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Woman suing Bunnings over death of her father

The daughter of Anthony James Georgiou, who lost his life after being placed in a headlock hold by two security guards at a Bunnings store in Melbourne, is taking legal action against the retail chain. Anthony, 31, was apprehended by security contractors at a Frankston Bunnings in September 2016 after attempting to steal a gas cylinder and saw blade. According to reports, the security officers, Abdul Habib Brenzai and George Oyee, restrained Georgiou on the ground and in a headlock, despite his pleas for help and struggles to breathe. He lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital, where he passed away shortly afterward. In September 2022, a Victorian coroner then found that Georgiou’s death would not have occurred if he was not restrained by the contractors at Bunnings. "There seems little doubt that had Georgiou not been involved in the struggle ... he would have walked away from Bunnings that day,” coroner Darren Bracken said in his findings at the time. Now, represented by Slater and Gordon Lawyers, Anthony Georgiou's daughter – whose identity remains undisclosed due to her age – is suing the security officers, their employer (New Security Solutions Group), and Bunnings Warehouse. The lawsuit claims "psychological injury, shock, and financial loss" resulting from her father's untimely death. The statement of claim filed in the Victorian Country Court alleges that the security officers failed to exercise reasonable care and ensure Georgiou's safety by preventing him from leaving the store that day. The officers are accused of engaging in a "prolonged assault" and applying excessive pressure on his neck, actions that are deemed "intentional, reckless, and/or negligent." Furthermore, the security guard's employer, New Security Solutions Group, is accused of inadequate training and supervision of Brenzai and Oyee, contributing to the unfortunate incident. Bunnings is also facing accusations of failing to provide the guards and their employer with their code of conduct, which would have outlined their obligations regarding detaining individuals on the premises. Neha Pratap, a public liability lawyer from Slater and Gordon, asserted that dependents of individuals who die due to the negligence of others have the right to seek compensation. The legal team argues that Anthony's death was avoidable, and the lawsuit aims to hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions or lack thereof. Anthony Georgiou’s family said their “lives have been forever altered” by his death in a statement. “We wish those responsible could understand the profound impact their action or inaction has had. Most affected is Anthony’s daughter, who has lost the joy and security that her father provided. She now lives with a constant void in her heart.” Images: Getty / A Current Affair

Legal

Breakfast Club star finally joins the baby club

Actor Anthony Hall and his wife, Lucia Oskerova, have shared the delightful news that they are expecting their first child together. In a statement to People, the 54-year-old actor, best known for his roles in Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club, opened up about how 34-year-old Lucia broke the news - a far cry from his The Breakfast Club character Brian Johnson’s stubborn “it's personal business. It's my personal, private business.” "Lucia and I were at home,” he explained. “She surprised me by revealing that she was pregnant with an at-home pregnancy test. We were kissing, hugging, and thanking God. We immediately started dancing and laughing in our bathroom to celebrate the good news.” Anthony went on to add that the couple will be having a boy, and that they already have a name for the little one picked out - “Michael Anthony the II”. Anthony’s full name is Michael Anthony Hall, but he changed it as many celebrities do upon joining the Screen Actors Guild in 1976. Of their upcoming dive into parenthood this summer, he gushed, "my wife and I are feeling so blessed, excited and filled with joy in anticipation of our son being born this summer.” Lucia took to Instagram to share their exciting news, with a post that also wished their fans a happy Valentine’s Day, tagging it “#babynews” and “#firsttimeparents”. “Congratulations!” Wrote Boardwalk Empire actor Chris Caldovino, to the thanks of both expectant parents. “I’ve been waiting FOREVER for the announcement of my new baby buddy! Love, love, love!” Declared one loved one, to whom Lucia responded that “it was starting to get hard to keep it a secret.” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cop_osxSaGM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cop_osxSaGM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lucia Oskerova (@luciaoskerova)</a> </div> </blockquote> Anthony had nothing but praise for his wife when asked about her pregnancy experience, telling People she’s been a “champ throughout”. "She's tending to every important detail as a proud, expectant mother-to-be,” he explained. “She is now six and half months along. "As a new father-to-be, I've been taking care of family business and making sure we all eat well, with a healthy diet of good foods — plenty of greens, vegetables, fresh fruit, and protein-rich food. Lucia makes great smoothies for us. And we are all getting good sleep each night." Anthony, as character Brian Johnson, once announced that he was “in the math club, uh, the Latin, and the physics club”. Whether or not Anthony himself has ever added any of these to his resume as well, he’ll soon be a lifetime member of The Baby Club. Image: Getty

