Brian Austin Green on Shannen Doherty, Luke Perry deaths
Don't miss out on the headlines from Celebrity Life. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Hollywood actor Brian Austin Green has opened up about the deaths of 90210 co-stars Shannen Doherty and Luke Perry, saying the tragedies forced him 'not to take things for granted'.
In 2019, Luke Perry, passed away from a catastrophic stroke at 52 years old. And in July last year Shannen Doherty, 53, died from breast cancer after a long battle with the illness.
'Luke's passing was so incredibly sudden. He was young. He was my age now,' Green told Stellar.
'And then Shannen passing, too, hit home the concept of: we're not those kids anymore.
'We're in a new period of life where we have to really value the relationships with people that we have, and not take things for granted, because it's unbelievable how fast you can lose something or someone that seemed so invaluable.'
Hollywood couple Sharna Burgess and Brian Austin Green in their Stellar cover shoot, out today. Picture: Steven Chee for Stellar
Green and Australian fiancee Sharna Burgess live most of the year in Los Angeles, California, with their three-year-old son Zane, but spend considerable time in Australia due to Burgess' role as a judge on Seven reality series Dancing With The Stars.
After spending many months in the country, the couple are considering a more permanent move in the future.
'Australia is amazing. I love it,' Green told Stellar, in the couple's joint cover story.
Picture: Steven Chee for Stellar
The late Shannen Doherty. Picture: Getty Images
'Believe me, we kick around the idea of having a second home there – possibly it even ending up being a first home at some point – you never know. When you have kids in school, it's a hard thing to do [to uproot them].
'So we are looking at all options to see what makes sense. But having a blended family does not make things easy.'
Aside from young Zane, the blended family includes Green and former Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star Vanessa Marcil's son Kassius, 23, as well as Green's other children Noah, 12, Bodhi, 11 and Journey, eight, with Megan Fox.
Burgess, who is originally from Wagga Wagga in regional New South Wales, tells Stellar that their three-year-old son is the glue of the family.
'Having Zane has absolutely bonded everyone together,' Burgess said.
'I was always incredibly close with the kids as our relationship grew, but when Zane came along, it was like that piece locked in where they were, like, 'Oh, this is forever.''
Dancing With The Stars premieres at 7pm on June 15 on the Seven Network and 7Plus.
Read the full cover shoot and interview with Sharna Burgess and Brian Austin Green inside Stellar, via The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), Sunday Herald Sun (VIC), The Sunday Mail (QLD) and Sunday Mail (SA).
For more from Stellar and the podcast, Something To Talk About, click here.
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ABC News
39 minutes ago
- ABC News
Health practitioner regulator gets tough on cosmetic injectable industry to protect patient safety
The Australian health practitioner regulator has introduced sweeping new guidelines for dentists and nurses performing non-surgical cosmetic injectable procedures, in a bid to better protect the public from players putting profits ahead of patient safety. The new rules released by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) today mandate further education and training before healthcare practitioners can perform cosmetic procedures like botox and filler injections. They also introduce minimum periods of experience required for nurses wanting to work with injectables. Nurses and dentists have been operating in the billion dollar cosmetic injectable industry for years without being required to undertake any formal additional education or training, before injecting patients with neurotoxins like botox. While many have become highly skilled at the practice, there's concern clearer rules are needed for those wanting to enter the industry to ensure they have enough training. Under the changes, advertisements will be required to include the details of the registered practitioner performing the procedures. Testimonials from social media influencers will be banned, along with targeted advertising of cosmetic procedures to minors. AHPRA CEO Justin Untersteiner said not all cosmetic injectors would be happy with the tighter rules and expected some would choose to leave the industry under the changes. "There will be others who have to modify their business models, and modify their practices to meet these guidelines," he said. Nurses and dentists have until September to prepare for the changes and ensure they are compliant with the new guidelines, which align with those already in place for doctors. "[After that] we will be identifying those that are doing the wrong thing and we will take action where we need to," he said. There's been a recent spate of cases of non-registered practitioners and clinics using off-brand or out-of-date dermal fillers and botox on patients leading to multiple hospitalisations after patients became ill with botulism. The NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) warned patients of a Sydney cosmetic clinic to be tested for blood borne viruses after finding evidence that