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Entertainment

Secrets of world’s most exclusive sex club Snctm revealed by performer

Whispers travel across the dimly-lit room that an A-list female star is among the masked guests at a top-secret Snctm sex party.

Members, who pay up to $50,000 a year to attend orgies in lavish settings, are sipping champagne and cocktails by the bar, while some are already exploring each other’s bodies, The Sun reported.

This is a regular evening at work for Haley Grace, who puts on a tantalizing display with fellow performers, and has recalled her experiences working for the elite society.

The high-end erotic arts club, which launched in 2013, has become a sexy night-life staple in cities including LA and New York, offering guests the chance to realize their wildest sexual fantasies.

Haley is a performer, model, costume designer, and producer who has been working at the club’s intimate events since last September, often held in mansions or luxury penthouses.

Her specialty acts range from fire performance, burlesque, and roller-dancing to environmental character performances. She is also a professional mermaid.

She says her shows for Snctm are “expressive, elegant, and sensual,” and dare the viewer to transcend reality and enter a world of fantasy, reminiscent of the 1999 film ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ starring Tom Cruise.

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, she said: “I first heard of Snctm through a night-life venue I perform at, and my first

time attending was actually as a guest.

“I went with a date and we had an absolutely amazing time. I went to the next event again as a guest but alone.

“It was a different experience but exciting and satisfying nonetheless.“At this point, I had gotten to know many of the people involved in making SncTM and it really made me want to be a part of the

team, so I applied to become one of their performers.

“The following event they had I was making my debut performance. I have been a XXX performer for a year now.”

She admitted: “My friends know of my role with Snctm but I have never felt the urge to make it a family discussion.

“I’m polyamorous and also perform with my main partner.

“Doing acts with him is great because the performance is really enhanced when the chemistry between two people is real and they know each other’s bodies.”

When it comes to guest relations, she said performers do interact with them by mingling and flirting to ensure they are having a good time and getting in the mood.

However, as a general rule, performers do not hook up with guests.

“I don’t have any sexual contact with guests – I only physically interact with the other XXX models that I have consented to perform with,” Haley said.

“The show is always different and so is every evening. At the last Snctm party, I did a beautiful bondage scene while being serenaded by a violinist – it was divine.”

She says the crowd of up to 100 is made up of “beautiful, wealthy people” working in everything from business and finance to the arts, including many well-known faces.

Recalling one night in New York which sticks in her mind, Haley said she rubbed shoulders with a female celebrity and the pair had a memorable conversation.

Asked if she’s ever been starstruck at Snctm, she said: “Yes, there was one time I definitely was. And I got the opportunity to talk to them for a while.

“It was an A-list female star, people like to do this in secret and be able to kind of shed their inhibitions.”

Asked if the star got involved with any fellow guests, Haley giggled and replied: “I can’t speak on that.”

Quizzed if the club still gets many big names through its doors, she said: “I’m not really the best with celebrity names and faces, but people do get excited like, ‘Oh, so and so is here’. So that’s fun.

“The organizers are very strict about people’s phones, they are taken at the door. And they have really good security.

“Consent is also the most important thing. They really do a good job of making sure that it’s like a safe space for everyone, not just celebrities.”

The parties run from around 10pm until 3pm and Snctm has also hosted events in the likes of Miami and Moscow, with actress Gwyneth Paltrow even reportedly promoting the club.

“Typically when people arrive, men are in tuxedos, and women are dressed in evening gowns with sexy lingerie underneath,” Haley said.

“They’ll go over to the bar, get a cocktail. We’ll have some more ambient performers.

“And then the night kind of progresses from there. The performances are spread out between rooms.

“We have different stage pieces. There’s a lot of attention to detail, decor, props, things of that sort, lighting, and music.

“A lot of times we’ll have live musicians. I’ve done scenes where I was also being serenaded by either a harpist or violinist, there can be a really beautiful, dark ambience.”

While many sex parties involve guests going off into private rooms to get down and dirty, Haley said Snctm is more of a “play party.”

“The point is really more to play in public,” she said. And then there are people who are fly on the wall [voyeurs].”

Guests get down to business – kissing and engaging in foreplay, in either couples or groups, while others go all the way and enjoy full sex in front of fellow members.

Haley said since events were canceled throughout the pandemic due to safety, Snctm is now more popular than ever, insisting: “We’re always packed out.”

Snctm has thrived under new ownership for the past few years and they have also welcomed a new creative director, Inka Nevala, an award-winning performance artist who also goes by Lou Lou D’vil.

Haley said the majority of her parties have been in New York, with a few in Los Angeles, and she’ll arrive at the event in the afternoon to have her hair and makeup done.

“Next, I will do a run-through and discussion with the creative director and my performance partner(s) about the scenes I’m in.

“Following that I get into costume and do a photo shoot. I usually have plenty of time to relax and socialize until getting ready for the doors to open and the real fun to begin.

“I’ll often start the evening doing a more ambient performance and then later on in the night will do the more intense sex scenes on the main stage with my partner(s).

“I’ll typically have three performative moments throughout the night.”

Haley said she’d encourage couples or single women to join Snctm, describing it as a “sexual oasis” and ”a unique experience.”

She added: “If you are a sexually open-minded person, or want to open up more, it’s a great way to find like minds and try new things.

“The feedback I get from guests is really positive. A lot of first-timers have expressed to me that they were surprised with how open and inspired they felt being there.”

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission

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Categories
Sports

Day Four, live blog, Aussies in action, Emma McKeon, full schedule, Cody Simpson, when do they swim, Diamonds, Hockeyroos, results

LIVE: Emma McKeon has cruised into another final as the Australian swim sensation continues her assault on the history books on Day Four of the Commonwealth Games.