Family & Pets

“It’s time”: Jacinda Ardern announces shock resignation

New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern has announced she will be stepping down from her position. Ardern confessed that she “no longer had enough in the tank to do it [her role] justice”, and confirmed a national election for October 14th. While her term will conclude no later than February 7th, she will continue on as an MP until the election. Jacinda has served as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand since 2017, when she made history by becoming the world’s youngest female head of government at 37 years old, and is a member of the Labour Party. Of her decision to resign, she stated, “I’m leaving, because with such a privileged role comes responsibility. The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not.” “I don’t want to leave the impression that the adversity you face in politics is the reason that people exit. Yes, it does have an impact. We are humans after all, but that was not the basis of my decision,” she went on to explain. She noted that she has her family’s support, and looks forward to spending more time with them. Jacinda and her partner, Clarke Gayford, welcomed their first child, Neve, in 2018. In her address, she told them, “to Neve: mum is looking forward to being there when you start school this year. And to Clarke – let’s finally get married.” Her announcement comes in a tight election year for the Labour party, but she is confident in their victory, and stressed that the polls were not the driving force behind her decision, “I’m not leaving because I believe we can’t win the election, but because I believe we can and will, and we need a fresh set of shoulders for that challenge.” Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, took to Twitter to share his respect for Jacinda after the news broke, writing, “Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength … Jacinda has been a fierce advocate for New Zealand, an inspiration to so many and a great friend to me.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength. She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities. Jacinda has been a fierce advocate for New Zealand, an inspiration to so many and a great friend to me. <a href="https://t.co/QJ64mNCJMI">pic.twitter.com/QJ64mNCJMI</a> — Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlboMP/status/1615871202580639744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote> Albanese went on to add that he looks forward “to working with the next Prime Minister of New Zealand,” and that he wishes Jacinda and her family well in this next chapter of their lives. He cited her “powerful leadership qualities” in her empathy and her insight, both demonstrated by Jacinda herself when she admitted that she has always worked with and relied on her team, and has not led on her own. She asked only that people remember her “as someone who always tried to be kind.” “I hope I leave New Zealanders with a belief that you can be kind, but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused. And that you can be your own kind of leader – one who knows when it’s time to go,” she added. Ardern has faced many challenges over her five and a half years in the role - from natural disasters to an international pandemic. Of the experience, she reflected, “it’s one thing to lead your country through peace time, it’s another to lead them through crisis. I had the privilege of being alongside NZ in a crisis and they placed their faith in me.” Images: Getty Images

News

“I knew she was gone”: Melissa Caddick’s husband opens up

Anthony Koletti, the husband of missing scam artist Melissa Caddick, has opened up about life since she vanished in 2021, including how he knew she was dead. In an interview with <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11459481/Anthony-Koletti-interview-Melissa-Caddicks-husband-reveals-really-thinks-happened-her.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail Australia</a>, Koletti said he knew his wife of ten years was dead when police told him they had found her severed foot in March 2021. “In your heart, you know if someone is no longer on the Earth,” he said. “When I spoke with police that day, I knew she was gone. I felt it inside my heart. “And as sad as it is, maybe not knowing what happened to her is more of a blessing in disguise. Do I feel like I'll ever get answers? No, I don't.” While the past two years had been difficult, Koletti said the realisation that he would never see his wife again was probably his darkest moment. Now, Koletti said he wants to restart his life but doesn’t believe he will find love again. “I still love Melissa, and I always will,” he said. “I highly doubt I'll find someone else, but that's OK.” Koletti told the outlet that he had struggled to find work in the two years since Caddick’s disappearance, with the constant scrutiny deterring employers from hiring him to avoid bad press. Despite the difficulties, including being described as a “failed DJ” and Caddick’s “boytoy”, the 40-year-old has returned to hairdressing and now looks after his wife’s teenage son. “It’s an honour to raise her son,” he said, adding that they hadn’t talked about Caddick’s $23 million theft from clients or her disappearance because “we don’t need to”. “We both had a terrible time, that's for sure, but we understand it because we lived it so there are no questions we have to ask each other,” Koletti said. “It takes a lot more care to look after a child who's been through that - a lot more care than is otherwise required. “Maybe that's the reason he's chosen to stay with me full time, he knows I can cater to that.” As for reports that claimed he relied on Caddick’s money to fund his lifestyle, Koletti said they were incorrect and that he had been working as a hairdresser four days a week throughout their marriage. But, Koletti stopped working when their life became the subject of headlines, instead taking on freelance clients and cutting their hair in their homes. While most of the claims were “water off a duck’s back”, he said he struggled with the “impact it’s had on my life in general”. His new boss, Deborah Bradshaw of The Hair Angel in Balmain, said she was warned against hiring Koletti but made her decision based on what she felt was right. “He's done nothing wrong. He deserves to get a job and earn money,” Ms Bradshaw said. “Of course I've read the news and I know the situation, but he's a good hairdresser and, when he came in, I realised he was really talented and really lovely and my clients love him. “His work is excellent, and that's what I'm judging him on.” Image: 7News

Legal

Kevin Spacey found not guilty of battery

Content warning: This article mentions child sexual abuse (CSA). A New York jury has found that Kevin Spacey isn’t liable for battery in a sexual abuse lawsuit brought against him by actor Anthony Rapp. The civil suit related to allegations from 1986, where Spacey allegedly picked Rapp up and briefly laid on top of him in a bed after a party. After deliberating for about an hour, the jury concluded that Rapp didn’t prove that Spacey “touched a sexual or intimate part” of him and the judge dismissed the case. Rapp, who was 14 at the time of the alleged incident, first publicly accused Spacey of sexual abuse in 2017. He alleged that Spacey, then 26, invited Rapp over to his home in Manhattan, where Spacey picked Rapp up, laid him down on a bed, grabbed his buttocks and pressed his groin into his hip. Rapp sued Spacy for $US 40 million ($NZ 70 million) in damages, and his claim of assault was dismissed by the judge before the trial started. The actor’s claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress was also dismissed after Rapp’s attorneys rested his case, meaning the jury only had to decide whether Spacey is ‘liable’ to damages for the claim of battery. Under New York law, battery is defined as touching another person without their consent and in a way that a reasonable person would find offensive. Rapp’s attorney Richard Steigman suggested in his closing statement that Spacey twisted his testimony during the trial to suit his defence, noting that Spacey apologised to Rapp when he first made the allegations. "Don't listen to what I said in real time. I'm defending a lawsuit now. Listen to me now. I've got it straightened out," Steigman said, mocking Spacey’s testimony that he regrets giving the statement in 2017 and was coerced by publicists to do it. Steigman also said Spacey’s testimony was rehearsed in comparison to Rapp’s and dismissed claims that Rapp came forward to out Spacey as gay. "When you're rehearsed, and a world class actor and you're following the script and following the testimony of someone else, you can take that stand and be perfectly polished," Steigman said. "When you're merely coming to court coming forward and telling the truth of your experience, especially one like this that's a little bit complicated." "The point of the story is not that Kevin Spacey is gay. It's that he sexually abused him when he was 14. That's what he's sharing with people, he's sharing his experience - nothing more, nothing less. Where's the proof that he said to any media outlet, you know, Kevin Spacey is gay, you really should run with this?" Jennifer Keller, Spacey’s attorney, said in her closing statement that Rapp “hitched his wagon” to the #MeToo movement when he came forward. "This isn't a team sport where you're either on the Me Too side, or you're on the other side," Keller told the jury. "This is a very different place. Our system requires evidence, proof, objective support for accusations provided to an impartial jury. However polarised as society may be today, it really should not have a place here." She also suggested that Rapp’s allegations were false and details taken from a scene from Broadway show Precious Sons, which Rapp performed with Ed Harris in 1986 at the time of the alleged incident. "We're here because Mr. Rapp has falsely alleged abuse that never occurred at a party that was never held in a room that did not exist," she said. Keller concluded her remarks by asking the jury not to compromise their judgement by finding Spacey liable but only awarding Rapp a single dollar in damages. "You're here to be judges of the facts. Did it happen? It didn't happen. One penny is too much for something that did not happen,” she said. “And for Mr. Spacey this is not about the money. For Mr. Spacey, this is about the truth that day and he was falsely accused.” Image: Getty Images

