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"Not much of me left": Elton John's grim health confession

Elton John has made a blunt admission about his health battles. The 77-year-old singer opened up about his many health issues in a speech at the screening of his new documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, at the New York Film Festival on Tuesday. “To be honest with you, there’s not much of me left,” Elton told the audience. “I don’t have tonsils, adenoids or an appendix,” he continued, according to <a href="https://people.com/elton-john-jokes-not-much-of-me-left-listing-missing-organs-documentary-premiere-8721741" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People</a> magazine. “I don’t have a prostate. I don’t have a right hip or a left knee or a right knee. In fact, the only thing left to me is my left hip. “But I’m still here,” Elton continued. “And I can’t thank you [enough], you’re the people that made me.” The documentary is directed by his husband David Furnish, and American filmmaker R.J. Cutler. Throughout the years Elton has struggled with his health, and just last month he revealed he was recovering from a "severe eye infection" that affected his vision. This occured after he underwent knee and hip replacement surgery. The I'm Still Standing singer also got a pacemaker fitted in back in the 90s, and was hospitalised for influenza and a bacterial infection in 2009. In 2013 he had an abscess on his appendix, and three years later he had suffered from "gastric flu". In addition to all of these health woes he has dealt with hearing loss caused by years of touring. The singer also talked about his retirement from touring at the premiere of his new documentary, following a successful five years of performances and more than 300 shows worldwide. “As you know, I decided to stop touring because I’m 77 years of age,” he said. “I’ve done all there is to do, to play. I’ve succeeded. I’ve been there and I’ve done it.” The documentary explores his 50-year career leading up to his final North American show at Dodger Stadium in 2022. It is set to stream on Disney+ in the US on December 13. ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA-EFE/ Shutterstock Editorial

Caring

Maddie McCann suspect’s cellmate shares shocking confession

The prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann allegedly confessed to a former cellmate that he once took a child from an apartment in Portugal. Christian Brueckner, a convicted German paedophile, has never formally been charged with the abduction of McCann but has long been the main suspect in the case. Brueckner, who was in and around the Praia da Luz resort area on the Algarve coast at the time McCann disappeared on May 3rd 2007, has denied any involvement with her disappearance. The 47-year-old is currently serving a seven-year sentence for a rape he committed in Portugal in 2005, while also being on trial for several unrelated sexual offences he is alleged to have committed between 2000 and 2017. In court on Wednesday, Brueckner's former cellmate Laurentiu Codin claimed he opened up about his past while they were confiding in each other at Braunschweig Prison. “He told me that in Portugal, he had stolen there,” Codin told Braunschweig Regional Court, <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/30657247/madeleine-mccann-brueckner-admitted-snatched-girl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">The Sun</a> reported. “He was in an area of hotels where rich people live ... and when he went to the hotel area, there was an open window somewhere, he told me. And he would have entered this window for money and gold." “However, he did not find any money, but came across a child and took it with him.” He claimed Bruckner said he “left the area” and “took the child with him ... and drove away, while the place was full of police and dogs”. “He drove off in the car and he was gone. He asked me if the DNA from a child could be taken from bones under the ground.” After the witness said Brueckner was clever, the defendant’s lawyer asked whether he thought it was clever to tell someone in prison about such crimes, to which Codin said: “Perhaps ... he misjudged me.” McCann disappeared from her bedroom on May 3, 2007, during a family holiday while her parents were dining with friends nearby in the resort of Praia da Luz. German police said in June 2020 that McCann was presumed dead and that Brueckner was likely responsible for it, however, he has not been charged with any crime related to her disappearance. Image credits: MGG/Shutterstock Editorial

Legal

Rebel Wilson's shocking weight loss confession

Rebel Wilson has confessed to using Ozempic to maintain her weight after dropping almost 40kgs in her "year of health" in 2020. While speaking to the Sunday Times about the release of her memoir, Rebel Rising, the Aussie actress confessed to using the drug, which is used to treat type 2 diabetes. The 44-year-old has previously referred to 2020 as her "year of health" after she lost a staggering amount of weight, and has now finally admitted to using Ozempic, but only to maintain her weight. She said, "Someone like me could have a bottomless appetite for sweets, so I think those drugs can be good." Rebel went on to clarify that she is no longer taking the drug, and is happy with her weight. The actress shared how wanting to have a baby kick-started her dramatic weight loss in 2020, but not everyone was happy about her plans for a drastic transformation. "Basically no one apart from my mum wanted me to lose weight," Wilson recalled. "People thought I'd lose my pigeonhole in my career, playing the fat funny character, and they wanted me to continue in that." Over the past four years, Wilson has admitted to gaining some of it back including 20lbs from "stress eating" leading up to the release of her book, with Covid lockdowns also playing a part in her fluctuating weight. "I know that my relationship with food is complicated," she said. "I feel strongly that young women shouldn't try to obsess over looking like Victoria's Secret models — they should just look like themselves." Image credits: Getty Images