On Day 3, McKeon broke the Commonwealth Games record with a stunning 11th career gold medal, and her meet isn’t finished yet with more medals still up for grabs.

In the swim finals scheduled for Tuesday morning (AEST), McKeon heads a raft of Australians including Kyle Chalmers, who withdrew from one event to prioritize the massive 100m freestyle final.

Follow all the action from Day Four at the Commonwealth Games in our LIVE BLOG below! See the full schedule at the bottom.

Medal Tally: Aussie gold rush continues as Women’s 7s erase Tokyo pain

McKeon was back in the pool - and is now back in another ending.
McKeon was back in the pool – and is now back in another ending.Source: Getty Images

McKeon once again hit the pool on Day Four in the women’s 100m freestyle heats, with fellow Aussies Shayna Jack and Mollie O’Callaghan also successfully qualifying for the semi-finals.

O’Callaghan qualified first in 54.28s, ahead of Jackthird in a comfortable 54.28s.

“I was definitely trying to hold back,” Jack said after her race.

McKeon only managed third-fastest in her heat and sixth-fastest overall as she cruised to the finish in 55.36s.

The 28-year-old won the same event at the Tokyo Games last year and is a massive chance of doing the same in Birmingham.

Read more on the rest of the swimming results below, or skip to the morning finals’ schedule at bottom.

ALL-TIME COMEBACK FALLS JUST SHORT

Australia’s men’s triples lawn bowls team came within an inch of pulling off one of the all-time great comebacks only to fall just short in a gold medal heartbreak.

Barry Lester, Carl Healey and Ben Twist – all sporting brilliant gold-dyed haircuts – were down by as many as 12-1 to England’s team of Louis Ridout, Nick Brett and Jamie Chestney.

But the Aussies charged back into the fight as the home side began to fall apart, with Australia snagging four in the 12th end en route to tying the scores up at 12 apiece.

England didn’t score from the ninth end until the 16th, but claimed a single on that second-last leg and then did the same on the last leg – after Australia missed a host of chances at the death.

DIAMONDS DEMOLISH SA… BUT COP BIG BLOW

In easily their toughest test of the Commonwealth Games so far, the gold-medal-favorite Diamonds went up a gear to defeat South Africa 74-49.

From the start, the Diamonds were in fine form, shooting with outstanding accuracy and harrying the South Africans all over the court with exceptional pressure.

Australia is undefeated after three Pool A games. They play Wales tomorrow before a huge match with more-than-dark-horses Jamaica.

But a calf injury to Paige Hadley, who had played just 15 minutes in the second game after missing the opener, looms as a potentially defining moment in their campaign.

FULL STORY.

Diamonds’ dream run soured as star sidelined with calf injury

Kyle Bruce nearly claimed an incredible gold medal with this lift.Source: Channel 7

AUSSIE ROBBED IN WILD HEARTBREAK

Kyle Bruce has been controversially robbed of a gold medal in the men’s 81kg weightlifting after a heartbreaking judges’ decision.

23-year-old Bruce was a gifted rugby flanker who only entered the gym to improve his ability on the field, before swapping to weightlifting full time and going on to claim a silver medal four years ago.

This time around, I have finished second in the snatch portion of the competition by lifting 143kg before twice failing to lift 147kg.

He successfully lifted 180kg in the clean-and-jerk portion for a stunning total of 323kg which had him in a second. Then, with the gold medal on the line, he attempted to lift 183kg on his final attempt.

He struggled with the lift and was wobbling, but was initially given three green lights from the judges to indicate a successful lift… only to have it overturned almost immediately afterwards by the jury, who spotted a small movement of Bruce’s left elbow.

That relegated him to a silver medal, behind England’s Chris Murray in a Games Record 325kg total.

He said: “It got overruled for a press-out. I haven’t seen the video so I’m not sure. But sometimes this is how sport goes and you know, congratulations to Chris on winning it

“He was the good lifter on the day and I just got a bit unlucky there, but it is what it is, I’m humble in defeat and I’m happy.”

He adds: “Coming away with a silver, not gonna lie, is quite disappointing… I’ll be ready for 2026. I’ll come back and I’ll have some redemption.”

FULL STORY: ‘Devastated’ Aussie in tears after gold ‘stolen away’

Meanwhile, Sarah Maureen Cochrane competes in the women’s 64kg final at 11pm AEST.

Resilient Chalmers sets Games record | 00:27

CHALMERS WITHDRAWS AS AUSSIES SURGE INTO MORE FINALS

Kyle Chalmer has withdrawn from the 100m butterfly so that he can focus on his 100m freestyle final in the evening session.

His scintillating semi-final swim last night (local) has him the firm favorite to claim gold in his favored event, and it’s no surprise he’s going all-in.

Teammate Cody Simpson qualified fifth for the semi-finals in 52.47s, just behind fourth-placed Matt Temple, the Australian record holder touching in 52.28s.

“It’s a great heat swim for him,” Ian Thorpe declared on Channel 7 of Temple.

Simpson has already won a gold medal for his involvement in the first heat of the men’s 4 x 100m freestyle relay, although he did not swim in the final.

FULL STORY: Legends not surprised as Chalmers pulls out of event at last minute

Australian swimmer Kyle Chalmers won his 100m freestyle semi final. Picture: Michael KleinSource: News Corp Australia

Meanwhile, Kaylee McKeown qualified fastest for the 200m backstroke final (2:10.95s), with fellow Aussie minna atherton also making it through in third (2:11.38s)

McKeown won the event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the recent 2022 World Championships in Budapest.

