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Kylie Minogue’s Neighbors finale appearance explained

Kylie Minogue's Neighbors finale appearance explained

It was one of the biggest fan questions during Neighbours’ nostalgia-filled 90-minute finale special: why were celebrity guest stars Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan practically mute?

Fans were left baffled by the pair’s brief appearance and their lack of mingling with fellow co-stars in the final episode of the long-running soap last week.

They also had just a handful of lines, with Minogue – arguably Ramsay Street’s most successful export – uttering just five words: “Home, sweet home”, “Jane!” and “Harold!”

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Their brief return as beloved on-screen couple Charlene and Scott seemed even more flimsy when compared with Guy Pearce’s return to the soap, which became a major finale storyline.

neighbours’ executive producer Jason Herbison has finally responded to fans’ confusion, telling tv tonight that it all boiled down to timing – and that the pair’s top-secret filming was completed before the rest of the episode.

“Our discussions with Jason (Donovan) and Kylie were always about making a small appearance,” he told the website.

“They didn’t want to overshadow the current cast or make the finale about them. We also filmed their scenes before I’d written the episode, so whatever we filmed had to fit in with that. I hate to see Kylie coping with any criticism – she was nothing short of amazing on the day.”

Last week’s finale saw the original stars Minogue, Donovan and Pearce return alongside a host of other fan favourites, including Margot Robbie, Holly Valance and Natalie Imbruglia.

neighbors actress Christie Whelan revealed that while Robbie’s scenes had to be filmed in Los Angeles, she made a very sweet gesture to her fellow castmates to honor the occasion.

The actress sent 37 bottles of champagne to the Melbourne set so the entire cast and crew could toast the show when filming wrapped.

Almost 900,0000 Aussies tuned in to the tear-jerking final episode of Neighbors last week.

After 37 years on our screens, the soap came to a close as 873,000 watched on across the five metro capital cities, according to ratings published on tv tonight.

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Business

Mum Lisa Fulmore defends are held over shooting of McDonald’s worker

Mum Lisa Fulmore defends are held over shooting of McDonald's worker

The mum of a man held in the shooting of a New York City McDonald’s worker over cold fries says that her son told her he did what he had to do.

Lisa Fulmore, 40, revealed her 20-year-old son’s chilling comments to the New York Post while describing exactly what led up to Monday night’s shooting that left a 23-year-old fast-food employee clinging to life.

“I talked to my son with the cops. My son is just saying that he gotta do what he gotta do and the [victim] came after him and whatever happened, happened,” she said.

The mother of three boys said the incident unfolded after she ordered McDonald’s on her mobile app and went to the Bedford-Stuyvesant eatery in Brooklyn around 7pm to pick up her food, which included fries.

“The fries were cold,” Fulmore said. “I asked the girl to change the French fries because the fries were cold. She went to the French fry machine for maybe 10 seconds and brought back fries, so I thought they were new fries, so I had left.

“So I taste the fries, and after I got to the third one, it was a cold fry still. So I went back to take the food back.

“I asked her, ‘Why would you give me the same fries and just put one or two on top to make me think that you gave me new fries?’ She started laughing, and all of them started laughing, acting like it’s funny,” Fulmore said.

“I was like, ‘What’s funny? I paid for food and I should get what I asked for.’ They laughed at me.

“One of them was like, ‘All of this over fries?’ So now I’m arguing with them back and forth.”

Referring to the worker who was later shot, Fulmore said: “The boy where they cook the food at was like, ‘You got all this food in your teeth.’

“So I said, ‘You wanna take it out? You’re saying I got all this food in my teeth, you wanna take it out?’”

Fulmore said she asked to speak to their boss and the workers said the manager had stepped out.

“Everybody started laughing again,” she said.

“This is when I was on the phone with my son. I was like, ‘They in this McDonald’s playing with me.’ I was like, I got kids their age, I’m not going to sit here and keep arguing with these little kids. He was like, ‘I’m coming down the block.’

“I was like, ‘Alright.’ … Then I told him, ‘No, don’t come to McDonald’s because I don’t want you to get in trouble.’”

But she said her son was already at the restaurant.

“He was like, ‘I’m coming in.’ So I came in. I heard them saying stuff to me, so he was like, ‘You all gotta back off my mother.’

Again referring to the worker later shot, Fulmore said: “My son said, ‘come outside’ to the boy in the back.”