Body

"I just don't like old skin": Jane Fonda's bizarre confession

Jane Fonda has made an unusual confession about her dating life, explaining why she would only date people of a certain age. The Hollywood legend, 85, has been married three times throughout her life: first to director Roger Vadim from 1965 to 1973, then to activist Tom Hayden from 1973 to 1990, and finally to CNN founder Ted Turner from 1991 to 2001. Fonda is currently single, but doesn't plan on staying that way. Despite being open to finding love, the actress has a very specific criteria for potential suitors to meet before agreeing to a date. On the Absolutely Not podcast, the Oscar winner initially suggested she was done with men for good, saying, “I’m done, I’m over, I’m [almost] 86 years old, even in the dark I wouldn’t want to be naked in front of anybody.” But she then went on to confess that there’s still a chance she could fall for a man, but they would just have to be substantially younger. “And here’s another thing, I’m ashamed to say this, if I were to take a lover, he’d have to be 20. Because I don’t like old skin,” said Fonda. She continued, “And consequently, I don’t want to foist that on anybody else. I assume other people are like me, I just don’t like old skin.” “I disapprove of 86-year-old men with 20-year-old women, so I’m not going to repeat it. I can ogle them, and I can’t pretend that I don’t get turned on if I see a certain kind of a person, but no, no, no, I don’t want to force that on anybody.” Her confession has been criticised on social media, with some suggesting the star would be “cancelled” if it was a man that had said the same about young women. “This is seriously weird,” tweeted one fan, while another said: “But an 85 year old man wanting to date a 20 year old woman is disgusting? Am I right?” Image credits: Getty Images

Relationships

Bruce Willis' wife's devastating confession

Bruce Willis' wife has shared a heartbreaking confession about caring for her husband as he continues to struggle with frontotemporal dementia. Emma Heming, who has been married to the A-list actor since 2009, shared a candid glimpse into her life as her husband's carer, admitting she often struggles with guilt. Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in early 2023, nearly one year after announcing his retirement from acting due to aphasia, which causes difficulties with speech. Since then, his family have frequently shared updates on his condition. Emma shared that since becoming a carer for her husband, she has been plagued with feelings of guilt. She told Sunday Paper, “I struggle with guilt, knowing that I have resources that others don’t." “When I’m able to get out for a hike to clear my head, it’s not lost on me that not all care partners can do that." “When what I share about our family’s journey gets press attention, I know that there are many thousands of untold, unheard stories, each of them deserving of compassion and concern.” Heming – who has daughters Mabel, 11, and Evelyn, nine, with Willis – went on to share that she hopes to continue to “be an advocate” for those also living her experience as a full-time carer. She added, “I see that what I share matters to others who may be struggling, and in a small way makes them feel seen and understood." “I want people to know that when I hear from another family affected by FTD, I hear our family’s same story of grief, loss, and immense sadness echoed in theirs… “It’s important to me to be an advocate on behalf of those families, who don’t have the time, energy, or resources to advocate for themselves.” Heming went on to add that despite her husband's condition continuing to deteriorate, she still has “hope” for Willis. She explained, “I have so much more hope today than I did after Bruce was first diagnosed." “I understand this disease more now, and I’m now connected to an incredible community of support. I have hope in having found a new purpose — admittedly one I never would have gone looking for — using the spotlight to help and empower others.” Image credits: Getty Images

Family & Pets

Adele's candid baby confession mid-concert

Adele has candidly revealed that she wants to expand her family with boyfriend Rich Paul. The Hello singer dropped the news during one of her shows in Las Vegas, when she spotted a fan who was 20-weeks pregnant. The fan shared that she was having a girl, but has yet to decide on a name and wanted Adele's help. “I really want to be a mum again soon, so every time I see a name I like, I write it down in my phone,” the singer said to the surprise of fans. The fan responded: “We have two names and we’ve been going back and forth. I can’t, for the life of me, decide. I like boy names for girls. The first name is Parker or Spencer.” The 35-year-old singer then mulled over the two options before she jokingly said: can’t say Parker because Rich likes that name. “I’ll say Spencer,” she concluded. Adele then gave a sneak peek into one of the names she likes. “I love Ray for a girl as well, spelled like the boy’s name,” she added. <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important; width: 603px; max-width: 100%;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7271648822659501355&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40editsofadele%2Fvideo%2F7271648822659501355&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2FowMuDRbnSIJFR8kEBF8Yn65hqBiAEDTkeBf7Qg%3Fx-expires%3D1693706400%26x-signature%3DkvzKhLZtGJ8sMZJLnQSpkH%252FBsQQ%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> The fan was over-the-moon when she found out they had a similar taste in baby names. "Stop - that’s (going to be) the middle name!” she said. Adele gushed that they were "so in sync". Footage of the sweet exchange has since gone viral with over 1.4 million views, and fans are delighted at the interaction. “Spencer Ray is actually nice but the fact that Adele picked it… come on, best name in the world,” wrote one fan. “’Adele named you' 😳 elite story,” another commented on the stories that the fan's future daughter could tell. “Imagine growing up and saying I was named by Adele 😂,” another said. Adele is already a mother to 10-year-old son Angelo, who she shares with ex-husband Simon Konecki. The star has been hinting about wanting to expand her family since February 2022, and has been in a relationship with Rich since early 2021. Images: TikTok

