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HyperSocial CEO Braden Wallake mocked for crying selfie after staff cuts

HyperSocial CEO Braden Wallake mocked for crying selfie after staff cuts

The CEO of an online marketing firm was lambasted on social media after he posted a “cringe-worthy” selfie on LinkedIn that showed him crying as he announced cuts to staff.

Braden Wallake, CEO of marketing services firm HyperSocial based in Ohio, US, took to the professional networking site to announce the firings in a lengthy post to employees, the new york post reports.

It is unclear how many employees were let go by the company.

“This will be the most vulnerable thing I’ll ever share,” he wrote. “I’ve gone back and forth whether to post this or not. We just had to lay off a few of our employees.”

Mr Wallake then wrote that the dismissals were “my fault” because of a decision that he made in February. I have admitted that I am “stuck with that decision for far too long”.

“Now, I know my team will say that ‘we made that decision together,’ but I lead [sic] us into it,” he wrote. “And because of those failings, I had to do today, the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do.

“We’ve always been a people first business. And we always will be,” he said.

“Days like today, I wish I was a business owner that was only money driven and didn’t care about who he hurt along the way,” Mr Wallake wrote. “But I’m not. I’m sure there are hundreds and thousands of others like me.”

According to HyperSocial’s LinkedIn page, the company, which was founded in 2019, has up to 50 employees.

“The ones you don’t see talked about,” he continued. “Because they didn’t lay off 50 or 500 or 5000 employees. They laid off one or two or three. One or two or three that would still be here if better decisions had been made.”

Mr Wallake continued: “I know it isn’t professional to tell my employees that I love them. But from the bottom of my heart, I hope they know how much I do.

“Every single one. Every single story. Every single thing that makes them smile and every single thing that makes them cry,” he wrote. “Their families. Their friends. Their hobbies. I’ve always hired people based on who they are as people.

“People with great hearts and great souls. And I can’t think of a lower moment than this,” Mr Wallake wrote.

The post by Mr Wallake generated more than 30,500 reactions, with more than 5,800 comments, and nearly 500 shares as of Thursday morning. Most of the reactions were negative.

“Why don’t you cut your salary or don’t take one until the company is back where you need it to be?” one commenter wrote on LinkedIn. “I mean, if you really care about your employees and the hardship you just dropped on them.”

Another LinkedIn user posted a screenshot of an Instagram post by Mr Wallake from June in which he announced that he adopted a sea otter.

“Maybe it’s not a great idea to adopt a sea lion at the beginning of a recession?”

Mr Wallake pushed back, saying that the adoption was a result of a “donation made on my behalf as a birthday present to me” and that he doesn’t “actually have a sea otter running around our van”.

Another LinkedIn user wrote: “Are you being serious here? Perhaps you think all publicity is good publicity.

“For goodness sake show some humility or some dignity.”

Another critic wrote: “I am sorry, your post causes bad feelings at me. This is more about YOUR feelings and not about the feelings of the people you had to lay off. That looks a bit like self-pity.”

But others on LinkedIn defended Mr Wallake – and clapped back at those who ridiculed him.

“What about this post in which he admits his faults, failures and expresses his anguish at the hurt he’s caused made you feel the need to pile on?” one defend wrote.

Mr Wallake posted another message on LinkedIn on Wednesday in response to the backlash. He defended his decision to post the thread and pushed back on suggestions that he publicly named the fired employees.

“Hey everyone, yes, I am the crying CEO,” he wrote.

“No, my intent was not to make it about me or victimize myself. I am sorry it came across that way.”

Mr Wallake continued: “It was not my place to out the employees’ names publicly.

“What I want to do now, is trying to make better of this situation and start a thread for people looking for work,” he wrote.

This post first appeared on the New York Post and has been republished with permission

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Sports

Trade news, Kevin Durant future, trade options, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics trade Jaylen Brown

Trade news, Kevin Durant future, trade options, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics trade Jaylen Brown

The Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat were initially listed as preferred landing spots for Kevin Durant but now two new contenders have emerged.

According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are also desirable destinations for the 12-time All-Star.

