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Sam Neill expresses gratitude for modern medicine that extended his life

<p>Sam Neill was diagnosed with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma - a form of blood cancer in 2022. He has since gone into remission and in his latest interview, expressed his deep gratitude for the medical advancements that have made his recovery possible. </p> <p>He underwent chemotherapy after his cancer diagnosis, but it stopped working after three months. He then switched his treatment to a rare anti-cancer drug which led him into remission. </p> <p>In his recent appearance on Kate Thornton’s <em>White Wine Question Time</em> podcast,  he expressed his gratitude and optimism, praising the "strides" that have been made in modern medicine over the past two decades. </p> <p>“I’m in remission and as you see, I’m hard at work and enjoying life immensely,” he said.</p> <p>“I’m very grateful for not just the wonderful care I’ve had from doctors and nurses and so on, but also the strides that have been made in treating these things in the last few years." </p> <p>He then shared insights into his current treatment and acknowledged that while it remains challenging, things are improving. </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/DAInw1goPgF/?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/DAInw1goPgF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by White Wine Question Time (@whitewine_questiontime)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“If this had happened to me 20 years ago, I wouldn’t be around to talk to you," he said. </p> <p>“I go in [for treatment] once a month now. But it used to be three times a month and it’s down to once a month now.</p> <p>“You have sort three or four horrible days afterwards and then all is well and you cheer up and I go to the gym and all that.”</p> <p>Despite the advances in medicine, in a previous interview with <em>Australian Story</em>, he admitted that he's aware the drug won't continue working forever, saying:  “I’m prepared for that.” </p> <p> “I know I’ve got it, but I’m not really interested in it. It’s out of my control. If you can’t control it, don’t get into it," he added of his cancer. </p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

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Sam Neill moved to tears by simple question

<p>Sam Neill has unexpectedly broken down in tears over one question posed to him by a university student. </p> <p>The <em>Jurassic Park </em>actor was the surprise guest during the premiere of ABC's new series, <em>The Assembly, </em>based off the UK show which sees high-profile figures being interviewed by a class of university students who are all autistic. </p> <p>The students can ask whatever they want, and one student, Abby brought the actor to tears with her question. </p> <p>“What’s the best lesson you learned from your parents?” she asked. </p> <p>“Ooft, wow. That’s a really interesting question … A really, really interesting question,” Neill replied, before pausing as he began tearing up. </p> <p>“I don’t know why that question has moved me so much, but it has.”</p> <p>The actor then went on to explain that his parents were  “of the generation that went through a lot” – including the Great Depression and World War One, in which his maternal grandfather was killed –  leaving both his parents “very stoic”.</p> <p>“And I’d done a year of university and I’d done bugger all. I was acting in plays and trying to find a girlfriend, you know … so it came to exam time and I realised I’d done almost no work,” Neill recalled.</p> <p>“It got me very anxious. Anyway, I got home and Mum said, ‘How are you, darling?’ and I said, ‘I think I’m having a breakdown, I’ve got exams in a couple of weeks …’ and she just looked at me and said, ‘Well, you’re just going to have to pull yourself together’.”</p> <p>He continued: “And I think that’s the best lesson I learned from her. Sometimes you just have to pull yourself together. It’s a tough lesson, but a good one – and thank you for that question." </p> <p>Elsewhere during the interview, he also spoke candidly about his recent blood cancer battle, and while he is in remission after a year of chemotherapy, he still requires monthly treatments which he'll have to do for the rest of his life. </p> <p>One student asked him, "what motivated you to keep going, and did you have anyone supporting you through it?”</p> <p>He admitted that while it had been a "pretty brutal" process, he is grateful for all the treatments keeping him alive "and living is much better than the other thing.”</p> <p><em>Images: ABC</em></p>

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Sam Neill reveals his pillar of strength during cancer battle

<p>Anyone facing a major health battle will always cherish the support they receive from loved ones during tough times, and Sam Neill couldn't be more grateful for his support system. </p> <p>In 2022, the Jurassic Park star was diagnosed with stage-three blood cancer and had to undergo treatment.</p> <p>Fortunately, he is still in remission, and during a recent interview on the <em>Big Talk Show</em> podcast, he told host Jess Rowe that it was fellow actor and friend Bryan Brown who was a pillar of strength for him during his health battle. </p> <p>"I would be completely lost without friends and old friends are even more precious because they have been through the tough times," Neill said. </p> <p>“I had a spell in hospital and Bryan came in every day. Every day. I thought: ‘That’s a real friend’.</p> <p>“He didn’t have anything to say, but he came in and kept me company.”</p> <p>He added that despite the pair having very little in common, their friendship has lasted for more than 40 years. </p> <p>"Bryan and I have been friends since 1980, I think it is," he said. </p> <p>“I love him dearly, he’s a great family man [and] immensely loyal,” he added.</p> <p>Sam found out he had stage-three blood cancer in 2022 during his first trip back to New Zealand following the Covid lockdowns, that made it almost impossible for him to see his family. </p> <p>He had to undergo chemotherapy for three or four months, which he said was "brutal". </p> <p>In another interview with <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/sam-neill-says-working-saved-his-life-during-blood-cancer-battle/d4d7442d-c328-4ff8-9195-8a5d78d3ada0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Today</em></a>, he also credited his work for keeping him busy and helping him survive his battle with cancer. </p> <p>"I like working and when I was diagnosed, I didn't have any work to do, so I wrote a book and that saved my life because I was pretty down and I got up in the morning and I would write and write and write and that was good fun," he said at the time. </p> <p><em>Image: Susanna Saez/EPA-EFE/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p> <p> </p>