Family & Pets

Rob Lowe's West Wing confession

Rob Lowe has spoken candidly about leaving one of his most acclaimed TV shows. The 59-year-old actor has opened up about leaving The West Wing, which first aired in 1999 with Lowe playing the character of Sam Seaborn, the Bartlet administration's deputy communications director, on the very first episode of the show. The show ran for seven seasons and went off the air in 2006, although Lowe left the show during season four. Despite the show's popularity, Lowe said that leaving the show when he did was the best decision to make for him and his future career. Speaking candidly on the Stitcher Studios' podcast Podcrushed, Lowe was asked about why he left the show, and he summed up his departure with an analogy. He said, "I walked away from the most popular girl at school, but I also knew that it was a super unhealthy relationship, and it was the best thing I ever did." The unofficial story when Lowe left the show, as reported by <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/24/west.wing.lowe/index.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" data-ylk="slk:Daily Variety;cpos:3;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-rapid_p="33" data-v9y="1">Daily Variety</a>, was that he was doing so because he couldn't get the salary that he wanted. As Lowe explained to Podcrushed hosts Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari, his decision had boiled down to one thing. "I felt very undervalued," said Lowe, the author of 2012's Stories I Only Tell My Friends. "Whenever I talk to actors who complain about, you know, their relationships on their shows, it happens. It happens in any workplace. You could be in an environment where people sandbag you, want to see you fail, don't appreciate you, whatever it is and whenever I share my stories, people are like, 'I will never share my own stories again.'" "They would make your hair stand up and there's some of them I wrote. I shared some of them in my book, but I purposely didn't share half of the other ones because it would make the people involved look so bad that I didn't want to do it to them." "So, I did not have a good experience. Tried to make it work and tried to make it work and tried to make it work and then what happened was my kids were getting to a certain age where I could see them having first girlfriends or friends and being in a relationship that was abusive and taking it," said Lowe, the father of sons John Owen, a 27-year-old actor, and venture capitalist Matthew, 29. "She's the popular girl, everybody likes her, she's beautiful, it must be great. All the things that people would say about making The West Wing to me. It's so popular, it's so amazing, it must be amazing, but I know what it's like and if I couldn't walk away from it, then how could I empower my kids to walk away from it?" When Lowe did leave the show, he issued a statement on why his character would be written out. "As much as it hurts to admit it, it has been increasingly clear, for quite a while, that there was no longer a place for Sam Seaborn on The West Wing," he said, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/24/west.wing.lowe/index.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" data-ylk="slk:per CNN;cpos:5;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-rapid_p="36" data-v9y="1">per CNN</a>. "However, Warner Bros. has allowed me an opportunity to leave the show as I arrived ... grateful for it, happy to have been on it and proud of it. We were a part of television history and I will never forget it." Image credits: Getty Images