Of course, Durant has been heavily linked to Boston in recent weeks, with a potential trade package centered around Jaylen Brown.

Dellavedova to make NBA return! | 00:32

But those reports were focused on a move that would work for the Nets. This one looks at just what Durant may be after and it looks like he is keen on the Celtics too.

Boston reportedly offered Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and a first-round pick but even that does not seem to be enough for Brooklyn, who want reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart.

The Sixers, meanwhile, could offer an attractive package including Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris and/or Matisse Thybulle and would see Durant reunite with James Harden.

Durant would be likely to accept a trade to Boston of Philadelphia, though his Brooklyn future is likely in the hands of Joe Tsai.

The 12-time All-Star made an ultimatum to the Nets owner, asking for GM Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash to be fired or be shipped out of town himself.

MORE KEVIN DURANT NEWS

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Durant told Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai that he must choose between keeping Durant or head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks. (Photo by ELSA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
Durant told Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai that he must choose between keeping Durant or head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks. (Photo by ELSA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)Source: AFP

Durant’s issues with the Nets and specifically Tsai go much deeper than his demand they fire Nash, a source close to the Nets and familiar with KD’s thinking told The New York Post.

“The ultimatum he made is not what really caused the deterioration. It’s not the ultimatum itself,” the source said.

Durant, among other things, was not consulted on the Nets’ firing of assistant coach and director of player development Adam Harrington when the season ended, the source believes.

“There are simple things that destroy a relationship. You fired someone he was close to and didn’t have a conversation about it,” the source said.

Last week, the popular Harrington attended a Liberty WNBA basketball game and was seen hugging current Nets players, according to a Reddit post.

“I would think there are so many things, it’s not one thing,” the source said. “I think KD wants to leave and it doesn’t matter what reasons he says.”

During a meeting this weekend with Tsai said, as he did last month, he wanted to be traded unless Nash was fired, The Post confirmed. There are also reports he wants general manager Sean Marks fired as well.

Marks was the main force behind hiring Nash, sources said.

Where will Kevin Durant end up? (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Durant believes “he traded away too many pieces,” the source said.

Tsai, after the reports Monday about the meeting with Durant, tweeted, “Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.”

All involved recognize Marks and Nash do not have autonomy and ultimately if the Nets blow up it is because of Tsai, the source said.

Tsai now has to decide whether to lower his high asking price and get a Durant trade done before training camp opens at the end of September as the 33-year-old star has requested.

“I don’t think anybody on the team is safe from being traded. Everyone is up for grabs,” the source said.

Durant signed a four-year, $198 million contract extension in 2021, so he has limited power in forcing a trade unless he refuses to play. A source told The Post this week that’s an unlikely scenario.

“I don’t think he’s not going to play,” they said.

This article first appeared on The New York Postand was reproduced with permission.

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Entertainment

Bullet Train: Brad Pitt keeps list of actors he’s worked with

Bullet Train: Brad Pitt keeps list of actors he's worked with

Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson says his co-star Brad Pitt has a “good” list and “s***” list of actors he will and won’t work with.

The pair star together in Bullet Train, helmed by John Wick and Deadpool 2 director David Leitch.

Promoting his latest onscreen venture at Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, the actor dished on what working with Pitt was like, Page Six reported.

Referring to Pitt as a “humble and gracious human being”, the actor told Variety: “He is in a new chapter of his life, I think.”

Taylor-Johnson, who has previously starred in action movies like Kick-Ass and Avengers: Age of Ultron continued: “He just wants to bring light and joy into the world and be around people who are there to have a good time.

“You work with many actors and after a while, you start making notes: ‘I am definitely not working with this person ever again.’ Brad has this list too: the ‘good’ list and the ‘s***’ list.”

A fight scene from the film – which was released in the US on Friday – between the two stars left Taylor-Johnson hospitalized after he sustained major injuries on set.

After implementing a “crazy mad Keto diet” in an effort to get “scrawny and lean” for the film, the actor fainted due to “low blood sugar levels” shortly after sustaining a hand injury.

“We were in a fight sequence and I got drop-kicked across the room. And the one sharp bit of the corner where there wasn’t any padding took a chunk out of my hand. I literally went wham, passed out,” he told Variety of the incident.