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Today Show entertainment reporter's cause of death revealed

<p>Beloved <em>Today</em> show and KTLA entertainment reporter Sam Rubin's cause of death has been revealed, two months after his sudden <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/legendary-today-show-reporter-dies-unexpectedly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passing</a>. </p> <p>The 64-year-old died in May with a new report from medical officials finding he died from a heart attack after he suffered a massive blockage to his coronary artery. </p> <p>Just hours after hosting his Hollywood news segment in the morning of May 10th, Rubin was rushed to home after collapsing in his Los Angeles home. </p> <p>The multi-Emmy Award winner was a renowned figure in the news industry on the West Coast, and had covered entertainment, movies and TV for KTLA since 1991.</p> <p>He was also well-known in Australia as a contributor to Channel Nine's <em>Today</em> show and <em>Today Extra</em>, and in the UK where he appeared on <em>This Morning</em>.</p> <p>Following his death, Karl Stefanovic paid tribute to his colleague on Instagram, saying he "adored every second with Sam on air and off over the past two decades".</p> <p>"His spirit. His laugh. His warm caring nature. He was a beautiful man. What a loss. All love to his family, and to his TV family at KTLA5 News."</p> <p><em>Today Extra</em> host David Campbell also paid tribute to Rubin, calling him a "Hollywood great".</p> <p>"He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the industry," Campbell posted on social media.</p> <p>"For years we would cross to him and gossip and laugh," he said.</p> <p>"He would visit us Down Under, and whenever you were in LA you had to catch up. His loss is profound. My love and condolences to his family whom he adored."</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';">"Also his KTLA team who have lost a brother. We will cross back to you some other time Sam."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

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"A bit grim": Sam Neill shares cancer update

<p>Actor Sam Neill has shared a heartbreaking update on his cancer journey, which he has said he will eventually succumb to. </p> <p>Last year, the 76-year-old revealed that he was battling rare blood cancer, angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.</p> <p>After undergoing chemotherapy that failed to work, Neill's doctor switched him to an anti-cancer drug which has put him in remission for more than 12 months. </p> <p>The treatment requires him to have infusions every two weeks, and while his condition is currently stable, the drug will eventually stop working. </p> <p>Speaking candidly to the <em>Herald Sun</em> about his condition, he said while he is maintaining a positive outlook, the gruelling treatment is impacting the way he lives his life. </p> <p>“It’s just meant that every second week it was a case of forget about the weekend because that would be a bit grim,” he explained of his treatment schedule. “But other than that, it’s great to be alive and working and in beautiful places, like York.”</p> <p>Last year, Sam insisted while he wasn’t afraid of death after battling the disease, he “would be annoyed” because he still has plenty he wants to achieve.</p> <p>“I’m prepared for that,” Neill said at the time, adding that while dying would be “annoying” he’s not “remotely afraid” of it.</p> <p>“The last thing I want is for people to obsess about the cancer thing because I’m not really interested in cancer," he added. "I’m not really interested in anything other than living.” </p> <p><em>Image credits: Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

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"I'm prepared for that": Sam Neill shares worrying cancer update

<p>In a poignant and candid interview with <em>Australian Story</em>, beloved film icon Sam Neill shared a heartbreaking update about his ongoing battle with cancer.</p> <p>The 76-year-old actor <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/let-s-not-worry-too-much-sam-neill-s-devastating-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed that he was diagnosed</a> with a rare form of blood cancer, angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, earlier this year, a condition that has tested his strength and resilience in profound ways.</p> <p>Neill's journey through this harrowing ordeal has been nothing short of inspiring. He opened up about his initial chemotherapy treatment, which unfortunately did not prove successful. However, his dedicated medical team, led by a compassionate doctor, made the crucial decision to switch him to an anti-cancer drug. This treatment shift yielded encouraging results, putting Neill into remission for over 12 months.</p> <p>The actor's words carried a mix of hope and vulnerability as he admitted that, tragically, this anti-cancer drug would eventually stop working. “I’m prepared for that,” Neill stated with a remarkable degree of composure. He went on to share that while facing one's mortality is, understandably, not a comforting prospect, he remains unafraid of it.</p> <p>These words exemplify Neill's unwavering strength and courage, qualities that have defined his illustrious career in film and have been a source of inspiration to countless fans worldwide.</p> <p>Despite the physical toll of his treatment, which leaves him feeling as if he's been through "10 rounds with a boxer" in the days following each session, Neill continues to dedicate himself to his craft. Retirement is not even on the horizon for this determined actor, who still finds profound joy in being in front of the camera and collaborating with fellow artists.</p> <p>Currently, Neill is engaged in the filming of an adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s <em>Apples Never Fall</em> on the Gold Coast. Additionally, he is set to appear in the second series of the mini-series <em>The Twelve</em>, filmed in Western Australia. Through the highs and lows of his journey, Neill has found an unwavering source of support in his close friend, Australian actor Bryan Brown.</p> <p>Reflecting on his storied career, which has spanned over five decades and touched the hearts of many, Neill expressed his gratitude for the privilege of working alongside numerous talented actors. He stated, "I can't tell you how privileged I am to spend that amount of time with so many actors, so many of whom I've really enjoyed and so many of whom I've really admired." This sentiment underscores the depth of his love for his craft and the art of storytelling.</p> <p>Despite the challenges he faces, Sam Neill is not merely focusing on his film career; he's also been dedicating time to working on a new book, titled <em>Did I Ever Tell You This?</em>.</p> <p>In this book, he plans to share personal stories and anecdotes from his rich and diverse career. For Neill, this book is a way to leave a lasting piece of himself for his children and grandchildren, ensuring that his experiences and wisdom are passed on to future generations.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Gluten-free bride roasted over wedding day menu