The employee did not exit the restaurant at that point and Fulmore said she then told her son to just leave “because I didn’t want him to get in trouble”.

“So I’m thinking my son was gone,” she said. “I’m thinking it was over because my son left the store.”

According to Fulmore, 10 or 15 minutes later the male worker came over to her asking: “Where your son at?”

She said she told him her son left and to mind his own business.

“He went looking for my son,” she said. “The next thing you know, maybe like 10 minutes later, you hear a gunshot. So I ran to the door. I said, ‘Who’s shooting?’”

She said someone replied, “Your son.”

“I looked, and I saw a boy on the ground, and then I saw my son running the other way. I called 911 and then I sat there and waited.”

When asked if her son had a gun, Fulmore said she didn’t know, adding, “I don’t even know if my son did that,” referring to the shooting.

“The only thing I know is that my son was arguing with the boy and the boy did go out looking for my son.”

She said the victim changed his shirt at one point, “and he had something under the blue shirt, that’s why he put the big blue shirt on”.

Law-enforcement sources said the victim had no prior arrests and there was no indication he was carrying a weapon when he was killed.

But Fulmore, referring to the critically injured worker, said: “There was no reason for him to go outside looking for somebody. Whatever happened outside, you caused that to happen.”

Fulmore’s son is in police custody but has not been charged in the shooting.

He has been previously arrested several times, including for grand larceny in 2019 and assault and theft of service in 2018, police sources said. He also has numerous sealed arrest cases, they said.

Additional reporting by Larry Celona and Kate Sheehy

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

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Entertainment

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off actress Edie McClurg ‘victim of elder abuse’, court documents claim

Ferris Bueller's Day Off actress Edie McClurg 'victim of elder abuse', court documents claim

The family of US actress Edie McClurg has claimed that she’s a victim of elder abuse.

In court documents seen by The New York Postthe family of the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off star – who lives in Los Angeles and suffers from dementia – alleged that she was abused by a man claiming to be a “long time” friend who reportedly attempted to take her out of California to marry her.

The documents – filed in the Superior Court of California – name the alleged abuser as Michael L. Ramos, who reportedly has been living at the 76-year-old’s LA home since 2017.

According to the documents, Ramos is unemployed and does not pay rent or any expenses and was able to “finagle” his way into McClurg’s life, reportedly attempting to move her out of California in order to marry her despite her dementia diagnosis.

The documents also claim Ramos allegedly “sexually assaulted” McClurg’s current caregiver, with a report filed with the LA Police Department.

In addition, the caregiver was “worried” that Ramos “has or may be assaulting the Conservatee and that she may not even know that it is happening to her,” according to the court filings.

McClurg and Ramos “have never been involved. [in] a romantic relationship,” with the caretaker now concerned he had been sexually abusing the actress.

They reported that he wanted to marry her out of state despite knowing she “lacked capacity” and was living in her home for “companionship,” which the judge of the conservatorship had allowed.

McClurg is under conservatorship and got protection from a judge – as per the documents – who ordered Ramos that he “may not enter into a valid marriage” with McClurg.

The lawyer for the conservatorship – which has been in place since 2019 – is now reportedly asking for an order to remove Ramos from the legal arrangement altogether.

McClurg’s family reportedly went to court in 2019 to ask for the legal arrangement, with claims she had been living with a male companion who was verbally abusive and tried to influence the handling of her estate by reportedly getting her to sign documents.

A 2019 neuropsychological evaluation report obtained by the post said that McClurg “suffers from a progressive, unreversible neurodegenerative disorder”.

The report outlined prior instances in which McClurg was allegedly taken advantage of, including by a married contractor who did work on her home and later reportedly “proceeded to live” in her home, claiming to be “her boyfriend”.

The contractor’s wife allegedly “began calling the patient and even stalking the patient” before McClurg’s cousin, Angelique Cabral, intervened.

The evaluation also noted that McClurg allegedly was “befriended” by Ramos in 2012 or 2013.

Cabral was appointed her guardian and filed the emergency petition on July 14 to remove Ramos from McClurg’s home.

Ramos filed an objection to the emergency motion with his declaration, denying assaulting or sexually abusing either McClurg or her caretaker.

McClurg has more than 200 acting credits and has appeared in iconic films such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Plans, Trains and Automobiles and has done voiceover work in The Little Mermaid, A Bug’s Life, Cars and The Rugrats Movie.

