Sydney Sweeney details ‘crazy' training to play professional boxer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
29 minutes ago
- News.com.au
‘Stupid, embarrassing': Commentator ‘sick' about Masters Jena Sims gaffe
Joe Buck and Brooks Koepka have long moved past the sportscaster's famed US Open blunder involving the golfer's now-wife, Jena Sims, but it's a moment the ESPN star felt 'sick about.' Buck, 56, recalled the infamous mishap on The JustIn Time Podcast with Justin Kutcher, who ignited the stroll down memory lane after apologising to Buck for providing him with bad intel while on air during the 2006 NLCS. 'You do your best, you did your best, you made a mistake,' Buck said. 'I do my best every time I go on the air, I make countless mistakes. Not everything that comes out of my mouth is something that I'm proud of, not every note I have is right, and we live in a world that's more gotcha than pat ya on the back.' That's when Buck pivoted to the LIV Golf star's US Open triumph in 2017, when he mistook Sims for Koepka's ex, Becky Edwards, on Fox's coverage of the major tournament. 'I had that same thing happen to me a couple times,' Buck said. ' … That same thing happened to me with Brooks Koepka and getting the wrong name of his wrong girlfriend, and that was on a note card from a guy who helped me countless times. 'During that week of the U.S. Open, making me appear way smarter than I actually am or way more well-read or way more well-versed in the PGA Tour than I otherwise would have been, and he handed me a card with the wrong name on there, I read the card and then, [Brad] Faxon corrected and said, no, that's his new girlfriend, Jena Sims, I felt, that I was sick about. 'Because we had been taking punch after punch on Fox Golf, and it was like the last thing we had on the air before we said goodbye, and we'd been on for five days, all day and it was, it was a lot of work and I was like, 'oh my God, I let everybody down by that stupid, embarrassing moment, and you feel like the world's talking about it and really nobody cares'.' Buck did get it right the following year when Koepka secured his second straight U.S. Open win. 'Now, he and Jena again celebrate the US Open championship,' he said on the broadcast, per For The Win. Sims, 36, who went on to marry Koepka, 35, in 2022, has since forgiven Buck. 'Of course,'' the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model said in 2018, according to USA Today. 'He clarified my name this week, so I appreciate it. But I didn't really care. 'He talked to Brooks. They met up at that baseball game last year, but I was working so I didn't get to go and experience that.'' Koepka's last major victory was at the PGA Championship in 2023, the same year he and Sims welcomed their first child, son Crew.
News.com.au
44 minutes ago
- News.com.au
‘Depraved': How Diddy's trial has changed everything for the elites
Warning: Distressing 'I am The Great Gatsby.' That's what Sean 'Diddy' Combs once said when asked if he'd read F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel. A millionaire party promoter at the time, Combs no doubt wanted to attach himself to the shallowest take on what the book is about. The power of VIP parties. The Great Gatsby does chronicle a mysterious millionaire who throws extravagant soirees to climb into the upper echelons. It's no mystery why he'd be seduced by such romanticism. Combs himself rose from poverty in Harlem to superstardom, thanks partly to the once-prestigious parties he threw for the world's most 'important' people. But these days, the embattled music mogul has been tainted by the deeper, cautionary tale that Gatsby is really about: the moral decay of the elites. On Wednesday, Combs was found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution in a federal New York court. When he was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that threatened to throw him behind bars for life, he dropped to his hands and knees. But he still faces scores of civil lawsuits – where the burden of proof is lower than in criminal cases. In all its sordid details, the trial has gripped the world. But a lesser said side of the saga is how so much of the alleged depravity happened amid the glitz. Combs's conviction – albeit of the lesser charges – is the latest stain on the brand of the VIP party. Their blinding glitter now feels like a mask for the monstrous real reason these events exist. To expose what really lurks behind, it's time that mask is lifted. 'If you went, you'd made it...' You won't hear them talking about it these days. But not so long back, many of America's most rich and powerful people were begging to get into Combs's gatherings. Being seen in these events did more than just attract this crowd. It defined them. First hosted in 1998, these annual events – known as White Parties for their all-white theme – marked Combs's move to New York's Long Island. The same enclave that inspired Gatsby's fictional setting. Within his iron-spiked gates, the parties seemed like a cartoon of excess. Flowing fountains of champagne. Scantily clad performers walking on stilts. White-veiled chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. Combs was said to sometimes arrive late. Sometimes via helicopter. Like Gatsby – who was noticeably absent from his fictional bashes – Combs reportedly appeared distant at one early event. He also used the parties as fundraisers for causes he supported, promoting a generosity not unlike his literary idol. In hindsight, this philanthropy can be viewed as a smokescreen for a darker reality. But at the time, nobody was asking questions. Rapper Jay Blaze, who attended his first Combs party in 2009, said the invitation was a stamp of status. 