<p>A gluten and dairy-free bride has copped a roasting online for sharing what she ate on her special day.</p> <p>According to the <em>New York Post</em>, Sam Cutler, the creator of The Fit Fatale community, revealed everything she consumed on her wedding day in a video on TikTok, including green protein smoothies, salmon and vegetables and gluten, dairy, and sugar-free chocolate wedding cake.</p> <p>Cutler and her husband welcomed guests to enjoy a taco bar during the reception, as well as a rosé that, she emphasised, has a low sugar content.</p> <p>Her video quickly went viral, attracting over four million views on TikTok and more than 3,000 likes on Instagram.</p> <p>Cutler began her fitness and wellness journey about four years ago, she wrote on her website, after she suffered “a severe concussion and brain trauma from a fitness accident”.</p> <p>As she focused on her own health and wellness, she started sharing tips to encourage others to “find balance daily through a healthy lifestyle and stillness”.</p> <p>The content creator described herself as a “health-focused bride”, but numerous viewers felt she’d gone too far.</p> <p>“Your wedding day is supposed to be enjoyable,” one commented on the clip.</p> <p>“Bro ONE DAY IS OKAY,” another stressed.</p> <p>Others dubbed Cutler’s wedding “sad” and “insane”.</p> <p>“Can you imagine going to a wedding and on the tables are anti-bloating gummies?! Byyyyeeeeeeeee,” one person said.</p> <p>One user pointed out the bloat pills, which had been placed on the tables at the reception for guests, explaining it made them “so upset”.</p> <p>Some came to Cutler’s defence, arguing that “she was eating and drinking pretty constantly throughout the day”.</p> <p>“If she’s paying for an expensive wedding then she should eat what she can eat and likes,” one exclaimed.</p> <p><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

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Hilarious footage emerges of Sam Neill's James Bond screen test

<p dir="ltr"><em>Jurassic Park</em> star Sam Neill appeared on the <em>Today</em> show to discuss his career and new memoir 'Did I Ever Tell You This?' but the hosts had other plans.</p> <p dir="ltr">Karl Stefanovic, Sarah Abo and Brooke Boney managed to dig up an old screen test that left the 75-year-old red-faced.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Oh, my God, no - That is so cruel to play that, so cruel," a flustered Neil said, as footage from his <em>James Bond</em> audition started rolling.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the video, a young Neill armed with a gun and donning an unbuttoned shirt bursts into a bedroom-to the surprise of a naked woman- and says the famous line "My friends called me Bond, James Bond".</p> <p dir="ltr">Neill said he was thankful that he didn’t get the part and that someone else was chosen to do the role.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I felt so awkward all day that we made that thing and it just went on and on and on," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I am so relieved they offered it to someone else, they are welcome to it - you don't want to be the Bond that no-one likes, you know - that is a fate worse than death."</p> <p dir="ltr">Although he didn’t get the role of agent 007, the actor has starred in three of the J<em>urassic Park films, Event Horizon, The Dish and Peter Rabbit</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">He also told the <em>Today </em>show hosts that he never intended on becoming a professional actor and his success was completely unexpected.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I never really imagined I would have a career in film, let alone a career as an actor," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"At the rather advanced age of 30 I suddenly realised I could make a living at what I loved best and I never looked back until I wrote (the memoir) and it has been good to look back - it has been really good for me."</p> <p><em>Image: Today Show, Channel 9</em></p>

Movies

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"Let's not worry too much": Sam Neill's devastating diagnosis

