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Nichelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura in Star Trek, dies aged 89

Nichelle Nichols, who broke barriers for black women in Hollywood when she played lieutenant Nyota Uhura in the original Star Trek TV show, has died at 89.

Her son Kyle Johnson said Nichols died on Saturday in Silver City, New Mexico.

“Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away,” Mr Johnson wrote on his mother’s official Facebook page.

“Her light, however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration.

“Her’s was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.”

Her role in the 1966—1969 series as Lieutenant Uhura earned Nichols a lifelong position of honor with the series’ fans, known as Trekkers and Trekkies.

It also earned her accolades for breaking stereotypes that had limited black women to acting roles as servants and included an interracial on-screen kiss with co-star William Shatner that was unheard of at the time.

Actor Nichelle Nichols
Nichols played the Communications Officer on the USS Enterprise in the original series Star Trek.(Supplied: NASA/file)

Fellow cast member George Takei described Nichols as “trailblazing and incomparable”

“For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend,” he posted to Twitter.

Takei played Sulu in the original Star Trek alongside Nichols.

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But her impact was felt beyond her immediate co-stars, and many others in the Star Trek world also tweeted their condolences.

Celia Rose Gooding, who currently plays Uhura in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, wrote on Twitter that Nichols “made room for so many of us. She was the reminder that not only can we reach the stars, but our influence is essential to their survival. Forget shaking the table, she built it.”

Like other original cast members, Nichols also appeared in six big-screen spin-offs starting in 1979 with Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and frequented Star Trek fan conventions.

She also served for many years as a NASA recruiter, helping bring minorities and women into the astronaut corps.

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More recently, she had a recurring role on television’s Heroes, playing the great-aunt of a young boy with mystical powers.

Star Trek premiered on NBC on September 8, 1966.

Its multicultural, multiracial cast was creator Gene Roddenberry’s message to viewers that in the far-off future — the 23rd century — human diversity would be fully accepted.

“I think many people took it into their hearts… that what was being said on TV at that time was a reason to celebrate,” Nichols said in 1992 when a Star Trek exhibit was on view at the Smithsonian Institution.

AP

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Amber Heard sells home she bought in 2019 for $1.05m after being ordered to pay Johnny Depp $8.3m

Unsealed court documents show Amber Heard walked away from a divorce payout from Johnny Depp that could have run to tens-of-millions of dollars, as the financially-challenged actress sells her beloved California home.

Documents seen by the Daily Beast show that the Aquaman star, 36, ignored guidance from her legal team not to pursue Depp for the maximum cash she was entitled to after they filed for divorce in 2016.

She could have sought half Depp’s $33 million he made filming the fourth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean, since it was made while they were married.

But Heard chose not to, and wrote them an email saying she was being ‘amazingly true to (her) word, that this is now about the money.’

A judge refused to let that evidence be admitted during Depp’s defamation lawsuit against Heard.

She was ordered to pay Depp a total of $8.3 million after being found guilty of defamation, but says she doesn’t have enough cash to do so.

Amber Heard appears to have sold a Southern California property for over a million dollars, just as unsealed documents from her trial with Johnny Depp reveal she may have left tens of millions on the table in their divorce

Amber Heard appears to have sold a Southern California property for over a million dollars, just as unsealed documents from her trial with Johnny Depp reveal she may have left tens of millions on the table in their divorce

She may now have begun raising some of that cash by selling her Yucca Valley home in the California desert for $1.05million, a profit of about $500,000 for Heard, as per TMZ.

Heard allegedly bought the house in 2019 through an anonymous trust tied to the actress.

There is speculation about Heard’s ability to immediately cover the damages, which includes $10million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages.

She will also receive $2million from Depp in a counter-lawsuit, leaving her with just over $8million to pay.

She may have begun raising some of that cash by selling her Yucca Valley home in the California desert for $1.05million, a profit of about $500,000

She may have begun raising some of that cash by selling her Yucca Valley home in the California desert for $1.05million, a profit of about $500,000

Heard allegedly bought the house in 2019 through an anonymous trust tied to the actress

Heard allegedly bought the house in 2019 through an anonymous trust tied to the actress

There is speculation about Heard’s ability to immediately cover the damages, which includes $10million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages. She will also receive $2million from Depp in a counter-lawsuit, leaving her with just over $8million to pay

The latter amount was reduced from $5million due to Virginia’s cap on such awards.