non-registered staff were injecting patients with dermal fillers and botox. The new federal guidelines are the latest salvo from state and federal regulators, who have been cracking down on cosmetic injectable providers, throwing some clinics into chaos as they scramble to ensure they comply with regulations. Many injectable businesses around the country are run by nurses who do the injecting, and often hold supplies of prescription fillers and anti-wrinkle injections like botox on site, and arrange telehealth consults for their patients so doctors can remotely prescribe the products. Recent guidance released in Queensland has made it clear the practice isn't legal unless the nurse is a Nurse Practitioner with prescribing rights and additional qualifications, or there's a doctor on site. State pharmaceutical and poisons regulators in both NSW and Queensland have also been conducting compliance checks on clinics, monitoring the possession and storage of schedule 4 medications like botox and fillers. AHPRA said it was concerned some telehealth practitioners weren't meeting their professional obligations, after media reports revealed patients were sometimes being issued botox scripts in less than a minute. The new guidance from AHPRA reinforced practitioners were responsible for understanding relevant state and federal drugs and poisons laws, and that those who prescribed cosmetic injectables were still responsible for the patients, regardless of whether or not they performed the procedure. The guidelines also mandate written information must be given to the patient, including the health practitioner who prescribed the cosmetic injectable, the practitioner who performed the procedure, details of the products used, what aftercare was needed, and who is responsible for coordinating the patient's care. From September, nurses will be required to complete a set period of 12 months of full-time practice before expanding their scope to include non-surgical cosmetic procedures. The guidelines state further education will be necessary for those practitioners wanting to work with cosmetic injectables. Those practitioners will need training in anatomy and physiology, education in assessing patients for suitability for the procedure, and both theoretical and hands-on training in the specific procedure being offered. While AHPRA CEO Justin Untersteiner said there had always been an obligation for practitioners to ensure they had appropriate skills, the new rules were "really making it crystal clear" about what it expected for those sorts of procedures. "That will likely require specific training around facial anatomy or physiology and I can tell you that is not a weekend course, this is proper training that will be required," Mr Untersteiner said. He said the regulator had heard multiple cases of permanent irreversible facial nerve damage as well as potentially life-threatening strokes from cosmetic injectables. "All registered health practitioners are responsible for ensuring they are sufficiently educated, trained and competent to safely undertake any cosmetic procedure they may perform." Do you have a story to share? Email Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia chair, Veronica Casey, welcomed the new guidelines and said the safety of the Australian public was paramount. "These types of procedures are undertaken every day and can have serious consequences if not done correctly," she said. The new AHPRA regulations outline that "registered health practitioners must also disclose any financial interests that could be perceived as influencing the advice they provide to people about cosmetic procedures". Some doctors and nurses working in cosmetic injectable clinics operate on commission-based models, meaning the more work done or greater the volume of product injected, the more money they stand to make from a consultation. But whether commission-based models need to be disclosed to patients will be subject to clinician's judgement and assessed by the regulator on a "case-by-case basis". It is illegal to advertise almost all prescription medications or related services including cosmetic injectables, with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) responsible for regulation. Despite this, cosmetic clinics have been widely flouting advertising rules for years on social media and their own websites. The TGA said it had recently sent around 100 "targeted guidance letters" to providers in the cosmetic injectables industry, following identification of alleged non-compliance and that more will follow "in the coming weeks". The agency said in a statement that last financial year it submitted over 12,000 requests for removal to social media platforms over the alleged unlawful advertising of therapeutic goods, including "over 2,500 advertisements relating to cosmetic injectable products". The AHPRA guidelines now state any imagery used in advertising of higher-risk cosmetic procedures must be focused on information or education, citing concerns advertising was promoting the "trivialization and glamourisation" of cosmetic procedures to vulnerable patients, especially on social media. Examples of features more likely to be considered entertainment included imagery like music, dancing, singing, or comedic comments. It comes almost four years after a joint ABC and Sydney Morning Herald investigation revealed a shocking video of two doctors dancing while performing liposuction on an unconscious patient, which led to a crackdown on the cosmetic surgery industry. Under the new injectables guidelines there will be a total ban on targeted advertising towards patients under 18, as well as a mandatory seven-day cooling off period between the first consultation and any procedures for minors. Patients considering cosmetic injectables have been encouraged to check if a health practitioner is registered on the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency website.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Dr Boreham's Crucible: Cryopreserver Vitrafy aims to heat up, even as it chills