She also reached the final of the women’s 200m individual medley, qualifying behind Abbey Harkin in equal fourth with 2:13.24 and Ella Ramsay in km in 2:14.03. McKeown was seventh in 2:14.23s.

All three Aussies also qualified for the Women’s 100m Breaststroke semi-finals: Chelsea Hodge fourth in 1:07.68, Jenna Strauch fifth in 1:07.80, and Abbey Harkin sixth in 1:07.85.

debutante Grayson Bell qualified for the semi-finals of the men’s 50m breastroke in fifth after winning his heat in a personal best 27.63s. Sam Williamson won his own heat in 27.20s to qualify third-fastest. Joshua Young also qualified with his 27.96s.

Recent world championships silver medalist Lani Pallister qualified first for the final of the women’s 800m freestyle with a strong 8:32.67s. Ariarne Titmus qualified second-fastest with a very measured 8:36.17. Kiah Melverton was fourth-fastest in 8:40.29. Could we see another podium sweep?

MORE COVERAGE

Day 3 Wrap: ‘Extraordinary’ Aussies break world record, McKeon makes history

‘It is shocking’: Thorpe stunned as England world record holder toppled in ‘unbelievable’ boilover

AUSSIES SET TO RACK UP LAWN BOWLS MEDALS

Australia’s day has started in sensational style in the Lawn Bowls, with three teams all winning their semi-finals.

Carl HealeyBarrie Lester and Ben Twist are into the men’s treble final (9pm AEST) after beating Fiji 26 – 13. They will face England, who beat Wales 15-5 in the other semi-final.

Damian Delgado and Chris Favel are into the men’s pairs B6-B8 final after beating England 17-4.

And serena bonell and Cheryl Lindfield are into the women’s pairs B6-B8 final after seeing off South Africa 19-12 in their own semi. Both Para Pairs B6-B8 Finals take place on Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, Aussie Ellen Ryan competes in the finals of the women’s singles at 1.30am AEST on Tuesday.

Ellen Ryan of Team Australia is into the women’s singles final.Source: Getty Images

SIX-TIME COMPETITOR LEADS AUSSIE BRONZE

Australia’s six-time Commonwealth Games competitor Jian Fang Lay has led the Aussie team to bronze in the women’s table tennis.

She won the opening doubles with yangzi liu, who won her own singles game before Jian Fang Lay sealed the 3-0 over Wales with a singles victory of her own.

Jian Fang Lay now has eight minor medals to her name.

minhyung jee was the other member of the team.

Jian Fang Lay led the Aussies to bronze in table tennis!Source: Getty Images

KEY OVERNIGHT EVENTS

SWIMMING

In the morning session (4am AEST Tuesday), medals are on offer in the:

– men’s 100m freestyle final (Kyle ChalmerWilliam Xu Yang, Zac Incerti)

– women’s 200m backstroke final (Kaylee McKeown, Minna Atherton)

– women’s 200m individual medley final (Kaylee McKeown, Abbey Harkin, Ella Ramsay)

– men’s 50m freestyle S7 final (Matthew Levy, Joel Mundie)

– women’s 100m breastroke SB6 final (Isabella Vincent, Ella Jones)

– men’s 50m backstroke final (Ben Armbruster, Andrew Jeffcoat, Bradley Woodward)

– women’s 50m butterfly final (Alex Perkins, Emma McKeon, Holly Barratt)

– men’s 4x200m freestyle relay final (Australian team)

HOCKEY: The Kookaburras play their second game of the Games – facing NZ at 6am AEST.

JUDO: Aussie judoka Joshua Katz (60kg) and brother Nathan (66kg) are both competing for bronze medals overnight.

DAY FOUR SCHEDULE (ALL TIMES AEST)

Lawn Bowls and Para Lawns Bowls, 5.30pm

Hockey, 6:00 p.m.

Table Tennis and Para Table Tennis, 6.30pm

Weightlifting, 6.30pm

Judo, 7.00pm

Swimming and Para Swimming, 7.30pm

Badminton, 8:00 p.m.

Boxing, 9:00 p.m.

Netball, 9:00 p.m.

Squash, 9.00pm

Artistic Gymnastics, 10.00pm

Track and Para Track Cycling, 11.00pm

Hockey, 11:00 p.m.

Weightlifting, 11.00pm

Beach Volleyball, 11.30pm

Boxing, 3:30 a.m.

Weightlifting, 3.30am

Hockey, 4:00 a.m.

Swimming and Para Swimming, 4.00am

Beach Volleyball, 4.00am

Basketball 3×3 and Wheelchair Basketball 3×3, 4.30am

Follow all the action from Day 4 of the Commonwealth Games in our LIVE BLOG below!

Can’t see the blog? click here

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Categories
Sports

Fernando Alonso signs for Aston Martin in 2023, news, latest, Sebastian Vettel retirement, Formula One, Oscar Piastri

Fernando Alonso will join Aston Martin from 2023, clearing the way for Oscar Piastri to make his full-time debut next season.

Alonso made the shock announcement on Monday, confirming the switch on a multiyear deal starting in 2023.

The two-time champion said he was convinced the team, currently ninth in the standings with 20 points, less than half his own current tally, was capable of success during his contract term.

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“This Aston Martin team is clearly applying the energy and commitment to win, and it is therefore one of the most exciting teams in Formula 1 today,” he said. “I have known Lawrence [Stroll] and Lance [Stroll] for many years and it is very obvious that they have the ambition and passion to succeed in Formula 1.

“I have watched as the team has systematically attracted great people with winning pedigrees, and I have become aware of the huge commitment to new facilities and resources at Silverstone.