Newly-unsealed court documents suggest that Heard may have walked away from more than enough to pay up in their divorce.

The Daily Beast pointed out that Judge Penney Azcarate refused to allow Team Amber to submit a conversation she had with her lawyers during the divorce trial.

Attorneys for the actress were begging her to pursue what they felt were ‘tens of million of dollars’ she was entitled to through Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean profits.

They alleged that because Depp made Pirates of the Caribbean 5 during the marriage, it was ‘community property’ and an asset Heard was entitled to half of.

Heard would not allow them to chase that money, with her lawyers saying via email that she was being ‘true to your word’ that it wasn’t about cash.

Judge Azcarate refused any reference to these emails in the scope of the defamation trial.

Perhaps the spiciest reveal from the documents is that team Depp may have attempted to submit nude photos of Heard, as well as Amber’s brief work as an exotic dancer.

Heard’s legal team argued these were ‘irrelevant personal matters’ that should not be allowed in the trial.

Heard, 36, appealed the judge’s decision in her defamation case against Johnny Depp on July 21 – two months after she was subjected to pay $10 million to her ex-husband in damages.

Newly-unsealed court documents suggest that Heard may have walked away from more than enough to pay up in their divorce

Newly-unsealed court documents suggest that Heard may have walked away from more than enough to pay up in their divorce

Judge Penney Azcarate refused to allow Team Amber to submit a conversation she had with her lawyers during the divorce trial.  Attorneys for the actress were begging her to pursue what they felt were 'tens of million of dollars' she was entitled to through Depp's Pirates of the Caribbean profits

Judge Penney Azcarate refused to allow Team Amber to submit a conversation she had with her lawyers during the divorce trial. Attorneys for the actress were begging her to pursue what they felt were ‘tens of million of dollars’ she was entitled to through Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean profits

Heard was denied a request for a mistrial a week before – arguing that one of the jurors on the case shouldn’t have been eligible to serve because his summons was intended for his father, who had the same name and lived at the same address.

In June, the Aquaman star was ordered to pay her ex-husband $10.35 million at the end of an explosive six-week trial, when a jury ruled she had defamed her ex-husband in a newspaper opinion piece published in 2018.

Depp, 59, received $15 million, including $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.

The judge later capped the damages at the state’s maximum of $350,000 leaving Depp with a total of $8.35million.

Meanwhile, Heard won one of her three countersuits claims related to statements made by Depp’s lawyer suggesting she and her friends trashed their apartment before calling the police.

Heard was rewarded $2 million in compensatory damages out of the $100million she asked for.

Amid the news of Heard’s appeals, Depp’s representatives told DailyMail.com last week that they are confident in the verdict.

Depp and Heard filed their appeals with the Virginia Court of Appeals

Depp and Heard filed their appeals with the Virginia Court of Appeals

‘The jury listened to the extensive evidence presented during the trial and came to a clear and unanimous verdict that the defendant herself defamed Mr. Depp in multiple instances. We remain confident in our case and that this verdict will stand,’ a spokesperson for Depp said.

A day after Heard’s team filed an appeal, Depp’s team filed one following him being ordered to pay $2 million in damages after he was convicted of a single count of defamation for saying the domestic abuse claims against him were false.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor’s team said they filed an appeal to ensure ‘all information is considered by the court’ while they return to consider Heard’s appeal.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Defamation Trial Timeline

In March 2019, Johnny Depp sued his ex-wife, Amber Heard, for $50million after she wrote an opinion piece for The Washington Post in 2018 saying she was abused by the Pirates of the Caribbean star. However, she never explicitly named Depp in the piece but wrote that she is ‘a public figure representing domestic abuse.’

In February 2020, audio recordings obtained by DailyMail.com, reveals heard admitting to hitting Depp. ‘I f**king was hitting you… I don’t know what the motion of my hand was, but you’re fine, I did not hurt you, I did not punch you, I was hitting you,’ Heard said.

In January 2021, Heard countersued her ex-husband for $100million

On April 11, 2022, the six-week trial kicked off in Virginia to discuss the abuse allegations made throughout the couples relationship. The pair married in 2015 but divorced in 2017.

