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"I choose to focus on a good memory": Jelena Dokic confirms her father's death

<p>Australian tennis icon Jelena Dokic has shared the deeply personal and painful news of her estranged father Damir Dokic’s passing. He died in the late hours of Friday May 16, the 42-year-old revealed in an emotional Instagram post.</p> <p>Known as one of Australia’s brightest tennis talents, Dokic has also been widely respected for her courage in publicly confronting and sharing the trauma of her past, particularly the abusive relationship she endured with her father throughout much of her life.</p> <p>“As you know my relationship with my father has been difficult and painful with a lot of history,” she wrote alongside a photo of herself as a child, smiling beside her father. “Despite everything and no matter how hard, difficult and in the last 10 years even non-existent our relationship and communication was, it is never easy losing a parent and a father — even one you are estranged from.”</p> <p>Describing her grief as “difficult and complicated”, Dokic said his passing marked the end of a long and painful chapter in her life. “I choose to focus on a good memory like this picture,” she said.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ6J4k8JiW4/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ6J4k8JiW4/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by JELENA DOKIC 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺 (@dokic_jelena)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Damir Dokic, a former coach and controversial figure in the tennis world, was notorious for his volatile behaviour during Jelena’s playing career. He was eventually banned from the WTA Tour and later made headlines in 2009 when he was jailed after threatening to blow up the Australian ambassador to Belgrade.</p> <p>Jelena has been open about the physical and emotional abuse she suffered at his hands – revelations that shocked the tennis community and drew global attention. In a recent documentary aired earlier this year, the former world No.4 and Wimbledon semi-finallist spoke with heartbreaking honesty about the violence she endured as a teenager.</p> <p>“I remember he was so mad that he goes into the bathroom with me, locks the door, and he beat the crap out of me,” she recalled. “He slammed my head against the wall multiple times. He was kicking me. My shins were so bruised, I couldn’t walk... He actually punches me in the head. And then I went unconscious for a little bit. He also stepped on my head as well.”</p> <p>As the tennis world reacts with compassion and sadness, Jelena Dokic’s bravery continues to inspire many – not only as a former champion on the court, but as a powerful voice off it.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

Major breakthrough over mother of three missing for two months

<p>Authorities have located a ute believed to belong to Tayla Spies, a Queensland mother of three who vanished more than two months ago.</p> <p>Spies, 29, was last seen on CCTV footage at a service station in Condamine on Sunday, February 2. She had spent the weekend with her partner in Dalby but failed to return home to Roma. Since her disappearance, she has not contacted any family or friends, heightening concerns for her safety.</p> <p>Police confirmed on Frida morning that they discovered Spies’ white Toyota Hilux in Noorindoo, approximately 40km north-east of Surat. Officers were alerted to the vehicle’s presence on a property along Yuleba-Sarat Road at about 3pm. A search of the vehicle revealed some of Spies’ belongings inside, though authorities have not disclosed specific details about the items found.</p> <p>Before its recovery, the ute was last seen on CCTV traveling down Surat’s main street at 11:10am on the day she went missing. This sighting remains a crucial piece of evidence in the ongoing investigation. Authorities have since resumed extensive searches in the area in hopes of finding further clues about her whereabouts.</p> <p>Spies is described as Caucasian, approximately 170cm tall, with a slim build, brown shoulder-length hair, and blue eyes. She has the word "KARMA" tattooed across her chest. Her family and friends continue to plead for any information that might help locate her.</p> <p>Police and local search teams have been scouring the surrounding area, using drones, tracking dogs, and ground search crews to cover as much terrain as possible. Despite these efforts, there have been no confirmed sightings of Spies since she was last seen on CCTV in Condamine.</p> <p>Authorities urge anyone with information regarding her disappearance to come forward. Whether it be a small detail or a major lead, investigators are keen to speak with anyone who may have seen Spies or her vehicle. Those with information are encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers or their nearest police station immediately.</p> <p><em>Images: Queensland Police</em></p>

Legal

Desperate search for missing young mother

<p>A young mother has disappeared in rural Queensland, prompting her worried friends and family to issue a public plea for information. </p> <p>Tayla Spies, 28, was travelling between Surat and Roma, in the state’s southwest, when she went missing on Sunday.</p> <p>She was last seen about 11:30am about 30km north of Surat in a white Toyota Hilux dual cab ute.</p> <p>Tayla was wearing a white shirt emblazoned with purple writing and also had a white Mimco shoulder bag when she was last seen.</p> <p>She is known to frequent areas such as Roma, Surat, Dalby, Toowoomba, Condamine, Meandarra, and Cecil Plains.</p> <p>Worried family and friends have pleaded for help from the public to locate her.</p> <p>“If anyone of my friends have seen my sister or heard from her in the past week, please get in touch with the Roma Police or myself,’ her sister Rebecca wrote on social media.</p> <p>“Or even if you see a Toyota Hilux that matches this description around the area."</p> <p>“Every little bit of information will help us.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Travel Trouble

