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“It pains me”: Tennis star shares sad news

<p dir="ltr">Emma Raducanu has revealed that she will have to miss the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, as she undergoes three “minor” surgeries on both of her hands and left ankle.</p> <p dir="ltr">The twenty-year-old posted the update to Instagram on Wednesday, revealing that she has kept the severity of her injuries private for some time.</p> <p dir="ltr">Raducanu shared a snap from her hospital bed with a cast on her right hand, after undergoing the first of her three planned procedures.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is safe to say the last 10 months have been difficult as I dealt with a recurring injury on a bone of both hands,” she wrote in the handwritten statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I tried my best to manage the pain and play through it most of this year and end of last year by reducing practice load dramatically, missing weeks of training as well as cutting last season short to try heal it, unfortunately it’s not enough.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m disappointed to share that I will be out for the next few months and while I am at it will have another minor procedure that is due on my ankle.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It pains me that I will miss the summer events and I tried to downplay the issues so I thank all my fans who continued to support me when you did not know the facts.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Looking forward to seeing you all back out there,” she ended the note with a hand drawn heart.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 2021 US Open champion has been struggling with a string of injuries as she tried to adjust to the demands of being a professional tennis player.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her most recent hand injury forced her to withdraw from the Billie Jean King Cup finals at the end of the last year. At the beginning of this year, she rolled her ankle mid-match in a tournament in Auckland.</p> <p dir="ltr">Raducanu is set to have the operation on her left hand this month after getting surgery for her left ankle in the coming weeks.</p> <p dir="ltr">She hopes to train on the tennis court again by the end of the summer, but her team has refused to predict an exact return date.</p> <p dir="ltr">Many fans and fellow tennis players have commented their support and well wishes for the star.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Rest up, Emma, and come back stronger 💜💚,” commented the official Wimbledon Instagram account.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Speedy recovery ❤️,” wrote Ukrainian tennis player, Marta Kostyuk.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Surgery is never nice, always a little scary, well done,” commented one person.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Get well soon Emma and you have many fans around the world supporting you and having your back,” wrote another.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Get well soon Emma!, we will be waiting for you when the moment is right, wishing you the best,” commented a third.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

News

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“I stepped away from my life”: Emma Watson’s candid birthday admission

<p dir="ltr">Emma Watson has shared an honest admission about the last few years of her life in the wake of her 33rd birthday. </p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Harry Potter</em> star took to Instagram to share a series of portraits, as she returned to the public eye to share what she had been up to in her personal life. </p> <p dir="ltr">Watson’s last acting credit dates back to 2019 when she starred in Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of <em>Little Women</em>, and ever since Watson has taken a step back from Hollywood. </p> <p dir="ltr">The British actress admitted she had wanted to extend her “Covid cocoon” after sharing why she “stepped away” from her life. </p> <p dir="ltr">“This is 33. Holy moly. Before 29 I hadn’t even heard of a Saturn Return as a concept. Let’s just say that now I am well acquainted,” she wrote on Monday night.</p> <p dir="ltr">In astrology, the term “Saturn return” refers to when the planet Saturn has moved all the way through the zodiac back to the place where it was at the time of a person’s birth.</p> <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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrEw26NP9zE/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/CrEw26NP9zE/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Emma Watson (@emmawatson)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Getting candid about the highs and lows of the past couple of years, Watson said she learned to surf “badly,” rode horses, has done “a lot of therapy”, filmed the <em>Harry Potter</em> reunion, and “said goodbye to my Grandma and Grandpa.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She went on to say she “felt really sad and really p***ed off about a lot of things.” </p> <p dir="ltr">“I learned more about love and being a woman. It took me three years but I have finally figured out a daily practice and can actually keep it for more than a few days in a row.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“These pictures were actually taken on my birthday last year, but I wasn’t ready to come out of my COVID Cocoon. Today I feel 🦋🦋🦋🦋.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Watson signed off by showing her gratitude to her loved ones who have supported her recent journey of self-discovery. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Thank you to the witches in my coven who were so pivotal in helping me arrive at where and who I am now,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You are my Avengers and you inspire me and kick ass. It takes a village, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”</p> <p dir="ltr">While Watson’s previous Instagram post was in December 2022, she previously kept her personal life away from the platform, only posting as an ambassador for Prada or sharing updates on her short film.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

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Emma Willis shares unseen footage of vow renewal

<p dir="ltr">On her 14th wedding anniversary to Bruce Willis, Emma Heming Willis decided to share unseen footage of the couple’s vow renewal in 2019.</p> <p dir="ltr">Emma took to Instagram to share the sweet video montage of the ceremony that took place in the Turks and Caicos Islands.</p> <p dir="ltr">“On our 10th wedding anniversary we decided to renew our vows in the same place we said ‘I do’ back in 2009. I’m so happy we did. Seize every opportunity to unite and celebrate with family and friends,” she captioned the video.</p> <p dir="ltr">The couple’s original officiant, Steve Eads, can be spotted marrying the couple again during the 2019 ceremony.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Those are the moments and beautiful pockets of memories that you get to hold on to for a lifetime. And we get to keep those memories safe and alive for the ones that might not be able to,” she added.</p> <p dir="ltr">This is the couple’s first anniversary since Bruce’s <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/cruel-disease-bruce-willis-given-heartbreaking-new-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dementia diagnosis</a>, and Emma chose to reflect on the joyous occasion by expressing her gratitude for having these memories to hold on to, and for the constant support from the expansive Willis family.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A big shout out to our videographer @demimoore, our wedding singers @rumerwillis @scoutlaruewillis and our two flower girls Mabel Ray &amp; Evelyn Penn,” she added in the caption, mentioning Willis’ ex-wife Demi Moore and all of their kids.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also thanked their “sweet family and friends for always showing up”.</p> <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/reel/CqESEaBuKzu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/reel/CqESEaBuKzu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Emma Heming Willis (@emmahemingwillis)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The video is shared moments after Emma posted a heartbreaking message on how hard “special occasions” are for caregivers.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Today marks 14 years of marriage to the greatest love of my life,” she captioned the photo of a bouquet of flowers.</p> <p dir="ltr">She then goes on to share a small act of kindness from a friend who had remembered that it was the couple’s anniversary. Her friend, Juliya, had bought her a bouquet of flowers with a note that said: “Happy Anniversary amongst other things”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It got me thinking about how hard these types of “special occasions” can be on caregivers. When usually our person would acknowledge the event, now their changing brains just can’t. And that is what it is,” she shared.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So my point is this. If you know someone that is looking after someone else, don’t ask what you can do, just do. This random act of kindness will honestly stay with me for a long time.</p> <p dir="ltr">I love you Juliya. You single handedly made this day special for us 💐💞,” she added.</p> <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/CqDU7iGLD_8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/CqDU7iGLD_8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Emma Heming Willis (@emmahemingwillis)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Emma has constantly <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/any-tips-bruce-willis-wife-posts-heartfelt-plea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared her journey</a> as a caregiver after Bruce announced that he will be stepping away from his career as an actor due to his <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/bruce-willis-forced-to-retire-after-medical-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aphasia diagnosis</a> last March.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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“I didn’t come to play”: Bruce Willis’ wife smacks down trolls