5 juicy confessions from cruise crew members

As you can probably imagine, when living on the high seas you get to pick up a story or two. While while most of these tales don’t make it back to shore, for the first time ever a few of these interesting stories have made their way to land. Porthole Cruise Magazine has explored the industry to find five of the juiciest confessions from cruise crew members. You’ll never look at cruise staff the same way. And of course, the staff member’s names have been kept anonymous. 1. One shore excursions manager told about the time she was woken up by 3am as two colleagues burst into her cabin. She said, “They woke up my roommate and I and were shouting to get our lifejackets on and to abandon ship, and then they ran out of the room. My roommate and I started freaking out, bumping into each other trying to find our lifejackets. Then we ran out of the room down the hallway in our pyjamas — only to be met by an entire group of crew members taking pictures and laughing. That was just Part One of our initiation.” 2. A cruise gift shop manager told Porthole about a dispute between dining room staff and restaurant management which resulted in a strike. As a result, staff managers from the other sections of the boat had to fill in, everyone from the casino to the beauty shop. She said, “We were instructed to bring as many of our staff members as we could spare to help serve more than 500 hungry guests. So there we all went, in our respective uniforms, off to the dining room to be waiters for the evening. I’m not sure how we did it, but we did. All of the guests managed to get their rolls, salads, entrées, coffee, and dessert while being served by an eclectic staff in an assortment of uniforms. That was the essence of good teamwork if I’ve ever seen it.” 3. Another anonymous cruise staff member told of a game she played when greeting guests walking into the dining room. She and her offsider decided to make a game of inserting wacky words into conversation. She said, “One of the most memorable words that we actually pulled off quite well, and surprisingly without realisation or offence to the guests, was penis. How? Guest walks through the door…. cruise staff says ‘Good Evening! Have you just come from the lounge? They have an amazing penis playing up there and the sing-a-long is great fun!” Guest smiled and answered: “YES! The pianist is one of the best I’ve seen on ships!’” 4. A cruise casino dealer recalls, “One of the hardest things I had to do as a casino dealer was to keep a straight face. And I’m not necessarily talking about because we were in the middle of an intense game. I’m talking about the times when certain guests, well, smelled. One time a player sat at my table and was letting out such bad gas that other players began to slowly inch away and eventually left the area. Truth be told: No matter what sights – and smells – I encountered, it was always a challenge to remain neutral. Perhaps this is the true origin of the term ‘poker face.’ 5. A cabin steward told the story of cruisers who were continually complaining about bites. After three nights of complaints he, “Advised them to visit the onboard infirmary to see if they could identify the ‘bites’ and see if there was something that could be done for them. The nurse in the infirmary concluded that neither of them had bug bites, and that the red scratches on their arms were caused simply by their own fingernails. On the fourth day, the couple marched up to the front office and announced they had found the bugs and showed the guest relations manager a box containing the ‘bugs.’ When I was called to the front office to look at the bugs, everyone was laughing in disbelief. The guests had presented them with a small box full of lint.” Image: Shutterstock

Cruising

Ellen’s surprise confession

Ellen DeGeneres has announced that she will end her talk show after almost 20 years on air. The 64-year-old announced in May last year that she would end her show after her reputation took a hit following reports of pay reduction, racism and intimidation toward crew members. On Thursday, she surprised guests that that would be the last episode to air before sharing how different her first episode was 19 years ago until today. “Twenty years ago, when we were trying to sell the show, no one thought that this would work. Not because it was a different kind of show, but because I was different," she said. "When we started this show, I couldn't say 'gay' on the show. I was not allowed to say 'gay.' I said it at home a lot. 'What are we having for gay breakfast?'" "We couldn't say 'gay.' I couldn't say 'we,' because that implied that I was with someone. "I sure couldn't say 'wife,' and that's because it wasn't legal for gay people to get married, and now I say 'wife' all the time. "Twenty-five years ago, they cancelled my sitcom because they didn't want a lesbian to be in primetime once a week. I said, 'Okay, then I'll be on daytime every day. How about that?'" Ellen then asked her DJ, Stephen Boss aka tWitch, for one final dance where the pair boogied in between the audience to Best of My Love by The Emotions. The host was also joined by Friends star Jennifer Aniston, singer Billie Eilish and Pink who shared memories from their first show. Ellen then ended the show by thanking her camera crew and audience saying that she hoped she inspired them through her shows. "If I've done anything in the past 19 years, I hope I've inspired you to be yourself. Your true, authentic self,” she said. “And if someone is brave enough to tell you who they are, be brave enough to support them, even if you don't understand. They're showing you who they are and that is the biggest gift anybody can ever give you. “And by opening your heart and your mind, you're gonna be that much more compassionate. And compassion is what makes the world a better place. “Thank you so much for being on this journey with me. I feel the love and I send it back to you. Bye." Image: YouTube

Terence Kelly confesses to abducting Cleo Smith

Image: Getty Cleo Smith’s abductor Terence Kelly has confessed to kidnapping the four-year-old from her family tent and keeping her captive for 18 days. Kelly, 36, was arrested after detectives raided his Carnarvon house at 12.46 am on November 3rd and found the little girl alone inside a bedroom playing with toys. The next day Terence was charged with child abduction and flown to Perth where he remains in custody at Casuarina Prison. During an appearance in Carnarvon Magistrate’s Court on Monday, Kelly pleaded guilty to child abduction via video link. Kelly appeared solemn and spent much of the hearing looking down. He spoke only one word, ‘guilty’, when asked by Magistrate Ben White what his plea to the kidnapping charge was. He admitted taking Cleo from her family’s tent on October the 16th at Quobba Blowholes campsite as her parents slept metres away. Following one of the largest missing persons investigations in Australian history, Cleo was rescued 18 days later after four detectives stormed Kelly’s home in a midnight raid. In the days after Cleo’s rescue, WA Police acting Commissioner Col Blanch said mobile phone data and CCTV footage of a car entering Carnarvon the night Cleo vanished led police to raid Kelly’s house. The details of why Kelly took Cleo, or how police solved the case, are yet to be revealed in court. Cleo’s family have declined to speak to media since her safe return, only issuing a statement thanking the community for its support and requesting privacy. The Nine Network, which publishes this masthead, will pay almost $2 million for an interview with the family in what is believed to be one of the largest deals in Australian television history. Outside court, before Kelly’s admission, a former neighbour of Kelly’s, Esther Mingo, told media she hoped Kelly would “open his mouth up” and tell the truth. She also voiced repeated frustration that none of his family members were attending his court hearings. “He’s got stacks of family ... where are his mother and father, why don’t they come here?” she said. After the hearing, Ms Mingo and two other women refused to speak to the media. His lawyer, Kate Turtley-Chappel, also declined to comment. Kelly will appear in Perth District Court on March 25th for a date to be set for his sentencing.

