's not entirely clear if they were transporting somebody or not -- you'd figure they'd have sirens going if it was a true emergency -- but either way ... here are some numbskulls who hopped up onto the roof of the vehicle and danced their ass off.

UPDATE

10:27 AM PT -- Here's Kylie's vantage point from Friday night -- she, Kendall and some friends were stationed toward the back of the crowd, somewhat elevated, where they could see sea of people and Travis and co. all the way up at the front.

UPDATE
UPDATE

You can see it was an absolutely packed crowd, and one that was hyped too -- jumping up and down together as Travis sings along.

UPDATE

One moment that Kylie appears to have since deleted from her IG Story is a moment when an ambulance appears to be making its way through the crowd on the ground below ... something that was pretty much right in front of Kylie. Unclear if this was in response to one of the cardiac arrests or another situation -- but it's interesting that medical care started to be rendered right in the thick of the show.

UPDATE

9:24 AM PT -- Travis says, "I'm absolutely devastated by what took place last night. My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival." He adds that he is committed to working with authorities to figure out what happened.

UPDATE
UPDATE

As for the investigation ... our sources tell us at least one of the victims was seen foaming at the mouth before going into cardiac arrest -- further evidence this was not simply a stampede. Houston authorities are planning to hold a news conference later today.

UPDATE

7:30 AM PT -- A source connected to Astroworld tells TMZ, someone in the crowd went crazy and began injecting people with some sort of drug, which caused panic and then a surge. The source says authorities are trying to determine if those who went into cardiac arrest were the ones injected. We're told one of those who died is a 10-year-old. The source says it appears to be a targeted attack. We have not confirmed this report, but the source is a key person involved in the festival.

110621_astroworld_presser_numbers_kal
DETAILING THE TRAGEDY

Travis Scott's first night of his Astroworld concert in Houston turned into a horrific tragedy Friday night ... leaving 8 people dead and more than 300 injured, and there were signs of trouble even before the concert began.

50,000 people filled the sold-out venue, when, at around 9 PM people began surging toward the stage. People started getting crushed and panic ensued. According to Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena, "People began to fall out, become unconscious and it created additional panic."

110621_astroworld_cpr_kal_v2 11/5/21
PROVIDING CRITICAL CARE

At least 8 people died in the stampede. 11 people went into cardiac arrest and were rushed to the hospital. More than 300 fans went to the field hospital near the venue.

110621_astroworld_ambulance_kal 11/5/21
NAVIGATING THROUGH THE CROWD

Someone working the festival tells TMZ ... people were hopping on camera platforms, begging concert staff to end the show after the stampede erupted. They said, "Anything climbable was climbed." They also say there were several thousand pairs of shoes left behind as people fled. When the concert shut down, they said a stage manager said the venue was now "a crime scene."

The scene was chaotic ... medical personnel could not handle all the injured. There is video showing some of them performing CPR.

One concertgoer named Madeline, a nurse, tells TMZ, she was there with her boyfriend when Travis took the stage. During the first song, people started pushing toward the stage and she says she began to feel light-headed, telling us, "I passed out from the constant pressure on my chest and was one of the first people to be carried," adding, "They threw me on top of other people and crowd surfed me to other people, who lifted me over a fence where security was waiting." She says "security guards were bringing bodies from that area to the VIP area," as Travis kept performing, adding, "I see security carrying people who are not moving." She says once she regained her senses, she began administering first aid to others.

A slew of ambulances rushed to the scene ... which became direr every minute.

Before chaos erupted, Travis stopped the show several times during his 75-minute set ... after noticing some of the fans in the front seemed in distress. He told security to make sure they weren't hurt. At one point Travis asked for security to help a specific individual.

Shortly before the surge, Drake had performed with Travis ... and there was no indication the crowd would try to rush the stage.

However, there were some signs of trouble even before the show. A slew of fans knocked over barricades and rushed into the venue.

Kylie Jenner was on hand for the festival as the chaos erupted. She was there with her and Travis's daughter Stormi. As far as we know, they're fine. They were not sitting near the crush.

A reunification center was set up at a nearby hotel, so family members of concert-goers could reunite.

The Medical Examiner is in the process of determining the cause of death of the 8 fatalities.

This was the first night of what was supposed to be a 3-day festival. The second night has already been canceled.

Originally Published -- 4:27 AM PT

Joe Exotic My 'Aggressive Cancer' is Back ... Wants Prison Release for Treatment

Published | Updated

Joe Exotic's health is taking a major turn for the worse as the disgraced zookeeper remains behind bars ... telling fans he has "aggressive cancer."

The 'Tiger King' star says he recently had a biopsy performed on his prostate, and doctors let him know the results Wednesday. He says he doesn't want sympathy, instead, he wants his voice to be heard and for an immediate release so he can get treatment at home.

Joe's attorney, John Phillips, tells TMZ ... he plans to file a motion requesting compassionate release from his federal prison in Texas. It sounds like JE's condition must be pretty bad, because Phillips added that any delay in getting their motion before a judge could prove fatal.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

While Joe is hopeful cancer treatment can help, it appears he's also acknowledging the outlook could be grim, noting if treatment doesn't work, he'd like to, "enjoy what life I have left with my loved ones!"

True to form, Joe also mentioned Carole Baskin on Wednesday, saying he's sure "Carole will have her own party over this!"

As we reported, Joe said he was "ready to die" in August after fears his cancer had spread to his pelvis and stomach.

Obviously, it's still too early to know what kind of treatment Joe will get, but he's certainly stayed busy behind bars ... helping to launch a weed line and underwear line, while still fighting to prove his innocence.