Latest news with #StraightUp
NZ Herald
24-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Hamilton bookstore hit by serial vandal targeting women's biographies
A staff member then spotted a copy of Straight Up, the biography of Black Fern star Ruby Tui had been ripped, and returned to the shelf with the back facing. Two copies of rugby league commentator Honey Hireme-Smiler 's biography were also damaged in the same way during a later visit. 'We knew then that someone was doing this on purpose and we did think 'Okay, does this person have an issue with women?',' Carter said. On Friday, a copy of Full Circle by TV presenter Jenny May-Clarkson was also found 'ripped and hidden, face down' on one of the store's display stands. 'I was thinking 'why is this happening to these three particular women?',' she said. Carter then discovered that the same thing, involving the same three books, had also occurred at a bookstore 25 minutes out of Hamilton. 'What got me... is the disrespect. No respect for our store, no respect for these women, and just purposefully doing it,' she said. 'We're an independent bookstore, we've been here for 44 years and we've actually never had anything like this happen to us.' Although the store had experienced theft, no one had deliberately vandalised stock until now, Carter said. 'In 2025, as everyone knows retail is hard for anyone. We are against the big-wigs, we are very local and our customers support us and they're amazing. It's hard work in this retail environment, and then to see that, that's more money going out of my pocket.' The store owner had not engaged with police yet as she was unsure as to whether they could do anything. 'I want this person to know that they're not welcome back and we will trespass. I don't want this kind of behaviour in the store.' Because it had happened at multiple stores, Carter felt the man's actions were racially motivated. 'Someone's got an issue, a big issue.' Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Hireme-Smiler, a former cross-code international-turned commentator, hails from Putāruru, South Waikato and is of Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Ahuru descent. May-Clarkson (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Kahu) is another former international sporting star who successfully transitioned to a media career. Tui - a Black Ferns world champion and sevens Olympic gold medallist - has Samoan, Irish and Scottish heritage. 'What really annoys me is that these three women who have written these books, and what they've gone through to get to where they are is unbelievable,' Carter said. 'And this person just comes along and just does this to their books, that really grates me. 'It'll be really interesting to find out if this is happening anywhere else in the Waikato. What concerns me is that he's doing it another store.' She estimated the culprit was aged 'between 45 and 60'. 'We hope he feels like sh*t. It's just uncalled for. We're not going to tolerate this behaviour any more.'
Otago Daily Times
24-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Serial book vandal targeting biographies of NZ women
By Adam Burns of RNZ A Hamilton book store owner is fed up with the "disrespectful" actions of a serial book vandal, who she says has wilfully targeted the biographies of high-profile New Zealand women. Nichola Carter, who owns Pennys' Bookstore in the Chartwell Shopping Centre, said the unnamed man has deliberately ripped the covers of stock during three separate visits to the store. The book-tearing campaign began six weeks ago when the man first visited the store, making a beeline for the sport section. "We noticed this gentleman... he picked up books and put them down and picked up books again and put them down again, and then he walked out," Carter said. A staff member then spotted a copy of Straight Up , the biography of Black Fern star Ruby Tui had been ripped, and put back on the shelf with the back facing. Two copies of rugby league commentator Honey Hireme-Smiler's biography were also damaged in the same way during a later visit. "We knew then that someone was doing this on purpose and we did think 'OK does this person have an issue with women'," Carter said. On Friday, a copy of Full Circle by TV presenter Jenny May-Clarkson was also found "ripped and hidden, face down" on one of the store's display stands. "I was thinking why is this happening to these three particular women," she said. Carter then discovered that the same thing, involving the same three books, had also occurred at another book store 25 minutes out of Hamilton. "What got the disrespect. No respect for our store, no respect for these women, and just purposefully doing it," she said. "We're an independent book store, we've been here for 44 years and we've actually never had anything like this happen to us." Although the store had experienced theft, no one had deliberately vandalised stock until now, Carter said. "In 2025, as everyone knows retail is hard for anyone. We are against the big-wigs, we are very local and our customers support us and they're amazing," she said. "It's hard work in this retail environment, and then to see that, that's more money going out of my pocket." The store owner had not engaged with police yet as she was unsure as to whether they could do anything. "I want this person to know that they're not welcome back and we will trespass. I don't want this kind of behaviour in the store." Because it had happened at multiple stores, Carter felt the man's actions were racially-motivated. "Someone's got an issue, a big issue," she said. Hireme-Smiler, a former cross-code international-turned commentator, hails from Putāruru, South Waikato and is of Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Ahuru descent. Meanwhile, May-Clarkson (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Kahu) is another former international sporting star who had successfully transitioned to a media career. Tui - a Black Ferns world champion and sevens Olympic gold medalist - has Samoan, Irish and Scottish heritage. "What really annoys me is that these three women who have written these books, and what they've gone through to get to where they are is unbelievable," Carter said. "And this person just comes along and just does this to their books, that really grates me. "It'll be really interesting to find out if this is happening anywhere else in the Waikato. What concerns me is that he's doing it another store." She estimated the culprit was aged "between 45 and 60". "We hope he feels like sh*t. It's just uncalled for. We're not going to tolerate this behaviour any more."