Legal

"They weren't real tears": Damning testimony at Melissa Caddick inquest

One of the first police officers to interview Melissa Caddick’s husband has said he was acting extremely strangely and, when seen crying, wasn’t shedding “real tears”. Sergeant Trent Riley told the inquest into Caddick’s death of Anthony Koletti’s behaviour after he reported her missing 28 hours after he says she left their <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/property/real-estate/melissa-caddick-s-husband-ordered-to-vacate-15-million-mansion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dover Heights home</a>. Louise Coleman, the junior counsel assisting, asked whether Sergeant Riley believed Koletti’s behaviour “was extremely strange and unusual”, to which he said, “Yes”. “I thought it was strange a husband would ring the police station, report his wife missing two days later and wasn't prepared to come to the police station,” Sergeant Riley said. “Or didn't really want police to go around and see him (because) he had too much work on that day.” Since the inquest began on Monday, it has been heard that Koletti impersonated Caddick the day after she went missing and falsely told friends he was with her at home. Koletti cancelled an appointment with their cleaner via text using his wife’s phone and lied to Caddick’s brother Adam Grimley and friend Scott Little in text messages, telling them he was home with her when he hadn’t actually seen her that day. Coleman asked Sergeant Riley about the text message sent to the cleaner, which he described as strange. “I did think it was strange,” he said. “(He) contacted her closest friends but hadn’t let them know she was missing?” Coleman asked. “He did. Very strange,” Sergeant Riley said. The part-time hairdresser and DJ reported that his wife was missing on November 30, just over a day after he said she left the house to go for a walk or a run. The inquest heard on Wednesday that Sergeant Riley’s suspicions prompted him to visit Koletti at the couple’s home in the eastern suburbs, with his body-cam footage played before the court. “You can’t be too careful these days,” Koletti can be heard saying while unlocking one of the doors. In the cellar, Koletti points out that Caddick “hasn’t even taken any grog”. On the upstairs deck, where the Harbour Bridge could be seen in the background, Sergeant Riley mentioned that it was a good spot for New Year’s Eve. “I was looking forward to New Year's Eve, but I don't know now. It doesn't mean anything when you don't have the love of your life,” Koletti responds. “Did you go anywhere last night?” Sergeant Riley asks again. “Not that I know of,” Mr Koletti says. Sergeant Riley repeatedly says he doesn’t believe Koletti is telling him the complete truth. “Like I said before I think there's something you're not telling me,” Sergeant Riley says. “I told you if something comes up I will tell you ... I've been on this for a long time now,” Koletti responds. Solicitor Judy Swan, who is representing Koletti, pointed out to the sergeant that her client began to cry at the end of the search and interview. “They weren't real tears in my opinion ... I'm very confident they weren't real tears,” Sergeant Riley said. He noted that Koletti gave him two different versions of the last time he saw Caddick, first telling police that he wasn’t worried about his wife and hadn’t left home at all and later saying he had spent the day searching above the ocean near The Gap. “(He says) he didn't think she was missing but he was checking the cliffs around Rodney Reserve all day,” Coleman said. “Extremely strange,” Sergeant Riley responded. The officer, who was unaware that the couple’s home had been raided by the Australian Federal Police and Australian Securities and Investments Commission on November 11, added that he was bewildered by Koletti’s ability to describe the clothes his wife was wearing when she left the house, despite not seeing her leave. The inquest before Deputy State Coroner Elizabeth Ryan continues. Image: Getty Images