“No-one in Formula 1 today is demonstrating a greater vision and absolute commitment to winning, and that makes it a really exciting opportunity for me.”

Alonso had signaled he wanted to stay with Alpine for at least two more seasons, but the French team was reportedly prepared to offer him only one more year before shifting his to sportscars to avoid losing Aussie junior Piastri to a rival constructor.

The Spaniard, who said he returned to the sport last year to fight for a third championship, said he wasn’t prepared to give up on his long-held goal.

“I still have the hunger and ambition to fight to be at the front, and I want to be part of an organization that is committed to learn, develop and succeed,” he said. “I intend to win again in this sport and therefore I have to take the opportunities that feel right to me.”

‘CRAZY’: Mad Max stunner rocks Ferrari after ANOTHER ‘incredible’ F1 ‘disaster’

‘LET’S F***ING GO!’ Ricciardo nails insane double overtake before penalty drama strikes

‘He f****** hit me’ – Dan & Stroll crash | 00:32

His defection paves the way for Aussie young gun Oscar Piastri to be promoted to his seat alongside Esteban Ocon next year.

Piastri will be the second full-time Australian driver on the grid alongside Daniel Ricciardo.

The team has been agonizing over Alonso’s future knowing that the Mark Webber-led Piastri was determined to see the reining F2 champion in a competitive seat as early as possible.

As recently as last week the team was talking publicly about loaning Piastri, most likely to backmarking the Williams team. Webber was meanwhile rumored to be attempting to engineer a switch to Ricciardo’s McLaren seat despite the senior Aussie being under contract.

Alpine is yet to comment on Alonso’s announcement.

Leclerc burnt by ANOTHER Ferrari blunder | 01:14

Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll said Alonso’s signature was a vote of confidence in his team’s plans to move forward on the grid.

“I have known and admired Fernando for many years and it has always been clear that he is a committed winner like me,” he said. “I have set out to bring together the best people and develop the right resources and organization to succeed in this highly competitive sport, and those plans are now taking shape at Silverstone.

“It seemed natural therefore to invite Fernando to be part of the development of a winning team, and we very quickly established in our recent conversations that we have the same ambitions and values, and it was logical and easy to confirm our desire to work together. .”

Alonso is replacing four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, who announced his end-of-year retirement from the sport last week.

MORE TO EAT

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Categories
Business

Elon Musk’s dad Errol Musk gives savage Kyle and Jackie O interview

Elon Musk’s 76-year-old father has given a stunning interview to Australian radio, taking aim at his tech billionaire son and opening up about his controversial relationship with his 34-year-old stepdaughter.

South Africa-born and based Errol Musk, who has seven children including two with his stepdaughter from a second marriage, Jana, spoke with KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O this morning in a bizarre 20-minute interview, in which he dismissed his son’s success .

“Your offspring is a genius. He’s worth so much money and has created so many things, you can’t take that away from him. Are you proud? Jackie O asked.

“Nope. You know, we are a family that have been doing a lot of things for a long time, it’s not as if we suddenly started doing something,” Errol replied.

Elon is his eldest son with his ex-wife, model Maye Musk, who joined the Tesla CEO at the Met Gala this year. Maye and Errol also share are Kimbal and daughter Tosca.

Errol said his billionaire son feels as though he is running behind schedule in his career achievements. The father agreed with that sentiment.

“He is frustrated with progress and it’s understandable,” he said.

“I know it sounds crazy, but we tend to think like that as a family. He’s 50 now and I still think of him as a little boy. But he’s 50, I mean he’s an old man.

He went on to sledge his son’s body and diet while discussing recent shirtless photos of Elon on a yacht in Greece.

“Elon is very strongly built but he’s been eating badly,” he said, adding that he’s recommended a supplement called garcinia cambogia, which supposedly aids weight loss without additional exercise or dieting, to his son.

Jackie O then asked if the South African engineer drove a Tesla, to which he replied he instead drove a Bentley, Rolls Royce and Mercedes. He then told the hosts it was Elon’s younger brother Kimbal who was his “pride and joy” about him.

Asked about marrying his 34-year-old stepdaughter Jana Bezuidenhout – who he had raised since she was four and now shares two young children with – Errol said the relationship was “completely normal”.

Last month, the 76-year-old revealed he had had a daughter with Ms Bezuidenhout in 2019, a year after they had their first child, Elliot Rush, now aged five. The children do not live with their biological father, with Errol telling The Sun they “get on their nerves” when they visit.

He refused to rule out having even more children, however, saying: “The only thing we are on Earth for is to reproduce.”

According to The SunElon finds his dad’s relationship with Jana “creepy”.

Recently, it emerged Elon welcomed twins last November with a senior executive at one of his companies, 36-year-old Shivon Zilis.

The twins were born just a few weeks before Musk had a second child via surrogate with his on-off girlfriend, Canadian pop star Grimes.

The father-of-nine also has five children with his first wife, Canadian author Justine Musk.

Read related topics:Elon Musk

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Categories
US

Ex-Putin adviser Chubais reported to be in European hospital

Anatoly Chubais, who resigned as a high-ranking adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin and left Russia shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, was reported to be in intensive care in a European hospital for a neurological disorder

Anatoly Chubais, who resigned as a high-ranking adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin and left Russia shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, was reported to be in intensive care in a European hospital on Sunday for a neurological disorder.

Ksenia Sobchak, a Russian television personality and family friend of Chubais, said on Telegram that she had spoken with his wife, Avdotya, and that he was suffering from Guillain-Barre syndrome. She did not say which clinic he was in.

Guillain-Barre is a rare disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves. Sobchak said Chubais’ condition was “unstable,” but she quoted him as saying it was “moderate, stable.”