“Then I came back and was like ‘Should we go again?’ and they were like ‘No, no, no. You gotta go get stitches at the hospital.’ So then I spent the night in the hospital,” he added.

“When you sign up for a David Leitch movie you know you gotta get a couple battle scars, some war wounds,” he added.

This story was originally published by Page Six and was reproduced with permission

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Entertainment

Armie Hammer: Alleged victims come forward in House of Hammer trailer

Armie Hammer: Alleged victims come forward in House of Hammer trailer

Armie Hammer’s alleged victims have come forward in the first trailer for a new documentary series.

Following a series of scandals, the film star is reportedly “totally broke” and selling timeshare properties from an office cubicle in the Cayman Islands.

The first trailer of House of Hammer, released on Wednesday by the US network Discovery, includes footage of two of Hammer’s exes, Courtney Vucekovich and Julia Morrison, coming forward to detail their claimed harrowing experiences and include screenshots of messages and voice notes the Social network star allegedly sent them, reported the new york post.

“I have a fantasy about having someone prove their love and devotion and tying them up in a public place at night and making their body free use,” one alleged message from Hammer says.

Another voice memo, purportedly sent by Hammer, employs more violent imagery.

“My bet was going to involve showing up at your place and completely tying you up and incapacitating you and being able to do whatever I wanted to every single hole in your body until I was done with you,” the memo says.

The three-part series also features Hammer’s aunt Casey Hammer, who is the granddaughter of Armand Hammer, the businessman who made the family fortune in the oil business.

“I’m about to reveal the dark, twisted secrets of the Hammer family,” Casey says in the trailer.

the Call Me By Your Name star, 35, has called all of the allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse “bulls – t,” while his lawyer, Andrew Brettler, has denied any wrongdoing.

“From day one, Mr Hammer has maintained that all of his interactions with” every sexual partner “have been completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory,” Brettler told the new york post‘s Page Six in a statement.

Armie, who has been living in the Cayman Islands near estranged wife Elizabeth Chambers and their two children, spent six months in a Florida rehab center, which was paid for by Robert Downey Jr.

House of Hammer premieres in September in the US. It’s not clear when it will be available in Australia.

This story appeared in the New York Post and is reproduced with permission.

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Sports

Ben Simmons responds to Brooklyn Nets group chat report, Maya Jama break-up

NBA 2022 news: Ben Simmons leaves Brooklyn Nets group chat, Kevin Durant

Ben Simmons isn’t naive to the rumors running rampant about his status with the Brooklyn Nets and his relationship with fiancee Maya Jama.

The Nets guard returned to Twitter on Wednesday, following a two-month hiatus, and tweeted, “slow news day”, with a crying-laughing emoji, the new york post reports.

Simmons also re-posted a tweet by Jama, in which the British TV presenter and model wrote “Stop believing ‘sources’ in papers plz”.

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Jama’s tweet came Sunday, a day after reports emerged that she had allegedly called off the couple’s engagement and that the pair were “heartbroken” over the break-up.

Simmons’ tweet could have also been a response to a report from NBA insider Ric Bucher, who claimed the Aussie NBA star left a group chat without replying to Nets teammates who asked him to play in their must-win Game 4 of their playoff series against Boston last season. Brooklyn was swept by the Celtics in the first round.

“They’re having a team chat before Game 4, thinking he’s going to play against the Boston Celtics,” Bucher said on The Herd last week. “From what I’m told, Ben just left the chat.

“They asked him, ‘Are you going to play?’ Ben left the chat. Like he did n’t even answer the question, he just left the chat. And KD (Kevin Durant) is like, ‘This is what I signed up for? This is who I’m playing with?’”

on wednesday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania denied Bucher’s report during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

“This never happened… it’s an amazing story but it didn’t happen,” said Charania.

Simmons also re-tweeted a clip of that exchange, suggesting once again he was bemused by suggestions of his text message etiquette.

A three-time All-Star, Simmons is currently training in New York and continuing recovery from back surgery he underwent in May.