“It’s really dangerous”: Former MAFS star's jarring claims about show

<p>A former participant of Nine’s <em>Married At First Sight</em> has appeared on a rival network to drop some jarring claims about the reality TV show.</p> <p>Tayla Winter, who was paired up with Hugo Armstrong on the series left <em>Sunrise</em> hosts David Kochie and Natalie Barr in disbelief with her chilling warning about how “dangerous” and “scary” the format is for the participants.</p> <p>Winter 27, explained how she had expected “a really fun experience” going into it.</p> <p>“I thought I’d meet a lot of people, we could party in Sydney – I was on a bit of a break from work – and potentially meet someone that was really nice,” she said.</p> <p>“For me, the worst case scenario in my head was, I still come out with a lot of friends. I could never have imagined what it was actually like.”</p> <p>Barr then asked her whether she’d “warn people not to go on MAFS” in the future.</p> <p>“I think it’s really dangerous,” Winter responded.</p> <p>“I know that some of my castmates are really struggling.</p> <p>“I’ve been struggling … I hope that people just understand what it’s really like and that’s why I’m trying to spread a bit of awareness about it because … I truly believe someone will end their life over this show one day.”</p> <p>Her response clearly stunned Barr, who then told her, “Oh, wow, that’s a serious claim. We’re sorry that happened to you.”</p> <p>Winter’s relationship with Armstrong saw some of the most dramatic scenes on the 2023 season of <em>MAFS</em>, with the bride storming out of a commitment ceremony and declaring she was going back to (Tasmania) after a heated conversation with her TV partner.</p> <p>The abrupt exit came after Armstrong allegedly called Winter the “C-word” during a vulgar spat which was overheard in an accidental “butt dial”.</p> <p>Winter eventually returned to the experiment to give him “a second chance,” but was rejected by Armstrong and the couple announced their split to their castmates that night.</p> <p>Winter told <em>Sunrise</em> that she was given “a bad edit” which had left her vulnerable to constant online trolling and abuse.</p> <p>“The way the (editing) is done is unethical,” she told the hosts.</p> <p>“Going into the show, I had no idea how controlled it would be. There is a lot of manipulation and coercive control and it’s pretty scary once you’re over there (on set).</p> <p>“You’re not in your home state, you’re surrounded by all of these camera crews, all these people you don’t know.</p> <p>“It’s quite intimidating and you say and do things under a really high-pressure environment.</p> <p>“You quickly regret those things that you do and that you said.”</p> <p>When Barr highlighted that reality shows are renowned for being heavily edited, Winter hit back with bold claims about producers.</p> <p>“You build trust and what you think is a really strong relationship with (producers) and it’s all fake,” she said.</p> <p>“There’s a lot of pressure to say things and do things that you don’t feel comfortable with.</p> <p>“I slept on the couch the entire time throughout the experiment and it wasn’t seen that Hugo had the bed.</p> <p>“But they needed that narrative to suit what character they wanted from me and what character they wanted from Hugo.”</p> <p>A spokesperson from Nine informed news.com.au that the network takes its duties concerning the “health and wellbeing” of the show’s participants “extremely seriously”.</p> <p>“All participants have access to the show psychologist during filming, during broadcast and once the program has ended,” they said.</p> <p>“Nine also have an additional service for participants should they like or need further individual and confidential psychological support.</p> <p>“This service gives participants access to clinicians who have been specifically engaged to support those involved in the program in relation to their experiences. This service is available to all participants for as long as they need it, it does not end.</p> <p>“Nine provides all participants with ongoing support for the duration of the show and we monitor all participant’s social media accounts so that we are aware of and manage any negative commentary. We are very proactive in this space, and care for the health and wellbeing of the participants.</p> <p>“As a result of the level of interest in the participant’s personal lives and volume of commentary on every post, Nine manages all individual MAFS social accounts with their permission, as an extra measure of protecting them from negativity.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

"My forever": AFL star ties the knot with Love Island winner

<p>AFL star Nathan Broad has tied the knot to former<em> Love Island</em> winner Tayla Damir in a stunning ceremony.</p> <p>The loved-up couple exchanged their vows at an intimate ceremony in Queensland in front of family and friends.</p> <p>Tayla took to Instagram to share several photos from the special day, along with the caption: “Mr and Mrs Broad – 17.10.2022.”</p> <p>One rule that Tayla had for the wedding was that there would be no phones present, because “I want to see everyone’s faces”.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQHlKA_HJtU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQHlKA_HJtU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tayla Broad (@tayla.damir)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The pair have been engaged since June 2021 after the Richmond premiership player got down on one knee and proposed.</p> <p>A camera that was set up in the pair’s backyard captured the romantic moment when Nathan popped the question.</p> <p>“My forever. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with my best friend,” Tayla captioned the post.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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