John Travolta has revealed he had two Scientology minders with him 24 hours a day after he lost faith in the religion following the death of his son.
The 59-year-old Hollywood star’s son Jett died at the age of 16 five years ago after suffering a seizure at the family holiday home in the Bahamas.
“I don’t think I could’ve got through it,” he told the The Telegraph.
“They were with me every day after Jett died. They even travelled with me when I needed to get away. And for a solid two years it was like that.
“It was only in the second year that I started to take a break of a day or two just to see how I was doing on my own.”
It wasn’t until after Jett’s death that John and his wife Kelly Preston acknowledged that Jett was autistic, something they had always denied because Scientology does not believe autism exists.
The legendary actor has followed the controversial religion since 1975 and says it helped him through his son’s death.
Following the ordeal, John and his family became the victims of an $18 million blackmail plot where a lawyer and a paramedic threatened to release details of Jett’s death and the care he had obtained.
During the trial, the Pulp Fiction actor told the jury of his heartache.
“I was sleeping in the condo with my wife. My son was in the room below and my daughter was next door. I was awakened by Eli, my son’s nanny, pounding on the door saying Jett was unconscious,” he said at the time.
“I ran at the door, I ran downstairs to help my son with my wife. I saw him on the bathroom floor.
“His other nanny Jeff Kathrein and an employee, a woman, was doing CPR on him. I took the place of the woman. Jeff was doing compressions and I was doing breathing. I asked if an ambulance had been called and I was told yes.”
The case was later dropped when John refused to take to the witness stand for a second time following a mistrial.
Schapelle Corby has been told not to take part in a TV tell-all interview after Indonesian authorities said it could end her parole.
Deputy Law and Human Rights Minister Denny Indrayana and Indonesian justice minister Amir Syamsuddin has discussed the issue of Schapelle signing on to do a multi-million dollar TV deal.
The pair agreed that the interview would threaten Schapelle’s parole and said it “would be wise” for her not to do it.
“I have communicated with the minister earlier regarding the would-be stories, interviews,” Minister Indrayana said.
“We have agreed, and we have conveyed this to corrections board officers, that it would be better that those interviews were not conducted because the content might invite polemics and it’s possible that it creates unease among society.”
Mr Indrayana said the 36-year-old convicted drug smuggler did not have a special case and had simply met the conditions to be granted parole.
He made it clear that Schapelle had to stick to her parole conditions, which could be revoked at any time.
“So, instead of creating problems, we’re giving the view, advice, as I have conveyed to corrections board officers to convey this to Corby that it (the interview) shall not be conducted because she’s still in parole status,” he said.
“With parole, there’s regulation.”
Since her release on Monday, Schapelle has been staying at luxury resort Sentosa Seminyak in Bali and has been in talks with the Seven Network, which could earn her more than $2 million.
Schapelle’s sister Mercedes Corby spoke for the first time since her sister’s release on Thursday, saying: “The sums being reported are ridiculous”.
Realted video: Mercedes Corby rubbishes reports of media deal.
Woodall has been sharing holiday snaps on Instagram – including one of her and the 70-year-old art dealer having breakfast in Madrid, which the fashionista captioned” “Half a century.”
Writing about her milestone birthday online, a smitten Woodall says she feels “very energised” by her new relationship with “a very special friend”.
The wealthy pair are no strangers to taking lavish trips. Saatchi and Woodall celebrated the New Year on board a £25 million super-yacht in the Caribbean partying with A-listers such as Kate Moss and Bryan Adams before sailing to St Lucia.
The loved-up couple have been spotted visiting boutiques, museums and just generally relaxing on their Spanish holiday, taking some time away from Saatchi’s divorce controversy which is still making headlines in the UK.
Saatchi married TV chef Nigella Lawson in 2003 but the pair divorced in 2013 just weeks after photos emerged of him apparently choking her in a Mayfair restaurant.