For Vitrafy Life Sciences (ASX:VFY) chief Kate Munnings, two isolated local controversies are testament to how the recently listed cryopreservation outfit's technology can be put to good use. 'With every problem there's an opportunity,' she says. The first incident was Monash IVF's mishandling of biological samples that led to a mother being implanted with the wrong embryo. The second is the ongoing disquiet about the environmental impact of intensive salmon farming in Tasmania, which emerged as a key issue in the recent Federal election. Munnings reckons Vitrafy can ameliorate both problems. In the case of fish, it's better husbandry practices to make the industry more sustainable. 'We are looking at how we craft what we offer to that market as an opportunity to help with challenges they have experienced,' she says. In the case of the human biological samples, it's better freezing via Vitrafy's device and better tracking via its Lifechain internet cloud-based software. 'As a result of the embryo mix up, we have started conversations in the IVF sector about how Lifechain, with its quality and tracking and monitoring of biologic material, could be utilised,' she says. Plating up a new company There's seemingly little correlation between a cooking show and cryopreservation, but Vitrafy owes its existence to the culinary reality television show Masterchef. Vitrafy was co-founded by amateur chef Brent Owens, who won the cook-off in 2014. The victory sparked Owens' interest in food cryopreservation and a wider interest in the art of deep freezing – all self-taught. 'The idea was that if you could cryopreserve an egg, you could cryopreserve anything,' he said. Owens founded Vitrafy with Brian Taylor and Sean Cameron in 2017, with an initial interest in consumer applications, notably food (their backgrounds are in consumables export and manufacturing). The trio soon shifted their interest to human health (such as artificial insemination, blood products and cell gene therapy) and animal applications. Munnings headed the formerly ASX listed, now privatised, in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) house Virtus Health from March 2020 to November 2023. Munnings is also a non-executive director of Bunnings parent company Wesfarmers and the New Zealand-listed aged-care operator Ryman Healthcare. A Vitrafy non-executive director, Prof John McBain needs no introduction, having founded Melbourne IVF. Vitrafy listed on the ASX on November 27 2024, after a $35 million capital raising at $1.84 a share. Vitrafy's 'secret sauce' Vitrafy's products consist of freezing, thawing and packaging devices, overlaid by the Lifechain algorithm-based monitoring software. Cryopreservation has been around at least since 1966, when the deceased Walt Disney was rumoured to be (although repeatedly denied by his family) immersed in a vat for future revival. 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We came, we thawed, we conquered Vitrafy's US efforts centre on a collaboration with the US Army Institute of Surgical Research, which carried out a phase I study on blood platelet preservation. The project aims to improve the shelf-life of emergency blood platelets, which is relevant for the battlefield. Completed in April, the study reported platelet recovery of 88%, well above the desired threshold and without the need for cryoprotectants (see below). Post-thaw, the study analysed 24 units from eight healthy donors. The parties are moving to the next stage of the study, which in part involves higher throughput and is expected to complete by the end of the year. In the US, Vitrafy has also held discussions with the Red Cross and Blood Centres of America, a collective of independent biobanks. Fishy business Munnings says the salmon industry has a growing interest in artificial insemination, to improve hatchery and harvest management and thus address the over-fishing allegations. Following pilot testing, Vitrafy has signed a three-year commercial contract with Tasmanian salmon producer Huon Aquaculture to freeze and thaw brood stock sperm. In Huon's summer fertilisation program, Vitrafy's process of fertilising fresh salmon milt from vitrified material was compared to a rival's method. The result was a 72% fertilisation rate with Vitrafy's method, compared with 75% for fresh milt and 45% for rival techniques. The company has preserved a minimum 750 packs of salmon milt, representing 55% growth over three years (albeit from a low base). Vitrafy is carrying out a paid pilot program with Tassal, another major salmon producer. Holy cow! That's an improvement Vitrafy has a contract with the Ohio-based Select Sires, which accounts for 25% of