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Paula Abdul jokes Simon Cowell left her 'permanently damaged'
Paula Abdul has joked her American Idol co-judge Simon Cowell left her "permanently damaged". The former American Idol judge had trouble understanding Simon's accent, alluding to the lighthearted on-camera spats she and her co-judge engaged in during her stint on the show. Paula, 62, appeared as a judge on the long-running singing competition from 2002 until 2009 and quipped she had struggled during her tenure alongside Simon and music exec Randy Jackson. "Being the only woman on the panel, I had to overcome the guy on the left of me. Starts with a 'S' and ends with 'imon'," Paula told Fox News Digital. "And the left side of my brain is permanently damaged with a British accent." Fortunately, Paulla added, Simon's playful taunts and hard-to-decipher accent were, "no big deal because at least I had Randy to the right of me." The Straight Up singer also gushed about current judge Carrie Underwood, 42, who began her career as a contestant on the show. "Carrie has an unbelievable advantage, having come from her humble beginning of being on the show," Paula said. "She was such a magnificent artist, as a contestant, and she's gone on to have the most stellar career. She comes back, and she's giving back as well. She's doing a great job."
Daily Mail
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Vanderpump Villa star Stassi Schroeder shares gross sex confession during big reality TV comeback
They've been married for four years and are raising two toddlers together. Now Stassi Schroeder is spilling the tea on her wild sex life with Beau Clarke. The star has revealed the strangest place she has got frisky with her spouse. During season two of Vanderpump Villa, Stassi revealed the mood struck in a rather peculiar setting - their daughter's ball pit. The revelation arose when the couple were asked about the 'strangest place' they had ever had sex in while playing a drinking game on the show. 'Oh my God, I don't know! Are we so vanilla?' a mortified Stassi replied when she was unable to immediately think of a place. 'I mean, we are not strange,' A red-faced Beau added. 'We're boring!' Stassi replied. The memory then arrived in Stassi's mind: 'Oh, I got it! After Hartford's first birthday party, we had sex in her ball pit,' she jubilantly declared. 'We did! We did!' Beau said before they high-fived one another. 'And we also changed the balls the next day!' he noted. 'No we didn't!' Stassi exclaimed. In a confessional, Stassi mused: 'Now that this is coming out, none of the other moms at Hartford's school are going to let their kids come to her birthday party.' Schroeder is starring as a spying 'special VIP' in the second season of Lisa Vanderpump's reality competition Vanderpump Villa, set in a 12th century castle in the South of France. 'Remember when I used to tell you don't get involved in other people's business?' the 64-year-old RHOBH alum told her in the trailer. 'Well now, I want you to do the exact opposite. Snooping.' Stassi and Beau's love story began in 2017, and viewers watch their relationship unfold on Vanderpump Rules. They eventually became engaged in 2019 - with Vanderpump Rules cameras rolling - and tied the knot in September 2020 in a small backyard ceremony. They welcomed their daughter Hartford in January 2021 before saying marrying again at the Hotel de Russie in Italy in May 2022. Their second child, son Messer Rhys, was born September 2023. The LMU grad was only 24 when she became a server at Lisa's WeHo restaurant SUR and went on to star in Vanderpump Rules for eight seasons until she was fired in 2020. Stassi - who was dropped by her agent and publicist - was accused of making 'racially-insensitive comments' on her Straight Up podcast as well as filing a false police report in 2018 against the only African-American on the show, Faith Stowers. Schroeder first found fame competing in the eighth season of CBS' The Amazing Race with her family in 2005.
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Vanderpump Villa star Stassi Schroeder makes gross sex confession in reality TV comeback
has spilled the tea on her sex life with husband Beau Clarke as she revealed they once got frisky in their daughter's ball pit. The confession came during season two of Vanderpump Villa when the couple were asked about the 'strangest place' they had ever had sex while playing a drinking game on the show. After reading out the question and trying to come up with an answer, Stassi said: 'Oh my God, I don't know! Are we so vanilla?' Beau said: 'I mean, we are not strange.' The memory then arrived in Stassi's mind, she said: 'Oh, I got it! After Hartford's first birthday party, we had sex in her ball pit.' Her husband responded: 'We did! We did! And we also changed the balls the next day!' However, Stassi disagreed with her husbands account and said: 'No we didn't!' In a confessional, Stassi said: 'Now that this is coming out, none of the other moms at Hartford's school are going to let their kids come to her birthday party.' Stassi is starring as a spying 'special VIP' in the second season of Lisa Vanderpump's reality competition Vanderpump Villa, set in a 12th century castle in the South of France. In the trailer, Lisa said: 'Remember when I used to tell you don't get involved in other people's business? 'Well now, I want you to do the exact opposite. Snooping.' Stassi and Beau's love story began in 2017, and fans were able to watch their relationship unfold on Vanderpump Rules. They eventually became engaged in 2019 - with Vanderpump Rules cameras rolling - and tied the knot in September 2020 in a small backyard ceremony. They had their first daughter Hartford in January 2021 before marrying again at the Hotel de Russie in Italy in May 2022. Their second child, son Messer Rhys, was born in September 2023. The LMU grad was only 24 when she became a server at Lisa's WeHo restaurant SUR and starred in Vanderpump Rules for eight seasons until she was fired in 2020. Stassi was accused of making 'racially-insensitive comments' on her Straight Up podcast as well as filing a false police report in 2018 against the only African-American on the show, Faith Stowers. Schroeder first found fame competing in the eighth season of CBS' The Amazing Race with her family in 2005.