The split quickly became bitter and ended in a public mud-slinging match in court where Lawson’s former aides, Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo, were on trial for fraud.
The Grillo sisters were acquitted but the explosive case saw Lawson forced to admit she had used cocaine and marijuana in the past.
The fashion force was with Rodarte on Tuesday when the label presented the best collection in the brand's history in a show that was closed by five spectacular finale gowns that payed an intergalactic homage to the Star Wars films.
The fashion force was with Rodarte on Tuesday when the label presented the best collection in the brand’s history in a show that was closed by five spectacular finale gowns that payed an intergalactic homage to the Star Wars films.
The luxe brand presented graceful floor sweeping gowns in delicate silks with beloved Star Wars characters Luke Skywalker, Yoda, C-3PO and R2-D2 pressed onto the face of the elegant garments.
“It’s so rare that you can use a film still as artwork and have it look like a painting. It’s so beautiful,” said Rodarte designer, Laura Mulleavy.
The label, which is headed up by Laura and her sister Kate Mulleavy, had the blessing of the film’s creator, George Lucas, to produce the line and the partnership is timed perfectly as the franchise’s next instalment is due this coming December.
While the spacy gowns are not for sale, instead only available for editorial shoots, the rest of the Rodarte collection was exciting enough to satisfy any fashion buyers.
In keeping with the sci-fi theme the collection was a time-warp. A trip down memory lane which teased out the designers early childhood memories of the 80’s wearing smock dresses, high-waisted pants and crochet knits all teamed with eye-catching accessories.
The unique intergalactic designs by Rodarte are not for sale, instead they will only be available for editorial shoots.
The Star Wars artwork was well received among fashion fans.
An image of Luke Skywalker is emblazoned on this elegant gown.
C-3PO added a golden touch to this ensemble.
This Yoda gown was certainly a wise inclusion.
“We couldn’t have done a collection like this and not included Star Wars,” said Kate Mulleavy.”Those films represent for us a time when anything was possible.”
A model walks the runway during the Rodarte fall 2014 fashion show in a sheer outlandish design.
Metallic was in vogue for much of the collection.
The accessories perfectly complimented the mood of the collection.
Blue steel: This coat was a showstopper.
The collection managed to marry the futuristic with the retro while simultaneously juxtaposing lady-like with child-like in a perfectly layered symphony of style.
The colour palate was diverse but every shade complemented the entire collection.
A model wears one of the most classically feminine garments in the collection.
High-waisted pants found themselves wandering down the runway to a welcome reception.
Dakota Fanning was one star who sat front row.
Sofia Sanchez, Gia Coppola, and Delfina Delettrez Fendi all attend the Rodarte show.
Rodarte designers, Laura and Kate Mulleavy take a bow post-show.
“You know, I do want to start a shoe collection,” she said. “If anybody here is a shoe designer, please do come and see me! I definitely think shoes is probably the next category that I’ll look at going into.”
While excited about the prospect of footwear, the former pop-star, who has recently been sporting some uncharacteristic flats, confessed she’s slightly intimidated by the venture.
“It’s quite a competitive category but I would love to go into it,” she said. “I actually work with Manolo Blahnik on the shoes for my show every season and working with him is remarkable.”
Victoria on the runway after her Autumn/Winter 14 collection was exhibited on Sunday at Café Rouge in NYC.
Beckham has surprised many by carving out an impressive fashion career since launching her label five years ago. Her recent women’s wear collection was met with praise for quality tailoring and bold minimalist looks.
The show was not only attended fashion fans, like US Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour who sat front row, but also David Beckham and the entire Beckham brood who turned out to support their matriarch.
David Beckham snaps a family selfie as he sits front row with his children, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper.
The Beckham boys, Brooklyn,15, Romeo, 11 and Cruz, eight, obviously looked uber-handsome at the event and with such stylish sons it’s no wonder proud mum Victoria is keen to also dabble in designing some menswear too.