the US bovine reproduction market. Cattle make up 40% of the US$5 billion-a-year global animal artificial insemination sector. Comparing Vitrafy's process to Select Sires' protocols, a phase I trial saw an average 30% increase in bull semen motility (in effect, their ability to swim). A planned phase II trial has been delayed to the December quarter, thanks to US President Donald Trump-related customs disruptions. Under the non-exclusive arrangement, Vitrafy retains ownership of the protocols and data. Freezing cells offers hot prospects Cell and gene therapy (CGT) research is booming – notably in off-the-shelf 'allogeneic' cancer therapies derived from donor material. But the frozen material must be as good as fresh, or else it is wasted. Munnings says the company is holding 'active conversations in the US and Australia with significant industry participants'. The Trump administration's cost-cutting drive has sparked concerns about CGT funding, but Munnings says it's still a 'vibrant industry looking for innovation.' She says CGT's approach to cryopreservation differs from the more traditional approach of the blood banks. 'But the blood banks are starting to collect blood for cell and gene therapies, so the two are starting to work together.' Finances and performance Essentially pre-commercial, Vitrafy reported March quarter receipts of $12,000 from its fish work. The company burnt $356,000, taking cash on hand to $34 million. Vitrafy's expenses are running at $1.1 million a month. Chief finance officer Simon Martin cautions spend will ramp up in the June half 'as commercial development intensifies' before settling next year. Vitrafy was awarded an Australian government $4.8m Industry Growth Program grant, for small companies with the potential for commercialisation. The company has pocketed the first tranche and will bank the remainder as research and development progresses over the next six months. Owens says the use of funds outlined in the initial public offer prospectus is on-time and on-budget. As for the US tariff threat, the company sources some components from outside the US. But it is looking to derive as much as possible in the US, where its Melbourne-based contract manufacturer Planet Innovation has a facility (in California). Vitrafy's research and development base remains in the Victorian town of Ballarat which – aptly – is freezing in winter. Its sparsely-traded shares have ranged between $2.03 on November 27 last year – the day after listing – and $1.08 on April 7 this year. Vitrafy versus others Vitrafy competes with three US giants: the Nasdaq-listed Azenta Inc and Cryoport Inc and Cytiva (an arm of the New York-listed Danaher Corporation). Owens argues there's more scope for cooperation than competition, given the parties tend to operate in different parts of the cryogenics supply chain. 'For instance, Vitrafy focuses on crypreservation, thawing and quality management steps, while Cryoport focuses on logistics and storage.' A key selling point is the non-use of toxic cryoprotectants such as DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide). Before cells can be used for animals or humans, the cryoprotectants need to be 'washed out': removed via methods such as centrifugation. In the case of blood platelets for situations such as battlefield injuries, time is crucial. So, achieving 88% recovery without cryoprotectants in the army study was notable. Owens says most rivals use nitrogen as a freezing agent, which also can be harmful. Compare the pair Locally, Vitrafy compares with the ASX-listed Cryosite, which has a 25-year pedigree. In February, Cryosite disclosed December half revenue of $6.6 million, with underlying earnings rising 15% to $1.52 million. Cryosite also reports the month of January was one of the strongest in its history and the company has doubled the capacity of its South Granville facility in Sydney. Cryosite is targeting clinical research organisations, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with clinical trials, IVF clinics; and hospitals and private clinics with advanced cell therapies, In other words, Cryosite is in a similar space to Vitrafy, albeit not in the animal sector and with a more local focus. Pre listing, Owens said Cryosite was not so much a rival as a potential partner. Cryosite's market capitalisation of $37 million is dwarfed by Vitrafy's circa $100 million. In April 2016, Cryosite said it would maintain the storage of more than 2,000 cord blood materials, following the closure of the Brisbane-based Stemlife business. Dr Boreham's diagnosis 'It doesn't matter for us whether it is blood platelets, cell and gene therapy products, salmon or human sperm, our objective is to maintain the quality of the sample as best as it can possibly be,' Owens says. However, Vitrafy's strategy is to derive initial revenue from the animal market, which is a testing ground for the larger but more complex and highly regulated human market. Vitrafy cites a current global cryopreservation market of US$94 billion, with bio-repositories, such as blood banks, accounting for US$77 billion. Cell cryogenics and the animal/aquaculture sectors account for US$9.4 billion and US$7.8 billion respectively. The market is forecast to grow to US$186 billion by 2030. Post IPO, Vitrafy has been running hot with its development on several fronts. Still, the company's