Viral

The viral mermaid performer who was attacked by a fish is dispelling rumors she was forced to get back to work after her run-in with a sturgeon -- explaining she was immediately taken to the hospital.

Mariia Zelenina -- a 22-year-old Russian performer living in China and working at Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park -- spoke with People about how she almost ended up fish food ... peeling back the scales on the incident.

MZ tells the outlet she was totally shocked when the fish -- a Chinese sturgeon, she says -- came up to her near the end of her solo and took a big bite at the top of her head.

A scorned wife caught her wayward husband where he wasn't supposed to be, with someone he definitely wasn't supposed to be with ... and delivered a double beating, all caught on video.

Security camera video captures the moment a woman surprises her husband at a karaoke bar in a city in Siberia ... as he comes outside, she's waiting for him, and it's a bad tune for him.

Watch the video ... the footage captures the woman slugging her cheating husband multiple times in the face, pulling him by his hood as he tries to fend her off -- that's when his mistress makes her appearance, opening up the door to see what all the fuss is about outside ... and immediately catches hell from the wife.

The enraged woman runs up and unleashes on the wanton harlot with her fists, dragging her by the hair into the street as her husband tries to keep them separated. Shoulda tried harder to do that in the first place, bub.

As the woman breaks away and walks back toward the building, the wife bum-rushes her from behind and smashes her face into the doorframe ... then turns her wrath back on her hubby.

The scene was recorded in Novosibirsk, Russia this week -- the husband reportedly told his wife he was going out of town on business, but apparently stayed behind to spend time with his side piece.

Heart-wrenching videos of Ian Epstein, one of the American Airlines flight attendants who tragically died in the Washington, D.C. plane crash, are going viral – and the devastating impact of his loss is really hitting home.

The clip shows Ian entertaining passengers on past flights, cracking jokes, making witty remarks, and even singing and dancing down the aisle -- his family tells TMZ he died doing what he loved.

His family said he loved his career because he truly enjoyed traveling and meeting new people -- something that's clearly evident in the clips flooding online ... featuring him brightening the cabin with his humor and personality.

An enormous bear discovered underneath an Altadena house after the L.A. wildfires probably ended up there in search of a sugar rush and a stiff drink ... an animal expert tells TMZ.

Animal Planet’s Forrest Galante -- wildlife expert, biologist, and TV host known for a series of “Shark Week” specials on Discovery -- tells us he’s confident the 525-pound Yogi making headlines Friday was looking for sweets, booze and a place to crash after being displaced by the massive blazes -- the Eaton Fire specifically, in this instance.

If you've ever gone camping in SoCal, you've probably seen bears raiding dumpsters and campsites … and, Galante says this results in many acquiring a sweet tooth and a drinking problem -- and, just because their normal supply is eliminated doesn't mean the cravings end.

An American Airlines pilot is going viral after he confidently assured nervous passengers in a professional tone they were in good hands following the tragic D.C. plane collision ... which killed more than 60 people.

In a video making the rounds online ... a passenger on Flight AA 1044 heading to Miami captured the moment the pilot addressed those onboard over the loudspeaker, when he acknowledged Wednesday's tragedy -- but also vowed to keep everyone safe.

Check it out ... the pilot says he understands many on his flight may be "fearful" to fly right now, given the recent crash, but promises the passengers they're in good hands -- highlighting the skills of his first officer, the flight attendants, and his own.

Katy Perry could really hear her fans 'Roar' last night ... probably screaming out in horrible pain -- 'cause one of them touched a transformer and ended up on fire, and nearly disfigured the pop star's face with sparks.

The singer-songwriter was signing autographs outside "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Wednesday night ... and while making her way down the fence to interact with her fans, sparks exploded in her direction just a couple feet away, causing Katy to duck.

It turns out one of Perry's fans accidentally touched a transformer -- causing a surge of electricity and sparks to spew out ... setting the KP fan's coat on fire.

3:55 PM PT -- Anthony Mackie posted on his Instagram Story Tuesday afternoon in response to online objections to his Captain America comments, writing ... "Let me be clear about this, I'm a proud American and taking on the shield of a hero like CAP is the honor of a lifetime. I have the utmost respect for those who serve and have served our country. CAP has universal characteristics that people all over the world can relate to."

Anthony Mackie's got a brave take on his "Captain America: Brave New World" role -- and let’s just say, the Internet is NOT pledging allegiance to it.

Check out this clip from a promo event in Rome -- according to Anthony, the star-spangled hero isn’t really about repping the country, despite the moniker. Instead, he says Cap stands for a lot of different things, but not "America," specifically … and he doesn't think it should -- and yeah, that’s ruffling some feathers.