<p>Emma Heming Willis has been forced to shut down the heartless trolls targeting her in the wake of husband Bruce Willis’ dementia diagnosis. </p> <p>In a video posted to social media, the 44-year-old model throws away claims that she’s been using Bruce for her “five minutes” of fame, and instead declares that she will turn them “into 10 because I'm always going to advocate for my husband.”</p> <p>Emma - who has spoken openly about her support for Bruce - once again stressed that she would be using this opportunity to raise awareness, before she was “going to turn my grief, and my anger, and my sadness, and do something good, around something that feels less than.”</p> <p>“So, watch this space,” she said, “because I didn’t come to play.”</p> <p>Emma’s message comes barely three days after she <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/any-tips-bruce-willis-wife-posts-heartfelt-plea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reached out to followers</a>, “caregivers, or dementia care specialists navigating this world” alike, seeking advice on how to help “get your loved ones out in the world safely”.</p> <p>“If you are someone who is looking after someone who has dementia,” she said in the clip, “you know how difficult and how stressful it can be, just to get them out into the world and navigate them safely - even just to get a cup of coffee.”</p> <p>And while the response to her post was overwhelmingly positive, the cruel few determined to make things worse for everyone just had to say their piece, and to prompt Emma’s fight back. </p> <p>They were nowhere to be seen in her latest post - possibly hiding with their tails tucked between their legs - and instead, she was once more met with an outpouring of support. </p> <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/reel/Cpf2KBOOVc7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/reel/Cpf2KBOOVc7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Emma Heming Willis (@emmahemingwillis)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“HELL YES!” wrote Bruce’s eldest daughter, Rumer. “I am so so proud of you!”</p> <p>“As a Registered Nurse, I appreciate you being a patient advocate for your husband,” said another, before requesting Emma do the exact opposite of what the internet trolls craved, “please don’t stop, we need people like you in the medical community!!! Hang in there. You are doing beautiful.”</p> <p>One now-supporter, who admitted that her previous perception of Emma had been negative and generated by the paparazzi, said, “Good for you … so sorry for what you and your family are going through. You truly are a woman of substance and power. I will be listening and learning.”</p> <p>“You go girl! There is an army of people behind you,” urged another. </p> <p>“Having to deal with your husband’s illness is bad enough but also having to deal with rude and intrusive press is unimaginable,” one said. “Keep shouting, keep protecting. He deserves the best life imaginable!!”</p> <p>“Emma, how sad is it when people don't get it,” another wrote, “this is such a problem in our society today...the lack of empathy. Why would people choose to believe that this is something you are doing for attention? Your family is going through hell - their foundation rocked, but it's a ploy??? Advocating for and protecting your family is what mama bears do!!!”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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"Any tips?": Bruce Willis’ wife posts heartfelt plea

<p dir="ltr">Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis has shared an emotional plea after the actor’s <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/cruel-disease-bruce-willis-given-heartbreaking-new-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">devastating diagnosis</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Emma took to Instagram to ask families of dementia sufferers for advice on how to help their loved ones navigate the world safely.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To other caregivers or dementia care specialists navigating this world…. Any tips or advice on how to get your loved ones out in the world safely?” she captioned the post.</p> <p dir="ltr">Emma started off the video by raising awareness about dementia and how stressful it is as a caregiver to help their loved ones navigate this illness.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If you are someone who is looking after someone who has dementia, you know how difficult and how stressful it can be, just to get them out into the world and navigate them safely - even just to get a cup of coffee,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also called out the photographers trying to get exclusive images and video footage of Bruce while he was out.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s clear there’s still a lot of education that needs to be put forth,” she said in the video as a PSA.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bruce, 67, was spotted out and about last week, for the first time since his family shared that had been <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/cruel-disease-bruce-willis-given-heartbreaking-new-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD)</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To the photographers and video people that are trying to get those exclusives of my husband out and about, just keep your space. I know this is your job, but maybe just keep your space.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“For the video people, please don’t be yelling at my husband asking him how he’s doing, whatever, the woohoo-ing, the yippee ki yay’s, just don’t do it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Give him the space. Allow for our family or whoever’s with him that day to be able to get him from point A to point B safely,” she pleaded.</p> <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/reel/CpX_DYdJuXb/?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/reel/CpX_DYdJuXb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Emma Heming Willis (@emmahemingwillis)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Many fans have shared their support and shared their own experiences.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My mom is newly struggling with dementia and everything is confusing and scary. I can’t understand photographers/reporters behaving in that way around someone struggling with this disease. Shame on them,” one commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Remember to not take anything to heart that he may say or do. When he gets stuck on one rant, redirect the conversation. Please don’t try to do this on your own. It’s ok to cry, cuz this is a tough ride,” commented another fan.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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New details surrounding Emma Pattison’s prior arrest

