Dr. Phil has a few home remedies for pandemic-related stress building up in your body under quarantine -- they're simple and not all that time consuming.
Phil says the first thing ya gotta do is acknowledge life is pretty messed up and stressful right now -- then, make a daily conscious effort to deal with it.
The good news from the good doc -- who joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" -- is you just need a very basic exercise -- 10 seconds of tensing up, 10 seconds of relaxation. Watch the vid, Phil does a tutorial.
He also recommends breathing in for 3 seconds and exhaling for 6 to release tension and relieve physical stress.
Seems almost too simple, but Phil told us the mental stress that comes from self-isolation is a very real, and potentially debilitating, thing -- so take time to relax and breathe.
Oh, and when your mind starts racing ... make sure you're thinking about the right kinda stuff. Phil's got a checklist to keep you on the right path.
Here's Justin Trudeau putting a super-gross image in the minds of Canadians dealing with the coronavirus pandemic -- he says face coverings prevent you from "speaking moistly."
Canada's Prime Minister uttered the phrase Tuesday during his daily address on the virus ... and ya gotta see the video, because he's getting roasted online!!!
It's kinda hilarious, but mostly awkward ... Justin's talking about the benefits of protective face masks when he says "it prevents you from breathing or speaking moistly" on others.
The PM instantly knew he'd just stepped in it. He paused, then admitted he'd just given life to a "terrible image."
Colton Underwood looks like a walking clean bill of health after being stricken by coronavirus -- and the first thing on his checklist was a jaunt with his boo.
The ex-'Bachelor' hit the road Monday for a walk with his girlfriend, Cassie Randolph, and her sis, Michelle. The good-looking trio took a stroll down the coast near Huntington Beach, CA ... and Colton's looking good as new, compared to a few weeks ago.
You'll recall ... shortly after he disclosed he'd caught the 'rona -- Colton was looking pretty ill and down in the dumps.
Now he's looking much better and feeling that way, too. He says, "I have made a full recovery from the coronavirus and we managed to keep the entire family healthy as well."
Colton added, on IG ... "I am now working with medical professionals to figure out the best way to support their efforts against the coronavirus."
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
He also thanked Cass and her fam for caring for him while he was sick.
Anyway, Colton has another reason to celebrate right now -- his new book, "The First Time," is coming out.
Get it? Virgin (allegedly) 'Bachelor' ... first time. Clever.
Gene Simmons says people griping about being in quarantine -- not to mention acting like maniacs -- need a history lesson to understand how good they've got it.
The KISS frontman joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live'' to chime in on the wild behavior popping up all over the world as a result of stay-at-home orders, as people seemingly go stir crazy. He says their grandparents had it worse, so grow a pair.
Specifically, Gene's talking about World War II vets and the horrors they endured to fight an enemy. He says the war against COVID-19 is also dire, but unlike your grandpa (or great grandpa), all you gotta do for victory is keep your ass at home.
Of course, he's referring to fools who continue to break quarantine and venture out. He's got a point -- we've seen flocks of people from L.A. to Florida to NYCdisregarding guidelines, and doing as they please.
That goes for certain religious groups too, who insist on meeting up in huge groups to worship ... they're screwing up just as much as everyone else, in Gene's eyes.
Speaking of the man upstairs, Gene's got a message straight from G.O.D. Listen up, we should all heed the command ... 'cause this too shall pass.
R. Kelly swung hard to get out of jail over fears he'd catch COVID-19 ... but he struck out 'cause the judge just denied his request.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the judge said among the several reasons why the disgraced singer will NOT get out of jail is because he's still a flight risk. The judge said "[Kelly] is currently in custody because of the risks that he will flee or attempt to obstruct, threaten or intimidate prospective witnesses. The defendant has not explained how those risks have changed."
As for Kelly's fears he'll catch COVID-19 if he remains behind bars ... the judge said there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at MCC in Chicago where Kelly's penned up. The judge also points to measures taken by the Bureau of Prisons in combating the spread of the virus in its facilities ... like suspending all social visits and suspending inmate facility transfers.
What's more ... the judge says she ain't buying Kelly's part of the at-risk group 'cause he "is fifty-three years old, twelve years younger than the cohort of 'older adults' defined by the CDC as at high risk."
Kelly had argued he's had surgery while in jail, but the judge said, "he does not explain how his surgical history places him at a higher risk of severe illness. Moreover, officials in Chicago have advised the government that doctors have completed all treatment for the defendant’s recent operation."
As for Kelly's argument, he can't meet with lawyers to strategize for his July trial ... the judge said Kelly can still communicate via phone and email. And get this ... the judge said it's unlikely his trial will proceed as scheduled in early July ... adding "as conditions return to normal, [Kelly] and his lawyers will have additional time to prepare for trial."