'If you went to a Combs party, you'd made it.' Don't just take his word for it. Beyonce. Donald Trump. Michael Jordan. Even Leonardo DiCaprio, who would play none other than Gatbsy himself in the 2013 movie adaptation. That's just a handful of his guests. Socialite Paris Hilton put it simply at the time. 'Everyone was there.' While these celebrities are unlikely to talk about the parties they once vied to attend, there's no indication any were involved in the alleged abuse. An insider who helped 'wrangle' guests for Combs recently claimed there came a stage of the night when guests got a thinly-veiled message. 'Girls would start to lose their clothes,' the source said. 'That was the signal for people to leave.' According to this source, this is when the drugs started flowing. Along with the darkest claims of depravity. Dirty secrets It all started when Combs's ex Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit against him in 2023. She accused him of a decade-long 'cycle of abuse, violence and sex trafficking'. Since then, many other alleged victims came forward. It must be noted that the allegations against Combs focus on what he called 'Freak Offs', rather than the star-studded bashes. In these smaller sex parties (sometimes held directly after the larger ones), drugged victims were allegedly forced to perform sex acts so demanding they eventually needed IV fluids to recover from the fatigue. Some civil filings included allegations that abuse occurred during elite events. These allegations were consistently denied by Combs were not proven in court. However, some civil lawsuits not addressed in the criminal trial included allegations that abuse happened during elite events. Combs has denied these allegations. These lawsuits included allegations such as a 16-year-old boy being assaulted at a 1998 White Party, and others claiming they were drugged and sexually violated at Combs's events. No court has found him guilty of them. These accusers were not rich or famous, but rather lured by the promise of a better life. It takes a lot of power to keep these kinds of skeletons buried. That's why Combs allegedly relied on a whole enterprise to conceal these allegations. But as the trial unfolded, they could not protect the cracks from appearing in Combs's public perception. To many, his conviction may not come as a surprise. We're talking about a man who once offered this omen: 'You're going to hear about my parties. They're going to be shutting them down. They're going to probably be arresting me.' Some of the allegations in the civil lawsuits were harrowing – one involved a nine-year-old. But these were not adjudicated in the criminal trial. According to lawyer Tony Buzbee, these allegations involve 'many powerful people' and 'dirty secrets.' With the trial's curtains closing, people are watching intently to see who will next be thrust into the flames. But the implications are bigger than your average celebrity trial. This case could change how we look at power. Bigger picture Combs's parties are not new. Time and again, the elites have been accused of abuse in plain view and relying on others to cover up their tracks. Look no further than the case of Jeffrey Epstein, which exposed the world's suspicions that abuse can thrive in elite circles — sometimes in plain view. While Combs's case is very different, it has revived the same anxieties about the intersection of wealth, power, and secrecy. The late billionaire-turned paedophile sex trafficker once hosted some of the world's most powerful men for exclusive events on his secluded Caribbean island. Epstein, who took his life in 2019 while awaiting trial, was accused of luring underage girls for sex under the guise of professional massages. Images would surface showing very young-looking girls at his island events. His guests – including President Trump and Bill Gates– were flown in on a notorious private jet dubbed the 'Lolita Express'. There's no suggestion these guests were involved in any wrongdoing. American-Australian survivor advocate Virginia Giuffre did historically accuse Epstein and Prince Andrew of abuse, settling out of court in 2022. Recently, she was found dead by suicide. Or take the 'VIP parties' of Dubai, where foreign women, including Australians, are contacted via social media, flown in and paid lavishly to be 'a guest at a VIP party'. Once inside the luxury hotel or yacht, they're locked into a cycle of abuse by super-wealthy men. Some women are left with permanent physical and psychological injuries. After accepting one of these invites, one Ukrainian model was recently found bloodied, broken, and clinging to life on a Dubai roadside. In these cases, glamour is used in a bait-and-switch scheme. Teams are used to silence alleged victims. And human beings are used as toys. Behind the shine Like Combs, Gatsby's fortunes would turn with spectacular speed. In both cases, rumours, lawsuits, and raids shattered the public facade. But in Combs's case, only some charges stuck. But while Combs may have been using Gatsby's literary charm as a marketing tool, they're not the same breed. Unlike Combs's, Gatsby's crimes – bootlegging – are relatively harmless. And unlike Gatsby, who was driven to throw his parties in search of love and acceptance, Combs was motivated by power. Gatsby was chasing an elusive American Dream. Combs was clinging to his control. Combs is no Gatsby. The lesson is timeworn: all that glitters is not gold. Learn to look beyond the shimmer of showcased wealth. It might not produce the same magnetic pull, but perhaps a more accurate literary comp title for Combs's parties would be Hunger Games. This series is set in a dystopia where the rich watch people fight for their lives as entertainment. Perhaps it's time we started looking at elite events through the same lens. Or maybe we should consider Kendrick Lamar's advice. 'It's time to watch the party die.'