<p><em><strong>Warning: This article contains distressing content that some readers may find confronting. </strong></em></p> <p>It is now known that Emma Pattison, the headmistress at a private school in the UK who police believe was shot dead by her husband, <a href="https://oversixty.co.nz/news/news/disturbing-new-details-emerge-in-death-of-head-teacher-husband-and-daughter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made a distress call</a> to a family member just hours before she was discovered.  </p> <p>Further to that, new details have emerged that reveal that Mrs Pattison was arrested by Surrey police following a domestic row with her husband, George, seven years ago. </p> <p>Mr Pattison telephoned police one evening just prior to midnight, claiming that Mrs Pattison had slapped him around the face in their home. </p> <p>Only a short time later – two minutes or so – Mr Pattison then called the station back to ask the police officers not to come, saying that the matter was inconsequential and that he had overreacted. </p> <p>However, Surrey police decided to proceed with the home visit to investigate the complaint, and arrested Mrs Pattison on suspicion of common assault. </p> <p>Mrs Pattison was then questioned in the presence of a solicitor, and was subsequently released without charge. </p> <p>While a full investigation <a href="https://oversixty.co.nz/news/news/headmistress-husband-and-daughter-found-dead-on-school-grounds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">into their deaths</a> has commenced, Surrey police are currently refusing to discuss Mrs Pattison’s arrest seven years ago in 2016, stating instead that autopsy results on the bodies of all three of the deceased are expected by the end of the week.</p> <p>Police have yet to disclose the official cause of death, but are confident no one else was involved in the "isolated" incident. </p> <p>Detectives confirmed a firearm registered to George, of which he had a license for, was found at the scene and they are treating the tragedy as a double murder and suicide.</p> <p>Detectives suspect George killed his wife Emma, 45, and little Lettie before taking his own life.</p> <p>Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey, senior investigating officer on the case, said, “This is an incredibly traumatic incident and we are working around the clock to investigate and understand the exact circumstances which led to this point."</p> <p><em>Don't go it alone. Please reach out for help.</em></p> <p><em><strong>Lifeline:</strong> 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au</em></p> <p><em><strong>Beyond Blue:</strong> 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au</em></p> <p><em><strong>Headspace:</strong> 1800 650 890 or headspace.org.au</em></p> <p><em>Image credits: epsomcollege.org.uk</em></p>

News

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Disturbing new details emerge in death of head teacher, husband and daughter

<p><em><strong>Warning: This article contains distressing content that some readers may find confronting. </strong></em></p> <p>A headmistress at a private school in the UK made a distress call to a family member just hours before she was found dead, a report has claimed. </p> <p>School principal Emma Pattison, the head teacher of private school Epsom College in Surrey, England, was <a href="https://oversixty.co.nz/news/news/headmistress-husband-and-daughter-found-dead-on-school-grounds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found dead</a> alongside her 39-year-old husband, George, and seven-year-old daughter Lettie on the school grounds earlier this week. </p> <p>As an investigation into their deaths has commenced, the BBC has reported that Emma made a frantic phone call to a relative with concerns about her partner. </p> <p>By the time the worried relative arrived at the house, which is surrounded by other properties occupied by college staff and is close to the prestigious school’s rifle range, all three were dead.</p> <p>Police have yet to disclose the official cause of their deaths, but are confident no one else was involved in the "isolated" incident. </p> <p>Detectives confirmed a firearm registered to George, of which he had a license for, was found at the scene and they are treating the tragedy as a double murder and suicide.</p> <p>Detectives suspect George killed his wife Emma, 45, and little Lettie before taking his own life.</p> <p>Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey, senior investigating officer on the case, said, “This is an incredibly traumatic incident and we are working around the clock to investigate and understand the exact circumstances which led to this point."</p> <p>“We understand the public concern and upset, and we will clarify what we can, when we can, while respecting the right to a level of privacy for the families of those who have lost their lives."</p> <p>The community is reeling from the tragedy, as devastated neighbours who knew the "lovely" family shared how "heartbroken" they are. </p> <p>One person said, “It is just shocking and unimaginable.”</p> <p>Chloe Rathbone, a nursery worker who looked after Lettie, told The Times, “I am utterly so heartbroken over this awful news."</p> <p>“They were such a lovely family and Lettie was perfect in every way, everything you could have wished for in a little girl.”</p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';"><strong><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Don't go it alone. Please reach out for help.</em></strong></p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';"><strong><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au</em></strong></p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';"><strong><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au</em></strong></p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';"><strong><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Headspace: 1800 650 890 or headspace.org.au</em></strong></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / </em><em style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">epsomcollege.org.uk</em></p>

News

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Headmistress, husband and daughter found dead on school grounds

<p>School principal Emma Pattison, the head teacher of private school Epsom College in Surrey, UK, has been found dead alongside her 39-year-old husband, George, and seven-year-old daughter Lettie on the school grounds.</p> <p>At just 45 years of age, Mrs Pattison was a very recent addition to the school, having joined the award-winning school in September 2022. </p> <p>While an investigation is underway, Surrey police have released a statement saying that they believe this to be an isolated incident with no third-party involvement. </p> <p>Epsom College has also released a statement following the discovery. </p> <p>“It is with the deepest sadness and regret that we have to announce the news of the deaths of Emma Pattison, Head of Epsom College, her daughter Lettie, and her husband George,” the statement reads. </p> <p>“Our thoughts, condolences and sympathies are with their families at this tragic time. The College is working with the Police in what remains an ongoing investigation. </p> <p>“We must now focus on the welfare and wellbeing of our pupils and staff, and work to ensure that they receive all the comfort, warmth and support required from the Epsom College community. </p> <p>“We ask that the public and the media respect the privacy of Emma’s family, and help us to prioritise the needs of our pupils. </p> <p>The news is heartbreaking and we need time and space to come together and process this loss. No further statement will be issued at this time.”</p> <p>Dr Alastair Wells, chair of the board of governors at Epsom College, said, “On behalf of everyone at Epsom College, I want to convey our utter shock and disbelief at this tragic news.</p> <p>“Our immediate thoughts and condolences are with Emma’s family, friends and loved ones, and to the many pupils and colleagues whose lives she enriched throughout her distinguished career.</p> <p>“Emma was a wonderful teacher, but most of all she was a delightful person. In time we will commemorate Emma and her family, in the appropriate way, and in line with the wishes of her family.</p> <p>“But for now, we ask that we are all given the time, space and respect we need to come to terms with this tragic loss."</p> <p>Pattison’s husband, George, was a chartered accountant who was director of a management consultancy firm called Tanglewood 2016, according to Companies House.</p> <p>Surrey Police’s Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey also said: “I want to give my assurance that we will conduct a thorough investigation into what took place last night and hope to be able to bring some peace in these traumatic circumstances.”</p> <p>Inspector Jon Vale, Epsom and Ewell’s borough commander, also said: “We’re aware that this tragic incident will have caused concern and upset in the local community.</p> <p>“While this is believed to be an isolated incident, in the coming days, our local officers will remain in the area to offer reassurance to students, parents, teachers, and the local community. I would like to thank the school and the community for their understanding and patience while the investigation continues.”</p> <p><em><strong>Don't go it alone. Please reach out for help.</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>Headspace: 1800 650 890 or headspace.org.au</strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: epsomcollege.org.uk</em></p>