“I’d love to do menswear at some point, absolutely,” she said. “I get very inspired by menswear- [my spring 2014 collection] was very inspired by men’s tailoring, and there’s the boy-meets-girl fashion message throughout the whole collection.”
The Beckhams have been paparazzi favourites this fashion week.
But when asked if hubby David would consider modelling the future men’s line Victoria joked “He’s a bit busy modelling underwear at the moment”.
The Kiwi airline’s new video, which features several scantily-clad Sports Illustrated swimsuit models, has already gone viral and been met with mixed reviews.
The clip, aptly titled Safety in Paradise, stars Ariel Meredith, Chrissy Teigen, Hannah Davis and David Jones ambassador Jessica Gomes. Rather than being a bland instructional video, which too often gets ignored, the beauties inform passengers of emergency procedures while strutting on white sandy beaches in the Cook Islands wearing skimpy bathing suits.
The cheeky video sees the models jump into rock pools wearing life jackets and tucking their luggage under deck chairs dishing out advice like “Relax, you are on island time now!”
Aussie bombshell, Jessica Gomes, who is a Sports Illustrated favourite, was delighted with her transport to the exotic location, claiming “I was just so lucky to be able to ride up the front with the pilot!”
But it’s not just the models of today informing passengers about in-flight safety, former cover girl, Christie Brinkley also makes a cameo. The 60-year-old, who looks stunning in a white bikini and robe, did not make the journey to the Cook Islands and instead played her role across the Pacific sitting poolside at a swish mansion in the Hollywood Hills.
The clip sent the Twitter-sphere into meltdown with many users thrilled to see swimsuits and air safety together.
“I can’t tell what looks better? The SI models or the Cook Islands?? Amazing job!!” one online fan tweeted.
Picturesque and effective, no? Not according to some who accuse the airline of outright sexism, labelling the video offensive. Hilary Barry, a high-profile news anchor in New Zealand said she was “incensed” with the stunt.
“I think it’s highly inappropriate, sexualised, objectifies women, demeaning, it’s just appalling” Barry said. “They should truly, cut their losses, take it down immediately,” she said.
This is not the airlines first go at challenging the flight safety video status-quo. This racy new video follows clips that feature Hobbits, All Blacks and TV survival expert Bear Grylls.
One day on my way to school I felt a strange rush. An intense feeling of déjà vu swept over me: first rendering me cold, and then hitting me with a searing hot flush.
The entire episode lasted just half a minute, but left me feeling weak and nauseous.
I was 17 at the time, and booked a doctor’s appointment as soon as I could, frightened the sensation would return.
The doctor I saw dismissed my concerns, and when I asked for a CT scan he laughed, calling it a “waste of taxpayer’s money”.
I felt ridiculed, and was scared the feeling would return again.
As my studies intensified (I was in my last year of high school), I started suffering these déjà vu attacks more and more frequently. Sometimes I would have as many as 50 in just 3 days, leaving me exhausted and finding it hard to concentrate on my work.
Three more doctors over the next five years dismissed my concerns, until I was finally (mis)diagnosed with migraines, and put on preventative aspirin and the contraceptive pill.
The attacks continued, and made studying at university impossible– so reluctantly I pulled out of my Education degree in third year.
Finally, fed up with a lack of answers from the medical fraternity, my Mum did an online search of my symptoms.
The results suggested I had epilepsy, and the next day she rushed me to a doctor, demanding a brain scan (medically known as an EEG or Electroencephalogram).
Finally I had a proper diagnosis. At 22 years of age, with no previous medical issues, I had epilepsy.
According to Epilepsy Action Australia, around 225,000 Australians are currently living with epilepsy, and an estimated 2.4 million new cases are diagnosed around the world each year.
Since my diagnosis, I have been on rollercoaster of medications – six in total – one caused me to put on 15 kilos, another made me depressed.