This article originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission

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Business

Online brokerage company Robinhood lays off almost a quarter of its staff

Online brokerage company Robinhood lays off almost a quarter of its staff

A US online trading platform, which experienced a boom in customers during the pandemic, has slashed its staff by 23 per cent after being hit by the cryptocurrency market crash and record inflation.

It’s the second round of staff sackings for the company called Robinhood, which laid off 9 per cent of its 3,900 employees in April.

Yesterday’s announcement saw the company shed 23 per cent of remaining positions — about 815 jobs — meaning the company will have sacked more than 1000 employees in a matter of months between the two rounds of redundancies. Roles in operations, marketing and program management the most impacted by yesterday’s decision.

Robinhood was embroiled in the Gamestop controversy early last year when Reddit renegades and amateur investors blew up the share price of the brick-and-mortar video game retailers, but this momentum has failed to continue.

Robinhood’s chief executive Vlad Tenev said that letting go of 9 per cent the workforce in April to focus on “greater cost discipline” for the organization “did not go far enough” in a blog post on the company’s website.

“Since that time, we have seen additional deterioration of the macro environment, with inflation at 40-year highs accompanied by a broad crypto market crash. This has further reduced customer trading activity and assets under custody,” Mr Tenev said.

“Last year, we staffed many of our operations functions under the assumption that the heightened retail engagement we had been seeing with the stock and crypto markets in the Covid era would persist into 2022.

“In this new environment, we are operating with more staffing than appropriate. As CEO, I approved and took responsibility for our ambitious staffing trajectory – this is on me.”

Last year, Robinhood grew from 700 roles at the end of 2019 to nearly 3,900 by the first half of 2021, but its 2,022 cuts take its total workforce down to 2,600.

Mr Tenev said staff would receive an email and Slack message with their employment status after the company wide meeting announced the redundancies on Tuesday.

He added the cuts were a “painful decision” and meant the company would be “parting ways with many incredibly talented people”, although staff would be given the opportunity to remain with the company until October 1.

Robinhood also revealed its second quarter results which showed its monthly active years plunged to 14 million down by 34 per cent from a year earlier.

Revenue also plummeted by a whopping 44 per cent to $US318 million ($A461 million).

Robinhood became a trading phenomenon during the pandemic as it offered an easy to use, mobile first platform and in the second quarter of last year it boasted more than 21 million active users who were keen to trade crypto and meme stocks.

But with lockdowns in the past, revenue tied to customer’s trading dropped 55 per cent in the latest quarter to $US202 million ($A292 million).

The company has also been slugged with a $US30 million ($A43 million) fine from the New York State Department of Financial Service for alleged violations of anti-money laundering and cybersecurity regulation in its cryptocurrency trading unit.

A global tech bloodbath has seen a spate of companies laying off staff.

In Australia a crypto company called Immutable, which valued at $3.5 billion, is facing a fierce backlash after sacking 17 per cent of its staff from its gaming division, while continuing to “hire aggressively” after raising $280 million in funding in March.

Meanwhile, Australia healthcare start-up Eucalyptus, which provides treatments for obesity, acne and erectile dysfunction fired up to 20 per cent of staff after an investment firm pulled its funding at the last minute.

Debt collection start-up Indebted sacked 40 of its employees just before the end of the financial year, despite its valuation soaring to more than $200 million, with most of the redundancies made across sales and marketing.

Then there was Australian buy now, pay later provider Brighte, that offers money for home improvements and solar power, which let go of 15 per cent of its staff in June, with roles primarily based on corporate and new product development.

Another buy now, pay later provider with offices in Sydney called BizPay made 30 per cent of its redundant workforce blaming market conditions for the huge cut to staffing in May.

Earlier this year, a start-up focused on the solar sector called 5B Solar, which boasts backing from former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, also sacked 25 per cent of its staff after completing a capital raise that would inject $30 million into the business

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Business

Canadian honeymooners’ fury over $850 ‘snack’ receipt in Mykonos

Canadian honeymooners' fury over $850 'snack' receipt in Mykonos

A newlywed couple was outraged to learn they were stuck with an AU$850 bill after being pressured to enjoy “a quick snack” while on their honeymoon.

Lindsay Breen and her husband Alex, both 30, were left in shock after being surprised by the outrageous bill at DK Oyster in Mykonos.