We broke the story ... Kelly claimed the conditions he's under while in prison are "tantamount to making them drink poison." He is currently behind bars in Illinois as he awaits his trial, this after getting slapped with a slew of charges by federal prosecutors in NY.
NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns' mother, Jackie, remains in the ICU and continues to fight her battle with coronavirus ... this according to KAT's old college coach, John Calipari.
The Minnesota Timberwolves center revealed his mother's health status 2 weeks ago ... saying his mom had been placed in a medically induced coma due to complications from COVID-19.
“Her lungs were getting worse, her cough was getting worse. She was deteriorating," KAT said at the time.
12:26 PM PT -- Post Malone is now suing the guy who sued him ... claiming Armes is not a co-writer on "Circles" because the dude didn't contribute anything to the song.
UPDATE
In the new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Posty says Armes was at the first recording session but didn't write any of the music or lyrics. Post also claims Armes was absent from subsequent recording sessions for the track.
UPDATE
Post Malone says the lawsuit against him is an age-old story in the industry ... in his suit, Post claims Armes came outta the woodwork, falsely claimed to take credit for the song and demanded unwarranted and unearned windfall profits from the song.
UPDATE
Bottom line for Post ... he wants a court to rule Armes is NOT a co-writer.
One of Post Malone's biggest hits, "Circles," was cowritten by a songwriter who gets zero credit, and even worse ... zero money ... according to the lawsuit he just filed.
Tyler Armes says he and Post hooked up to write a song in August 2018 -- at the encouragement of Post's manager. What they eventually created was a track that became the monster hit, "Circles" ... which went all the way to #1 last year.
According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Tyler claims he cowrote the chords and the bass line for the song ... and had input on other portions, such as the guitar melody. Clearly, his point is ... he did more than enough to earn a writing credit.
Instead, Tyler says "Circles" was released on August 30, 2019 ... without his name on it. According to the suit, he'd been negotiating with Post's camp earlier in the month -- he claims they offered him 5 percent of publishing royalties with no credit. Tyler says he pushed back for a bigger cut and a co-writing credit, but they told him to kick rocks.
In docs, he claims Post's manager had a written exchange with him about it, and that the manager even told him Post acknowledged Tyler's contribution.
That's nice and all, but as we think Tyler would say ... verbal acknowledgment doesn't pay bills. So, he's suing Post to get the co-writer credit and a fair cut of past and future royalties on "Circles."
He's also suing producer Frank Dukes, who does have a writing credit and, according to Tyler, was present for the 2018 jam session that birthed the track.
We've reached out to Post's camp ... no word back yet.
4:25 PM PT -- Joe's request has been denied ... the ruling was made because the judge says his involvement in other cases is no reason for him to recuse himself and the comments he allegedly made in court aren't grounds for recusal either.
he says those comments were just about the crimes joe committed, so there's no reason to step away based on them
Joe Exotic wants a new judge to preside over his civil lawsuit, 'cause he says the robe has already shown he's a homophobe who has it out for your boy.
The 'Tiger King' star -- who's currently locked up -- filed a new motion this week asking Judge Scott Palk to recuse himself from a lawsuit Joe filed a few weeks ago against the feds.
In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Joe argues Judge Palk has already presided over other civil cases Joe's been involved in over the years -- and not just the ones depicted on Netflix between himself and nemesis Carole Baskin.
Joe claims Palk has a tainted view, and also hurls accusations at him ... saying Palk has proven he's a gung-ho animal rights activist and homophobic. JE pegged the judge's tone with him during proceedings as "hostile" and "agitated."
Specifically, Joe claims the judge told him ... "I will make sure you are never around another animal the rest of your life." Joe also alleges the judge said, "You were trying to broker a pair of lions to support your husband from jail."
Joe denies that, BTW, and adds even if it were true ... it'd be completely legal in Texas.
In any case, Joe seems to think Judge Palk -- who's currently set to weigh in on his newest lawsuit -- has a grudge against him, and he wants a fresh start with someone else.
Chris Cuomo is getting up close and personal about his battle with COVID-19 -- and the reason he's so intimate is because he wants folks to know they can fight and win.
The CNN anchor is still working and aired his x-ray Monday night during his show ... and Dr. Sanjay Gupta joined him to evaluate the state of Chris' lungs. Gupta says there's definite signs of inflammatory fluid build-up ... a tell-tale sign of coronavirus.
Chris passionately explained how he's doing everything he can at home to avoid going to the hospital and adding one more patient to an already-flooded and overworked healthcare system in crisis at the moment. Sounds like what he's doing -- on his doctor's advice -- might well be working.