“He’s looking good,” Charania said. “There are high expectations (in Brooklyn) for Simmons. He’s supposed to be ready for training camp … and he’s doing more and more on the court.”

Simmons sat out the entire 2021-22 NBA season due to mental health issues and a lingering back injury, including the first half of the season with the Sixers, and then the remainder of the season after Philadelphia traded him to the Nets for James Harden in February.

Simmons’ latest tweet also came a day after The New York Post confirmed that Durant — who requested a trade out of Brooklyn in June — wants General Manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash gone.

On Monday, The Post confirmed Durant issued an ultimatum to Nets owner Joe Tsai at a face-to-face meeting in London, telling Tsai to choose between him or Marks and Nash.

This story first appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission

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Sports

Nick Kyrgios beats Daniil Medvedev at Canadian Open before US Open

Nick Kyrgios beats Daniil Medvedev at Canadian Open before US Open

Nick Kyrgios and Daniil Medvedev put on one heck of a show during their second round clash at the Canadian Open on Thursday morning (AEST) as the Australian continued his brilliant run of form ahead of this year’s US Open.

Fresh from winning the Citi Open title in Washington, Kyrgios’ class on hard courts was on show once again as he came back from a set down to topple world No. 1 Medvedev 6-7 6-4 6-2.

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Kyrgios has won 14 of his past 15 singles matches, stretching back to his run into the Wimbledon final, which he lost to Novak Djokovic. It’s the second time in his career that he’s beaten a world No. 1 and he now boasts a 3-1 head-to-head record against Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion.

Since landing in the States for the American hard court swing a couple of weeks ago, Kyrgios is 15-0 across singles and doubles.

American tennis icon Andy Roddick believes Kyrgios is now the favorite for the US Open, which kicks off in a couple of weeks, while Aussie tennis great Rennae Stubbs was in awe of what the Canberran is producing.

“@NickKyrgios I mean when he plays tennis and keeps his s**t together, he is seriously close to the best tennis player in the world,” Stubbs tweeted.

“His serve is untouchable at the moment. Fitness level is HIGH and his tennis acumen is unreal. That effort after losing the 1st set was impressive.”

Eric Hubbs of Barstool Sports tweeted: “Kyrgios domination continues. Finally playing to his potential and it’s awesome.”

But there is more than just tennis on Kyrgios’ mind. His mother Norlaila is in hospital back home in Australia, and he wrote “be strong, ma” on her camera after his victory.

“It’s hard because even traveling now, my mum is in hospital at the moment, my dad hasn’t been very well, my brother just had a baby and I don’t get to be there with my family when normal people would like to be with them,” Kyrgios said.

“It’s hard being from Australia because we can’t travel back and forth. There’s a lot of things people don’t see. They only see me winning, losing, throwing a racquet, doing those things. They don’t really understand the challenges that I face or what people on tour face, what’s going on in their personal lives.”

Kyrgios was the only player to have break points in the first set, but he failed to convert either of his opportunities at 5-4 and then was all over the shop during the tiebreak.

The 27-year-old smashed a ball out of the stadium in anger after dropping the opener, but was back at his mercurial best in the second set. Kyrgios broke Medvedev early on and maintained the rage to close out the set 6-4.

There were the usual antics from Kyrgios, who once again hit out at those in his player’s box.

Writer Allesandro Nivola tweeted: “Nick Kyrgios’s relationship with his box is so disturbing. He it’s like a deranged psychopathic dictator and his ‘advisors’ of him. They look terrified of saying the wrong thing or of standing up when they should sit down or of sitting down when they should stand up.”

However, Kyrgios composed himself for the decider to shut out Medvedev and progress to the third round in Montreal as his red-hot run continues.

He and Thanasi Kokkinakis won the doubles title in Atlanta then Kyrgios teamed up with Jack Sock in Washington to take out the Citi Open trophy.

That same day he also cleaned up in the singles draw, defeating Yoshihito Nishioka to win his first title in three years — a feat he last achieved at the same tournament in Washington back in 2019.

Speaking after his win over Nishioka earlier this week, Kyrgios opened up on his “transformation” after coming through some tough times emotionally.