The couple, who hail from Toronto, Canada, was exploring the picturesque town when they decided to pop into one of the local restaurants.

“We went to the oyster bar for a bite to eat and a drink,” Lindsay explained.

“They immediately said ‘do you want oysters?’ They were very presumptuous. We said yes and he said ‘a dozen?’ so we said yes because a dozen is a typical order.

“My husband ordered a beer and I asked for a cocktail menu and he came back with the beer but I had to ask again for a cocktail menu and he started rhyming off different kinds of alcohol he had, vodka, gin but I asked for a menu.”

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The restaurant worker continued to give Lindsay a hard time about bringing out a menu.

“I didn’t know how it was so difficult to see what they had,” she said.

The server eventually brought the couple “what they consider their cocktail menu” which was simply “a laminated piece of paper with the types of alcohol listed but it didn’t have the brand or the drinks” listed.

Lindsay finally gave in and ordered an Aperol spritz “because they clearly didn’t have a menu that they wanted to give me”.

“He finally came back with comically large drinks so we were thinking it’s their funny thing that the bar does because we didn’t ask for an extra-large cocktail,” she remembered.

“He was very much lurking around the table the whole time. He was always around,” she said of the aggressive restaurant worker.

“When we’d finished the oysters, he was trying to get us to have crab legs and thank goodness we didn’t. He said ‘You know what would go really nice with these oysters? Crab legs. Shall I get some over for you guys?’ and we said no, we just wanted a quick snack and a drink.”

The new bride remembered that Alex claimed to see a menu on his way back from the bathroom listing oysters for US$29 but Lindsay couldn’t believe it.

“We had already eaten the oysters so we thought, ‘Oh God, what are we getting ourselves into with this bill?’” she said.

But worse was yet to come.

“The guy came back with a huge trolley of desserts and he says, ‘So, of course, we’re having cake today’ and starts putting different desserts on our table and we said we didn’t want them and he started getting offended that we didn’t want to take them so I can see how people would be pressured to take more.

“As we kept refusing what he was trying to give us he was getting more frustrated.”

After finishing their snack and “comically large drinks,” the couple was ready to pay and continue with their day.

“When we were ready to leave, I went to the washroom and they had my husband go into a back room to pay which is sketchy,” Lindsay remembered.

“They gave him the bill which was over 400 euros. He was shocked and asked for a breakdown. They had a computer screen that they turned to him and it was all in Greek but we don’t speak Greek.”

Although he was completely shocked by the large bill, Alex paid without any issues after he got a “sketchy vibe” and “didn’t want to get himself in a bad situation.”

“He definitely felt intimidated and he’s the friendliest guy so even if the bill was double he probably would have paid it to avoid any problems,” Lindsay admitted.

“It was pretty crazy. I’m glad in hindsight that we didn’t cause an argument or refuse to pay because it could have ended up worse for us. They know when you’re tourists they take advantage.”

The couple was in disbelief as they walked away from the overpriced beach club.

“It’s so crazy to pay that for a snack,” Lindsay insisted. “We were really shocked, especially because we’d had some really nice meals in Italy and we’re willing to spend when it’s justified but we didn’t get much.”

Despite the shock, the couple is just glad they were able to foot the bill and charge the rest of their large expenses on their credit card.

“I can imagine how someone would end up with no money. It’s not an ideal way to spend our money but we’re fortunate we could pay,” she said.

“On holidays, we like to stumble in wherever looks good. we don’t really research but we’ll probably start. They have a similar atmosphere to the other restaurants to blend in and make people think it’ll be at a similar price.

Lindsay did concede that it was “less busy than the other restaurants”.

“They all had their menus posted outside which is typical for that type of area. They were all similar price points, obviously a little bit expensive but fair for what you were getting.”

She and Alex quickly glanced at the menu outside DK Oyster in Mykonos and believe the oysters were listed at nine euros but later learned that the restaurant priced their menu based on items per 100g.

“So it says calamari is 29 dollars but in fine print, it will say that’s for 100g of calamari so your bill comes up to 300 euros,” she said. “I’m so happy we didn’t go there hungry and order a proper lunch.”

The Breens aren’t the first couple to be scammed by this oceanfront restaurant in Greece.

“Next door, a store owner said he was so sorry to hear that we went,” Lindsay said.

“He said he warns everyone that goes into the store to stay away from there and it doesn’t represent who the Greek people are.”