<p>Sam Neill has revealed he has been battling blood cancer, but has remained in remission for the last eight months. </p> <p>The 75-year-old actor, who is most known for his work in the <em>Jurassic Park</em> franchise, told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/mar/17/sam-neill-cancer-memoir-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Guardian</em></a> he had angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, or stage III blood cancer, and underwent chemotherapy.</p> <p>He will remain on chemo drugs for the rest of his life, but is currently cancer free. </p> <p>“I’m not off the hook as such, but there’s no cancer in my body,” Neill told the publication.</p> <p>Despite being in remission, the actor has battled some "dark moments" since his diagnosis. </p> <p>“I can’t pretend that the last year hasn’t had its dark moments,” Neill added in the interview.</p> <p>“But those dark moments throw the light into sharp relief, you know, and have made me grateful for every day and immensely grateful for all my friends. Just pleased to be alive.”</p> <p>Neill has detailed his journey with cancer in his upcoming memoirs, which he began writing while undergoing treatment. </p> <p>He shared a video to Instagram to give his fans an update on his health after news of his diagnosis broke, and revealed more about his book. </p> <p>He said, “I’m alive and kicking and I’m going to work and I’m very happy to be going back to work."</p> <p>“We start filming in seven days’ time. I’m doing a thing called <em>Apples Never Fall</em> [with] Annette Bening and a really wonderful cast. Here I am, and I wish the headline wasn’t that thing because the main thing is that I have written this book, it’s called <em>Did I Ever Tell You This?</em>. And it does mention cancer because that’s the sort of context in which I wrote it. "</p> <p>“But I didn’t really mean to write a book, I needed something to do while I was undergoing treatment, and I am used to going to work and I suddenly couldn’t go to work. So that’s why I wrote the book, and I have to say there’s been great response to it. People seem to love it, which is great."</p> <p>“I was very nervous, obviously as a first time author. Anyway, I think it’s fun. We subtitled it <em>Movies, Life, Love and Other Catastrophes</em>. So it gives you an idea of all the crazy things that have happened to me."</p> <p>“So I hope you enjoy it, and let’s not worry too much about ‘all that’ because I’m fine. OK!”</p> <p>When speaking to <em>The Guardian</em> about his upcoming memoir, Neill revealed that the opening chapter of his book contained the line, “The thing is, I’m crook. Possibly dying. I may have to speed this up.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Sam Frost welcomes baby boy

<p>Sam Frost has welcomed her first child with her partner, former <em>Survivor</em> star Jordie Hansen.</p> <p>The former <em>Home &amp; Away</em> star shared the news of her son's arrival on Instagram with a heart-warming photo, announcing the baby boy's name. </p> <p>"This is Ted," she wrote. </p> <p>"Theodore Paul Frost-Hansen. There’s no words to describe how much we love you • 07/03/2023."</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/Cpg3g64voy8/?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/Cpg3g64voy8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sam Frost (@samfrost)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The news sparked a flood of well wishes from the couple's famous friends, with TV presenter Rove McManus writing, "This is the most wonderful news! 😍 Congratulations, Sam 🥰".</p> <p>"Welcome to one of the greatest roles you will ever play in your life. No rehearsal necessary, you will shine at it. All the very best to you and <a tabindex="0" role="link" href="https://www.instagram.com/jordie.hansen/">@jordie.hansen</a> - now strap in and enjoy the roller coaster ride 💙".</p> <p>Lisa Wilkinson also offered her congratulations, commenting, “This is Lucky Ted! Such beautiful news Sam. Huge congrats to you all, and here’s to all the magical moments ahead.”</p> <p>Model and TV host Rachael Finch described young Ted as a “perfect angel” and told Frost and Hansen to “enjoy every second”.</p> <p>Frost first revealed she was pregnant last September in an Instagram post as they showed off an ultrasound photo. </p> <p>“There is a tiny human coming soon … everyone act surprised when he inevitably inherits his parents odd sense of humour,” the couple wrote of their exciting news. </p> <p>“We don’t take ourselves or life too seriously, and we’re hoping to teach our tiny one the same values we share … the importance of being unapologetically yourself, always finding the fun and humour in all the small things, and that being kind, loving and empathetic is a superpower.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p> <div class="AV62af35d851923c62777207b4" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; width: 711.985291px;"> <div id="aniBox" style="box-sizing: inherit; overflow: hidden; transition: height 1s ease 0s; opacity: 0; width: 712px; height: 1px;"> <div id="aniplayer_AV62af35d851923c62777207b4-1678316903132" style="box-sizing: inherit;"> <div id="aniplayer_AV62af35d851923c62777207b4-1678316903132gui" style="box-sizing: inherit;"> <div id="av-caption" style="box-sizing: inherit; position: relative; text-align: center; line-height: 18px; width: 712px;"> <div id="av-close-btn-overlay" class="av-pos-top-left" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; position: relative; z-index: 9999999; vertical-align: top; padding: 30px; margin: -30px; float: left;"> <div id="av-close-btn" style="box-sizing: inherit; z-index: 9999999; position: static; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 18px; height: 18px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4); background-size: 60%; border: none; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"></div> </div> <p><span id="av-label" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; text-transform: uppercase; font-size: 9px; color: #bbbbbb; z-index: 83; vertical-align: top; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, fallback, sans-serif; line-height: 10px; margin: 0px; padding: 4px;"></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Family & Pets

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Sam Neill's warning to single women