Although Chubais did not state his reason for resigning in March, it was presumed to be because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

His was the highest-level of a series of official resignations. Chubais had most recently been Putin’s envoy to international organizations on sustainable development. He is well-known in Russia, having held high-profile posts since the early 1990s, when he oversaw privatization efforts under Boris Yeltsin.

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Categories
Sports

Kyle Chalmers feeding Emma McKeon, Cody Simpson drama says Johanna Griggs

Former Australian swimmer turned popular TV presenter Johanna Griggs says Kyle Chalmers is “feeding” the very headlines he’s railed against at the Commonwealth Games as she issued a reality check about the media’s role in covering sport.

The swimming star has blasted the media in Birmingham, accusing it of focusing on “clickbait” rather than the impressive results of our men and women in the pool.

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There have been reports and speculation about an icy dynamic within the Dolphins camp, sparked by the relationship between Chalmers, Emma McKeon and Cody Simpson.

Chalmers and McKeon were romantically linked last year and now the 28-year-old superstar is dating Simpson — who is competing in England as part of his first ever Australian team since ditching his music career and returning to competitive swimming.

The trio have repeatedly denied their relationship has caused any friction.

Chalmers cast doubt on his future in the sport if what he called “fake headlines” continued to be thrust into the spotlight, saying the media doesn’t understand the impact his stories have on athletes’ mental health.

However, Griggs — who won a backstroke bronze medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games — says Chalmers is only giving the story more oxygen by continually mentioning it in interviews and on social media.

“The only person who is going to potentially derail (his campaign) — although it certainly didn’t look like it this morning in his 100m freestyle — could be Kyle himself,” Griggs told Sydney’s 104.9 Triple M Breakfast with MG, Jess & Pagey.

“He seems to be feeding it, which is the ironic situation with all these sorts of things.

“You can’t just expect the headlines to always be great. You have to accept that occasionally they might be about other people and sometimes they may not necessarily show you in the same light.

“Do I think they (the headlines) are affecting Emma McKeon? Absolutely not.

“She’s amazing, right. So she’s proven, without question, that she is able to compartmentalize whatever’s going on.

Johanna Griggs dropped some truth bombs on Kyle Chalmers.
Johanna Griggs dropped some truth bombs on Kyle Chalmers.Source: Supplied
Chalmers is swimming brilliantly despite his concerns. Picture: Michael KleinSource: News Corp Australia

Griggs, who is part of Channel 7’s team covering the Games, also suggested the freestyle king needs to accept headlines aren’t always going to be positive in the world of professional sport.

“I think it would be tedious for them, being asked about it non-stop,” Griggs told Triple M.

“If you’re a tennis player, that happens not only at every major tournament, it happens at every press conference, it happens at every week — same as the footballers, week in, week out.

“It’s the reality of sport so I’m hoping Kyle stops feeding it.

“I get he’s feeling incredibly swamped at the moment. Every time he mentions it, he makes it a bigger story.”

Chalmers has won gold medals in Birmingham as part of Australia’s mixed relay team and in the 4x100m men’s freestyle relay.

After his impressive swim in the heats of the individual 100m freestyle event, the 24-year-old was asked how he was feeling.

“Terrible. Terrible. It’s been probably the hardest 12 hours in my sporting career for sure,” he said. “It is extremely hard. Extremely challenging.

“When you’re on the other side of the world and don’t have your direct support network around you it’s already hard enough, let alone last night.”

Chalmers was referring to the previous day’s press conference, which was stopped after a barrage of questions about his dynamic with Simpson and McKeon.

He said the way the situation has unfolded left his mum in tears when they spoke after the relay victory.

“I really feel I don’t deserve any of that and to be honest with you, it makes me question why I do this sport and where my future lies going forward,” Chalmers said.

“I don’t want any of this. I swim because it’s what I’m good at. I love swimming. I love being part of the Australian swimming team. Standing up in front of big crowds and swimming fast, but I don’t want the rest of it.

“And for me it’s taking too much of a toll on my mental health. It embarrasses me that my family, my grandparents have to sit down and read the stuff that gets put in the media.

“It upsets me that I have to go home to my mum crying on FaceTime to me.”

Emma McKeon’s relationship with Cody Simpson has generated plenty of headlines. Picture: Emma McKeon/InstagramSource: Supplied

He may be upset out of the water but in the pool, Chalmers looks as classy as ever. The South Australian — who won 100m freestyle gold at the Rio Olympics and silver at last year’s Tokyo Games — is eyeing off another medal in his pet event this week.

Chalmers crushed his 100m freestyle semi-final on Monday morning, touching the wall first and setting a new Commonwealth Games record time of 47.36 seconds.

Australian swimming champion Cate Campbell is working for Channel 7 in Birmingham and praised Chalmers for how he’s handling things during their poolside interview on Monday morning, before talk turned to his tattoos and what they symbolize.

“I’ve had three heart surgeries, I have a chain (tattoo) that is broken because my heart was holding me back and now it’s fixed,” Chalmers said.

“I’m the lion (tattoo) that’s broken out. So yeah, that’s a special one for me.”

Chalmers added he’s been brilliantly supported by those closest to him.

“I don’t have anything else to say, it’s rough,” he said. “It’s been a whirlwind. It’s nice to swim fast. I think it’s easy to put on a brave face and smile. It’s hard, it’s very hard.

“The team has been amazing.

“I just wanted to put my headphones on and switch off and not talk, (but) all of my teammates, coaches and staff coming up and saying they are there for me has been really special. I wouldn’t have been able to get through it without my teammates.