Legal

"Put it up properly!" PM criticised for public flag blunder

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has come under fire after the Aboriginal flag was hung upside down on the first day of the Jobs and Skills Summit at Parliament House - made worse by the fact that no one in attendance seemed to notice the error either. The incorrectly-hung Indigenous flag was in the background displayed alongside the Australia and Torres Strait Islander flags as Mr Albanese addressed the 140 government and business leaders and was spotted in various selfies and photos taken on the day. When correctly flown, the black half of the flag, <a href="https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/aboriginal-flag" target="_blank" rel="noopener">representing</a> First Nations Australians, is meant to be at the top, with the red half, signifying the earth, at the bottom. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Loved joining this powerhouse of women speakers on the opening panel at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/jobssummit?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#jobssummit</a>. Equity for women can’t wait ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/SenKatyG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenKatyG</a>⁩ ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/sammostyn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sammostyn</a>⁩ ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/emmafulu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@emmafulu</a> ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/June_Oscar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@June_Oscar</a>⁩⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/leonora_risse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@leonora_risse</a>⁩ ⁩ <a href="https://t.co/eVd6kDATfJ">pic.twitter.com/eVd6kDATfJ</a> — Michele O'Neil (@MicheleONeilAU) <a href="https://twitter.com/MicheleONeilAU/status/1565152042347180034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2022</a></blockquote> It hung upside down until delegates left for the lunch break and was correctly displayed when they returned. Prominent Indigenous leaders called out the faux pas, including Coalition Senator Jacinta Price and Warren Mundine, a business leader and former Labor Party president. Senator Price, who has previously criticised Mr Albanese’s flying of the flag as empty symbolism, said it was ironic that the government went out of its way to show symbolic respect for Indigenous Australians, yet still made such an error. “With all the virtuous expression of respect for Aboriginal Australians... and all the carry on with strategically placing the flag prominently to express this deep virtue you’d think that this Albanese Government could actually hang it the right way up?” she said. “Especially at such a significant and groundbreaking event such as the job summit.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/albo-flag1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Various speakers were photographed in front of the incorrectly-hung Indigenous flag, which was corrected during the event’s lunch break. Images: @AlboMP (Twitter) Mr Mundine said he was shocked when the saw the flag on TV, describing the mistake as “ignorant” and “pathetic”. “How ignorant and pathetic is it that our national flag is treated this way… put it up properly!” he said. The Parliamentary Services Department, which was responsible for the error, later said the flag being upside down was the result of “an unfortunate human error”. “The incorrect mounting of the Aboriginal flag was due to an unfortunate human error. Once the error was identified, it was immediately corrected,” it said. While a flag flying upside down can signal that someone is in distress in the US and is sometimes used by protestors at rallies, the act is banned under all circumstances by the Australian flag protocols. Mr Albanese has been displaying the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags in parliament and at government events since becoming PM following the May election, with Indigenous MPs and leaders praising it as a long-overdue acknowledgement of First Nations culture and Australia’s history before British colonisation. Images: @AlboMP (Twitter)

News

"So proud": Blue Wiggle's daughter joins the cast

The daughter of Blue Wiggle Anthony Field has shared she has joined the children's entertainment group as a dancer. Lucia Field, 17, made the announcement on her TikTok account, as she shared a throwback picture of her and her famous dad with Dorothy the Dinosaur. She wrote, "I never would've believed you if 16 years ago you told me I'd be here." She then shared a photo of her in a blue skivvy dancing in front of the giant Wiggles logo. The video, which was posted on the offical Wiggles account, was flooded with comments of people cheering on the new dance member. <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 610px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7132666717473344769&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40thewiggles%2Fvideo%2F7132666717473344769%3Fis_copy_url%3D1%26is_from_webapp%3Dv1%26lang%3Den&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> Anthony also commented, saying he was "so proud" of his daughter. Lucia graduated from high school in December last year, with her excited father sharing a photo to Instagram of them together at her formal. In addition to Lucia, Anthony is father to daughter Marie, 16, and son Antonio, 14, whom he shares with his wife of 18 years, Michaela Patisteas. Anthony joined The Wiggles in 1979 alongside retired members Murray Cook, Greg Page and Jeff Fatt. The trio were replaced by 'Yellow Wiggle' Emma Watkins, who left the group in October last year, 'Purple Wiggle' Lachlan Gillespie and 'Red Wiggle' Simon Pryce. Image credits: TikTok

Family & Pets

Bradley Cooper's unexpected new partner

Bradley Cooper is dating Huma Abedin. Huma is Hillary Clinton’s top aide and the ex-wife of disgraced politician Anthony Weiner who was sentenced in 2017 to 21 months in prison for sexting with a minor. The Hollwood actor and Huma were introduced by mutual friend Vogue editor Anna Wintour and have been “quietly” seeing each other, <a href="https://pagesix.com/2022/07/12/bradley-cooper-dating-huma-abedin-thanks-to-anna-wintour-sources/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Page Six</a> reported. “Bradley has been quietly dating Huma for a few months now, [and] they’ve been keeping it really quiet,” a Hollywood insider told the publication. “Bradley broke up with [actor] Dianna Agron and started dating Huma.” The insider is also saying that Huma has told close friends that she is seeing someone new but did not disclose who it was. “They are perfect for each other. They’re both into power and politics and human affairs.” Page Six reports that the pair arrived at the Met Gala together on May 2 before parting for the red carpet to not make their relationship obvious. Huma is currently in the final stages of her divorce from Weiner who she shares a 10-year-old son with. “I had my heart broken, dragged out, stomped on, humiliated. I lived with shame, in shame, for so long,” she previously told The Cut. “In hindsight, I was in extreme trauma.” Bradley was dating actress Dianna Agron before Huma. Images: Getty