<p>Actor Sam Neill has issued a warning to women everywhere, cautioning them against a devious "online love scam" that is using his name and photo. </p> <p>The 75-year-old shared the warning to his Instagram followers on Thursday, telling people to be wary of scams that use the promise of romance as a means to rob money from victims in search of companionship. </p> <p>The post, written on behalf of Sam by his assistant, Lauren, said that scammers having been posing as Sam and contacting fans over social media.</p> <p>Lauren explained that this was impossible, as the actor does not have a private account and "does not keep secrets" from his social media team.</p> <p>"Sam has asked me to post on here to share with his followers an idea of the number of fake Sam Neill accounts out there on Instagram," it said.</p> <p>"The ONLY real Sam Neill account is this one - with the blue verified tick," the message continued.</p> <p>Included in the post was a screen grab of Sam's Instagram with a red marker circling the star's account and the message, "Warning".</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/CoIsALtyfzw/?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/CoIsALtyfzw/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by SamNeillTheProp (@samneilltheprop)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"I’m saddened by the stories I hear every day of people who have fallen victim to these disgraceful, despicable scammers. Their sole purpose is exploiting peoples weaknesses and lonely hearts. It’s shameful and disgusting and both Sam and I are committed to bringing this to light," Lauren continued. </p> <p>"Please, please check for the blue tick. If the account doesn’t have it, but has Sam’s name, you know it’s a fake."</p> <p>Lauren explained that the scammers after often pedalling get-rich-quick cryptocurrency schemes, while most of them are offering a romantic relationship. </p> <p>"He definitely isn't having an online romantic relationship with you," Sam's assistant messaged on behalf of the star.</p> <p>"That's the trash bag scammer wasting your time, potentially breaking your heart and disappearing with your money!"</p> <p>Followers were grateful for the warning, with one comment reading, "Please continue to report the fake accounts that contact you. It helps a lot and will continue to make Instagram a safer place for everyone."</p> <p>Others didn't take the warning too seriously, with many of his followers keen to poke fun at the scammers.</p> <p>One person said, "Who the hell have I been sending all those nudes to?"</p> <p>"Wait, you mean the message he sent me asking me to send him bitcoin to be in a Jurassic Park movie wasn't real?" said another, before adding, "Well, this is awkward!"</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

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Aussie town welcomes first baby in 15 years

<p dir="ltr">A remote Australian town has welcomed its first baby in 15 years with the father just making the delivery after trekking a crazy 280km. </p> <p dir="ltr">Jessie Harvey rushed to Richmond Hospital in outback Queensland about 3am on April 30 when she started experiencing contractions. </p> <p dir="ltr">There were no midwives or births at Richmond Hospital and the doctor who had checked Jessie fainted soon after telling her she was 8cm dilated.</p> <p dir="ltr">The hospital called for help from the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) and staff were relieved to have someone experienced on hand.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the only problem was Jessie’s partner Sam McGrath was 280km away working on a remote cattle station at East Creek, Woodstock when he received the surprising news. </p> <p dir="ltr">He immediately jumped into his ute and drove the hundreds of kilometres and shockingly made it in time for his son’s birth. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I had just taken a sip out of my coffee when I got the call. I grabbed my bag and chucked it on the ute then had to high-tail it into town,” he told Daily Mail Australia. </p> <p dir="ltr">RFDS doctor Shima Ghedia helped deliver baby Darby who was welcomed into the world with cheers after being the first baby born in 15 years in the remote town. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It was honestly amazing everyone was so stoked, so happy to see a child being born [at Richmond],” Sam said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was pretty well a cheering vibe, everyone was quite ecstatic.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Britney Spears is pregnant!

<p>Pop princess Britney Spears has announced she is expecting her first child with fiancé Sam Asghari. </p> <p>Britney made the announcement on Instagram in a lengthy caption, as she refers to Sam as her husband and reveals how she found out she is pregnant. </p> <p>She wrote, "I lost so much weight to go on my Maui trip only to gain it back 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ … I thought 'Geez … what happened to my stomach ???' My husband said 'No you're food pregnant silly 🤪 !!!' So I got a pregnancy test … and uhhhhh well … I am having a baby 👶🏼 …"</p> <p>"4 days later I got a little more food pregnant 🤰🏼🙈🙈🙈 It's growing !!! If 2 are in there … I might just loose it 😬😬😬😬😬😬 …" she continued.</p> <p>Britney said she would "obviously" be away from the public eye during her pregnancy due to paparazzi trying to get their "money shot of [her]," and referenced experiencing perinatal depression in her previous pregnancies.</p> <p>Britney shares two children, 16-year-old Sean Preston Federline and 15-year-old Jayden James Federline, with her ex-husband Kevin Federline.</p> <p>The news of the pregnancy delighted fans around the globe, as the singer was forced to be on birth control during the duration of her 13-year conservatorship, which ended in November 2021. </p> <p>Sam proposed to Britney in September last year after four years of dating, after the pair met on the set of Britney's music video for the 2016 track <em>Slumber Party</em>. </p> <p>Spears has been vocal about her love for Asghari, particularly in how he supported her through the end of her strict conservatorship.</p> <p>The couple reportedly have been excited to start a family for a while now, with a source telling <a title="US Weekly" href="https://celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/britney-spears-engaged-boyfriend-sam-asghari/e803b380-c566-4790-80da-3dac3252bf0f" target="" rel="">US Weekly</a> last July, "Sam would love to start a family with Britney."</p> <p>The source continued, "Sam also sees marriage in his and Britney's future when the time is right and they are able to wed without the restraints of her conservatorship."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram @samasghari</em></p>

Family & Pets

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“He’s not a cowboy, he’s an actor”: Jane Campion hits back at Sam Elliott