When I was weaned off one drug to go to another, I had my first major seizure, called a “tonic clonic”. I was at work at the time, and while I don’t remember it I know everyone was horrified, and I stopped receiving shifts.
I feel embarrassed, stigmatised, and have lost a lot of friends who just don’t understand my condition. On the flipside, I have had incredible love and support from my Mum, brother and partner.
Because of the medication, I have heightened risk of birth defects and as my seizures aren’t regulated yet, it would be devastating to fall pregnant right now.
My current doctors and neurologist are still working out exactly what type of epilepsy I have. They think I have at least two types, one that causes the déjà vu episodes – and another that causes me to have the more dramatic seizures.
Despite epilepsy being the most common brain disorder in the world, most Aussies don’t know about it, which is why I want to tell my story.
I want people to know that there are many types of epilepsy – over 40 – and varying degrees of severity in each case.
For me: I can work, I can socialise, I can study… but I need people to be understanding of my condition, and know what to do if I do have a seizure.
I have normal dreams: I want to marry my fiancée, I want a house of my own, I want to finish my degree.
I want my epilepsy medication to be worked out so I can drive a car for the first time in my life.
Most of all, I don’t want to be pigeonholed as an “epileptic”. I am Lauren, a 24-year-old from Queensland, and I want to be known as me.
Corporal Cameron Stewart Baird has been posthumously awarded Australia's 100th Victoria Cross.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott bestowed the country’s highest military honour on Corporal Cameron Stewart Baird in parliament this morning.
“Our country has lost a citizen, a soldier, a hero,” Abbott told the House of Representatives. “We are all the poorer for his passing but the richer for his living.
“For all of us, this is a bittersweet day. Bitter because a fine man is gone and cannot be brought back. Sweet because he died for his mates doing what he lived for.”
Outgoing Governor-General Quentin Bryce will present the medal to Baird’s parents in a ceremony at Government House in Canberra next Tuesday.
Corporal Baird’s brother Brendan said it was a very proud day for his family.
“Cameron never liked the limelight,” he said. “He was a very humble man who would not see this as an individual award but recognition of all commandoes.
“We accept this award not only on behalf of Cameron but for all his brothers, his team, his company and his regiment.”
Corporal Baird was shot dead last July during a raid on an enemy stronghold in the village of Ghawchak, in Afghanistan’s Khod Vallery. He died heroically trying to draw fire away from his fellow soldiers to allow them to safely gain ground.
He was the 40th Australian soldier to be killed in Afghanistan.
The Cooma born and raised snowboarder finished second behind American Kaitlyn Farrington (91.75), and ahead of Kelly Clark (90.75), also of the USA.
Bright, who scored a disappointing 58.25 in her first run of the halfpipe, rallied all she could muster on her second attempt, scoring a huge 91.50 which put her 0.25 points behind Farrington, a tiny margin that robbed the Aussie of back-to-back Olympic gold.
Bright, who took gold the same event in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, said while the contest in Sochi provided a close finish that made for some exciting spectating, she was definitely feeling the pressure.
“Tonight was really difficult. Perhaps like one of the hardest contests I have done in a while,” she said. “I’m so happy it is over and I am so happy I put a run down. I am grateful to be here.”
If not for Bright it would have been an all-American trifecta finish, with another former Olympic champion, Hannah Teter, finishing in fourth place.
Torah said that while the finals pressure mounted, her mind was a million miles away thinking of her family watching in Australia.
“I was actually thinking about my brother and everybody back home,” she said. “I am like, ‘Why did I do that to them again? Leave it down to the last run. Why do I do it to myself?’ “
Winning Olympic medals has been a lifelong dream for Bright. She was on skis at the age of two, snowboarding at 11, and had turned professional by the time she was 14.