News

"So embarrassed": Bono's startling confessions

Image: Getty They've been one of the world's biggest rock bands for over 40 years – but U2 frontman Bono is still a tough critic about the group's output. In a surprising new interview with The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, Bono admits he's often "embarrassed" by the band's early music and he still doesn't like their band name. Fellow band member ‘The Edge’ revealed he wasn't a fan of the band's name at first. Bono then responded, "I still don't. I really don't. I was late into some kind of dyslexia – I didn't realise that The Beatles was a bad pun either." "In our head, it was like the spy plane, it was … a U-boat, it was futuristic. But then, as it turned out to imply this kind of acquiescence, no, I don't like that name. I still don't really like the name," he said. To this day he has shared that he struggles to listen to U2's earlier albums, such as their 1980 debut Boy. While the band sound "incredible" on the record, Bono said his voice in U2's early years was "very strained" and "not macho". "I've been in a car when one of our songs has come on the radio and I've been the colour of … scarlet. I'm just so embarrassed. I do think U2 pushes out the boat on embarrassment quite a lot," he said. It turns out Bono wasn't the only one who had that same critique of his own voice. He recounted an anecdote in which late Addicted To Love singer Robert Palmer had a quiet word with U2 bassist Adam Clayton in the 1980s. According to Bono, the crooner said, "God, would you ever tell your singer to just take down the keys a little bit? He'd do himself a favour, his voice a favour, and he'd do us all a favour who have to listen to him." The Irish rock legend said that he feels like he "only became a singer recently" and that "maybe it hasn't happened yet for some people's ears". Perhaps, but with 175 million records sold worldwide, clearly a lot of their listeners do not agree!

Music

Warnie's frank divorce confession on live TV

Cricket legend Shane Warne has opened up about his divorce from ex-wife Simone Callahan in 2005. After being married for a decade, the pair split in what Warnie described as the "lowest time in his life". He made the admission during a rain delay from the Ashes commentary box on Sunday, discussing how he was going through the pressure of his marriage breakdown during his own Ashes series. “Getting divorced was a difficult time in my life and for my children — and it was my fault,’’ Warne said on Fox Cricket. “So I have to live with that for the rest of my life so it wasn’t easy." “A week before the Ashes series to do that, and then have to drag myself off the canvas and get out there and play in 2005, play against a quality England side … to have the Barmy Army for six hours a day, not just 10 minutes, singing songs, singing ‘where’s your missus gone?'" “I’m sitting there worrying about my children that I was hoping I was going to spend three months of the Ashes series with, but because of my own doing they had to turn around and find a flight so I was pretty devastated with that." “That was the lowest point in my life and then I had to go out and play an Ashes series so that was really tough.” Shane also went on to describe how much of an impact the paparazzi and fame have impacted both his and his children's lives. “Some people think I court that. The other day I was sitting on my balcony and I get papped with my shirt off … I said are you serious, I’ve got my big fat guts out on the balcony.” Despite the downsides of fame, Warnie still claims he is grateful for everything his fans have given him. He said, “I’ve been very, very lucky in my life. I’m very grateful for the life I’ve had." Image credits: Getty Images