Daily Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Jon Bon Jovi dragged into dispute over $65 million mansion
Jon Bon Jovi has been dragged into a property dispute after he reportedly refused to sell his $US43 million ($A65 million) mansion to a mysterious buyer who's snapping up properties in the sought-after area. According to the Wall Street Journal, an anonymous buyer has 'been quietly assembling one of the most valuable private estates' in Palm Beach — which sits mere minutes from President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. So far, the unnamed buyer has forked out $US250 million ($A380 million) on four separate homes in the Florida enclave in recent months. The estate is said to include a $US178 million ($A271 million) piece of prime oceanfront land that was initially put on the market by cosmetics mogul William Lauder — who is heir to the Estée Lauder fortune — in 2023 for $US200 million ($A304 million), as well as two separate homes that sit across the street from that plot. Sources told the Journal the unidentified real estate mogul is far from done with the spending spree. The buyer is said to already have their sights set on another investment property: a Mediterranean-style mansion that sits alongside their newly acquired waterfront land. The home is owned by the 'Livin' on a Prayer' singer. MORE: Fresh blow for Perry amid split 'Let go': Common item Mariah refuses to own 'Never coming back': Depp reveals sad demise The acquisition of the rocker's dwelling would provide the buyer with one of the most sizeable waterfront properties in Palm Beach — made all the more impressive by the addition of the two properties that sit directly behind it. Yet, the apparent real estate scheme has reportedly hit a major snag with Bon Jovi, who is said to have 'resisted overtures to sell his property'. Property records seen by Realtor indicate the seven-bedroom, 12-bathroom home was last purchased in July 2020 for $US43 million ($A65 million) via an LLC — of which Bon Jovi's longtime business manager Charles Sussman was listed as the manager. The home had originally been listed for $US44.9 million ($A68.3 million) in January of that year and was described as a 'stunning direct oceanfront estate' complete with a workout room, a temperature-controlled wine cellar, private in-home elevators, and two oceanfront loggias, as well as a separate pool cabana. Bon Jovi's home sits directly to the left of the Lauder land that was reportedly purchased in February of this year in an off-market deal. Sources told the Journal the buyer paid close to the reduced asking price of $US178 million ($A271 million) for the plot. The land was originally purchased by Lauder in two separate deals. The first acre was bought up in 2020 for $US25.4 million ($A38.6 million), one year before the businessman added the second 1.8-acre property for an undisclosed sum. Initially, the two plots had been home to two separate oceanfront mansions, which Lauder demolished to make space for his own enormous dwelling. However, he shelved those plans and opted to put the vacant land on the market. In addition to that expansive plot, the anonymous buyer is said to have also picked up two dwellings that sit directly behind it, although neither dwelling ever came on the market. Property records show that one of those homes was owned by Thomas Harvey and his wife, Cathleen Black, who bought the dwelling for $US4.2 million ($A6.3 million) in 2018. Though Realtor estimates the home is now worth around double that, the Journal reports that the buyer paid a staggering $US18 million ($A27 million) for it. Mr Harvey told the outlet in an email that the person made an 'unsolicited offer' on his house — while adding that he does not know their identity. Days later, the dwelling next door to Mr Harvey's property was also sold, this time for $US30 million ($A45 million), according to the Palm Beach Daily News, having previously been registered to a trust. That home, which was also purchased in an off-market deal, had last traded hands for $US5.3 million ($A8.07 million) in 2017 and was last linked to an LLC. Both properties, per the Palm Beach Daily News, were most recently purchased via LLCs that are registered in Delaware: Creekshore LLC and Mango Leaf LLC. According to The Real Deal, discussions about the potential purchase of Bon Jovi's home are still ongoing, despite the singer's reluctance to part ways with his property. The buyer is also said to have begun conversations about buying the home that sits on the other side of the Lauder land. That home is currently owned by casino mogul William M. Rickman Jr., who purchased it in 2016 for $US13.1 million ($A19.9 million). Built in 1935, the property boasts six bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms, as well as water frontage. Though the identity of the buyer has not yet been confirmed, sources have claimed to the Real Deal the person believed to be behind these multimillion-dollar deals is Microsoft mogul Charles Simonyi, who spent years working alongside Bill Gates. Gates' name was also thrown into the mix of potential buyers, along with former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, suggesting the deals all have strong ties to the computer company. All three men boast incredibly impressive property portfolios, and each owns at least one dwelling in the popular Seattle enclave of Hunts Point, Washington State which is widely considered to be something of a haven for billionaire tech moguls. Parts of this story first appeared in Realtor and was republished with permission. MORE: 'Lonely': Who gets what in Holly, ex split 'Big allure': Secret MJ homes reveal sad life Wild reason Charles can't kick Andrew out