“I’m not a robot. We have feelings, we have emotions, we’re no different than anyone else. We struggle a lot, mental health is a huge thing in sport.”

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Categories
Entertainment

Margot Robbie sent Neighbors cast champagne for finale

Hollywood star Margot Robbie has told how she will be “eternally grateful” to soap Neighbors after it launched her acting career.

Margot, 32, who began her TV career as Ramsay Street’s Donna Freedman from 2008 to 2011, appeared in the show’s finale, which aired last Thursday.

While the A-lister filmed her scenes for the final show in Los Angeles, she made a sweet gesture to her fellow castmates, sending 37 bottles of champagne to the Melbourne set, as revealed by Neighbors actress Christie Whelan on social media last week, The Sun reports.

Robbie said that the final episode marks “the end of an era”.

Now Hollywood’s highest-paid actress, she said: “I owe so much to neighbors.

“There are so many of us that owe [the show] for giving us a big break.

“It wasn’t just about giving me a break either – it gave me a real chance to work on my craft. It was the perfect training for Hollywood and I will always be eternally grateful.”

thursday’s neighbors finale saw Robbie return alongside a host of other fan favourites, including Jason Donovan, Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce, Holly Valance and Natalie Imbruglia.

Anne Charleston, who played Ramsay Street legend Madge Bishop, also returned – with her late character appearing as a ghost.

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Remembering her time on the soap, Robbie said it was only when she moved to London that she realized how widespread neighbors‘popularity was.

“It really is an end of an era for fans. When I lived in London, I understood at its peak how big it was. People would come up to me and tell me how they watched it every day after school.”

From fruit farm to Hollywood Hills

The actress, who grew up on a fruit farm on the Gold Coast, moved to LA after leaving neighbors in 2011 and landed a role in US TV show Pan Am.

But it was her part opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf Of Wall Street that caught the eye of movie bosses in 2013.

Soon after, she moved to South London where she shared a four-bedroom pad in Clapham with six other friends that they dubbed “The Manor”.

Her housemates were friends she had met filming wartime flick French Suite – including the assistant director and her now-husband Tom Ackerley.

Robbie went on to star in 2015’s focus opposite Will Smith and played The Joker’s girlfriend Harley Quinn in 2016 hitSuicide Squad.

In 2016, she and Ackerley also married, and the following year they swapped their Clapham flat for a $3.6 million villa in Hollywood.

But she said leaving London had not been an easy move for the couple.

She said: “It was such a hard decision to leave, but I just couldn’t keep living out of a suitcase.”

Back in LA, the actress went on to star as Tonya Harding in I, Tonya – which she also produced – and alongside Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron in Bombshell.

Both roles won her Oscar nominations.

She also starred as rising movie star Sharon Tate in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywoodappearing with former co-star DiCaprio as well as Brad Pitt.

Next year will see her hit the big screen in neon pink and sky-high heels after she was cast as Barbie in a romantic comedy about the iconic doll.

Directed by Greta Gerwig, the film also stars Ryan Gosling as Barbie‘s love interest Ken.

Robbie said: “When I read the script, I genuinely thought, ‘This is one of the best scripts I have ever read.’ I needed to be part of this story.

“I remember speaking with Ryan before we started shooting and we were just so excited to be part of this incredible script.

“Whatever people expect the Barbie movie to be like, they need to totally rethink it because Greta has done something special here.

“And Barbie is such a role model. She was a surgeon back in the early ’70s when a tiny percentage of females were applying for medical school.”

It is expected that in the hands of director Greta – whose last films were Lady Bird and Little Women – Barbie will get a thoroughly modern makeover.

‘Things have changed a lot’

It comes after Hollywood’s own makeover in recent years following the #MeToo scandals.

That movement was the focus of 2019 movie Bombshell, which was based on the sexual harassment of women working at Fox News.

Robbie, who starred as Kayla Pospisil, told at the time that it was only while working on the film that she realized what sexual harassment was.

She told Net-A-Porter: “I’m in my late twenties, I’m educated, I’m worldly, I’ve travelled, I have my own business – and I didn’t know. That’s insane.

“I didn’t know that you could say, ‘I have been sexually harassed,’ without someone physically touching you.

“That you could say, ‘That’s not OK.’ I had no idea.”

The actress also said that she has experienced harassment, but “not in Hollywood”, adding: “I struggle to find many women who haven’t experienced sexual harassment on some level.

“So yes, lots of times. And to varying degrees of severity throughout my life.”

Speaking last week, Robbie said: “I think things have changed in Hollywood over the past few years.

“There have been some difficult conversations and very brave people.

“We live in hope that all this courage that has been shown means nothing like this ever happens again.”

This story originally appeared on The Sun and is republished here with permission

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Categories
Sports

Sad new reality for flopping Ferrari; McLaren’s silver lining after Dan disaster: F1 Talking Pts

Wins don’t come much more emphatic than from 10th on the grid at the Hungaroring.

Max Verstappen’s against-the-odds victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix was only the fourth time someone’s won in Budapest starting further back than the front two rows. Not only was it a clear underline on Red Bull Racing’s superiority in the 2022 championship race, it was also a neat encapsulation of the entire season to date as the sport heads into the mid-season break.

It featured a wildly slow then unexpectedly and inexplicably fast Mercedes that threatened to win the race but ultimately couldn’t manage it.

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It featured Ferrari somehow fumbling what should’ve been an unimpeachable pace advantage early in the weekend to finish off the podium and denying it lacks operational sharpness.

And as its centrepiece it featured Red Bull Racing executing most effectively, Verstappen seizing his opportunities and both ending Sunday with enhanced points leads.