<p dir="ltr">Director Jane Campion has <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/jane-campion-hits-back-at-actor-sam-elliotts-sexist-criticism-of-power-of-the-dog/EUZNS3TH6OIMEAAM4TL3HZJXLI/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called out</a> actor Sam Elliott after he criticised her film <em>The Power of the Dog</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Campion called Elliott “a little bit sexist” and a “b****” a week after he slammed her film for being filmed in New Zealand and its theme of repressed homosexuality, claiming she didn’t know anything about the American West.</p> <p dir="ltr">The New Zealand director responded to Elliott’s criticism over the weekend while speaking at the Directors Guild of America awards in Los Angeles.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-058a9625-7fff-38f0-dcd6-2a2ebc2dab96"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m sorry, he was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H. I’m sorry to say it but he’s not a cowboy, he’s an actor. The West is a mythic space and there’s a lot of room on the range. I think it’s a little bit sexist,” she said.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jane Campion responds to Sam Elliott's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThePowerOfTheDog?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThePowerOfTheDog</a> comments: "I'm sorry, he was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H. He's not a cowboy; he's an actor. The West is a mythic space and there's a lot of room on the range. I think it's a little bit sexist." <a href="https://t.co/I32wQ8lCiF">https://t.co/I32wQ8lCiF</a> <a href="https://t.co/Tftq4AoXCy">pic.twitter.com/Tftq4AoXCy</a></p> <p>— Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1502839949212545028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“I consider myself a creator. I think he thinks of me as a woman or something lesser first.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Elliott initially shared his views during an interview on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast several weeks ago, when asked what he thought about the movie.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They made it look like those dancers, those guys in New York who wear bow ties and not much else,” he said.<br />“That’s what all these f***ing cowboys in the movie look like. They’re all running around in chaps and no shirts. There’s all these allusions to homosexuality throughout the movie.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When Maron responded with, “I think that’s what the movie’s about”, referencing how it’s heavily implied Benedict Cumberbatch’s character is a repressed gay man, Elliott claimed Campion was out of her depth making a Western.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She’s a brilliant director, by the way, I love her … previous work - but what the f*** does this woman from down there, New Zealand, know about the American West?” Elliott said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And why in the f*** does she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana and say, ‘This is the way it was’. That f***ing rubbed me the wrong way pal.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The myth is that they were these macho men out there with the cattle. I just come from f***ing Texas where I was hanging out with families, not men, families, big, long, extended, multiple-generation families.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The Power of the Dog</em>, a Western psychological drama, has been nominated for 12 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, which has made Campion the first woman to be nominated for best director twice.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-62722e99-7fff-5a45-15ba-2fc46d8d2851"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Movies

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Sam Frost reveals the real reason she left Home and Away

<div><p>Actress Sam Frost has revealed why she decided to leave Home And Away.</p><p>The 32-year-old played the character Jasmine Delaney for five years. It was revealed last month that Sam will no longer be a part of the soap cast after deciding to part ways.</p><p>In a lengthy Instagram post shared on Friday, Frost reflected on her departure from the show, explaining it was due to mental health reasons.</p><p>“I quit my dream job at Home And Away to look after my mental health,” she wrote on mental health awareness instagram page, Believe by Sam Frost.</p><p>“I needed to take a step back, go home and be with my family. And most importantly take good care of my health and well-being.”</p><p>“I now spend the days with the people I love, doing the things I’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t because I was too busy working.”</p><p>She went on to say that she had spent four and a half years being a “distant friend, a distant girlfriend, a sister who couldn’t be there for big milestone moments”.</p><p>“Now, I’m making up for lost time. I’m prioritising my health and my relationships.”</p><p>Sam admitted she sometimes wakes up and panics about “money, work and being able to afford my mortgage”.</p><p>“[But] then I remind myself the importance of putting our mental health first, and taking time out to heal our mind, body &amp; soul. The rest will fall into place.”</p><p>She concluded the post with the hashtag “healing”.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF;border: 0;border-radius: 3px;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/CZfk89yPD1s/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"><div style="padding: 16px"><div style="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="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="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="flex-direction: row;margin-bottom: 14px;align-items: center"><div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;height: 12.5px;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"> </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"> </div></div><div style="margin-left: auto"><div style="width: 0px;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right: 8px solid transparent"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;flex-grow: 0;height: 12px;width: 16px"> </div><div style="width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left: 8px solid transparent"> </div></div></div><div style="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"><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/CZfk89yPD1s/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Believe By Sam Frost (@believebysamfrost)</a></p></div></blockquote><p>Frost filmed her last scenes for the show in December after earlier revealing she was not vaccinated against Covid-19.</p><p>Sam is set to launch a self-help book about mental health called Believe by Sam Frost in March.</p><p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p></div><div class="post-action-bar-component-wrapper" style="margin: 0px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline"><div class="post-actions-component" style="margin: 0px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;vertical-align: baseline"><div class="upper-row" style="margin: 8px 16px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;vertical-align: baseline;justify-content: space-between;align-items: center;height: 24px"><div class="right-box-container" style="margin: 0px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;vertical-align: baseline;justify-content: flex-end;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;background-color: #ffffff"> </div></div></div></div>

Caring

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Britney Spears’ fiancé comments on new Netflix doco