On April 20, 2022, Heard admitted to getting violent with Depp as audio recording of the actress were played

On May 4, 2022, Heard took the stand to recall romance with Depp before he allegedly abused her. The actress said the abuse dated back to 2013 when Depp allegedly sexually assaulted her.

On May 25, 2022, Depp testified again and claimed Heard’s allegations were false. He claimed he never abused his ex-wife

On June 1, 2022, the judge ruled in Depp won the defamation case against Heard subjecting her to pay The Pirates of the Caribbean star $10.3 million. The jury awarded Heard $2 million after Depp’s attorney said Heard and her friends de ella trashed her apartment before calling police.

On July 21, 2022, Heard appealed the judge’s decision in her defamation case against Depp – two months after she was subjected to pay $10million to her ex-husband in damages.

On July 22, 2022, Depp filed an appeal against his conviction for defaming Heard after calling the domestic abuse claims against him a ‘hoax’ – subjecting him to pay his ex-wife $2 million

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In the days after his death, those touched by Archie Roach open up about the legacy he leaves behind

From the top of Arnhem Land, where musicians take inspiration from his timeless words, to the streets of Melbourne’s Fitzroy, where fans leave floral tributes on the steps of Charcoal Lane, there seems no place in the country that has not been touched by Archie Roach .

His sons, Amos and Eban, said Archie died surrounded by his family and loved ones at Warrnambool Base Hospital in Victoria.

Archie’s family has given permission for his name, image and music to be used.

However, the love felt for Archie extends far beyond that hospital ward, far beyond state lines and color lines to every corner of the land we call Australia.

Archie leaves behind a legacy of tireless work towards reconciliation and a new generation inspired to carry on his message of healing into the future.

As Australia comes to terms with the loss of one of it’s greatest storytellers, those who were touched by Archie are opening up on what he meant to them.

Flowers wrapped in paperbark outside a yellow door, with a tribute to Archie Roach poster behind.
Tributes were laid outside the Charcoal Lane Aboriginal social enterprise in Melbourne, which shares its name with the singer’s first album.(ABC News: Barrie Pullen)

‘He kept struggling, he kept fighting, he kept believing’

Goanna frontman Shane Howard, a longtime friend of both Archie and his wife, Ruby Hunter, was emotional at the death of a man he considered a brother.

It’s very raw. It’s very real. It’s a lot to lose, but I think Ruby might be calling him home,” Howard said.

The pair toured Australia, the United Kingdom and Ireland together with the Black Arm Band and saw each other just days before Archie’s death.

Archie Roach and Shane Howard.
Archie Roach and Shane Howard toured the world together as part of the Black Arm Band musical theater group.(Facebook: Shane Howard—Goanna)

Remembering his friend as a “deeply cultural being”, Howard says Australians mourning Archie’s passing should continue the reconciliatory work the Gunditjmara (Kirrae Whurrong/Djab Wurrung) singer strove towards for much of his life.

“His ability to keep forgiveness at the front — after all that had happened to him and all that has happened to First Nations people here in this country — his capacity to keep believing that we could reconcile this nation, that we could become a just and fair nation,” he said.

It comes as discussion swirls around the enshrining of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the Constitution, an issue Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to settle as soon as possible.

“Archie’s passing reminds us that we must redouble efforts, and the greatest way we can honor him is to honor those things,” Howard said.

“There is still so much wrong and Archie knew that, but he kept struggling, he kept fighting, he kept believing.”

‘He took the words we could not speak’

Beyond his legacy as one of Australia’s most-acclaimed songwriters, Archie’s passing carries a special meaning for the Stolen Generations.

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Kelis accuses Beyoncé of ‘theft’ for sampling her song on Renaissance

Kelis accused Beyoncé of “theft” after Queen Bey sampled her hit song Milkshake on her new album.

Kelis singer, 42, took to Instagram to share her grievances on Friday, the day of Beyoncé’s Renaissance album release, reports the new york post.

“My mind is blown too because the level of disrespect and utter ignorance of all 3 parties involved is astounding,” read a comment from Kelis’ @bountyandfull Instagram account on a fan account’s post.

“I heard about this the same way everyone else did,” she continued. “Nothing is ever as it seems, some of the people in this business have no soul or integrity and they have everyone fooled.”

When an Instagram user called the track “the collab the world really needs,” Kelis clapped back.