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"I broke down": Emma Watkins opens up on emotional meaning behind latest outfit

<p dir="ltr">While spotting celebrities in gorgeous gowns isn’t unusual, Emma Watkins’ latest appearance in a pink and gold dress has more meaning than it seems.</p> <p dir="ltr">The former yellow Wiggle revealed that the frock was designed with a particular person in mind, which she wore as an ambassador for Frocktober.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The dress that I'm wearing isn't just a pretty dress. [It was] actually created by a beautiful designer, Jaimie Sortino, and it's in honour of his cousin Jenna that passed away,” she told <em>9Honey</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jenna Crierie was 33 and eleven years into her battle with ovarian cancer, the most lethal gynaecological cancer, when she passed away.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I never actually had a chance to meet her, but I've met Jaimie a few times, that's why those pictures and the dress are quite special," Watkins said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It really is another reminder of the lives that we've lost due to this disease… even though half of us didn't actually get to meet her, it felt like she was there."</p> <p dir="ltr">Endometriosis, a condition which affects one in nine Australian women including Watkins, is among the known risk factors for ovarian cancer, though there are no early detection tests.</p> <p dir="ltr">Watkins recalled how she was brought to tears when she met Leanne Flynn, one of millions of women who had ovarian cancer that was caught too late, for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation’s Frocktober campaign.</p> <p dir="ltr">"She was telling her story about what she's been going through for the last five years, the multiple surgeries and tests. I basically just cried," Watkins said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I broke down in front of the audience, I wasn't expecting to hear such a poignant and connected story to do with the disease itself. Ever since then, I've been highly involved."</p> <p dir="ltr">As a Frocktober ambassador this year, Watkins is fighting to ensure that experiences like Crierie’s and Flynn’s are no longer as common.</p> <p dir="ltr">Even pap smears can’t catch ovarian cancer early, which the 33-year-old said said frustrated her.</p> <p dir="ltr">"That's why it's frustrating, because normally women don't get to pick this up early on. That's the issue," she continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When I found that something wasn't right with me, I was already stage four endometriosis. And the same thing with Flynn, you're just too far along."</p> <p dir="ltr">With vague symptoms - think abdominal and pelvic pain, boating, appetite loss, unexplained weight changes and tiredness - and nowhere near the same publicity as diseases such as breast cancer, it can be hard for women to find out before it’s too late.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think women should be more cautious," Watkins said. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Even for endometriosis, that wouldn't have been picked up with a pap smear."</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b4a53489-7fff-ddd3-653c-7c5df5314124"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">While it might be too late for women who have been diagnosed with late stage cancer, Watkins hopes that campaigns like Frocktober can spark change in the years to come.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: @emmawatkinsofficial (Instagram)</em></p>

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Emma Watkins fears due to debilitating condition

<p dir="ltr">Emma Watkins has opened about her greatest fears when it comes to starting a family due to a debilitating condition. </p> <p dir="ltr">The former Yellow Wiggle married partner Oliver Brian in a small afternoon garden party in the gorgeous Longmeadow Estate in the Victorian town of Tyrendarra earlier this month.</p> <p dir="ltr">She has since opened up about her fears of not being able to become a mum due to her endometriosis. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Speaking plainly, I just don’t know if I will be able to,” the 32-year-old told <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/former-yellow-wiggle-emma-watkins-reveals-baby-battle-after-marriage/news-story/e66cf271152aa4a6f9480744ffa80cf4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Telegraph</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“After stage four endo, I am pretty realistic in the fact I don’t know what my chances are. If it happens, that would be amazing, if it doesn’t, that is okay too.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Endometriosis is a disease that affects more than 11 per cent of Australian women and girls where the tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows outside it in other parts of the body. </p> <p dir="ltr">The debilitating condition which takes at least seven years to diagnose could also impact a woman's fertility. </p> <p dir="ltr">Check out Emma and Oliver’s wedding photos <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/emma-watkins-shares-gorgeous-wedding-snaps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram </em></p>

Family & Pets

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"Just not fair": Australia's most-decorated Olympian's trans stance

<p dir="ltr">Olympic star Emma McKeon has taken a stance against transgender athletes competing in women’s sport.</p> <p dir="ltr">The five-time gold medallist said “it’s just not fair” to be competing against transgender athletes during a seminar at Griffith University.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her comments came as Prime Minister Scott Morrison backs Liberal candidate for Warringah Katherine Deves, who caused an uproar by declaring trans teenagers are “surgically mutilated” and that the rainbow Pride flag “triggers” her.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I personally wouldn't want to be racing against someone who is biologically a male, so that's a concern," McKeon said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's not a new thing, but it's new in that sport, swimming, are going to have to deal with it."</p> <p dir="ltr">McKeon believes it won’t “come to the point” where she is competing against a transgender opponent.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don't think I'm going to have to race against a trans swimmer, I don't think it's going to come to that point,” she continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But now that it's a growing thing, the sport has to think about how to handle it and how to deal with it, because you do want to be inclusive, but you don't want to have females racing against swimmers who are biologically male because it's just not fair.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Laurel Hubbard from New Zealand competed in women’s weightlifting at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics which sparked a debate on the fairness of the competition.</p> <p dir="ltr">New Zealand's Laurel Hubbard sparked debate when she competed in women's weightlifting at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.</p> <p dir="ltr">Australia’s Hannah Mouncey, a former men’s national handball player wanted to compete in AFLW and was rejected with the AFL being taken to court.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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"I had to lie for him": Ben Roberts-Smith’s ex drops bombshell