Relationships

Jacinda Ardern tackles awkward popularity question

Jacinda Ardern has faced an awkward moment on Australian television, after ABC’s 7.30 host Sarah Ferguson asked what it’s like to be more popular abroad than at home. Though the New Zealand Prime Minister is quite a popular figure overseas, she faces growing voter dissatisfaction and has been criticised for the strict COVID-19 elimination policies her government introduced during the initial stages of the pandemic. Ms Ardern has been in Australia on a trade and tourism mission, joining Anthony Albanese for the Australian Leadership Forum in Sydney on Thursday, where they discussed everything from climate change to trans-Tasman trade. She was then interviewed on Thursday night’s episode of the ABC show, where she was quizzed about her experience being a global celebrity. “How does it feel to be more popular abroad than at home?” Ferguson asked. “My total focus is at home. That’s what matters to me,” Ms Ardern replied. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"> "All I do is magnify the Kiwi spirit." - <a href="https://twitter.com/FergusonNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FergusonNews</a> asks New Zealand Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/jacindaardern?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jacindaardern</a> how she feels about being a global celebrity. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/abc730?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#abc730</a> <a href="https://t.co/JjvkGe2pBK">pic.twitter.com/JjvkGe2pBK</a> — abc730 (@abc730) <a href="https://twitter.com/abc730/status/1544980367051870208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2022</a></blockquote> Earlier in the interview, Ferguson remarked it was unusual for the leader of a small Pacific country to become an “international celebrity”, to which Ms Ardern said she wouldn’t think about herself in those terms. “I think the rest of the world would,” Ferguson replied. “I guess, gosh, that would be for them,” Ms Ardern said. “For me, I will forever, first and foremost be the prime minister of New Zealand, and my focus is totally on our nation. “If by virtue of just doing that job to the very best of my ability, there is some interest in what New Zealand does and how we do it - then I will always reflect back to the fact that all I do is magnify the Kiwi spirit.” When Ferguson suggested that Ms Ardern had been able to take advantage of social media and use it to boost her “celebrity” status more instinctively than previous leaders, Ms Ardern replied that besides leading New Zealand in the best way she can, she felt she had a job to prove to the public that politicians are “very human”. “Ultimately, we want people to be attracted to politics - we want people to want to do the job,” she said. “If we give this air that you have to be completely ironclad and almost so resilient as to not to be human, people won’t see themselves wanting to enter the fray.” Despite the tension of the interview, Ms Ardern’s trip to Australia has appeared to be mostly positive. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfphg9EvwgC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfphg9EvwgC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jacinda Ardern (@jacindaardern)</a> </div> </blockquote> The Kiwi PM was the first world leader to meet with Mr Albanese in Australia last month, with the two former DJ’s exchanging band t-shirts and vinyl records. On her latest trip, Ms Ardern also met with NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet earlier on Thursday at Parliament House, and with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Tuesday. Ms Ardern and Mr Andrews are said to have discussed climate change, mental health and infrastructure, vowing to stay in touch. With both adopting similar hardline strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is understood that Ms Ardern had more contact with Mr Andrews than any other Australian leader during the pandemic. Image: ABC

Travel Trouble

Melissa Caddick’s husband ordered to vacate $15 million mansion

Melissa Caddick’s husband has been ordered to vacate the alleged fraudster’s multi million-dollar mansion in Sydney’s eastern suburbs within the next two weeks, ahead of its sale to repay Ms Caddick’s victims. Justice Brigitee Markovic told Anthony Koletti he had to leave the $15 million property in Dover Heights by May 18, as reported by <a href="https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/crime/melissa-caddicks-husband-anthony-koletti-ordered-to-leave-15-million-dover-heights-mansion/news-story/cde0b09f71b707f8771af7237c1a0775" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sky News</a>. “Anthony Koletti is to be granted liberty to apply on two days’ written notice in respect of any dispute regarding the removal of personal property items from the Dover Heights,” Justice Markovic said. The profits from selling the home will be used to repay 74 investors who lost a total of $23 million through Ms Caddick’s Ponzi scheme. Ms Caddick bought the three-bedroom mansion for $6 million using misappropriated funds in 2014, which was later raided by police on behalf of the Australian Investment and Securities Commission (ASIC) in 2020. ASIC has alleged that Ms Caddick duped friends and family into <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/melissa-caddick-s-hidden-millions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investing millions</a> by posing as a financial advisor and pretending to invest clients’ money with forged CommSec statements. The court order comes two weeks after <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/melissa-caddick-s-husband-claims-millions-in-jewels-cars-homes-and-assets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mr Koletti claimed</a> his financial and non-financial contributions to the home entitled him to parts of Ms Caddick’s assets, including her fine art collection, diamond jewellery and Gucci wedding dress. Mr Koletti, who married Ms Caddick in 2013, said in his statement that he was seeking a $4 million cut from the sale of her Dover Heights property, $360,000 from luxury cars already sold, and $7 million in shares. Ms Caddick, who disappeared the day after the police raid and whose decomposed foot was found washed up on a NSW beach, will be the <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/finance/legal/not-so-innocent-detail-in-cute-puppy-pic-reveals-melissa-caddick-s-huge-profits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subject of an inquiry</a> in September which could answer some of the questions about her death and disappearance. Image: news.com.au

Real Estate

Melissa Caddick’s husband claims millions in jewels, cars, homes and assets

Melissa Caddick’s husband, Anthony Koletti, has lodged a claim indicating that he is entitled to a significant share of the multi-million dollars worth of cars, houses, artworks and jewellery left by the missing Sydney woman. After it was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/melissa-caddick-s-hidden-millions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that Caddick had misappropriated $25 million of investors' funds in a Ponzi scheme via her company Maliver Pty Ltd, court proceedings were begun in November 2020 by the corporate watchdog in order to return the vast amounts of swindled money to investors. These proceedings remain underway. Mr Koletti has now filed a statement in Federal Court as an interested party, claiming that he is entitled to matrimonial property including $2 million of clothes and jewellery, $7 million worth of shares, proceeds from $360,000 of cars that have been sold, as well as two homes in the multi-million dollar price range. Mr Koletti also claims entitlement to personal property that includes five valuable John Olsen paintings, a Louis Vuitton watch, a Gucci wedding dress and several more pricey items of white-gold jewellery – including a $33,960 diamond ring set by Sydney fine jewellery designer Canturi and his own $26,500 wedding band. According to court documents, Mr Koletti’s claim was based on his “financial and non-financial contributions” to the relationship since his December 2013 marriage to Caddick. Mr Koletti’s basis for the claims rest with the fact that he used up almost all of his income and assets to support Caddick and her son during their marriage, and that furthermore that since Caddick’s disappearance he has personally paid around $500 a week to care for her child. The claim went on to state that “due to the extensive media coverage relating to the Defendant’s disappearance, the time taken by legal proceedings and Mr Koletti’s grief, he has not been able to secure gainful employment in his usual trade other than casual hairdressing services and some income from <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/melissa-caddick-s-husband-releases-album-about-her-disappearance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his music</a>.” Mr Koletti’s court filing comes ahead of an inquest set for September, which will further probe the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/wild-theories-over-melissa-caddick-disappearance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mysterious disappearance</a> of Caddick. Image: Supplied