“It’s not a collab it’s theft,” she wrote, going on to call the sampling “ridiculous.”

The chef subsequently posted Instagram videos describing her “issues” with Beyoncé, 40, saying that she feels “sensitive about [her] s**t” as a musician.

“Not only are we black female artists in an industry where there’s not that many of us, we’ve met each other, we know each other, we have mutual friends. It’s not that hard to contact [me],” she said. “It’s just common decency … even if you’re gonna do it anyway.”

Kelis clarified that her “real beef” was not with the Ivy Park creator, alleging that producer Pharrell Williams “swindled” her out of the rights to her music.

“Pharell knows better,” she claimed. “This is a direct hit at me. The reality is, this is frustrating. I have the right to be frustrated.”

After calling the move “passive aggressive, petty [and] stupid,” Kelis shared a second video captioned, “There are bully’s [sic] and secrets and gangsters in this industry that smile and get away with it until someone says enough is enough. So I’m saying it today. I’m coming for what’s mine and I want reparations.”

Fans have shared mixed feelings via Twitter about Kelis’s accusations.

“She just wanted to be notified. I totally understand her indignation at her, ”one social media user wrote, while another added,“ Beyoncé could [have] left Kelis’ name off it. Instead, Bey put Kelis’s name on the list of sample credits. … Kelis needs 2 take up her misplaced anger from her with her from her former label from her. ”

A third noted that it’s “OK to understand Kelis’ point and still support Beyoncé,” explaining, “My hope is that a conversation takes place between them. Black queens can have conflict and also resolve.”

Beyoncé’s Renaissance album hit streaming services on Friday — although all 16 tracks were leaked online two days prior.

Page Six has reached out to representatives for Kelis and Beyoncé for comment.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission.

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Child expert shares tip for helping toddlers deal with separation anxiety at bedtime

Anyone who has had children knows how hard it can be getting little ones off to sleep.

If you think the baby stage is tough, it can be just as hard to get older children to sleep, with separation anxiety at night considered one of the top causes of toddler sleep regression.

Thankfully, an infant sleep consultant has shared a simple way to battle the problem — and it is taking the internet by storm. Best of all, you can try it at home with just some colored paper and a pair of scissors.

READMORE: Michael Bublé chokes up with emotion as son Noah surprises him by playing own hit song

An infant sleep consultant has shared a simple way to battle toddler separation anxiety at bedtime. (Tik Tok)

Michelle is a certified infant sleep consultant and mother-of-two who offers online resources and services to help families with sleep issues.

Her business, Goodnight Charley, was inspired by the problems she had getting her daughter Charley off to sleep, and she shares her tips on the websiteInstagram and TikTok account of the same name.

A video she uploaded this week suggests using cute cutout hearts to help toddlers cope with bedtime anxiety.

The video starts with Michelle using scissors to cut paper hearts out of colored paper.

READMORE: Couple weds in hospital room after new mum undergoes lifesaving heart procedure

Michelle starts by cutting out colorful paper hearts. (Tik Tok)

“Tip for toddler separation anxiety at bedtime,” is written across the scene. “Cut out a whole bunch of hearts. Tell your toddler that you’ll come and check on them in the night, and each time you’ll leave a heart.

“When you say goodnight, give your toddler one of these hearts. Once they are asleep, sneak into their room and place the rest of the hearts in there.

Which she then gives to daughter Charley. (Tik Tok)

“In the morning when they wake up, there will be a bunch of hearts. Count them with your toddler, and tell them that’s how many times you were in their room to check on them and keep them safe.

“The goal is to help them feel safe and that they aren’t alone at night.”

The hearts are scattered around the bedroom during the night. (Tik Tok)

She uploaded the video with the comment, “Toddler sleep comes with a whole new set of challenges than baby sleep, and while separation anxiety has some peaks with babies as well, it hits different with toddlers because of increased imagination and the overall realization of how fun it is to be awake.

“It’s not uncommon at many toddler ages to experience this, but particularly age three we see a peak in separation anxiety.

“I have many families come to me saying their child is requesting they stay with them until they fall asleep, have more nightmares, want cuddles in the night, and much more!

“Now, there is nothing wrong with cuddling your child, laying with them, and helping them feel safe. I do this with Charley often. BUT why not try other tools to help them feel safe and secure. Especially, if this goes on long term and you want to find some ways to get your sleep back!”