“It was emotional for me to see where I was last year to now, it’s an incredible transformation,” Kyrgios said. “I just came out with great energy because I knew I had the experience on my side today.

“I’ve been in some really dark places and just to be able to turn it around…

“There’s so many people who have helped me get there but myself, I’ve shown some serious strength to just continue and just persevere and get through those really tough times and still be able to perform in tournaments like this one.”

Read related topics:Nick Kyrgios

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Sports

Prize money drawn against sign on fees, contracts, FedEx Cup

Prize money drawn against sign on fees, contracts, FedEx Cup

It turns out that at least some players who have ditched the PGA Tour for the riches of the LIV Golf Series aren’t actually earning a dime when it comes to their results in the lucrative, but controversial, Saudi-backed circuit.

That bombshell was revealed Tuesday in US District Court in San Jose, Calif., where a federal judge denied a temporary restraining order for three players currently suspended by the tour after leaving for LIV, the New York Post reports.

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They were seeking to be allowed to play in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs, which begins this week in Memphis.

During the hearing, a lawyer representing LIV said that players’ earnings are counted against the upfront money they receive for joining.

That means a $4 million first-place winner’s check would essentially amount to money a player has already been paid for signing with the rival faction. The lawyer said that not every contract is the same, but also said not all money is guaranteed, before moving on in the case.

Shark has lured the biggest names away from the PGA. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
Shark has lured the biggest names away from the PGA. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

That contradicts what a LIV official and some players have said up to this point.

When Brooks Koepka was pressed at the LIV tournament outside Portland, Ore., last month on whether a player’s winnings come out of the signing bonus, the four-time major champion said, “That’s not — no. Nope.” When questioned again on the issue, he said, “No. I don’t know — it’s irrelevant.”

The contract bombshell. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

At the end of the press conference in Portland, a LIV official in Portland tried to clear up the matter at the time.

“I just wanted to address [the] question earlier when you were asking about the prize purses and if they are in addition to the contracts,” she said. “The prize purses are in addition to. There is no draw at LIV Golf on any finances,” she said. “We just wanted to, on the record, it’s in addition to. And while you guys have, this is your first event, but you should know that from your contracts. You can test it. Thank you guys.”

That appears to not exactly be the case after all, however, according to one of LIV’s own attorneys.

This article originally appeared on the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.

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Business

Australian IT company Megaport sacks 10 per cent of staff, pays them $1.6m

Australian IT company Megaport sacks 10 per cent of staff, pays them $1.6m

An Australian tech company sacked around 10 per cent of its staff despite announcing its revenue had jumped by 40 per cent to $109.7 million in the past financial year.

The Brisbane-based telecommunications and IT infrastructure company called Megaport revealed that a whopping $1.6 million was spent paying out employees who had been made redundant.

Around 35 staff members – out of its 345 estimated workforce on LinkedIn – were impacted by the cuts.

“On July 14 2022, management made the decision to reduce its workforce in order to reduce costs and prepare for rising prices and inflation across the group’s key markets,” Megaport revealed in its report to investors.

Its revenue had grown from $78.3 million from the previous financial year, its results showed, while its monthly recurring revenue soared by 43 per cent to $10.7 million in June, mainly as a result of new customers from the US.

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The 10-year-old company, which was founded by multi-millionaire Bevan Slattery, is one of the many Aussie tech outfits that have suffered from a battering on the share market this year.

Its shares have plummeted by 53 per cent since the start of the year, but its results reported on Tuesday helped its stock rise by 9 per cent defying the broader trend of investors selling off loss making tech shares.

Megaport reported a full year net loss of $48.5 million down from $55 million the year earlier, while it increased customers from 2,285 to 2,643.

It currently has $82.5 million in cash, according to its report.

tech bloodbath

Aussie employees from the tech sector have suffered a brutal round of cuts in recent times, with Megaport’s staff the latest casualties.

An Australian social media start-up called Linktree that was recently valued at $1.78 billion is sacking 17 per cent of staff from its global operations, it revealed this week.

Immutable, an Australian crypto company valued at $3.5 billion was facing a fierce backlash last week 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.