News

Blue Wiggle's stunning gesture for late veteran's family

Blue Wiggle Anthony Field has donated all his latest album's royalties to the family of a war veteran who passed away from cancer at age 30. Afghanistan veteran Brendan Nikolajew <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/tragic-update-from-wife-of-terminally-ill-veteran" target="_blank">died</a> on July 29 this year after fighting testicular cancer on-and-off for the past three years. A few weeks prior, the Blue Wiggle <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/veteran-with-terminal-cancer-speechless-after-blue-wiggle-s-kind-act" target="_blank">promised</a> to donate the royalties from the group’s latest album, Lullabies With Love, and has lived up to his word. After giving Mr Nikolajew all of his songwriting credits, the royalties will now go to his wife Leah, and their two young children. “I took my name off all the songwriting and put Brendan’s name instead, and gave him all the royalties and credits,” the musician <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-16/blue-wiggle-donates-aria-nominated-album-to-veterans-family/100620444" target="_blank">said</a>. He said Mr Nikolajew found the situation to be quite amusing. “We had a good laugh about this, because it’s nominated for an ARIA award, so if we win the ARIA that ARIA is going straight to Leah and the family, and we’ll get Brendan’s name engraved on it,” Field explained. “It would be fantastic — I mean, he’s got so many medals from his service and now he might end up with an ARIA too. “He was hoping to still be around for the ARIAs. He was going to take his daughter and son.” Field, a fellow Army veteran, became acquainted with Mr Nikolajew two and half years ago, and described him as “one in a million”. “He’s one of those people you are very lucky to meet in your life,” the 58-year-old said. “I learnt so much from that young man. He taught me how to live and boy, did he teach me how to die.” Just before Mr Nikolajew passed away, Field said the pair spoke about the loss of his niece. “Brendan lost his niece in the lead-up to his death and we had a good talk about it,” Field recalled. “I said to Brendan, ‘What’s going to happen when you pass over?’ “He said, ‘I’m going straight to my little niece’ — that’s the sort of man he was and I know he would be there now, looking after her.” Mr Nikolajew’s status as an ARIA award winner is yet to be determined, with the winners to be announced on November 24. Images: @anthony_wiggle / @brendans.cancer.fight (Instagram)

Music

Melissa Caddick’s husband releases album about her disappearance

After making a <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/it-s-time-for-the-truth-to-come-out-melissa-caddick-s-husband-speaks" target="_blank">series of bombshell claims</a>, the husband of missing fraudster Melissa Caddick has released an unusual album about the day police raided her home and her disappearance. Hairdresser and DJ Anthony Koletti released his new album online after his music was featured on Channel 7’s Spotlight investigation into Ms Caddick’s case. Ms Caddick was accused of ripping off her family, friends, and investors, prompting corporate watchdog ASIC to raid her multimillion-dollar Dover Heights home in search of evidence. The following day, Ms Caddick disappeared. Three months later, her decomposed foot was found on a beach hundreds of kilometres from her home, prompting the emergence of a string of theories about her fate. Some theories include that she cut off her foot and faked her disappearance, or that she may have taken her own life. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844940/caddick1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/7f041784b7f2491a8e0c87ed4cb18353" /> Melissa Caddick and Anthony Koletti. Image: 7NEWS The bizarre album, titled Raid, was inspired by the case and was released under the name Paws Off. The tracks consist of looped phrases with Mr Kholetti impersonating police officers and speaking as himself to represent interactions he had with police on the day of the raid. The opening track, Introduction, includes a spoken snippet from Mr Kholetti <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/anthony-koletti-releases-album-about-melissa-caddicks-disappearance/news-story/47a46aae9b3eec0d9f743ed203216d55" target="_blank">saying</a>: “November 11, 2020, 5am. This is a true account of what happened on the day of the raid. Parental guidance is recommended.” The next track, Good Morning, includes the sound of snoring and Mr Kholetti’s impersonation of a female police officer, saying, “No, no, we don’t have any proof or evidence, we’ll just get them”. “Yeah that’s good enough for me,” Mr Kholetti replies in a deeper voice. Another voice says, “Freeze, don’t move.” In another track called Ten Minutes Too Late, Mr Kholetti entertains conspiracy theories about the disappearance. “If you walked out on your own accord, or if you were taken from the front door, I woke up 10 minutes too late,” he says in the song. In Turn Your Bodycam Off, Mr Kholetti impersonates a female police officer, singing, “You should turn your bodycam off so we don’t get in trouble”. “We can take whatever we want and we don’t owe you an explanation for anything,” he says, appearing to impersonate police officers involved in the raid conducted by ASIC. “You and ASIC hurt hundreds of people unnecessarily. It could have been prevented.” He also claims a female officer “interrogated our family for 14 hours” on a track titled Bragging. “Truth is, you let a young girl from a large corporation brutally interrogate a lady for 14 hours and you did nothing.” The album comes after Mr Kholetti appeared on Channel 7’s Spotlight program over the weekend, claiming Ms Caddick was killed. Police believe it is more likely Ms Caddick took her own life. “She wasn’t the kind of person who would chop off her foot and go AWOL,” Mr Kholetti said on the program. “I know why she died. Someone got greedy and wanted her dead.” Image: news.com.au