She uploaded the video with the hashtags #babysleep, #toddlersleep, #momlife, #Momtok #selfsoothing #sleeptraining #sleepconsulting.

It has so far been viewed more than 180,000 times and received almost 30,000 likes.

Many commenters loved the idea. “Saving this for sure. Clever way to let them know they’re safe and loved,” wrote one. “I can’t wait to do this! Gorgeous idea,” said another.

“This is the sweetest depiction of love,” wrote another. “My son is eight and he still wants me to check on him. I love this idea. He will literally ask me as he’s falling asleep if I’m still going to check on him.”

But others were not sold on the idea.

“My daughter would stay awake to wait for me to come,” wrote one.

“If I went in my daughter’s room I guarantee I would wake her up,” said another.

Predictably, others thought it was a form of lying.

“Cute but I’m not gonna lie to her,” said one, to which Michelle responded, “If you’re here to comment and assume this is lying to your child, then don’t. This creates a visual for toddlers to understand you are checking on them. Because I do check on her through the monitor, enter her room, etc. Multiple times.”

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Adorable baby sleeping in blue bassinet with canopy at night.  Little boy in pajamas taking a nap in dark room with crib, lamp and toy bear.  Bed time for kids.  Indoor bedroom and nursery.

Songs that put babies to sleep

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Hunted viewers smoke over ‘wildly unfair’ twist

With just two more episodes to go this season, the investigative team on Ten’s hit reality show Hunted is going to extreme lengths to try to capture the last remaining fugitives in the game.

But some measures taken in Sunday night’s episode didn’t go down well with viewers, who accused the Hunters of playing dirty.

Sunday’s episode focused heavily on Bondi couple Lavinia and Nick, who had lasted two weeks in the game without detection because they had largely remained off-grid.

The couple had been staying at remote campsites, not contacting friends or family, and had not touched the bank card given to them at the start of the game to access any of the funds contestants were given to survive.

But they were getting tired, hungry and desperate, so decided to head into a nearby town to grab some money from an ATM.

At the same time the Hunters, frustrated by their lack of leads, decided to freeze the couple’s ATM card. Cut to “CCTV” footage from the ATM, as Lavinia tried and tried to get some money out, only to be told her card wouldn’t work. The Hunters cheered and laughed as she struggled to work out why one of their few lifelines in the game could be taken away before they’d even used it.

Elsewhere in Sunday’s episode, the heavy-handed tactics of the hunted ground crew continued to have viewers siding with the fugitives and those helping to hide them.

Friends Puneet and Kris dropped by the remote country property of one of their contacts, but soon sensed that the Hunters might have been on to them and quickly fled.

Their intuition proved correct: Two Hunters weren’t far behind, and told property owner Graham and his wife – who looked visibly rattled at the intrusion – that it was “in their best interests” to tell them the truth, while filming them with their phones, searching the property and demanding information.

In the end, the hunted team managed to capture three more fugitives last night: teammates Puneet and Kris, as well as Nick, leaving his fiance Lavinia on the run by herself with no money.

That leaves only two complete teams in the race for the $100,000 prize money: Stathi and Matt, and Jake and Rob, two pairs of friends who have both gone to extreme lengths to evade detection, with elaborate disguises and undercover aliases.

The penultimate episode of hunted airs on Ten at 7.30pm tonight, before Tuesday night’s season finale.

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Hunted viewers smoke over ‘wildly unfair’ twist

With just two more episodes to go this season, the investigative team on Ten’s hit reality show Hunted is going to extreme lengths to try to capture the last remaining fugitives in the game.

But some measures taken in Sunday night’s episode didn’t go down well with viewers, who accused the Hunters of playing dirty.

Sunday’s episode focused heavily on Bondi couple Lavinia and Nick, who had lasted two weeks in the game without detection because they had largely remained off-grid.

The couple had been staying at remote campsites, not contacting friends or family, and had not touched the bank card given to them at the start of the game to access any of the funds contestants were given to survive.

But they were getting tired, hungry and desperate, so decided to head into a nearby town to grab some money from an ATM.

At the same time the Hunters, frustrated by their lack of leads, decided to freeze the couple’s ATM card. Cut to “CCTV” footage from the ATM, as Lavinia tried and tried to get some money out, only to be told her card wouldn’t work. The Hunters cheered and laughed as she struggled to work out why one of their few lifelines in the game could be taken away before they’d even used it.