<p dir="ltr">Ben Roberts-Smith’s ex-wife <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/roberts-smiths-ex-wife-unloads-163118252.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has testified</a> against the SAS soldier, saying she was pressured to lie for him or lose her children.</p><p dir="ltr">Emma Roberts wiped away tears on her first day of giving evidence after detailing the breakdown of her marriage to Mr Roberts-Smith which resulted in a series of fiery text messages with a friend.</p><p dir="ltr">“I’m actually feeling so f***ing angry today,” one message read.</p><p dir="ltr">“I want to punch the f***ing c*** in the face,” another said.</p><p dir="ltr">The messages came nine days after Mr Roberts-Smith “left” for good.</p><p dir="ltr">It was also several months after Ms Roberts found out about his affair with a woman codenamed Person 17, she said.</p><p dir="ltr">The woman turned up unannounced on Ms Roberts doorstep, “crying a lot” and saying she had fallen pregnant with Mr Roberts-Smith, and revealing a black eye under dark sunglasses.</p><p dir="ltr">“I asked why she was not seeing him (any more). She kept pointing to her black eye and said, ‘because of this’,” Ms Roberts told the court.</p><p dir="ltr">Her testimony comes as the case between Mr Roberts-Smith and Nine newspapers continues, as the Victoria Cross recipient is suing <em>The Age</em>, <em>The Sydney Morning Herald</em>, and <em>The Canberra Times</em> for defamation in relation to a series of articles claiming he committed war crimes in Afghanistan between 2006 and 2012.</p><p dir="ltr">Ms Roberts said her former husband said “I was to lie” if allegations ever surfaced in the press in relation to the encounter with Person 17.</p><p dir="ltr">She recalled telling him she didn’t want to lie, and that he then pointed to their children.</p><p dir="ltr">“If you don’t lie, you will lose them.”</p><p dir="ltr">“I knew at that point I had to lie for him,” she said.</p><p dir="ltr">After the affair was revealed in a news article, Ms Roberts said she was asked to pose for a photo accompanying a front-page story in <em>The Australian</em>, saying the couple had separated at the time.</p><p dir="ltr">Though she denied suggestions from Mr Roberts-Smith’s barrister that they had separated at the time of the article’s publication, her relationship with Mr Roberts-Smith drew to a close in January 2020.</p><p dir="ltr">When money began to be withdrawn from their joint bank account at the time, she said she suspected it was being stashed in their garden.</p><p dir="ltr">But, when she did dig in the soil she found a pink lunchbox containing several USBs in duffel bags, which she gave to a friend who downloaded the contents to a laptop.</p><p dir="ltr">“I said ‘I do not want to see what’s on them’,” she told the court, recalling that she returned the box to the ground.</p><p dir="ltr">She also testified to seeing Mr Roberts-Smith downloading photographs of his time in Afghanistan onto his laptop, before watching him douse it in petrol and set it alight.</p><p dir="ltr">Ms Roberts denied that she was prompted by anger to fabricate stories to harm her former husband.</p><p dir="ltr">She will continue to give evidence as the trial progresses. </p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d13a2fb0-7fff-30c1-0aad-fa0bb2f416a0"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine News</em></p>

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Beloved Yellow Wiggle quits after 11 years

<p><span>After 11 years with The Wiggles – nine of them in the yellow skivvy – Emma Watkins has announced she will be leaving at the end of the year.</span></p> <p>The 32-year-old performer shared the news in a video on Instagram, with the caption simply reading "Thank you <span>💛".</span><span></span></p> <p><span>In the video, Emma </span>says, " After 11 years of performing with The Wiggles, <span>and nine of those as the Yellow Wiggle, the time has come for me to pass the yellow skivvy on."</span></p> <p><span>"Like many people around the world, the pandemic has given me time to reflect on what is important in life. For me, that means spending more time at home, something that I didn't realise I was missing out on..."</span></p> <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/tv/CVLnADWh-DA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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> <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/tv/CVLnADWh-DA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Emma Watkins (@emmawatkinsofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>"I am also really looking forward to devoting more time and energy on completing my PhD that incorporates my ongoing passion for sign language, dance and film editing, and to having more time to work with the Deaf community."</span></p> <p><span>Emma said she is "eternally grateful" to the children's group for the "amazing opportunity" of being the first female Wiggle. </span><span></span></p> <p><span>Emma will be replaced by 16-year-old dancer Tsehay Hawkins, who will be joining Anthony, Lachy and Simon as The Wiggles hit the road for a huge </span>Australian tour in 2022.</p> <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/CVLmTb-hVrS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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> <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/CVLmTb-hVrS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by TSEHAY HAWKINS † (@tsehay.hawkins)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>"I am honoured to be joining The Wiggles at such an exciting time for the group," Tsehay said in a statement.</span></p> <p><em><span>"</span></em><span>I grew up watching The Wiggles and I've already loved working with Anthony, Emma, Simon, Lachy, Evie, Kelly, John and all the Wiggly characters filming their latest TV series.</span></p> <p><span>"Dancing has always been my passion, and I look forward to being able to share the joy of song and dance with children all over the world!"<br /></span></p> <p><span>Blue Wiggle and founding Wiggles member Anthony Field says the group are sad to hear of Emma's departure. </span></p> <p><span>"We've had an amazing time with Emma over this period and while we're sad to see her go," he said. </span><span></span></p> <p><span>"We thank Emma for her wonderful contribution to The Wiggles and wish her all the very best as we look forward to seeing her continued success with her other interests."</span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram @emmawatkinsofficial</em></p>

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Serious claim about Ben Roberts-Smith’s most private emails