He told viewers he's constantly moving -- getting up, laying on his side, stretching, talking, whatever -- to keep the virus on its toes, 'cause he says it's banking on people becoming sedentary and passive as it sets up shop in the body ... particularly in the chest.
Chris added that he truly feels this is happening to him for a reason -- namely, to help others.
The notorious Los Angeles smog is nowhere insight, and the city's enjoying its longest stretch of good air quality in at least 40 years -- but of course, the reason for that sucks.
The coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdown of most commerce and travel across the country has totally changed everyone's way of life, but according to the March 2020 air quality index compiled by the Environmental Protection Agency ... L.A.'s air is reaping massive benefits.
Los Angeles had the cleanest air ever recorded there in March 2020. Astounding chart from the EPA.
This is mostly from reduced driving with the same vehicle fleet. It could be the new normal and ~13 million people living there would be healthier if we electrify transportation. pic.twitter.com/WOCcMhcogI
The chart shows Angelenos experienced the cleanest air recorded last month since at least 1995, but the EPA's data actually goes back to 1980 ... and there hasn't been a longer span of "good" air days since then either.
Cody Hill, a California energy company exec, estimates it goes back even further, saying March 2020 may well have been “one of the best months at least since the 1940s, when there was huge migration as we ramped up aircraft production in the L.A. basin to fight WW2."
Of course, the main reason for the improved air quality is the lack of traffic emissions that normally get pumped into the air during morning and evening rush hours ... back in the pre-COVID-19 days. Now that a major chunk of L.A. residents are hunkered down at home and off the roads, there's way less pollution ... and no more smog.
In fact, on March 18 after the state put safer-at-home orders in place, L.A.’s infamous rush-hour traffic was moving 71 percent faster than it usually does on a Wednesday afternoon ... and that trend's expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
So, the EPA's air quality numbers for L.A. in April should be off the charts. Like we said ... a true Hollywood silver lining.
Khloe Terae is still strutting her bikini bod, but don't panic ... she appears to be practicing some social distancing.
The model threw on a tiny pink bikini Monday in Malibu to do a photoshoot for a water company. Now, on the one hand, this is great news or Khloe and other models -- even in the middle of a pandemic, some things haven't shut down. Namely, companies willing to pay super-hot people to promote their products.
On the other hand, International Playboy's 2014 Playmate of the Year doesn't seem to be suffering from the so-called quarantine-19 weight gain many of us are. Soooo ... yeah.
Hey, as long as Khloe's staying at least 6 feet away from the photog (who we hope is wearing a mask) ... more power to her.
Doc Antle, former mentor to Joe Exotic, says his animals in Myrtle Beach are safe from the coronavirus, and they've been that way since long before a Bronx Zoo tiger tested positive ... and Carole Baskin's confident her Big Cat Rescue felines are fine too.
Doc, who, of course, was one of the 3 stars of 'Tiger King,' tells TMZ ... his Myrtle Beach Safari is a much different setup from that of the Bronx Zoo. He says he and his 25 employees all live onsite, making for a much more controlled and self-isolated environment.
He says he put his facility on lockdown immediately after the government released guidelines to stay at home and practice social distancing. Doc says his staff has been under strict quarantine since then. No visitors or physical contact with outside groups allowed.
While we humans have had "wash your hands" drilled into our heads ... Doc says his big cats are also bathed and cleaned regularly. He adds, specific caretakers are assigned to the animals, and that doesn't change ... thereby limiting potential exposure to the coronavirus.
If one of his big kitties somehow contracts COVID-19, Doc says it will be treated like a person and placed in self-isolation for 14 days to keep it from spreading it to other animals. Still, he says there's a very low chance of that.
Joe's nemesis, Carole Baskin is equally confident about the well-being of the animals at her tiger rescue outside of Tampa. Folks down there tell us they're monitoring the animals closely and none have shown any symptoms.
As we reported ... the Bronx Zoo tiger is the first animal in the U.S. known to have contracted the disease, but she's expected to recover, and experts say animals can't spread the disease to humans.
8:15 AM PT -- A rep for the Bureau of Prisons tell us that they identified the men in the video, and neither was symptomatic of COVID-19. We're told the video was recorded at Elkton Federal Correction Institution in Ohio and is still under investigation.
There's a federal prison preparing for mass coronavirus casualties ... at least according to an inmate who risked posting video from his cell to expose how the virus is wreaking havoc on in the inside.
The inmate never identifies himself, but said he was using a contraband burner phone to go on social media ... just feet away from his cellmate who he claims has COVID-19 and is struggling to breathe.
He says inmates in the unnamed prison are getting infected by dozens, and some have already died -- he claims to have witnessed guards taking victims out on stretchers, and that the prison had a tent set up to line up the bodies.