Relationships

IOC makes extraordinary Peng Shaui confession

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made the extraordinary admission that it can't provide certainties about the welfare of Chinese tennis star, Peng Shuai. Peng's plight has sparked global concern after after she posted a message on social media alleging that China's former Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli had sexually assaulted her. The former Wimbledon and French Open champion subsequently dropped out of public view for around three weeks before reappearing in Beijing. She has only had a few direct contacts with officials outside China since and told Olympic officials in a video call from Beijing that she was safe and well. The IOC's dialogue with Peng has done little to dispel the global concern for the 35-year-old, with concerns the tennis star's interactions and public appearances are being carefully staged by China. Critics have claimed the IOC is enabling a cover-up by China ahead of the state-backed project to host the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February. The IOC faced more questions about Peng on Tuesday at its first news conference since the Women’s Tennis Association, which has been unable to speak to her, suspended all of its tournaments in China. “We can’t provide you with absolute certainty on anything,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. “All we can do is do the best we can in the process that we believe is in the best interests of the well-being of the athlete.” The Olympic body has repeatedly cited its policy of “quiet diplomacy” as the most likely to succeed with China, whose leader has met and spoken directly with IOC president Thomas Bach since Beijing was picked as host in 2015. Bach took part in the first video call with three-time Olympian Peng on November 21, in a chat that lasted 30 minutes and also involved IOC members from China and an athlete representative. However, the IOC provided no video footage or transcripts of the conversations, fuelling doubts that Peng was able to speak or travel freely. “We can’t give assurances and we don’t know the full facts,” Adams said, pointing to a promise on both sides that Peng and Bach will meet for dinner in Beijing in January. “It’s a full road map to at least attempt to keep in touch and to see where she is.” The WTA’s suspension of tournaments in China was taken after talking with current and former players. On social media, the hashtag WhereIsPengShuai has trended and won support from tennis greats such as Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova and Roger Federer. Asked why Peng has not spoken with tennis players or WTA leaders, Adams said: “That I obviously cannot answer because I really don’t know.” The senior IOC member overseeing Beijing’s Olympic preparations, Juan Antonio Samaranch said there was a “need to be discreet" and reiterated the organisation's approach of "quiet diplomacy" “We have to respect her desire for discretion also in this very difficult moment of her life. And we will do that,” Samaranch said at the news conference. The IOC has repeatedly avoided using words referring directly to Peng’s allegations, or the possibility she has restricted freedom. Instead, statements after the video calls cited only “her situation.” Image: Getty Images

Travel Trouble

“My darkest secret until now”: Uma Thurman’s emotional confession

Uma Thurman has shared her “darkest secret” in an emotional essay published this week in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/21/uma-thurman-abortion-law-texas/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a>. The Kill Bill star criticised the Texas abortion ban after revealing she had an abortion in her “late teens”. Thurman shared her own experience in the hope of “drawing the flames of controversy away from the vulnerable women on whom this law will have an immediate effect”. <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/CUGfL7TMVKT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUGfL7TMVKT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Uma Thurman (@umathurman)</a> </div> </blockquote> “This law is yet another discriminatory tool against those who are economically disadvantaged, and often, indeed, against their partners,” Thurman wrote. “Women and children of wealthy families retain all the choices in the world, and face little risk. “I am grief-stricken, as well, that the law pits citizen against citizen, creating new vigilantes who will prey on disadvantaged women, denying them the choice not to have children they are not equipped to care for, or extinguishing their hopes for the future family they might choose.” In her story, Thurman described how she fell pregnant by accident to “a much older man” while “living out of a suitcase in Europe, far from my family, and about to start a job”. After seeking advice from her parents, including her gravely ill mother, Thurman came to the decision that she would terminate the pregnancy. Thurman noted that she didn’t have the means to provide a stable home for a newborn at the time, and that her decision then allowed her to have children when she was ready. “The abortion I had as a teenager was the hardest decision of my life, one that caused me anguish then and that saddens me even now, but it was the path to the life full of joy and love that I have experienced,” she wrote. “Choosing not to keep that early pregnancy allowed me to grow up and become the mother I wanted and needed to be. “It has been my darkest secret until now. “I am 51 years old, and I am sharing it with you from the home where I have raised my three children, who are my pride and joy.” Thurman shares two children with ex-husband Ethan Hawke, and a daughter with ex-fiancé Arpad Busson. Thurman ended the piece by appealing to the women and girls affected by the controversial new law and sharing an inspiring message. “To all of you - to women and girls of Texas, afraid of being traumatised and hounded by predatory bounty hunters; to all women outraged by having our bodies’ rights taken by the state; and to all of you who are made vulnerable and subjected to shame because you have a uterus - I say: I see you. “Have courage. You are beautiful. You remind me of my daughters.” Image credit: @umathurman / Instagram