DK Oyster’s TripAdvisor rating is a measly 2.5 stars accumulated from their 1455 ratings. The page is flooded with 1-star accounts of experiences similar to the Breens’.

“DO NOT GO HERE! Absolutely disgusting behavior from manager and staff. Cocktails are awful and charged €125 plus service for 2! Waiters made us feel very uncomfortable,” one review reads.

“Wish we looked at the reviews before! This place is a joke! 350 euros for 4 drinks! I would definitely NOT recommend going here. Please save your euros!” another reads.

But the staff at the tourist trap do not seem to be very apologetic and often mock their guests who leave bad reviews.

“Thank you for taking the time to post your review, but could you please clarify the exact reason for your disappointment? The prices you mention sound correct, so I would like to understand what the problem was,” a reply reads.

“The drinks were not what you expected, the setting or the service? Your opinion is important to us. So, we would appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to clarify.”

They also mocked customers who claimed to be intimidated into paying the exorbitant prices: “Let me see if I got it right: You were abducted from the beach and shoved by force into a luxury restaurant.”

After all the commotion the restaurant has cooked up, they were recently fined more than $30,000 for scamming two American tourists, the Greek City Times reported.

This serves as a lesson to those who look at the menu and think ‘It’s all Greek to me’ – double check the prices before you sit down!

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and has been republished with permission

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Sports

Nick Kyrgios wins at Washington Citi Open, pulls out of Laver Cup: Tennis news 2022

Nick Kyrgios wins at Washington Citi Open, pulls out of Laver Cup: Tennis news 2022

Nick Kyrgios was up to his usual tricks in Washington as he scored a first-round win over Marcos Giron at the Citi Open.

The Australian cruised to victory in his first singles match since losing last month’s Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic, taking just 59 minutes to seal a 6-3 6-2 result.

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Serving on match point, Kyrgios walked back to the crowd and engaged in a chat with a spectator. Known for asking fans where he should serve, it looked like the Canberran was doing just that.

The advice clearly didn’t hurt as he wrapped up proceedings.

Kyrgios blasted 12 aces and only lost 12 points off his own racquet in the straight sets demolition at the tournament he won in 2019.

Next up for the 27-year-old is Tommy Paul.

“I was in such a dark place last year when I played DC. Just very happy to be back here, a place where I won in 2019,” Kyrgios said.

The match came after Kyrgios confirmed on social media he would not be taking part in this year’s Laver Cup — a teams event that pits Team Europe against Team World, where Kyrgios has delivered plenty of entertainment in the past.

“No Laver Cup for me this year!!!” Kyrgios wrote on Instagram. “Just letting you all know.

“Gotta have that home time with my family and beautiful girlfriend.”

In the Washington women’s draw, Australian Ajla Tomljanovic advanced to the second round by beating 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-1 6-4.

Like Kyrgios, Tomljanovic was also playing for the first time since her impressive run into the Wimbledon quarter-finals.

Read related topics:Nick Kyrgios

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AFL reacts to Eddie Betts ‘betrayal’ at Adelaide Crows pre-season camp

AFL reacts to Eddie Betts 'betrayal' at Adelaide Crows pre-season camp

The AFL community has reacted with disgust after former Adelaide footballer Eddie Betts published a confronting recollection of his experience at a pre-season camp with the Crows in early 2018.

The leadership camp, following the Crows’ 2017 AFL Grand Final loss to Richmond, thrust the club into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

A number of players and officials left the club in the wake of the camp, and now Betts has detailed behind-the-scenes information in his upcoming autobiography The Boy from Boomerang Crescent.

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The four-day camp on the Gold Coast left Betts feeling “like a piece of me was brainwashed”, with excerpts being reported by Nine Newspapers.

Betts alleged that confidential information he shared in counseling sessions had been misused, writing that the camp misappropriated sensitive Aboriginal cultural rituals.

Following the ordeal, the three-time All-Australian Betts said he approached the Crows and voiced his concerns with the camp, only to be dropped from the leadership group three weeks later.

Betts said the camp had a major impact on his form and left the star forward questioning his place in the game. He left the Crows and returned to Carlton at the end of 2019 before retiring at the end of 2021.

Adelaide board member Mark Ricciuto, who represented the club for 15 seasons, responded to the damning allegations on Wednesday morning.