Mackie’s making it about morals over patriotism -- signifying Captain America's a man who keeps his word, has dignity, integrity, and a few other traits that go beyond just red, white, and blue.

High-speed chases are a thing of the past after one suspected shoplifter made a valiant effort to evade arrest on a motorized wheelchair.

In a video making the rounds online, the suspect in question, dressed in a blue puffer jacket, pulls out of a parking lot, going as fast as she can in her wheelchair -- all while being pursued by a British police car.

The suspicious woman refuses to pull over, despite the Bobbies tailing her on the road with sirens going full blast.

Duke men's basketball star Khaman Maluach didn't have a turnover Monday night, but his stomach sure did ... as he threw up all over the floor during the Blue Devils' home tilt with N.C. State.

The gross moment happened with about four and a half minutes left in the contest ... as Duke was trying to extend its 63-62 lead.

Maluach was down in the low post waiting to make a play ... when suddenly, he emptied the contents of his stomach right underneath the basket.

Norbert, best known as the viral high-fiving therapy dog, has died ... this according to his owner, Julie Steines.

Julie shared the somber update on Instagram Monday, informing fans "with a heavy heart" that the beloved pup -- full name Saint Norbert Liv Freyermuth Steines -- passed away in her arms Sunday night.

Per Julie, she and her family are heartbroken following Norbert's death ... which came 2 months shy of his 16th birthday.

An unprecedented snowstorm in the Florida panhandle proved to be a positive experience for a group of incarcerated individuals ... who turned their prison yard time into a full-on snowball fight.

Check it out ... prisoners are seen whipping a number of snowy balls at one another, some even bringing the sleet inside the prison walls. The men playfully toss the slush at their fellow inmates, skillfully ducking and diving behind tables and other fixtures to dodge the onslaught of snow.

Though a few of the inmates wind up flat on their backs from the slippage caused by the snowballs, the prisoners appear unbothered ... continuing to enjoy themselves amid the region's unseasonably cold weather.

Jennifer Lopez is not just famous for her music and movies, but also her voluptuous booty ... just ask the guy who fell under its trance at the Sundance Film Festival.

J Lo looked amazing in her black lace gown as she strolled into the Sunday night premiere of her film, "Kiss of the Spider Woman" in Salt Lake City, Utah -- and, of course, she was the center of everyone's attention, and one fella in particular.

Check out this photo ... which shows the man standing behind J Lo with his eyes laser locked on her shapely butt. The dude definitely had the best view of anyone in the place -- and J Lo seemed oblivious to his attention.

Brittany Mahomes took time from celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs' return to the Super Bowl to scold the Buffalo fan base ... making it crystal clear she hasn't forgotten about the time Bills Mafia hung a Kermit the Frog puppet dressed as her husband from a pole at a tailgate earlier this season.

"Do we remember this Buffalo? Absolutely disgusting," Patrick's longtime partner said Sunday night. "So as you go home tonight, I pray we become better people."

The incident happened back in November ... when Buffalo hosted the AFC champs at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park for a big regular season matchup.

Before Brooks Nader was a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, it seems she was almost a softball star ... 'cause she says she tried to use a baseball bat to break into her dad's car after he caught her sending dirty pics!

The model took to TikTok recently to post a picture of herself lying back, big grin aimed up at the camera ... which the "You're so funny!" trend is written in big letters and quotation marks.

After that, Brooks tells a story that's more unhinged than uproarious ... admitting her dad once snatched her phone out of her hands while she was sending off dirty pics when she was 16.

Lizzo's saying it's "About Damn Time" the internet show her some love ... 'cause she just hit her weight goals -- dropping a whole lot of body fat in the process!

The singer-songwriter took to Instagram Saturday to announce her results ... sharing a video from the beginning of her weight loss journey to remind people about her humble beginnings down this fitness road.

The video then cuts to Lizzo giddily telling fans that after a long process, she stepped on the scale today and realized she hit her fitness goal ... a huge moment she says proves fans can do anything they put their minds too.

Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag are choosing to help their community instead of dwelling on their misfortune ... hitting up an L.A. wildfire fundraiser at a local cafe -- and meeting up with the ultimate Sk8er Girl.

The reality television stars stopped by La La Land Kind Cafe in Santa Monica, just south of the Pacific Palisades -- their neighborhood which was decimated in the disaster.

We're told the duo hung out and took pics with fans, chatting with the patrons -- some of whom made donations to support charities connected to L.A. fire relief.