The inmate was wearing a mask, and so was his cellmate who allegedly has COVID-19 ... and definitely seems to be very ill. The cellmate told him not to call guards for help because they won't do a damn thing.
The guy with the phone says he's set to get out in a year, but he was still willing to risk going live and showing his face because the situation was too dire not to expose it. As for where he was -- he makes a reference to the feds and to Cuomo ... so, he could be at a federal prison in NY state.
Then again, he could be talking about Chris Cuomo, because he also referenced CNN.
The guy knows his current events though, because he mentions "compassionate release" ... when judges sign off on early releases for prisoners who are non-violent, aging, or in an at-risk group.
The coronavirus pandemic could wreak havoc in a frightening new way, because your house pets could be at risk of coming down with COVID-19.
An expert at the National Institute of Health tells TMZ ... while people might be worried about catching the coronavirus from their pets, it's actually the other way around, and the potential for humans to infect animals is being way overlooked.
It's pretty alarming ... we're told cats and ferrets are most likely to be infected with COVID-19 from humans. For dog owners, we're told preliminary studies show canines are less likely to contract the virus. However, as we reported, 2 dogs in Hong Kong didtest positive.
While data is limited on the effects of COVID-19 on animals ... we're told scientists are drawing conclusions from past viruses. Data from the 2009 H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic shows humans infected a wide range of animals including dogs, cats, tigers and cheetahs.
In all cases of swine flu in animals, scientists say it appeared the critters were infected by direct transmission of the virus from humans in the same household. So, a similar conclusion is being drawn with the coronavirus.
We're told it's hard to know whether COVID-19 would be fatal in pets -- however, one glimmer of hope ... influenza is generally not lethal.
Before you panic, the NIH expert we spoke to is NOT advising you get rid of your pets -- but instead said owners showing coronavirus symptoms should avoid their pets.
If you insist on being with your pet, or have a service animal, we're told owners should wear a mask. Same goes for zoo or lab employees around animals. Remember, a Bronx Zoo tiger just tested positive, and officials believe the virus was passed from a handler.
Important to note the CDC has said there's no evidence Fido or Fluffly can transmit the virus to humans.
And, there's this ... we're told if a pet starts showing symptoms or is diagnosed with COVID-19, it could mean the owner is carrying the virus ... even if he or she is asymptomatic.
7:58 AM PT -- The MLB just released a statement on the report ... saying, "MLB has been actively considering numerous contingency plans that would allow play to commence once the public health situation has improved to the point that it is safe to do so."
UPDATE
"While we have discussed the idea of staging games at one location as one potential option, we have not settled on that option or developed a detailed plan. While we continue to interact regularly with governmental and public health officials, we have not sought or received approval of any plan from federal, state and local officials, or the Players Association."
UPDATE
The statement continued, "The health and safety of our employees, players, fans and the public at large are paramount, and we are not ready at this time to endorse any particular format for staging games in light of the rapidly changing public health situation caused by the coronavirus."
MLB officials are targeting a May return to the diamond ... reportedly in talks about playing the entire 2020 season with its players, coaches and personnel in isolation in Arizona.
The league suspended the start of its season last month in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 ... but ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that ban could end in as little as a few weeks.
The plan, Passan says, is to have the league essentially set up shop in the Phoenix area, and play all of its games at Chase Field and other Cactus League spring training sites.
The games would be fan-less ... and under the plan's idea, all MLB personnel -- including players -- would be forced to live in isolation, only leaving homes to go to and from games.
The plan -- which was reportedly talked about by MLB and MLBPA officials over the weekend -- would require STRICT adhesion to rules by all ... but it's believed the prospects of a steady paycheck and a return to normalcy would spur cooperation.
Some of the other key points of the potential return -- the league could go to an electronic strike zone to keep umps away from batters and catchers ... while dugouts would move to empty stands where players and coaches could sit 6 feet apart from each other.
The CDC and federals are allegedly on board the league's idea ... which also would require rapid coronavirus testing of players to ensure no outbreaks.
The plan would cost MLB BILLIONS in ticket sales ... although league officials reportedly believe a new TV deal to broadcast the Arizona games could help make up some of that cash flow.
Master P is looking out for senior citizens in New Orleans ... helping them stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic by hooking them up with free sanitizing.
P tells TMZ ... anyone over 60 years old in NOLA can sign up for a deep cleaning of their home, and also get 2 types of hand sanitizers. It's all free, and all they gotta do is show their ID.
As you know, folks in their 60s and older are high risk for COVID-19, and Master P's hometown is getting hit extremely hard by the outbreak.
Master P's foundation, Team Hope NOLA, has been making cash donations and buying groceries for the elderly during these difficult times. He says they're including the free sanitizer because ... well, why not?
Good looking out, Master P ... he's always got the hook-up!!!