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sam Asghari, Britney Spears’ fiance, has spoken out following the release of the trailer for Netflix documentary </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Britney vs Spears</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The streaming giant released the trailer one week out from it’s airing, prompting a comment from Asghari.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I hope the profit from these docs go towards fighting injustice #freebritney,” he wrote on Instagram.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spears hasn’t directly commented on the new film covering her conservatorship battle, but some have said she doesn’t endorse it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This is another unauthorised documentary without her blessing or participation,” one source told </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://pagesix.com/2021/09/22/britney-spears-netflix-doc-done-without-her-blessing/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Page Six</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Previously, the star didn’t endorse the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">New York Times’ Framing Britney Spears</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> documentary, saying that she was “embarrassed” by it without watching it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new documentary comes a week after Spears and Asghari shared </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/britney-spears-announces-engagement-takes-social-media-break?fbclid=IwAR3oQk_JWMBRFwLbcrDBjA6snAVzORSFg23Xz-3AqYit05ZBDDWTd8YvJzs" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">news of their engagement</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on social media.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spears also announced she would be taking a break from social media two days later but has since returned to Instagram and Twitter.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new documentary will debut on September 28, a day before Spears returns to court to fight for her release from her decade-long conservatorship.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the trailer, audio of Spears is heard from her testimony at the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse on June 23, where she addressed the court publicly for the first time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I just want my life back,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’ve worked my whole life.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I don’t owe these people anything.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Directed by filmmaker Erin Lee Carr, the documentary will centre around Spears’ conservatorship and question its necessity, the alleged corruption of her father, and larger issues with conservatorship.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“What was going on inside the conservatorship? And why was she still in one if she was okay?” one person said in the trailer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though the trailer doesn’t reveal who will appear in the documentary, the clip includes voiceovers from various people, including Spears’ ex, paparazzo Adnan Ghalib, and a legal expert.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The trailer also suggests that the documentary will reveal new information leaked by someone involved in the conservatorship.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">See the trailer here.</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SgFDWK_sf9c" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @britneyspears / Instagram</span></em></p>

Relationships

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Britney Spears announces engagement, takes social media break

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After her long-running legal battle saw her father file to shut down her conservatorship, Spears has more good news: she is engaged.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58568256" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">after announcing her engagement</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to long-term boyfriend, Sam Asghari, on social media last week, the star deleted her Instagram account.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sparking concern among fans, she reassured them via Twitter that her absence from social media would only be temporary.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Don’t worry folks … just taking a little break from social media to celebrate my engagement,” she wrote. </span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Don’t worry folks … just taking a little break from social media to celebrate my engagement 💍😉 !!!! I’ll be back soon 💋🌹✨</p> — Britney Spears (@britneyspears) <a href="https://twitter.com/britneyspears/status/1437896257129750528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’ll be back soon”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asghari, a personal trainer and actor, also shared a snap of the couple following the announcement, with Spears showing off her ring.</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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTvPcEJP_2P/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/CTvPcEJP_2P/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Sam Asghari (@samasghari)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The news of her social media hiatus comes after Octavia Spencer apologised for her snarky comment on the pop singer’s post announcing the engagement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Y’all, a few days ago Sam and Britney announced their engagement and me being me I made a joke,” the actress said on Instagram, referencing her comment that Spears should make Asghari “sign a prenup”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My intention was to make them laugh, not cause pain,” she continued. “I’ve reached out to this lovely couple privately to apologise and now want to restore just a smidge of happiness they were robbed of.”</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844181/spencer-spears.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d0d9b816ef4d4ca4a8ad471dbdeef749" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: news.com.au</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Britney’s fans have seen her through a lot of pain and she’s found happiness,” Spencer said, referring to Spears’ 13-year conservatorship. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We’re thrilled for her. So let’s show them them love #nonegativity.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asghari replied in the comments, sharing that he had no hard feelings towards the actress.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You are very kind to clarify but I have no hard feelings whatsoever. Jokes and misconceptions come with the territory,” he wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spears has been using her Instagram account to document her daily life and, in recent months, share her perspective on the conservatorship battle.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her father, Jamie Spears, stepped down as her conservator in August and was replaced by the singer’s long-time care manager, Jodi Montgomery.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Spears also filed papers to end the conservatorship, with a court hearing scheduled in a Los Angeles court for September 29.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: samasghari</span></em></p>

Relationships

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The truth about Princess Diana’s iconic hair

<p><span>Princess Diana has always been considered an icon in her own right – and this includes the royal’s hair.</span><br /><br /><span>However, a style choice that made history has actually been revealed by Diana’s personal hair stylist as a “split-second” decision.</span><br /><br /><span>Sam McKnight, who worked with Diana from 1990 right up until her death in 1997, told British Vogue that there was a moment that led to the iconic cut.</span><br /><br /><span>"This leggy blonde comes bouncing up the stairs, smiled and made us all melt, and it was Princess Diana," he said.</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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEjCaRyHnTE/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/CEjCaRyHnTE/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Sam McKnight Personal (@sammcknight1)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>He revealed that while playing with the royal's hair as she posed for British Vogue, McKnight saw a look for Diana that was much different to her usual style.</span><br /><br /><span>"I made it look short under the tiara — I faked it a bit," he said.</span><br /><br /><span>When the photoshoot ended, McKnight told Diana he would style her hair however she wanted if she gave him free reign.</span><br /><br /><span>"I said, 'I would cut it all off and just start again,'" he said.</span><br /><br /><span>"It was the beginning of the '90s and it was at the time that I was doing lots of shows and covers and a lot of the girls had short hair, and we were moving from the big frou-frou '80s into the sharp, more androgynous, business chic of the '90s."</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/p/B_y93PIAPDx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/B_y93PIAPDx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Anita Shemon (@justbecauseitsbeauty)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>Diana told him to do it immediately, to McKnight’s surprise.</span><br /><br /><span>"So I cut it off then and we never looked back," he said.</span><br /><br /><span>Princess Diana would go on to praise McKnight for shaping her personal view of herself in the 90s.</span></p>