The victory ties Bright with Dale Begg-Smith as Australia’s most successful Winter Olympian. Begg-Smith won the gold medal for Australia in the men’s moguls event at the 2006 Winter Olympics and silver at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Sixty of the original Jim Henson puppets will be brought to life in the wickedly funny Puppet Up! at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The wacky, off-the-cuff show delivers a riotous mix of “animals, humans, aliens, hotdogs and crabs” in what is billed as a “psychotic puppet party”, courtesy of The Jim Henson Company.
Other international headliners are Max and Ivan, Paul Foot and Sara Pascoe, accompanied by local acts, Wil Anderson, Hannah Gadsby, Cal Wilson and Denise Scott.
It’s the 26th festival since it was launched by Barry Humphries and Peter Cook in 1987 and, with attendances of over 630,000 last year, it’s now Australia’s largest cultural event. This year, the Melbourne Town Hall precinct will once again be converted into a giant comedy hub from March 26 to April 20.
MADAMA BUTTERFLY – ON SYDNEY HARBOUR
March 21 marks the third anniversary of one of Australia’s boldest arts initiatives – the staging of open-air opera on Sydney Harbour. This year’s production, Madama Butterfly, one of the repertoire’s most popular operas, is expected to eclipse the spectacular successes of 2012’s La Traviata and 2013’s Carmen.
The visionary behind these performances, Opera Australia Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini, has not only matched superb production values with world-class singers, but on a lighter note, eye-catching props. La Traviata sported a truck-sized chandelier, Carmen a giant bull. This year, Madama Butterfly (March 21-April 12) will create a giant full moon, which rises from the harbour and silhouettes “Butterfly” and Pinkerton in this poignant tale of love and betrayal.
The first two Handa productions drew opera buffs from all over the world and also grew a new domestic audience at Bennelong Point. “Sixty per cent of the people who came [to La Traviata] had never been to an opera before,” Lyndon Terracini said last year. And 40 per cent of the audiences came from interstate and overseas, proving that the arts can be a dynamic factor in getting people to travel.
“Our productions on the Harbour are great introductions to opera, especially for those who may not have entertained the idea before,” said Terracini.
Few punters were probably aware of the tense lead up to La Traviata in 2013, when rain threatened to sabotage the success of a project estimated to have $11 million in the balance. “I had four weather apps on my phone and each one told me the sun was going to shine,” said a sublimely optimistic Terracini at the time. And even though it had rained for a month, the sun did shine on the opening night and 3000 people leapt to their feet and roared with applause.
This year, Cio-Cio-San (“Butterfly”) will be sung by Hiromi Omura and Hyeseoung Kwon; Suzuki by Anna Yun; and Pinkerton by Georgy Vasiliev and Andeka Gorrotxategi. Brian Castles-Onion will conduct. For information, visit Opera Australia.
ADELAIDE FRINGE
If you’re heading south, be sure to catch one of South Australia’s premier events, the 2014 Adelaide Fringe. With a record 966 events, including risqué cabaret, thought-provoking theatre and zany circus acts, alongside dance, comedy and lots for the kids, too, it has something for everyone and runs from February 14 to March 16.
Catch the Fringe Parade on the opening night, an explosion of colour, light and music along King William Street at 8.30pm, with pre-parade entertainment from 7pm. It’s the perfect event for the whole family – take along a picnic blanket and stake out your spot along the parade route.
The newly developed Victoria Square, right in the heart of the city, will be transformed into the festival hub – featuring not only the Fringe Street Theatre Festival, where super funny and super skilled street performers will entertain passers-by, but the Spirit Festival, a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture.
Other festival highlights include Fringe ambassador and ARIA award-winning singer-songwriter Katie Noonan on stage at The Garden of Unearthly Delights in Rundle Park, comedians including Wil Anderson, Stephen K. Amos and Denise Scott tickling funny bones in various shows, and high-energy dance performances and workshops, including Spandexx Ballet: Aerobics ’80s Style, where you can dust off your leotard and leg warmers and get involved.