You almost don’t need to have seen any other race this year to understand where the championship stands and predict where it’ll head when racing resumes at the end of August after the mid-season break.

REMINDER: FERRARI TARGETED TO ONE-TWO

There’s no team that needs the mid-season break more urgently than Ferrari, which contributed yet another way to ship more points to Red Bull Racing and Verstappen in an already bleak title campaign.

All this despite having explicitly targeted a one-two finish just days earlier.

It won’t shock you to know that the team’s embarrassing loss came mainly from the pit wall.

Slow pit stops meant it took longer for Leclerc to pass pole-getter Russell than it should have, and it cost Sainz the opportunity to pass the Briton at all.

It then made the fatal error of swapping Leclerc onto the unfancied hard tire for his final stint in a hasty attempt to cover the undercutting Verstappen — despite the fact every other car that had used the tire was struggling badly for grip.

Not only did it cost him the lead, but he was forced into making a third stop that left him an almost unbelievable sixth at the flag.

Ferrari protested after the race that the problem wasn’t its strategy but the car, which in the cooler Sunday conditions wasn’t exhibiting the dominant edge it enjoyed during Friday practice.

Leclerc burnt by ANOTHER Ferrari blunder | 01:14

“Certainly we didn’t have the performance we were expecting,” team boss Mattia Binotto told Sky Sports. “Whatever the tyres, somehow the performance of our cars was not as expected.

“Today the car was not behaving well, I think that’s the point.”

Binotto isn’t wrong to make that argument, but he is exaggerating. Ferrari was slower than it was on Friday, but it was still the fastest car on track.

We can make a like-for-like comparison between Leclerc and Verstappen on the medium tire in the middle of the race, Even accounting for the Dutchman’s older rubber, the Monegasque was still quicker, or at least quick enough to take him on directly.

But the team let itself be spooked by Verstappen’s second undercut attempt with 32 laps to go. Rather than race to its own pace, run deep and switch to softs — which it did with Sainz — it brought Leclerc in immediately for the hard tire and suffered the consequences.

“I felt very strong on the medium. Everything was under control,” Leclerc told Sky Sports. “I don’t know why we needed to go on the hard.

“I said on the radio I was very comfortable on the medium and I wanted to go as long as possible on those tires because the feeling was good. I don’t know why we made a different decision.”

So really there are two key mistakes here. One is coolness under pressure in reading the race, and the other is misunderstanding the hard tyre, which the team thought would warm up after 10 laps but which in reality was never going to be effective. It’s not the first time it’s committed either foul this season.

Leclerc left Budapest with a whopping 80-point deficit to Verstappen and Ferrari is now 97 points adrift of Red Bull Racing. More worrying still, the team’s just 30 points ahead of Mercedes.

And with performance like that, would you be willing to back Ferrari to hold second?

Max & Lewis chuckle at Ferrari’s tactics | 00:33

MAX VERSTAPPEN PUTS ONE HAND ON THE TROPHY

If Charles Leclerc’s solo crash at the French Grand Prix effectively decided the destination of the title, Verstappen’s slick victory in Budapest gave him a chance to put one hand on the trophy.

An 80-point advantage is more than three clear race victories. He can now afford to finish second to Leclerc at every race, including the sprint in Brazil, and ship the point for fastest lap and he still won’t lose the title lead before the end of the season.

Before the mid-season break he’s been able to put the fate of the drivers championship completely in his own hands. No mean feat.

After last season’s down-to-the-wire blockbuster finale, you’ll be concerned to know we can start counting down the points needed to win the championship.

With nine rounds remaining, Verstappen can win the championship with just five more victories even if Leclerc finishes second to him in all of them. That puts him on track to claim the crown at the Japanese Grand Prix.

And perhaps Verstappen winning the next five races is unlikely — he’s yet to win more than three in a row this season — but with Mercedes potentially in the mix, he may have a team to pick points off Ferrari and Leclerc, in which case just finishing with one or two cars between him and the Monegasque regardless of their finishing position would probably be enough to get the job done.

The weekend wasn’t perfect of course. A power unit problem was part of the reason he qualified poorly, and a clutch issue spun him around in the race, temporarily costing him the lead. He’ll also need to serve a penalty for a new power unit at some point in the second half of the year, having installed his third and final motor this weekend.

But the gap is easily wide enough to absorb that pressure, and with Leclerc needing at least one more round of power unit penalties, it’s extremely difficult to imagine a scenario in which Verstappen doesn’t win the title with at least two rounds to spare

Max spins but still wins in Hungary | 01:11

MERCEDES UNEXPECTEDLY FAST BUT UNSURE ABOUT PERMANENCE

Mercedes arrived in Budapest in the brace position, appeared to be justified by its lackluster Friday performance, but by the end of the weekend it had collected its first pole of the year with George Russell and a second straight double podium.

Lewis Hamilton had even been on a late an unlikely charge for victory that team boss Toto Wolff said could’ve ended in success had he qualified higher up the grid rather than suffer a DRS failure in Q3.

What’s more, the Hungaroring layout should have been a struggle circuit for the car, which tends to prefer faster tracks — Hamilton almost won at Silverstone, both drivers showed good pace in Austria before crashing out of qualifying, and the team got both cars onto the podium in France.

Wolff, however, said it was less a case of not understanding the reasons for its speed in Budapest but rather figuring out if those reasons applied universally or only to the specific characteristics of the Hungaroring.

“It’s not that we have no clue why the car has been fast,” Wolff said, per The Race.

“We had directions during the season where we believed it would unlock the potential of the car, and it didn’t.

“So here we have another direction, and that was very quick on the stopwatch.