Music

The Wiggles’ Anthony Fields drops bombshell revelation

Anthony Field has been the Blue Wiggle for over 30 years, but a bombshell revelation may have us all watching his performances with a closer eye. The star children’s performer admitted he has been miming the whole time. The Wiggles was co-founded in 1991, and Field remains the lost standing member of the original group. However, despite his decades of experience, the star revealed he doesn’t sing like his co-stars Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce and Emma Watkins. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843503/wiggle-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8bccf6ef391a4b529f117ff5c3105f81" /> “I never sing. For years, I’ve mimed,” he told Nova’s Fitzy & Wippa. “Believe it or not, I mimed Simon’s (baritone-style) voice for years. “I have this low voice and people would ask me to sing in public and they’d be very disappointed.” Field, who is also known for his guitar skills, joked his admission was like the Milli Vanilli 1989 scandal when the RnB duo was caught lip-syncing after a technical glitch during a live show. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843504/wiggle-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f01272e7122c49fba28df5b3475f6ac6" /> Field came on the show after the announcement that four new members - Tsehay Hawkins, Evie Ferris, John Pearce, and Kelly Hamilton - would be joining the group. The expanded line-up was announced on Sunday for a new YouTube exclusive - Fruit Salad TV. “Fruit Salad TV seeks to inspire a diverse audience with its gender balanced and diverse cast,” the group said. “The Wiggles aim to motivate the child viewer to sing, dance and be active participants in the story of the day.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CS2qb0INHez/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CS2qb0INHez/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Wiggles (@thewiggles)</a> </div> </blockquote> The new members will don the same coloured skivvies as the other members of the band. Kelly will wear yellow, John is in purple, Tsehay dresses in red and Evie is in blue.

Music

Tragic update from wife of terminally ill veteran

A Queensland man whose battle with terminal cancer saw Wiggles star Anthony Field commit <a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/veteran-with-terminal-cancer-speechless-after-blue-wiggle-s-kind-act" target="_blank">an act of kindness</a> has died at the age of 30. Brendan Nikolajew, an army veteran who served in Afghanistan, had been fighting cancer on-and-off for more than three years after a small lump was discovered on one of his testicles. He was recently given the devastating news that he had weeks to live and on Tuesday, his wife Leah shared a tragic update. “To all our beautiful friends and family, it breaks my heart to let you all know that my beautiful husband passed away peacefully yesterday afternoon,” she wrote on Instagram. “I held him close and lay next to him until his last breath. I made sure he knew how loved he was by everyone who knew him. “The last few days of his life were extremely hard for him as he struggled to breathe and was quite confused, he fought right to the end and did not want to leave but eventually made the decision to finally be at peace and watch us from the stars.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRzjAkAhR1v/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRzjAkAhR1v/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Brendan Nikolajew (@brendans.cancer.fight)</a> </div> </blockquote> Leah said her “little family” were “absolutely broken” after his passing and “still can’t imagine how we are going to continue on in this life without our sun and moon and our rock”. “He lived life to the fullest and loved the people around so bloody hard and I am proud to be his wife,” Leah continued. “I hope we can all keep his memory alive by never giving up and living our life with Brendan’s ferocity and passion. “Thank you all for the beautiful kind messages of love.” Blue Wiggle Anthony Field, who previously pledged to donate the royalties from the group’s new album to Brendan’s wife and children, shared his own tribute to Brendan. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Rest In Peace Brendan. <a href="https://t.co/pak9Uf79dH">pic.twitter.com/pak9Uf79dH</a> — Anthony Field (@Anthony_Wiggle) <a href="https://twitter.com/Anthony_Wiggle/status/1419777483537215490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2021</a></blockquote> “Rest in Peace Brendan,” he wrote on Twitter, sharing a photo of the veteran with his family. Image: brendans.cancer.fight / Instagram

Caring

Veteran with terminal cancer speechless after Blue Wiggle’s kind act

A Queensland army veteran has been left lost for words after finding out about how one of Australia’s biggest music stars plans to set his young family up for life. Wiggles member Anthony Field has pledged to donate the royalties from the group’s new album, Lullabies With Love, to Brendan Nikolajew’s wife and children. Nikolajew is in palliative care as he combats late-stage terminal cancer at home in Moreton Bay. “I never thought that I’d be receiving support and admiration from such a legend,” Nikolajew said of Field’s kind act on Instagram on Tuesday. “Anthony has given so much and it’s too humbling. “For this to be put into words is the hardest part … Just a massive thanks to everyone involved!” The 30-year-old war veteran, who served in Afghanistan, has been battling cancer for more than three years after a small lump was found on one of his testicles. After treatment of the lump, his cancer returned in November last year and was found in other areas of his body. Despite undergoing immediate chemotherapy treatment, he was recently given the terminal diagnosis and is making himself as comfortable as possible at home. His friend, Matthew James, spoke to 7NEWS in July, describing Nikolajew as “a positive guy”. “He’s the guy in the group who would try to pick you up if you were feeling down,” James said. “He’s definitely the most genuine bloke you could meet. “For the past three or so years he’s been really going through it, it’s never really sunk in. “He’s always been a positive guy. It’s kind of really starting to hit home. It’s a really rough time.” Field, the blue Wiggle who started the beloved children’s group in the 1990s, also served in the military. His gesture will be set to benefit Nikolajew’s wife Leah, their four-year-old daughter Georgie, and their two-year-old son Roman. More than $12000 has also been raised through a GoFundMe for the family. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ9SMwzhuxc/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ9SMwzhuxc/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Brendan Nikolajew (@brendans.cancer.fight)</a> </div> </blockquote> “These two and my wife, are the reasons I fight/fought so hard, so long and gave whatever it took,” Nikolajew said on Instagram recently. “I also lived my bloody life, which I’m proud of.” Image: Brendan Nikolajew / Instagram