“He’s been one of the greats of the club,” Ricciuto told Adelaide’s Triple M Breakfast with Roo, Ditts and Loz.

“Player welfare is always number one no matter what’s going on, you always want everyone to be happy, so it’s very sad.

“I think the club has been on record at times to say that they acknowledge that it wasn’t handled perfectly. It had all good intentions but didn’t go perfectly.

“We all love Eddie and hopefully Eddie is getting over that… certainly the club moved on from that and are looking towards the future and have made a lot of ground since back then. It has come up in Eddie’s book and that is fair enough.”

Betts’ revelations have angered the footy community. Former Swans star Ryan Fitzgerald, who is a huge Crows fan, tweeted: “Really uncomfortable to read. Particularly the insensitivities around Eddie’s past of him. He is such an integral part of the AFC and their history, so rejected that he left feeling like that.”

Ex-Melbourne captain Garry Lyon also reacted. “When you read those words from Eddie, there is no debate about how it impacted on him,” he told SEN Breakfast.

“He talks about the Indigenous players, the cultural differences or sensitivities that weren’t adhered to. That’s Eddie … and that’s unequivocal, right? You can’t argue with any of that.

“Everyone’s own experiences have been caught up in this and from an Indigenous point of view, a lot of it since Eddie said that cultural sensitivities weren’t adhered to – and that is very, very real.

“In the end, it was untenable. We talk about the atmosphere and environment … take apart who you agree with and you don’t agree with, the fact of the matter is it split the club down the middle. When you get the (Rory) Sloanes and the (Taylor) Walkers, who have their recollection, and then you’ve got Eddie and others I would imagine… no wonder it destroyed that joint.

“You’ve got a section of the football club – and I’m not just putting this at the feet of Walker and Sloane, there may be others in the same boat – saying, ‘I got so much out of this, it was good’. And then on the other hand, right at the other end of the scale, you’ve got, ‘No, it ripped me apart, it ripped my relationship apart’.

“No wonder then from a footy club point of view and trying to stay together and on the same page, it ended up where it was.

“If you are told, whether you’re black or white or otherwise, ‘These camp people want to speak to you and they say to step aside from everyone else privately and we want you to have a conversation where you are open and vulnerable’ … And I go, ‘OK. In terms of building me as a better player and a leader, I’ll share and I’ll give you these really sensitive things that, to me, are important’. Then to have that thrown back in my face, that’s not cultural for me.

“How it affects me and someone else might be different based on culture, but that’s a betrayal for me.”

speaking on SEN SA Breakfastformer Port Adelaide star Kane Cornes questioned Adelaide’s leadership, calling out Crows star Rory Sloane for his public remarks after the camp when he said it made him a better husband and a better father.

“The question is, all of the people who have defended the camp and have said nothing went on, including the Crows fans, including Mark Ricciuto, including the club, what do they do now? Details have come out, Eddie Betts was abused about his mother, ”Cornes said.

“The saddest thing for me, the two most popular players at Adelaide are Tony Modra and Eddie Betts. No one made the Adelaide Oval stand up when they went near the football in Crows history like Eddie Betts. No one has been more popular.

“That’s the echelon that Eddie Betts is held in. To read how he was treated by his own football club, of which he is an icon, that was the saddest part for me.

“We do now have a blow-by-blow account which is pretty harrowing that your most popular player in club history was treated like an animal on this camp.

“I think it’s embarrassing for Rory Sloane and Taylor Walker to now hear that that was a rehearsed line and that they were all told and indoctrinated into saying it had made them a better father and husband and child. And to see Eddie Betts relay that that was actually rehearsed, it does not paint Rory and his leadership of him in great light.

“There’s a lot of egg on the face of Crows supporters, the footy club and a few players that were there.”

The Crows were cleared of any work health and safety breaches after an independent investigation into the training camp by SafeWork SA.

Read related topics:Adelaide

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Maddie Ziegler hits red carpet in daring gown at Bullet Train premiere | Photos

Maddie Ziegler hits red carpet in daring gown at Bullet Train premiere | Photos

Maddie Ziegler is not a little kid anymore.

The US dancer, perhaps best known as Australian singer Sia’s muse, hit the red carpet at the Bullet Train premiere in Westwood, California, yesterday, wearing a daring low-cut black gown.

The 19-year-old, who in recent years has transitioned to acting, walked the carpet alongside Brad Pitt for the upcoming David Leitch-directed thriller, which hits cinemas in Australia on Thursday.