“But I don’t want to have another false dawn and we come to the realization tomorrow and Spa that it didn’t reap the benefits that we were hoping to have.

“In that respect, let’s just wait and see where this is going.”

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In that respect Mercedes must be frustrated to have to wait three weeks to try to validate its progress, though the triple-header comprising three distinct track types will be the ultimate test of its solution.

The team is long out of championship contention, but the W13’s fortunes are still relevant to the title outcome.

Potentially now quick enough to contend for regular merited podiums and perhaps victories at some tracks, how well Mercedes does on any given weekend will decide three things: how soon Verstappen wins the title — or, if you’re extremely optimistic, whether he wins the title; where Ferrari will finish in the constructors standings; and whether Leclerc will finish second in the drivers standings.

George Russell is now just 20 points behind Leclerc in the battle for a second, with Hamilton 12 points further back, and the team is now only 30 points short of Ferrari in the teams title battle.

It’s too late for the major prizes, but the minor placings are still very much up for grabs.

McLAREN STILL IN TOUCH FOR FOURTH DESPITE RICCIARDO PENALTY

The battle for best of the midfield is similarly still very much alive, with McLaren maintaining its four-point deficit to Alpine in fourth on the constructors title table.

Ricciardo pulls off epic double pass | 00:46

This was an improved weekend for Woking, one week after it introduced its major upgrade package at the French Grand Prix. Not only did Lando Norris again outqualify both French cars, but this week he retained his place ahead of them despite a slow first pit stop, ensuring maximum midfield points with seventh place.

He had Alpine’s unlikely one-stop strategy to thank in part. Alpine did n’t have a second set of medium tires for either driver, having burnt through them during practice, and so he had little choice but to go long, meaning he neither could challenge the leading Briton.

Daniel Ricciardo was the only weak point for McLaren. The Australian had been marginally off Norris’s pace through the race but quick enough to be running behind him before the first stops, even makingthat excellent double pass around the two battling Alpine drivers to hold the place.

But his struggles really started during his final stint on the hard tire and intensified once he was lapped, costing him precious tire temperature each time he was waved a blue flag.

The lack of grip on the white-walled tire was also behind him running wide and into Lance Stroll at turn 2, earning him a five-second penalty, when he was trying to let the Canadian by.

It left him out of the points, allowing a superb drive by Sebastian Vettel to be rewarded by one point, the German having recovered from 18th by avoiding that troublesome hard tire.

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Categories
Entertainment

Meghan Markle is the victim of bullying, Trisha Goddard says

Meghan Markle has made headlines recently for her alleged acts of “bullying”, and in the process has copped a substantial amount of vitriol.

But now the tables have been turned in a Channel 9 60 minutes segment that dug deep into the latest royal scandal involving the claims that the Duchess of Sussex intimidated and belittled her staffers.

When the allegations first emerged, Buckingham Palace announced it was conducting an inquiry, but it has since said it won’t release the findings. It’s a curious move that’s left many puzzled. What did they discover, that they don’t want us to know about?

And could it be that the facts actually reveal instead of being the bully, Meghan is the one who’s been bullied?

In the segment, 60 minutess reporter Tom Steinfort asked British television host Trisha Goddard, a rare and staunch supporter of the Duchess of Sussex: “Who do you think is the victim of bullying?”

“Meghan Markle,” replied Trisha Goddard, who was also a former Australian TV star featuring on such shows as Play School.

“They can’t go too all out on Prince Harry, so let’s go for the evil scheming woman, that whole thing about women taking men away and driving them somewhere and destroying them. I mean how misogynistic is that?

“I think what’s she done wrong is not to be of the correct stock. I think what she’s done wrong is to be an American, to be an outsider… also she she’s a strong woman.

“I’m not saying she’s perfect, but I’m sorry but Prince Andrew doesn’t get as much consistent vitriol.”

Steinfort then asked: “So what do you think is at play here – is it sexism, racism, or a heady combo of both?”

To which Goddard replied: “It’s all those and above. We know through the polling that the Sussex’s poll highest among youngsters, under 25s.

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“It’s the dinosaurs screaming when it comes to an outsider, and a female, and a female of color, then that is something that you are going to come down on because it shouldn’t be allowed,” she said on 60 minutes.

When asked if she noticed a pattern in the kind of people that attack Meghan, Goddard said: “Yeah. White, male, pale and stale”.

“Can we just stop messing around and call this for what it is – it’s bullying.”

She said it’s quite baffling why Prince Harry and Meghan are loved in America, but there’s so much controversy around them from the Brits.

“In the US people really like them they – they can’t understand what’s going on in Britain other than snobbishness, and I’m sure there’s a lot of that going on.

“You can’t blame them if they want to stay in the States can you?”

However, the bullying claims continue to swirl around Markle.

Also featured on the 60 minutes segment was Valentine Low, the royal correspondent for UK newspaper The Times. He said it was Meghan’s explosive Oprah interview that was the tipping point for several palace staffers who decided to reveal their claims of bullying to the world.

“What I was told was that in late 2018, Jason Knauf, who was Harry and Meghan’s communications secretary – so one of their very closest advisers – sent an email to his boss saying that Meghan had been bullying staff,” Mr Low said.

“He said that a couple of members of staff had been driven out by Meghan’s behaviour. and

he was also concerned for how much pressure was being put on their private secretary, their

very closest adviser, an Australian woman called Samantha Cohen.

“Now this was an explosive allegation, but the point is, nothing happened,” he said.

He said the palace simply didn’t know what to do.

“They didn’t know how to cope with such an unusual situation, and they didn’t know how to cope with Meghan.”

Read related topics:Meghan Markle

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