Beauty & Style

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Cruise ship heartache: Little Chloe’s next step for justice

<p>The parents of a child who plunged to her death after suffering a 46-metre fall from a cruise ship window are suing for millions as they release the chilling picture of where she died.</p> <p>The toddler, Chloe Wiegand was in the hands of her grandad near to a window when she slipped.</p> <p>However, her heart-stricken family insist the blame lies with the “negligent” cruise line, which they are reportedly launching legal action against.</p> <p>The heartbreaking photograph taken of the tent covering the part of the deck that Alan and Kimberly Schultz’s baby girl died, was taken by a criminal investigator and is now being used in a negligence suit.</p> <p>They are reportedly accusing Royal Caribbean of breaching safety protocols and standards.</p> <p>The snap shows the view which Chloe’s grandad Salvatore “Sam” Anello had been balancing Chloe when he slipped and fell while the ship was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico.</p> <p>It also shows a partial space between the wooden railing that Mr Anello held his granddaughter and a large, glass window that could be completely opened.</p> <p>Mr Anello is facing up to six years behind bars after he was charged with criminal neglect – however Chloe’s parents are adamant the blame lies in the hands of the cruise ship.</p> <p>Mr and Mrs Schultz are sticking by their daughter’s grandfather, insisting nothing is worse than “what has already happened”.</p> <p>The family have reportedly filed a suit against Royal Caribbean to figure out why the 11th storey window was allegedly left open.</p> <p>It is reported the family will receive “unlimited” damages for “pain and mental suffering” if their claim is successful, as Chloe died on American soil and not in the high seas.</p> <p>The grieving family’s lawyer say it will be impossible to “put a figure” on their grief however, saying “four simple words – caution these windows open – and we wouldn’t be talking about his.</p> <p>“A sticker, a decal with the Royal Caribbean logo, anything, and Chloe is still with us.”</p> <p>The family will claim in court that little Chloe was being “closely supervised” by her granddad at the time of her death.</p> <p>They will further maintain Mr Anello was “unaware” one of the large panes of glass surrounding the ship’s 11th floor had been slid open when he carried his granddaughter over to the railings.</p> <p>The case alleges the window was the only one open “among dozens” and there was no clear indication that it had been opened.</p> <p>The lawsuit also claims there was a 46 cm gap between the wooden railing and the open window, which made it even more difficult for a horrified Mr Anello to reach over and grasp for his toddler as she plunged to her death.</p> <p>They also allege that Mr Anello being colourblind made hard for him to differentiate between the glass and the open window.</p> <p>Chloe’s family have insisted the toddler liked to bang on glass, just as she did when at her brother’s hockey games – which is why her grandad had sat her on the wooden railing.</p> <p>In November, it was reported there is video evidence that supports the grieving family’s claim that Mr Anello was unaware the window was open – a potential bombshell for both the case against her distraught grandad and the family’s Royal Caribbean suit.</p> <p>Royal Caribbean has refused to comment further but described Chloe’s death as a “tragic incident”.</p>

News

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Steve Smith breaks his own record on Day 1 of fourth Ashes Test

<p><span>Cricketer Steve Smith has been a saving grace once again for Australia, this time in the fourth Ashes Test.</span></p> <p><span>In spite of England bowlers and the miserable Manchester weather having winds too ferocious that only 44 overs were bowled, Smith proved to be a force to be reckoned with. </span></p> <p><span>The outstanding Ashes form saw Australia reach 170 for three after an opener dud. </span></p> <p><span>Smith and Marnus Labuschagne put on 116 for the third wicket before Craig Overton delivered a beautiful bowl at 67. </span></p> <p><span>Smiths most outrageous shot was when he played to reach 50 with a boundary through the off side.</span></p> <p><span>Australian fans of the beloved sport took to social media to congratulate Smith on the monumental achievement. </span><a rel="noopener" class="twitter-tweet"></a></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Eight consecutive Ashes 50+ scores for Steve Smith. What a phenomenon</p> — Tim (@timwig) <a href="https://twitter.com/timwig/status/1169280700614348800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Steve Smith is an absolute legend. He is the best Test batsman in the world and will end up as one of the greatest of all time. The way he keeps churning runs at this format is phenomenal. It will be great to see how far he can take his Test average to. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvAUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvsAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvsAUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ashes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ashes</a></p> — Giri Subramanian (Off Work) (@giri26) <a href="https://twitter.com/giri26/status/1169364150327234560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Another solid innings from <a href="https://twitter.com/stevesmith49?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@stevesmith49</a> overnight. Cannot really say a 'Captain's knock' but leading with the bat nevertheless ! Hopefully a Wyong Cup win for him tomorrow as well 🏏🏇 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ashes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ashes</a></p> — Ros Ovington (@RosOvington) <a href="https://twitter.com/RosOvington/status/1169354916961255424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2019</a></blockquote> <p><span>“The best batsman we’ve seen in a long while,” one person said.</span></p> <p><span>“Steve Smith is world class,” another added.</span></p> <p><span>One fan wrote: “You have to have nothing but admiration when watching Steve Smith bat.”</span></p> <p><span>Australian will resume on 170 for three on Thursday evening, having won the toss and decided to bat. </span><span></span></p> <p> </p>

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