Elsewhere in Sunday’s episode, the heavy-handed tactics of the hunted ground crew continued to have viewers siding with the fugitives and those helping to hide them.

Friends Puneet and Kris dropped by the remote country property of one of their contacts, but soon sensed that the Hunters might have been on to them and quickly fled.

Their intuition proved correct: Two Hunters weren’t far behind, and told property owner Graham and his wife – who looked visibly rattled at the intrusion – that it was “in their best interests” to tell them the truth, while filming them with their phones, searching the property and demanding information.

In the end, the hunted team managed to capture three more fugitives last night: teammates Puneet and Kris, as well as Nick, leaving his fiance Lavinia on the run by herself with no money.

That leaves only two complete teams in the race for the $100,000 prize money: Stathi and Matt, and Jake and Rob, two pairs of friends who have both gone to extreme lengths to evade detection, with elaborate disguises and undercover aliases.

The penultimate episode of hunted airs on Ten at 7.30pm tonight, before Tuesday night’s season finale.

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Gordon Ramsay sparks outrage on TikTok teasing lambs to slaughter

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is no stranger to stirring up controversy.

The TV personality, 55, has sparked outrage after he posted a 28-second video on TikTok of him playfully picking out lambs to eat.

“Yummy, yum, yum, yum, yum,” he said in the clip, as he climbed over the fence into the yard.

“Which one’s going in the oven first?” he asked, before pointing at the lamb he wanted and proclaiming, “You.”

“The lamb sauce was still not found in the making of this video,” he jokingly captioned the video.

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The video has attracted 7.7 million views, with many furious that the MasterChef host would consider slaughtering those lambs.

“Ok I am not a vegan or vegetarian but that crosses the line,” one person wrote.

“Don’t play with your food, Gordon,” another jokily said.

“Alright I think Gordon has finally lost it. Someone do something before it’s too late,” a third said.

“Gordon please leave them alone,” a fourth person wrote. “Find the lamb sauce, not the lamb.”

Many fans wondered if the video was a response to a feud with a vegan TikTok user who had called Ramsay out for his love of meat.

Last year, the British chef was scolded by TikToker That Vegan Teacher who sang, “Eating animals is wrong, Gordon Ramsay. Hurting animals is wrong, Gordon Ramsay. Share this song, Gordon Ramsay.”

Ramsay responded by duetting the clip on the app — and paired it with footage of him eating a hamburger.

– with New York Post

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Sydney girl’s swollen stomach turned out to be heart condition

A Sydney mother has detailed how a seemingly insignificant symptom led to her eight-year-old’s daughter’s entire life changing in a terrifying instant.

When Leah’s daughter Jada developed a swollen, distended stomach, she took her to the GP thinking she was just constipated.

She came away from the appointment with a referral for an ultrasound and encouraged her daughter to drink more water.

But, during that time, Jada’s stomach grew larger and kids started to tease her, claiming she was pregnant.

When Jada’s ultrasound appointment finally came five days later, immediately, Leah knew she and her daughter were in for a lot more than she initially thought.

“The technician’s face practically went white and he told us that we needed to go straight to our GP,” Leah told news.com.au.

“It was late on a Friday afternoon and I remember saying to him the GP’s office was closing soon and I wouldn’t make it.

“He replied with, they are not waiting for you.”

Back at the doctor’s office, Leah was told her daughter had developed ascites – when fluid collects in spaces in your abdomen.

The pair were sent straight to hospital where a cardiologist and gastroenterologist met the pair and began conducting tests of Jada to determine if her heart or her liver were the issue.

The tests showed it was Jada’s heart, and she was placed in intensive care and given medication to drain 5-liters of fluid from her stomach.

“I remember thinking the whole time, why are we in the ICU,” Leah said.

“These other poor children are unconscious, one young teenager had been brought in via CareFlight with an aneurysm.”

After two days, Jada was briefly discharged with the family under strict instructions to return on Monday morning to speak with a specialist.

It was during that meeting Leah was told her little girl had a rare type of heart disease called restrictive cardiomyopathy, which is when the chambers of the heart become stiff over time and makes it harder for the heart to fill with blood.