For a truly delicious night out for the senses outside of the city, why not catch the a Capella group, The Idea of North, at the Jacobs Creek Visitors Centre, where their smooth harmonies will accompany a three-course meal prepared by executive chef, Genevieve Harris, and matched with the label’s award-winning reserve wines. Or if you’re after something a little more unusual, head to Victoria Square for Twisted Lollipop, a tale of two brats, just as sweet and sour as each other.
You’ll find ticket box offices and outlets around the city and getting around easy – there’s a free Fringe bus that will take you to the various venues. Just watch out for any number of unexpected characters you might encounter when you step onboard! The bus runs from 8pm till midnight, Thursday to Saturday nights for the duration of the festival from East End to Victoria Square.
Other events during “Mad March”, as the Adelaidians call the month, are the Adelaide Festival (February 20- March 16), the arts and music extravaganza WOMADelaide (March 7-10) in the city’s Botanic Park and the motor racing event, Clipsal 500 (February 27-March 2).
NOOSA INTERNATIONAL FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL
More than 250 invited chefs, producers, winemakers and entertainers will descend on Noosa to join foodies from all over the world to celebrate the good things in life. The aim this year is to“strip away some of the formality and create one big party”, say the organisers.
Set against the sparkling backdrop of Noosa (recently awarded Australia’s Best Summer Holiday Destination), the 2014 festival will host some of the world’s best chefs, including Franck-Elie Laloum (Shanghai), Alvin Leung (Hong Kong), Bruno Loubet (London), Neil Perry AM (Sydney), Julien Royer (Singapore), David Thompson (Bangkok) as well as Shane Delia, Guy Gross and Peter Kuruvita under direction of the festival’s new Executive Chef Timothy Montgomery.
More than 80 of Australia’s best winemakers will come together for a series of world-class wine celebrations and masterclasses hosted by Aaron Brasher, Peter Forrestal, Ken Gargett, Tony Harper, Tony Love, Bernadette O’Shea, Peter Scudamore-Smith and Tyson Steltzer.
A Melbourne exclusive, it draws on one of the world’s most celebrated collections and will showcase over 100 works – comprising 70 paintings, many measuring over three metres, alongside more than 30 superb drawings – the largest number of Italian works the Museo del Prado has ever loaned to one exhibition.
“This is the first time the Prado has toured an exhibition of their renowned collection of Italian masterpieces in the world,” says Tony Ellwood, Director of the National Gallery of Victoria. “We are thrilled that Melbourne has secured this world first – providing visitors with an unprecedented opportunity to see works that, until now, could only be seen at the Prado.”
More than 70 artists are represented, including Raphael, Correggio, Titian, Tintoretto, the Carracci, Poussin and Tiepolo.
PAS DE DEUX IN PARADISE – HAMILTON ISLAND
Soak up some of ballet’s most beautiful pas de deux with the Queensland’s Whitsunday Passage as the backdrop. Now in its seventh year, The Australian Ballet’s Pas de Deux in Paradise returns to the luxury Qualia resort on Hamilton Island with dancing from La Sylphide, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and The Nutcracker on the weekend of October 31-November 2.
Principal artists Leanne Stojmenov, Kevin Jackson, Lana Jones and Daniel Gaudiello will perform beachside in this open-air event, where spectators get to mingle with the dancers.
The multi-dimensional weekend sees guests get an unprecedented insight into the workings of a ballet company and how the magic is weaved behind the scenes and on stage. There’ll be open rehearsals, the beachside cocktail party before the show, a question-and-answer session and grand dinner at the resort’s Long Pavilion. For ballet lovers or anyone in search of romantic getaway, this is the event … perfect for an anniversary.
Photography credit for [Italian Masterpieces: from Spain’s Royal Court Museo del Prado](/(http:/www.ngv.vic.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/exhibitions/italian-masterpieces-from-spains-royal-court-museo-del-prado-madrid)): Holy Family with Saint John or Madonna of the Rose by Raphael, circa 1516. Courtesy Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid.
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