Ziegler, who shot to fame aged eight on the US reality series Dance Momsgained wider recognition since 2014 after featuring in Sia’s music video for Chandelier.

She went on to forge a successful partnership with Sia, appearing alongside the singer on red carpets, during her tours and starring in several other music videos.

Ziegler was also hand-picked by Sia to star as an autistic girl in the widely-panned 2021 film, Musicopposite Kate Hudson.

RELATED: See all the best celebrity pictures from red carpets around the world

Her casting became a controversial topic, with the movie criticized for its “offensive depiction of autism.”

Ziegler addressed the criticism in an interview with independent at the time, saying she understood the outcry.

“I’ve actually stayed out of all of it just because, you know, I’m 18 years old and it’s a lot of pressure … (But) I understand why people would want someone who’s actually on the spectrum with autism to play this character.

“But in terms of the dance sequences, I think that’s why Sia chose me to bring the dream world to life. It was all [made] with good intentions and with a good heart.”

Elsewhere on the Bullet Train red carpet, fellow former child star Joey King, who stars in the film, also rocked a plunging gown.

The 23-year-old kissing booth stars plays British assassin Prince in the action film, which also stars Sandra Bullock.

Bullet Train follows trained killer Ladybug (Pitt) who wants to leave his life as an assassin behind, but is roped back in by his handler Maria Beetle (Bullock) to collect a briefcase on a bullet train heading from Tokyo to Kyoto.

On-board the train, Ladybug bumps into fellow competing assassins who discover their missions are connected.

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Batgirl movie ‘shelved’ by DC Comics

Batgirl movie 'shelved' by DC Comics

Holy millions down the drain, Batman!

The DC Comics film batgirl will be completely “shelved” by Warner Bros, a top Hollywood source told new york post.

That means it won’t hit theaters or the US streaming service HBO Max. Fans will not see it.

The reportedly $100 million movie (the source said the budget was actually more than $140 million), which was doing test screenings for audiences in anticipation of a late 2022 debut, would rank among the most expensive cinematic cast-offs ever.

Those tests were said to be so poorly received by moviegoers that the studio decided to cut its losses and run, for the sake of the brand’s future. It’s a DC disaster.

“They think an unspeakable batgirl is going to be irredeemable,” the source said.

The Post has reached out to Warner Bros. for comment.

It’s been a months-long walk of shame for the movie. Batgirl, directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life), received not a single mention at DC’s Comic-Con panel in San Diego in July — an unusual move that raised industry eyebrows. The much-publicized event, after all, is designed to boost exposure for forthcoming projects just like this one.

Marvel’s Comic-Con presentation, on the flip side, announced more than a dozen films in the so-called Phases 5 and 6 of the MCU, to be released through fall 2025, with even more surely in the hopper.

batgirlwhich stars Leslie Grace (In the Heights) in the title role, alongside JK Simmons, Michael Keaton and Brendan Fraser, was originally planned for a release on HBO Max. The Puck newsletter reported in April that WB’s then-chair, Toby Emmerich, was considering a theatrical run for the film too.

But Emmerich stepped down in June to form his own production company — not long after Warner Bros. merged with Discovery and David Zaslav became the CEO of the new entity. He replaced Emmerich with MGM’s Michael De Luca (who likely had to deliver the “Bat” news) and Pam Abdy.

While the film’s co-directors have done some scattered interviews about casting, the studio has been mum on plans for batgirl ever since.

Shelving a multimillion-dollar effort would not be unusual for Zaslav, a ruthless cost-cutter. Remember, he’s the same guy who gave the $400 million streaming service CNN+ the ax just days after its splashy launch because it didn’t snare enough subscribers.

The budget-conscious CEO, according to Varietyhas split WB into multiple segments, including a reorganized “DC-based film production” group.

With that in mind, WB is said to be searching for a head honcho to run the flailing DC Extended Universe and whip it into a coherent shape, like Kevin Feige did with the far more successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is owned by Disney. The current president of DC film production is Walter Hamada. Warner Bros. Discovery will report their Q2 earnings and announce future plans on Thursday.

DC urgently needs all the help it can get.