Jada would need a heart transplant in order to have an active life.

Journey to a new heart

“We couldn’t wrap our own minds around reality,” Leah said.

“Jada was feeling the best she had ever felt after being placed on diuretics and aspirin.

“In her world, nothing was wrong with her.”

For the next six months, Jada was given medication to keep her stomach drained and every three weeks had to undergo echocardiograms and blood tests before meeting a pediatric hearts team in Melbourne to see when Jada would need a transplant.

Leah hoped it would be a few years but, within a week, Jada had to be added to the transplant list immediately.

It was a long six months before the family heard any updates on Jada’s new heart. Finally, one public holiday, when Leah was home with Jada, her three other children of her, a cousin and her parents of her, the call came.

Leah was told to get Jada to the airport as soon as possible and flight details would be worked out but the time they arrived.

“Within two hours we were in Melbourne sitting in the room and talking with Jada’s surgeon,” Leah said.

“We signed consent payments and before you knew it, I was kissing my daughter’s forehead as she fell unconscious on the operating table.”

While Jada was in surgery, Leah and her husband walked the cold streets of Melbourne in a daze unsure of what would happen.

When they could finally see Jada, Leah said she wasn’t prepared for the sight of her daughter laying on the bed with countless tubes attached.

After two long months in Melbourne, Jada was able to come home and the family was reunited.

“Since, Jada has had to endure three-monthly echocardiograms, six to 12-weekly blood tests, and just recently underwent her ninth heart biopsy where the results returned as zero rejection for the first time,” Leah said.

Wishing for a friend

For the last four years, the family has been thankful every day to Jada’s heart donor and their family.

But following her transplant, the now-12-year-old struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and immune issues.

During her order, Jada was eligible for Make-A-Wish, so that she had something positive to focus on.

Originally, she wanted to go to Queensland but Covid restrictions meant that it was nearly impossible.

As the family’s personal lives began to shift with Leah and her husband separating, Jada decided to make her wish for a best friend.

“She researched Sphinx cats and realized that they also can carry a gene responsible for cardiomyopathy and they have annual echocardiograms,” Leah said.

“When Jada asked Make-A-Wish they made the journey possible, it truly gave Jada something positive to focus on.”

So, Penny entered Jada’s life.

Leah attributes some of her daughter’s health successes to the cat.

“The experience allowed Jada to be a kid, to use her imagination and wish big – something sick kids just miss out on the majority of the time.”

Make-A-Wish is currently holding it’s Bake-A-Wish fundraiser

Read related topics:sydney

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Kim Wilde looks back: ‘I was inspired by photos of Lauren Bacall’ | Music

Kim Wilde in 1985 and 2022
Kim Wilde in 1985 and 2022. Later photograph: Pål Hansen. Styling: Andie Redman. Hair and makeup: Alice Theobald @ArlingtonArtists using Delilah and Bumble and Bumble. Archive photograph: Anton Corbijn/Contour by Getty

Born in 1960 to rock’n’roll star Marty Wilde and the Vernons Girls’ Joyce Baker, Kim Wilde’s pop career spans 40 years, 20 Top 40 hits and 20 million single sales. Wilde was 20 when she released her debut hit, Kids in America: a track co-written by her father and brother Ricky that laid the groundwork for her to become one of Britain’s most successful female solo acts of the 1980s. In 1998, Wilde went off-grid, retraining as a landscape gardener before presenting horticultural shows on the BBC and Channel 4, winning a gold medal at Chelsea flower show and releasing two gardening books. She returned to the stage in 2001, and Kim Wilde: the Greatest Hits Tour is at venues across the UK from 10 September.

The very gorgeous Anton Corbyn took this photo of me aged 25 and standing outside Rak Records, Mickie Most’s label. I’ve gone for a 60s look – wearing striped trousers and a white belt from Kings Road in London, which is where I bought most of my clothes from. I was very inspired by Hollywood photos of Lauren Bacall, and loved the images of her looking absolutely terrifying. I thought: “That’s a great pose to do in front of the camera.”