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben Roberts-Smith’s lawyers </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-17/ben-roberts-smith-ex-wife-accesses-email-101-times/100469928" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">have accused</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> his ex-wife Emma Roberts of accessing the veteran’s email more than 100 times, as the case between the former couple continues in court.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The case is running at the same time as his defamation proceedings against several newspapers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the defamation case, Mr Roberts-Smith’s opponents issued a notice to produce specific documents.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His legal team suspects the notice may have been issued following access to an email address he used for confidential correspondence.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They have accused Ms Roberts of accessing the account and passing confidential information on to third parties, with Telstra records suggesting a close friend of Ms Roberts may have accessed the account.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur Moses SC, Mr Roberts-Smith’s barrister, applied to add Ms Roberts’ best friend Danielle Scott and her husband as respondents in the case currently being heard in the Federal Court.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Moses claimed that Telstra records established that either Ms Scott or her husband accessed a “hosting account” of RS Group Australia, the company Mr Roberts-Smith owns.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He told the court the account was accessed “on at least 101 occasions” between January 2020 and May 2021.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The RS Group Australia email hosting account … is password-protected and enables a person, once logged on, to access the email account of any RS Group user, including the applicant’s,” Mr Moses said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The accusations come after Mr Roberts-Smith previously swore in an affidavit that neither Ms Scott or her husband had been given the password.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Moses said the Telstra records raised new issues, such as how the couple found the password, whether they had accessed Mr Roberts-Smith’s specific account, or whether they had shared confidential information with other parties.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If Ms Scott and her husband are not joined to these proceedings then the applicant [Mr Roberts-Smith] would have a basis to commence separate proceedings against them,” Mr Moses said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He continued, saying he would have included the pair as respondents when the case began, had his client been aware of the records.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Justice Robert Bronwich reserved his decision.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The defamation trial against the newspapers is currently on hold until at least November 1, and is expected to continue into 2022.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty</span></em></p>

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Ben Roberts-Smith trial resumes in explosive fashion

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Intimate texts between Ben Roberts-Smith’s wife, Emma Roberts, and her lifelong best friend, Danielle Scott, have been released by the Federal Court as Robert-Smith’s defamation case continues to be heard.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to court documents, Ms Scott received a phone call from Ms Roberts in April 2018, several weeks after Mr Roberts-Smith allegedly punched his “mistress” at Parliament House.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Is everything okay?” Ms Scott asked Ms Roberts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Are you sitting down? … I’m standing on my verandah and I’m looking at Ben’s girlfriend,” Ms Roberts responded.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“She has a big black eye … she said she [fell] down the stairs at Parliament House,” Ms Roberts continued, according to court documents.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Roberts called her friend after the girlfriend, known only as Person 17, had arrived unannounced at the family’s home.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The decorated soldier has denied claims made by Nine newspapers that he had punched person 17 at a black-tie event, as well as claims of war crimes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Roberts-Smith told the court he had started dating Person 17 after separating from Ms Roberts in late 2017.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, Ms Scott disputes that - with her documents claiming the couple weren’t separated until January 2020 and “Ms Roberts would have told her” if it had happened earlier.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Between October 2017 and April 2018, Ms Roberts regularly expressed concern to Ms Scott that [Mr Roberts-Smith] was having an affair,” the court documents state.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It wasn’t the last time that Person 17 interacted with Ms Scott either, with documents saying that Ms Roberts and Mr Roberts-Smith had called Ms Scott and asked her to read an email sent by Person 17 to Mr Roberts-Smith.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Scott was also asked to contact Person 17 but could not reach her.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An email, also released by the court, shows Ms Scott offering to get the woman help, but warning her against contacting Mr Roberts-Smith.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As Mr Roberts-Smith has made clear to you now on several occasions he does not wish to personally communicate with you through any means,” Ms Scott wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Given the disturbing nature of your last message to Mr Roberts-Smith’s office he has requested I assist you where and if required.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to court documents, Ms Roberts also texted Ms Scott discussing whether she should “lie” about being separated from Mr Roberts-Smith when he started dating Person 17.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:374.3119266055046px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843116/5c19c65f1f0dfc0a8f0bfc4bdf52eda5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/23c031b2da9e4206be467a3160dd9ca6" /></p> <p><em>Image: Federal Court</em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“BRS thinks if it hits the press I say we were separated,” Ms Roberts wrote in the text.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Scott asked if she was okay doing that, adding that Mr Roberts-Smith may think it’s “the only way both of you survive this”.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:375.19747235387047px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843117/68f32c00d091474b2ed5cd856f0492b0.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/3e73523b47ce4864a4a6b13801f45905" /></p> <p><em>Image: Federal Court</em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He thinks the press will go oh so what no story and the girls won’t actually know when they’re older,” Ms Roberts responded.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Scott and Ms Roberts are expected to give evidence against Mr Roberts-Smith when the case resumes in November.</span></p>

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John McEnroe slammed for comments about rising star Emma Raducanu

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post-body-container"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>Tennis legend John McEnroe has been left red-faced after his comments about rising British tennis star Emma Raducanu were ill received.</p> <p>Raducanu retired from her round of 16 match at Wimbledon for medical reasons against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, but McEnroe suggested she was overwhelmed by the occasion of playing at Wimbledon at her first-ever Grand Slam.</p> <p>“It’s a shame. I feel bad for Emma. It appears like it just got too much, which is understandable,” he said.</p> <p>“It makes you look at the guys and girls who have been around for so long and wonder how they handle it. Hopefully she will learn from this experience.</p> <p>“Maybe it’s not a shame this has happened right now when she is 18. I played this tournament at 18 and in a way I was happy I lost.</p> <p>“I was able to understand what it would take to make it. Allow her to take some deep breaths and maybe get some wildcards.”</p> <p>His comments were slammed on Twitter, with British sports reporter Rob Vickerman tweeting “How can John McEnroe come out with those comments not knowing anything about her retirement from the match?!”</p> <p>Broadcaster Harriet Minter agreed.</p> <p>“Listening to the John McEnroe commentary about Emma Raducanu. Two things: 1. Is he drunk? 2. Is there anything more annoying than a man telling a woman she’s not hurt she’s just emotional? No, no there isn’t. Please ask him to stop," she tweeted.</p> <p>Journalist Chloe Hubbard added: “Feel like the producers could have given McEnroe a bit of a better mental health briefing ahead of him sharing ALL the views there. But you do you.”</p> <p>Even Raducanu's opponent, Australian Alja Tomljanovic said that his comments were "definitely harsh".</p> <p>“I wasn’t 100 per cent sure what was wrong with Emma. I did hear the reasoning. I’ll start with saying that I can’t imagine being in her shoes at 18, playing a fourth round in your home country. It’s something I can’t even imagine,” Tomljanovic said.</p> <p>“For him to say that, it’s definitely harsh. I have experienced something similar but not to that extent. I know that it’s a real thing. I’ve spoken to athletes that have gone through that. It’s not easy.</p> <p>“When I heard the reasoning, I almost felt worse about it because I know how bad that can feel. But then again, it didn’t happen to me.</p> <p>“I can’t imagine how she must be feeling having to pull out. Being down 6-4 3-0, you can come back from that quickly, especially on grass.</p> <p>“It’s really sad that she had to do that. I do feel sorry.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </div>