Unlike the behavior that is Marvel Studios, whose movies occasionally get bad reviews but reliably print money, DC is a disorganized, confusing, not-very-profitable mess. Aquaman and Wonder Woman 1984 got mixed reviews from critics; birds of prey and Suicide Squad were admired flops.

batman performed OK at the box office for Warner Bros., netting $1.1 billion worldwide with an R rating, and got good notices. However, the only DC Extended Universe film that has managed to beat the $1.45 billion box office gross of Dark Knightwhich came out 14 long years ago (joker with Joaquin Phoenix was not part of the DCEU), was Aquaman.

Meanwhile, Marvel’s pandemic-era Spider-Man: No Way Home has grossed $2.75 billion worldwide and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness you have managed a solid $1.4 billion.

Lately, DC’s nasty star drama has eclipsed the buzz — such as it is — surrounding its movies.

Ezra Miller, who plays the Flash, has caused a string of embarrassing controversies this year. In the spring, the actor was twice arrested in Hawaii — first for disorderly conduct and harassment, then for second-degree assault. Then in June, the Standing Rock Sioux tribal court issued an order of protection against the 29-year-old for allegedly using “violence, intimidation, threat of violence, fear, paranoia, delusions and drugs” to groom an 18-year-old whom the actor has known since she was 12. (Miller has not publicly commented on the latest allegation; a police investigation into the Hawaii incidents are reportedly ongoing.)

Ben Affleck, meanwhile, consistently claims he’s done with playing the Caped Crusader — even going so far as to allow Robert Pattinson to take over the role in this year’s batman — but keeps coming back like a bad ex-boyfriend. It was reported this week by Screen Rant that the actor will appear yet again as Bruce Wayne in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Perplexing.

And Gal Gadot is said to be starring in Wonder Woman 3, but the actress and director Patty Jenkins have said nothing — including a title or release date — beyond that they’re throwing around script ideas. DC, which squanders legendary properties with abandon, appears to have no grand plan whatsoever.

Soon, however, Wonder Woman won’t be the one holding the golden lasso anymore. Instead, power will be wielded by an all-controlling DC film production head who will attempt to turn things around. Before they arrive, killing batgirl is Step 1.

“This is the end of DC as a hobby,” the source said.

This story originally appeared on Page Six and is republished here with permission

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Entertainment

Brad Pitt reveals why he wore a skirt to Bullet Train premiere

Brad Pitt reveals why he wore a skirt to Bullet Train premiere

Brad Pitt isn’t skirting around the truth.

The Oscar winner, 58, has explained why he decided to rock a skirt at the German premiere of his new comedy-action film Bullet Train last month, reports the new york post.

the Fight Club star showed off his tattoos on the Berlin red carpet on July 19 where he sported a light pink shirt, combat boots, a brown kilt and a matching jacket.

At Monday’s Los Angeles premiere of Bullet TrainPitt revealed why he opted for the style choice.

“I don’t know! We’re all going to die, so let’s mess it up,” he told Variety.

For Monday’s event, the Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood actor wore a green suit and yellow sneakers.

Pitt previously described why he decided to wear a skirt at the Berlin show last month, jokingly telling the Associated Press: “The breeze. The breeze.”

The David Leitch film stars Pitt as a hitman who has encountered several killers aboard a fast-moving train. Sandra Bullock, Logan Lerman, Bad Bunny, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry also appear in the movie.

The father of six also revealed to the outlet how the movie’s violence is an ongoing theme throughout the plot and how he was happy to let his stuntman do some of the more hardcore moves dusting shooting.

“I try to get out of it. I love a stuntman,” Pitt said. “This one was action-comedy, something I’ve never done before.”

He continued: “David and I had always been big fans of Jackie Chan. We’d been talking about him for decades. He’s kind of our Buster Keaton. He’s so talented and underrated even. Just to do something in that direction was what was really appealing to me.”

Pitt also shed some light on retirement rumors at the LA red carpet yesterday.

I have told dead line on Monday: “I was just saying, ‘I’m past middle age and I want to be specific about how I spend those last things however they may be.’ I’ve never been a five-year plan kind of guy. I’m just, whatever feels right for the day. I still operate that way.”

Pitt previously revealed his inability to remember faces is a condition he suffers from, called prosopagnosia, or face blindness.

“Nobody believes me,” he told GQ. “But it’s a mystery to me, man. I can’t grasp a face and yet I come from such a design/aesthetic point of view.”

“Bullet Train” will be released in Australian theaters on August 4.

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

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