I was having a brilliant time back then. Even though I was spending a lot of time in airport queues and checking into hotels, or hanging out backstage at TV studios and doing a lot of miming, I was living the dream. I’d wanted to be on Top of the Pops from the first moment I watched it, and to meet these enigmatic pop stars, my idols and people whose records I was buying, like Heaven 17 and ABC, was fabulous. However, no matter how successful I got, I never felt part of the scene. In fact, I felt like a bit of an impostor – mostly because my goal was never to be a pop star, but to write songs and be an accomplished musician. I wasn’t wrapped up in fashion to any great extent. At first I just wanted to be a session singer and to get some money – I learned that the more harmonies you did on someone else’s song, the more cash you got. But once I found myself there, I thought: “OK then, this is what I’ll do.”

Although to the public I probably had this image of being young, gorgeous and available, I didn’t feel that way at all. Kids in America was an incredible way to start my career, but I still experienced all the same insecurities anyone does in their 20s. Besides, I didn’t believe that my beauty was particularly great. The way I looked didn’t make me feel prettier or better about myself. I never presumed that one’s image was a passport to romantic happiness; in fact the two never seemed to go hand in hand.

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I didn’t take fame too seriously either. I wasn’t in that bedroom when the kid put the poster up of me, so it always felt like a very distant concept. When this photo was taken, I was still living at home. I had a baby sister whose nappy I was changing after Top of the Pops. Life was very normal. I wasn’t to be found at the latest nightclub hanging out with famous people. Quite the opposite: for most of the early days I was still gossiping with the girls I went to school with.

Largely that you have to do with my dad. While he never sat me down and gave me the 10 point guide to fame, I just observed the way he handled himself. He always worked really hard, but he didn’t believe success gave him the right to be more important than anyone else. El’s biggest love of his life was rock and pop, and growing up he was constantly playing music of every kind: from classical to Pet Sounds and Mike Oldfield to Elvis and Crosby, Stills and Nash. Music was our family’s religion.

My parents were young – they were only 20 when they had me and Ricky – and were having more parties than I was. They were probably having a hell of a lot more sex than I was, too. The biggest shock to them was when I came back with blond hair, while at art college. They said I looked great and I thought: “How annoying is that?” There wasn’t much to rebel against. The 80s was a wild time for a lot of people – especially if you were doing a lot of drugs. But that lifestyle never appealed to me. I knew how to drink champagne copiously, but that was it. Besides, I just always felt really privileged and lucky to be in the situation that I was in – to produce a record with my brother and go out on stage to perform.

I decided to change my life when I turned 30: my career had been incredibly successful, I had platinum records under my belt, but I felt lost. Instead, I decided to get married and become a mother. I moved into gardening; signing up to Capel Manor College to do a part-time gardening course. It was a fairly small class of 20 – and while everyone had a handle on who I was, my previous profession was irrelevant: everyone was more interested in our shared passion for plants and their Latin names. It was a life-changing experience, and wonderful to slip into an anonymity where “Kim Wilde” didn’t matter any more. I morphed into this earthy version of myself, not a trace of lipstick – although I mostly kept the blond hair.

When my children got a bit older I was seduced into going on an 80s revival tour. There was part of me that was really inquisitive as to what it would be like to hang out with the Human League, Nik Kershaw and Clare Grogan. I thought it could be fun, even though I reckoned I’d hate it and was frightened no one would want to see me on stage – a married woman with two kids who’s not a size eight anymore. “It’s all over!” I imagined they’d think when they saw me up there. Instead, I was staggered to see a huge audience who didn’t care that I was no longer the 21-year-old version of myself.

At 62, I’ve never felt more of a pop star, and I appreciate that I’ve had my own careful journey to arrive at this rather audacious place where I am now. I always had a strong sense of my identity, but I am now brave enough to wear these costumes; to walk out in front of a crowd dressed in a Barbarella outfit while holding a space-age laser gun. It’s not just the elaborate outfits either – I feel as if I’m finally growing into myself. I’m better at standing my ground; I don’t blanche every time someone calls me an icon; and I find the stage the most natural place in the world to be. I would never have said that in the middle of the 80s! The girl in the photo certainly would have found that concept impossible.

Sometimes I see young artists with all the confidence I have now, but at the start of their career. While I recoil and think “How did you do that? Quien eres?” I’m happy my life has held back some weird and lovely surprises. I’m not going to be running around this planet for that much longer, and I don’t have time to sit around pondering about impostor syndrome any more. I want to jump in and be as bold as I can be. After all, my dad is still touring and he’s 83.