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Olivia Newton-John “in shock” over sudden loss

<p dir="ltr">Olivia Newton-John is mourning the loss of her beloved cancer nurse.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Grease star took to Instagram to announce that a nurse at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness &amp; Research Centre, died in April.</p> <p dir="ltr">Emma Coleman worked closely with the star, and Newton-John says her heart is “still in shock”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My heart is still in shock and so saddened to learn of the sudden loss of the very special Emma Cohen,” the 72-year-old wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Emma took care of me at a very vulnerable time in my life when I was a patient on her unit at the @onjcancercentre in 2018.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“She ensured my stay was safe and comfortable, always had practical advice for me, showed strong leadership skills and had a great sense of humour,” the actress revealed.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841007/onj-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/528011e79f584a859d49597593eca8b1" /></p> <p dir="ltr">“She was a bright, energetic and powerful woman with a huge future ahead of her, and we connected on our mission to help patients on their cancer journey.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Emma had such a generous spirit and a warm and loving heart – I will miss seeing her lovely face at the Centre and send my love and deepest condolences to her friends and family.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The star did not reveal what caused her friend’s death, however the Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA) said she passed away after a “short illness” in a Facebook post.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is with great sadness that we inform our members, and the wider nursing community, that CNSA Board Director Emma Cohen passed away after a short illness on Friday 9 April,” they wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Emma was a vibrant and passionate leader, and a fierce and intelligent advocate for the cancer nursing workforce, and her patients. Her loss has left a huge gap in our community, and in our hearts.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The post went on to say: “We will be ensuring the appropriate recognition of Emma’s contribution to cancer control and to the Society in due time, and share our condolences on behalf of the Board with her family.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We send all of those who worked with, studied with, and collaborated with Emma our deepest and heartfelt sympathies.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Newton-John was diagnosed with cancer in 1992, but revealed she overcame the disease in 2013.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sadly, in May of 2017 the actress and singer revealed the cancer had metastasised and spread to her bones.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

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Why words for single women have changed through time

<p>In a recent interview with <em><a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/emma-watson-on-fame-activism-little-women">Vogue</a></em>, actress Emma Watson opened up about being a single 30-year-old woman. Instead of calling herself single, however, she used the word “self-partnered.”</p> <p>I’ve studied <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/never-married-9780199237623?lang=en&amp;cc=us">and written about</a> the history of single women, and this is the first time I am aware of “self-partnered” being used. We’ll see if it catches on, but if it does, it will join the ever-growing list of words used to describe single women of a certain age.</p> <p>Women who were once called spinsters eventually started being called old maids. In 17th-century New England, there were also words like “<a href="https://www.whimn.com.au/love/dating/unmarried-and-over-26-theres-a-name-for-women-like-you/news-story/8e72155c24a8fc79719512d7597b4f08">thornback</a>” – a sea skate covered with thorny spines – used to describe single women older than 25.</p> <p>Attitudes toward single women have repeatedly shifted – and part of that attitude shift is reflected in the names given to unwed women.</p> <h2>The rise of the ‘singlewoman’</h2> <p>Before the 17th century, women who weren’t married were called maids, virgins or “puella,” the Latin word for “girl.” These words emphasized youth and chastity, and they presumed that women would only be single for a small portion of their life – a period of “pre-marriage.”</p> <p>But by the 17th century, new terms, such as “spinster” and “singlewoman,” emerged.</p> <p>What changed? The numbers of unwed women – or women who simply never married – started to grow.</p> <p>In the 1960s, demographer John Hajnal <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/115001673/John-Hajnal-1965-European-Marriage-Patterns-in-Perspective">identified</a> the “Northwestern European Marriage Pattern,” in which people in northwestern European countries such as England started marrying late – in their 30s and even 40s. A significant proportion of the populace didn’t marry at all. In this region of Europe, it was the norm for married couples to start a new household when they married, which required accumulating a certain amount of wealth. Like today, young men and women worked and saved money before moving into a new home, a process that often delayed marriage. If marriage were delayed too long – or if people couldn’t accumulate enough wealth – they might not marry at all.</p> <p>Now terms were needed for adult single women who might never marry. The term spinster transitioned from describing <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/spinster-meaning-origin">an occupation that employed many women</a> – a spinner of wool – to a legal term for an independent, unmarried woman.</p> <p>Single women made up, on average, <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/never-married-9780199270606?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;">30% of the adult female population</a> in early modern England. <a href="http://www.localpopulationstudies.org.uk/PDF/LPS68/LPS68_2002_26-41.pdf">My own research</a> on the town of Southampton found that in 1698, 34.2% of women over 18 were single, another 18.5% were widowed, and less than half, or 47.3%, were married.</p> <p>Many of us assume that past societies were more traditional than our own, with marriage more common. But my work shows that in 17th-century England, at any given time, more women were unmarried than married. It was a normal part of the era’s life and culture.</p> <h2>The pejorative ‘old maid’</h2> <p>In the late 1690s, the term old maid became common. The expression emphasizes the paradox of being old and yet still virginal and unmarried. It wasn’t the only term that was tried out; the era’s literature also <a href="https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001911725">poked fun</a> at “superannuated virgins.” But because “old maid” trips off the tongue a little easier, it’s the one that stuck.</p> <p>The undertones of this new word were decidedly critical.</p> <p>“<a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/33875142?q&amp;versionId=41687269">A Satyr upon Old Maids</a>,” an anonymously written 1713 pamphlet, referred to never-married women as “odious,” “impure” and repugnant. Another common trope was that old maids would be punished for not marrying by “leading apes in hell.”</p> <p>At what point did a young, single woman become an old maid? There was a definitive line: In the 17th century, it was a woman in her mid-20s.</p> <p>For instance, the single poet Jane Barker wrote in her 1688 poem, “<a href="http://www.poetryexplorer.net/poem.php?id=10036317">A Virgin Life</a>,” that she hoped she could remain “Fearless of twenty-five and all its train, / Of slights or scorns, or being called Old Maid.”</p> <p>These negative terms came about as the numbers of single women continued to climb and marriage rates dropped. In the 1690s and early 1700s, English authorities became so worried about population decline that the government <a href="http://www.localpopulationstudies.org.uk/PDF/LPS68/LPS68_2002_26-41.pdf">levied a Marriage Duty Tax</a>, requiring bachelors, widowers and some single women of means to pay what amounted to a fine for not being married.</p> <h2>Still uneasy about being single</h2> <p>Today in the U.S., <a href="https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/visualizations/time-series/demo/families-and-households/ms-2.pdf">the median</a> first age at marriage for women is 28. For men, it’s 30.</p> <p>What we’re experiencing now isn’t a historical first; instead, we’ve essentially returned to a marriage pattern that was common 300 years ago. From the 18th century up until the mid-20th century, <a href="https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/families/marital.html">the average age at first marriage</a> dropped to a low of age 20 for women and age 22 for men. Then it began to rise again.</p> <p>There’s a reason Vogue was asking Watson about her single status as she approached 30. To many, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/oct/27/marriage-by-this-age-babies-by-that-age-when-will-we-stop-giving-women-deadlines">age 30 is a milestone for women</a> – the moment when, if they haven’t already, they’re supposed to go from being footloose and fancy-free to thinking about marriage, a family and a mortgage.</p> <p>Even if you’re a wealthy and famous woman, you can’t escape this cultural expectation. Male celebrities don’t seem to be questioned about being single and 30.</p> <p>While no one would call Watson a spinster or old maid today, she nonetheless feels compelled to create a new term for her status: “self-partnered.” In what some have dubbed the “<a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2017/04/the_history_of_self_care.html">age of self-care</a>,” perhaps this term is no surprise. It seems to say, I’m focused on myself and my own goals and needs. I don’t need to focus on another person, whether it’s a partner or a child.</p> <p>To me, though, it’s ironic that the term “self-partnered” seems to elevate coupledom. Spinster, singlewoman or singleton: None of those terms openly refers to an absent partner. But self-partnered evokes a missing better half.</p> <p>It says something about our culture and gender expectations that despite her status and power, a woman like Watson still feels uncomfortable simply calling herself single.<em><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></em></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-froide-411337">Amy Froide</a>, Professor of History, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-maryland-baltimore-county-1667">University of Maryland, Baltimore County</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/spinster-old-maid-or-self-partnered-why-words-for-single-women-have-changed-through-time-126716">original article</a>.</em></p>