Australian healthcare start-up Eucalptys that 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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Entertainment

Kids orphaned as parents fall to death from Bronx apartment

Kids orphaned as parents fall to death from Bronx apartment

Investigators are probing whether there was a struggle before an Albanian actor and his wife plunged to their deaths from their apartment in New York over the weekend, a police source said.

Florind Belliu, 35, an actor and aspiring filmmaker originally from Albania, and his wife Ornela Shehi, 28, were found in the rear courtyard of 2199 Cruger Avenue in the Bronx at around 9.15am on Saturday, cops and police sources said.

“There were signs in the apartment that indicated it wasn’t all Kumbaya, like they didn’t just decide to leave their kids behind and jump,” the source told the new york post.

The source wouldn’t provide any more details on the alleged “signs”.

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A suicide note was not left behind, according to the source.

Authorities are waiting for autopsy results to determine whether Mr Shehi suffered any injuries not indicative of a fall, the source said.

By late Tuesday morning, the city’s Medical Examiner’s (ME) Office had not made a determination on either Mr Shehi or Ms Belliu’s death.

“Both are pending while the ME awaits additional investigative information,” a spokeswoman said, adding that the signs could include “further testing of remains or investigatory material from the scene”.

Mr Shehi was caught on video plunging from the building’s sixth floor first and hitting the alleyway, with Ms Belliu landing seconds later, sources told the post a day after the couple’s deaths.

The couple moved into the building with their two young children about four months ago, and authorities never received reports of domestic violence related to the couple, according to police sources.

Neighbors told the post on Saturday that the pair were a “quiet couple” who “kept to themselves,” and were often seen taking walks – but also that Mr Belliu had been seen visibly angry Friday.

“I’ve seen them always buying things for the house, like every day together, with two kids together, we didn’t recognize there was something wrong,” said Shadie Perkaj, the wife of the building’s super.

She said Saturday was Mr Belliu’s birthday.

Mr Belliu’s pal Elona Caslli mourned her lost friend on Facebook.

“A multiple tragedy for which there is no word of consolation. God give strength to your children and parents,” Ms Caslli wrote in Albanian.

Ms Belliu was a graduate of the University of Arts in Tirana, Albania, and performed on TV and in the theater before moving to the US, EuroNews Albania reported.

As of two years ago, he was working on two books and a movie script he hoped to pitch to Netflix, the report said.

Police sources said he may have been recently working as a livery driver to help make ends meet.

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

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Entertainment

Bullet Train: Brad Pitt keeps list of actors he’s worked with

Bullet Train: Brad Pitt keeps list of actors he's worked with

Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson says his co-star Brad Pitt has a “good” list and “s***” list of actors he will and won’t work with.

The pair star together in Bullet Train, helmed by John Wick and Deadpool 2 director David Leitch.

Promoting his latest onscreen venture at Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, the actor dished on what working with Pitt was like, Page Six reported.

Referring to Pitt as a “humble and gracious human being”, the actor told Variety: “He is in a new chapter of his life, I think.”

Taylor-Johnson, who has previously starred in action movies like Kick-Ass and Avengers: Age of Ultron continued: “He just wants to bring light and joy into the world and be around people who are there to have a good time.

“You work with many actors and after a while, you start making notes: ‘I am definitely not working with this person ever again.’ Brad has this list too: the ‘good’ list and the ‘s***’ list.”

A fight scene from the film – which was released in the US on Friday – between the two stars left Taylor-Johnson hospitalized after he sustained major injuries on set.

After implementing a “crazy mad Keto diet” in an effort to get “scrawny and lean” for the film, the actor fainted due to “low blood sugar levels” shortly after sustaining a hand injury.

“We were in a fight sequence and I got drop-kicked across the room. And the one sharp bit of the corner where there wasn’t any padding took a chunk out of my hand. I literally went wham, passed out,” he told Variety of the incident.

“Then I came back and was like ‘Should we go again?’ and they were like ‘No, no, no. You gotta go get stitches at the hospital.’ So then I spent the night in the hospital,” he added.

“When you sign up for a David Leitch movie you know you gotta get a couple battle scars, some war wounds,” he added.

This story was originally published by Page Six and was reproduced with permission

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