Caring

Matt Damon’s unprompted confession sparks backlash from fans

Matt Damon has received criticism following his recent revelation that he didn’t see an issue with using a homophobic slur up until “months ago”. The 50-year-old star told The Sunday Times he used “the f-slur” while “at the table” with his family, prompting one of his daughters to tell him off. “The word that my daughter calls the ‘f-slur for a homosexual’ was commonly used when I was kid, with a different application,” he told the publication. “I made a joke, months ago, and got a treatise from my daughter. She left the table. I said, ‘Come on, that’s a joke! I say it in the movie Stuck on You!’,” he added, referencing his role as a conjoined twin with Greg Kinnear in the 2003 film. “She went to her room and wrote a very long, beautiful treatise on how that word is dangerous. I said, ‘I retire the f-slur!’ I understood.” The Jason Bourne actor shared the personal story unprompted, but has been met with backlash online from many who say they have “lost respect” for him. “The fact that Matt Damon’s daughter had to explain to him that saying a slur is wrong is insane,” one person tweeted. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I’ve lost some respect for Matt Damon for two reasons: 1. Being a 51-year-old Harvard-educated person who only realized using homophobic slurs was a bad thing *months* ago; and 2. Being foolish enough to think that was a cute story he should share with the world. <a href="https://t.co/WtudX2fGtb">pic.twitter.com/WtudX2fGtb</a> — Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers) <a href="https://twitter.com/BettyBowers/status/1421933607170490374?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2021</a></blockquote> The chief TV critic for the Hollywood Reporter wrote in a tweet: “As a member of the press, I like when celebrities talk to the press, but it’s always illuminating to hear the stories that folks like Liam Neeson or Matt Damon think are humanizing and charming, but actually reveal insulation and isolation (among other unsavory stuff) instead.” The interview was part of a feature story about the changing face of masculinity and the #MeToo movement which started in 2017. When allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein were first emerging,” Damon said: “As the father of four daughters, this is the kind of sexual predation that keeps me up at night.” The comment also drew criticism, with many pointing out he should be angered about the issue for more reasons than just his role as a father. In his recent interview with The Times, he said he understands the anger and that “anybody should be offended by that behaviour”. “Twenty years ago, the best way I can put it is that the journalist listened to the music more than the lyrics [of an interview]. Now your lyrics are getting parsed, to pull them out of context and get the best headline possible,” he said. “Everyone needs clicks. Before it didn’t really matter what I said, because it didn’t make the news. But maybe this shift is a good thing. So I shut the f**k up more.”

Movies

X-Files star makes X-rated confession

Actress Gillian Anderson has revealed she has well and truly given up on wearing a bra any longer. The Crown star shared an hilarious Instagram Live video on Monday, where she daringly admitted her bra-wearing days are gone for good. “I can’t wear a bra, I’m sorry,” the 52-year-old revealed. “I don’t care if my breasts reach my belly button. “I’m not wearing a bra, it’s just too f****** uncomfortable.” <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/CRPrrERlKou/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CRPrrERlKou/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Gillian Anderson (@gilliana)</a> </div> </blockquote> Fans took to the comments to share their thoughts on the matter. “I never wear a bra and I get a lot of distasteful comments about it, so knowing Gillian Anderson doesn’t wear a bra anymore is information most pleasing to me!” one person said. Another added: “If two-time Golden Globe and Emmy-winning actress Gillian Anderson says no more bras, who are we to disagree?” Anderson has just landed a sixth Emmy nomination, for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Her role as Margaret Thatcher in The Crown was behind the honourable recognition, but it is not the only prize she’s received for her hard work. She has already won a Golden Globe for the role. In 1997, Anderson won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her work as Dana Scully in The X-Files.

Beauty & Style

Princess Mary’s heartbreaking confession

Princess Mary has given a heartbreaking speech at the 20th Anniversary of the Children, Youth and Grief Network. Speaking about her own experience of loss, as well as the universal heartache that comes with the death of a loved one, the Danish Crown Princess opened up in what is considered to be a rare occasion for a royal. Taking to the Danish royal family's Instagram page to share her emotional words alongside photos from her speech, Mary reflected on how loss shapes us. "It is difficult, if not impossible, to find meaning in losing someone you love. But what makes sense, and something that can not be taken from us, is all we had with that person," the caption reads in Danish. "With those words, I began my speech at Children, Youth and Grief's 20th Anniversary yesterday. Of course, for me it was one of the harder talks to hold. "But to my own surprise, I was more moved than I would have thought. And so it is with grief, it can strike at any time." The royal has experienced her fair share of loss throughout the years. Her mother, Henrietta Donaldson died from a heart condition on November 20, 1997, when Mary was just 25 years old. <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/CHhvOM8gkdR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CHhvOM8gkdR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by DET DANSKE KONGEHUS 🇩🇰 (@detdanskekongehus)</a> </div> </blockquote> Mary has confessed before that she battled with loneliness after her mother's passing, telling Danish TV and radio station DR: "I felt alone in my pain. "As if nobody understood what I was going through and I had come to a standstill while the whole world around me kept moving forwards." Most recently, Mary lost her father-in-law Prince Henrik of Denmark in 2018. Mary continued in the Instagram caption: "Yesterday was not 'anytime', it was the mark of an organisation that works to help children and young people through their grief and with the belief that life can become whole again, but… in a new way. "What touched me on the podium yesterday is a little hard to explain. It was not so much about my own loss, but more about the fact that many of us in the room had something special in common. "We were common about having lost and I could feel the common understanding that loss provides. It does not require words, it is just there." She went on to say that "hope is the focal point" of the work Children, Young People and Grief does, adding that the volunteers find "meaning in the meaningless". The royal concluded by saying that she had learned something about hope herself, and how important it is after suffering a deep loss. "The hope that you can learn to live with the grief as part of life and take the one you have lost with you," she wrote.