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The awkward moment between Prince William and Emma Thompson

<p>Academy Award winning actress Emma Thompson was recently on <em>The Ellen DeGeneres Show</em> and shared some details about what happened whilst she was being awarded her damehood from Prince William.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Becoming a Dame was nothing compared to the honor I awarded Emma Thompson. <a href="https://t.co/DtMTMRNEh8">pic.twitter.com/DtMTMRNEh8</a></p> — Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/status/1116814002401660928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>As it turns out, Prince William had pinned the dame pins in a bit of an awkward position.</p> <p>Thompson re-enacted the moment with DeGeneres to explain just how awkward it was.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Congratulations to Dame Emma Thompson! Today at Buckingham Palace, the actor received her Damehood from The Duke for services to Drama. <a href="https://t.co/1gSfaawBii">pic.twitter.com/1gSfaawBii</a></p> — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1060200145969733632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>"He placed it right there,” Thompson explained through laughter.</p> <p>"And it's a little bit of a nipple moment and you go, 'Gosh, I wasn't expecting that.'"</p> <p>Thompson, 59, also joked about how she was “pretty low slung these days”, so when Prince William placed the two pins on her, it hurt “both times”.</p> <p>Naturally, being hurt generates a reaction to the pain. However, Thompson revealed that she made an “inappropriate” noise in the palace.</p> <p>"I made a very loud and inappropriate noise in Buckingham Palace," she admitted.</p> <p>The joy of receiving a damehood couldn’t be overlooked though, as Thompson was thrilled to receive it.</p> <p>It’s not the first time Thompson has had an awkward run-in with Prince William.</p> <p>When she received her honorary title last November, she shared a joke with the Prince. She told the Associated Press:</p> <p>“I love Prince William. I’ve known him since he was little, and we just sniggered at each other,” she explained.</p> <p>“I said, ‘I can’t kiss you, can I?’ And he said, ‘No, don’t!'"</p>

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Inside Bruce Willis’ $13.9 million dollar LA home

<p>Bruce Willis has just purchased his latest home in Brentwood Los Angeles with his wife, Emma Heming.</p> <p>This prime real estate does not come cheap though, the purchase price being a hefty AUD$13.9 million for Willis and Heming.</p> <p>But with the high price comes all the luxury features, with seven bedrooms, 12 bathrooms and a number of stunning entertainment spaces.</p> <p>The brand-new sparkling mansion is one of the most sought after neighbourhoods to live in, a personal favourite for celebrities including Marilyn Monroe, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Harrison Ford.</p> <p>The property, spanning over 13,000 square feet, is not just impressive in size but for what it offers as well.</p> <p>The kitchen has marble splashbacks and bespoke cabinets, with two large islands placed strategically to optimise its usefulness.</p> <p>The home features a movie theatre, gym, spa suite fitted with a dry sauna and an indoor plunge pool, so you will never get bored in the expansive real estate.</p> <p>The outside of the property is just as impressive, featuring a spacious outdoor area with marble-paved loggia that runs through the backyard, with a tile-accented zero-edge spa and a waterfall pool.</p> <p>That’s not all though – the stunning backyard also features a light and airy entertaining space.</p> <p>The couple also own properties in Turks and Caicos.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see the gorgeous property.</p> <p> </p>

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