path to revenue is unclear and it needs to work hard to convince potential clients why they should freeze out their long-standing suppliers. At a glance ASX code: VFY Share price: $1.54 Market cap: $98.3 million Shares on issue: 63,849,674 (22.6 million shares are in ASX escrow) Chief executive officer: Kate Munnings Financials (March quarter 2025): receipts $12,000, grant income $2.64 million, cash burn $356,000, cash balance $34 million Identifiable major shareholders: Stacey Investments Australia (Dr Neil Stacey 5%), Krisami Investments 4.1%, VEF Pty Ltd 3.5%, Taylor Hotel Management 3,2%, Rarla Pty Ltd 3% Dr Boreham is not a qualified medical practitioner and does not possess a doctorate of any sort. There's no need to cryopreserve him as he lives in Melbourne, which is almost as cold as Ballarat in winter.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Tubi CEO Anjali Sud ‘excited' about company's plans to grow in Australia
The CEO of fast-growing streaming service has hinted at the company's plans to continue expanding in Australia. Tubi was launched in the US in 2014 and, while it may not have the same name recognition among Aussies as competitors like Netflix and Binge, there is one major thing that sets it apart. While customers of other streaming platforms have been hit with price hikes, Tubi's ad-supported services are completely free, with users able to access thousands of shows and movies without having to pay a cent. The Fox Corporation-owned service has been available in Australia since 2019, with a library of about 7000 movies and TV shows, making it the largest free catalogue of its kind in Australia, even rivalling the amount of titles available to local Netflix users. Speaking with Tubi CEO, Anjali Sud, said she is 'thrilled' about the work that is already being done in Australia, with plans to keep that momentum going. 'We feel right now that we have a lot of commitment to invest and to grow in Australia,' she said. However, Ms Sud understands the company needs to 'earn' the attention and time of Australian viewers by adopting a 'local mentality'. 'We're very aware that to do this well all comes down to listening to Australian audiences and Australian viewers,' she said, adding that she was 'excited' for Tubi to continue to grow. Asked if we could expect to see any Tubi jobs popping up Down Under anytime soon, the CEO said, 'I certainly hope so'. 'I very much hope that we'll continue to scale and be able to bring in folks into the team,' she said. The company, which has over $1 billion in revenue, currently has under 700 employees, which is a leaner operation than many media companies operating at this scale. However, Ms Sud believes this is a positive thing, noting they have tried to resist the bureaucracy that tends to occur and 'slow things down' as operations increase in scale. Within the workplace itself, the CEO said there is a focus on cultivating an 'authentic' culture, which embraces all the different personalities within the team. Team members are also encouraged to take 'big swings', regardless of whether it ultimately works out. 'We do a lot to actually not just celebrate success, but celebrate failure. Celebrate that, when you fail, you learn something and it's better to try than to not,' Ms Sud said. 'We've tried to destigmatise failure and really celebrate fearlessness.' And it seems this mindset is working, with the company growing exponentially since Ms Sud joined the team as CEO towards the end of 2023. In her first full year leading the company, Tubi's audience grew to more than 80 million users, expanded further globally by launching in the UK and solidified the streaming service as a major entertainment destination. Ms Sud is no stranger to leading innovative, fast growing companies, previously serving as the CEO of global video platform Vimeo, a title she earned at just 33 years old. She described the process as 'terrifying' but also 'transformational', with the role teaching her to trust her instincts, a lesson she has been able to put into practice since going over to Tubi. 'What I've learned is it's easy to kind of have conviction or passion or bet on something, but it's so much more powerful when that's coming from a really deep understanding of your users,' Ms Sud said, adding that Tubi's ability to listen to its users was one of the reasons she wanted to join the company. The CEO also isn't afraid of making changes in order to ensure Tubi continues to grow. One of the things she is most excited for when it comes to the future of the company is to help platform creators and connect them with wider audiences. 'I just think there are so many incredible, important stories out there that can't find their audience, and there are so many creators and storytellers, and even more emerging now in digital and social channels that want to be able to produce high quality, long form content,' she said. 'No one, even YouTube I think, has not yet cracked how to bring the creator economy to Hollywood. Ms Sud knows this is a big goal and not something that will 'happen overnight', but, given Tubi's track record, it is something she believes can be done. 'We are really thinking about the future of entertainment, and we're really trying to embrace more diverse storytelling and more diverse storytellers,' she said. 'There is a lot to be excited about with that work.'