Family & Pets

Prince William's relatable COVID parenting confession

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> Prince William has made a parenting confession many can relate to, as he's exhausted raising three children while being under strict lockdown in the UK. He spoke to guests who attended an event in Belfast on Emergency Services Day and opened up about how tough it has been looking after three excited children. According to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2020090996912/prince-william-shares-relief-children-return-school/" target="_blank" class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtflink">HELLO!</a>, William explained to a police officer, "I think every parent is breathing a sigh of relief that school has started again." He added: "Five months – it's been wonderful, but it's been a long five months." <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/CBs47LKlPig/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBs47LKlPig/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Thank you everyone for your very kind wishes on The Duke of Cambridge's birthday today! 🎂 🎈</a> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/kensingtonroyal/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Duke and Duchess of Cambridge</a> (@kensingtonroyal) on Jun 21, 2020 at 8:00am PDT </div> </blockquote> With three children under the age of ten, with George, 7, Charlotte, 5 and Louis, 2, homeschooling has been intensive. This has been confirmed by the Duchess of Cambridge herself, as the children have been bickering. "George gets very upset because he just wants to do all of Charlotte's projects. Spider sandwiches are far cooler than literacy work!" She told ITV's This Morning. She also has been running a tight ship, as she's kept schoolwork going during the Easter holidays. "Don't tell the children, we've actually kept it going through the holidays. I feel very mean," Kate told BBC Breakfast. </div> </div> </div>

Family & Pets

Sarah Ferguson’s intimate underwear confession

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s marriage was plagued by high-profile problems. With one scandal after another, it’s a surprise the pair managed to maintain a close bond throughout it all. When the Prince announced his engagement to a “commoner” in 1986, the world reacted with excitement and Fergie was considered a great match by all including the Queen. But the adoration slowly started dwindling, after constant comparisons to the late Princess Diana. "She was often contrasted with Diana and in those early days Sarah came out of the contrast rather well, " explained Tom Quinn, author of Kensington Palace: An Intimate Memoir. "Diana was often seen as rather pale and wilting, this delicate flower, whereas Fergie was robust." And as she took charge of her royal responsibilities, she started to feel the pressure after she was branded as rebellious and unsophisticated. "All of [Sarah's] natural charm that had been celebrated initially began to be seen as rather unsophisticated and inappropriate," said historian Dr Anna Whitelock. It didn’t help her case when she made an intimate confession about her underwear that caused a stir. Fergie landed herself in hot water when she raved about her designer French clothing at a reception before joking to the press she was "wearing Marks and Spencer knickers". "This is not what you're expecting the Duchess of York to say. And remember the previous Duchess of York had been the Queen Mother," explained journalist and broadcaster Eva Pollard. "You're talking about a changing view of the royal family. The culture changing. They slipped down from the pedestal. The incident did not go down well, as some believed Fergie was influencing Diana in a bad way. Dr Anna Whitelock said: "There was a sense Fergie liked to have fun and play jokes. "But actually it began to wear rather thin and she was seen increasingly as a bad unsophisticated influence on Diana and Prince Andrew and something of a loose cannon." Fergie and Andrew split in 1992 and were divorced by 1996. Sarah was not allowed to use the title Her Royal Highness by August of that year

Beauty & Style

Dame Judi Dench confesses why she "loathes" being called a "national treasure"

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> Dame Judi Dench has made an announcement: She hates being called a "national treasure". She revealed her thoughts about that phrase on David Tennant's podcast David Tennant does a podcast with... on Tuesday. "I loathe those words. I loathe them," she said. "It's something very, very dusty behind a glass and in a corner. It's a relic and I don't want to be a relic." She also explained the kinds of roles she enjoys, as she hates "playing parts" that are expected of her, such as "some old person dying in a chair" and prefers more exciting roles. She explained: "I hate to play parts that are expected. If a part comes through and it's some old person dying in a chair somewhere, I think 'oh no no, please not that'. "I want to play somebody who you think is a benign old lady sitting in a chair but in actual fact she's bumping people off. I'm looking for a lot of villains to play. I haven't played enough." Dench's career has spanned for an amazing 60 years, and has seen her star in countless movies and plays, including the James Bond franchise and Shakespeare in Love. </div> </div> </div>

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