Caring

Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster reunite after 30 years

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> Movie legends Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster reunited via Zoom to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of The Silence of the Lambs. The pair were happy to see each other and reminisced about their experiences during and after filming. "It's a life-changing adventure, that movie, for both of us," Foster said during a one-hour remote conversation for <a rel="noopener" href="https://variety.com/2021/film/news/jodie-foster-anthony-hopkins-silence-of-the-lambs-30th-anniversary-1234887496/" target="_blank">Variety's Actors on Actors</a>. "I'm sure you still get people who come up to you and say, 'Would you like a nice Chianti?'" she joked to Hopkins. "Oh yeah, they do!" he agreed. Hopkins also revealed the real-life inspiration behind his iconic character, the manipulative killer known as Dr. Hannibal Lector. "He's like a machine. He's like HAL, the computer in 2001: 'Good evening, Dave.' He just comes in like a silent shark," Hopkins explained. "I remember there was a teacher at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and his name was Christopher Fettes. He was a movement teacher. He had a cutting voice, and he would slice you to pieces. His analysis of what you were doing was so precise; it's a method that stayed with me for all my life. "When I was doing it, I thought, 'This is Chris Fettes. This is the voice. This man is merciless.' I remember the cage scene, when I said, 'No!' Wrong, try it again. That, to anyone, to the observer, the recipient of that, is lethal and charismatic." He also recalled one of his favourite scenes involving Foster, which is where her character FBI cadet Clarice Starling gets into a Quantico elevator with her much taller male colleagues. "I'm like, 'This is brilliant, because you are a smaller person in this big, macho male world, coming in as the hero,'" Hopkins noted. Foster then shared the most important part of her character was nailing her rural West Virginia accent. "She had this quietness. There was almost a shame that she wasn't bigger, that she wasn't stronger, this person trying to overcome the failure of the body they were born in,' she explained. "I understood that was her strength. In some ways, she was just like the victims - another girl in another town. The fact that she could relate to those victims made her the hero." The classic film went on to win the five big Academy Awards, which are best picture, best director (Jonathan Demme, best actor (Hopkins), best actress (Foster) and best adapted screenplay (Ted Tally). </div> </div> </div>

Movies

Anthony Hopkins sells off glorious Malibu retreat for eye watering price

Renowned actor Anthony Hopkins is saying farwell to his longtime Malibu reatreat for an eye watering $10.5 million. The gorgeous home that spans over one-acre, is located on Point Dume Bluff, and did not seem to be a difficult sell for Hopkins who listed it in February with a $11.5 million price tag. The 4,010-square-foot home may not have left his hands for the extra million, it is a definite jump in profit from the $3.8 million he paid for the property back in 2001. The main part of the home boasts a glorious four bedrooms and four bathrooms, along with a stunning white stone-framed fireplace in the living room. The kitten is a marvel in itself and is fitted with stainless steel appliances, wood cabinetry, terra-cotta style floors and built-in shelving. The property also includes a pool and spa, along with gardens and an impressive deck space. On another part of the property, there is a spacious guest house which has a private one-bedroom, one-bathroom guest house, as well as a pool house.. Hopkins and his wife, Stella, are selling the home because they want to be closer to Los Angeles. The couple already own three homes in the city. Along with a two-bedroom Pacific Palisades condo, they also maintain a $6.6 million contemporary house in the neighborhood, which they bought in 2018.

Real Estate

The heartfelt way Anthony Bourdain’s daughter paid tribute to her dad

Just days after the tragic news celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his French hotel room on June 8, his 11-year-old daughter has paid tribute to her 61-year-old dad in a small but touching way. Her mother and Anthony’s estranged wife, Ottavia Busia-Bourdain, shared a photo of Ariane on stage performing at a concert. In a subtle nod to her beloved father, the young girl’s outfit was in tribute of her dad. “Our little girl had her concert today. She was amazing. So strong and brave,” Ottavia wrote on Instagram. “She wore the boots you bought her.” The 40-year-old, who separated from Anthony in 2016 after nine years of marriage – the former couple’s divorce was never finalised – added: “I hope you are having a good trip, wherever you are.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 62.511671335200745% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj3w5dZF2V3/" target="_blank">A post shared by ottavia busia-bourdain (@ottaviabourdain)</a> on Jun 10, 2018 at 9:40pm PDT </div> </blockquote> Anthony, who did not become a dad until he was 50, had previously spoken about how important his daughter was to him and the newfound role of fatherhood. Writing in his book Appetites: A Cookbook, he shared, “I became a father at fifty years of age. That’s late, I know. But for me, it was just right.” The celebrity chef and TV star added, “At no point previously had I been old enough, settled enough, or mature enough for this, the biggest and most important of jobs: the love and care of another human being.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 37.4537037037037% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKuI11hhQFz/" target="_blank">A post shared by ottavia busia-bourdain (@ottaviabourdain)</a> on Sep 23, 2016 at 6:52pm PDT </div> </blockquote> The Parts Unknown host said that from the moment Ariane was born, he “began making some major changes” to his life. “I was no longer the star of my own movie – or any movie. From that point on, it was all about the girl. Fatherhood has been an enormous relief, as I am now genetically, instinctually compelled to care more about someone other than myself.” The dad-of-one added, “I like being a father. No, I love being a father. Everything about it.” If you are troubled by this article, experiencing a personal crisis or thinking about suicide, you can call Lifeline 131 114 or beyondblue 1300 224 636 or visit <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank">lifeline.org.au</a> or <a href="https://www.beyondblue.org.au/" target="_blank">beyondblue.org.au.</a>

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The heartfelt way Anthony Bourdain’s daughter paid tribute to her dad