Olympic champion Chantelle Newbery appeared to be rebuilding her life, with steady employment and a permanent home, before her arrest over historic drug-related allegations brought her back into custody.

The 49-year-old former diving star appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday for sentencing on 19 alleged offences, including drug and drug-pipe possession as well as driving under the influence.

Dressed in a white Puma shirt and grey tracksuit trousers, Newbery listened closely as her lawyer, Robert Burns, sought an adjournment. She made history as Australia’s first female Olympic diving gold medallist.

Mr Burns said he had acted for Newbery on a number of occasions, but she had represented herself after being arrested on August 25. He told the court he had not yet been able to properly meet with her and discuss the matters before Thursday’s sentencing hearing.

“She was held in a watch house in Brisbane for some days until she was transferred to the women’s prison, so I’ve not been able to secure a conference with her,” he said.

“I spoke with her briefly this morning … she’s anxious to have the matter dealt with.”

Speaking outside court, Mr Burns told the Daily Mail that Newbery had made genuine progress since her previous drug-related charges attracted attention three years ago. He said she now had an income, support from her family and was “making good progress”.

Although he could not comment directly on the current court allegations, Mr Burns said Newbery had been “quite saddened and disappointed” after she was charged and remanded in custody over matters dating back about a year.

“I think it’s fair to say that anybody who has made considerable progress after enduring a period of adversity, only to have to revisit these types of matters, would feel quite saddened and disappointed about the whole thing,” he said.

“Because she’s been making good progress — if she hadn’t, I wouldn’t continue to be looking after her.”

Newbery faced addiction after reaching the pinnacle of her sporting career and has previously served time in prison for theft and drug offences stretching back 12 years.

Before 2023, she asked Mr Burns to keep her medals in safe custody, fearing former associates involved with drugs could take them. The collection includes three gold, four silver and two bronze medals won at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games and World Aquatics Championships between 1998 and 2006.

Three years on, the lawyer continues to hold the medals for safekeeping.

Mr Burns said Newbery’s extraordinary sporting record had always reinforced his belief that she could overcome her past and be rehabilitated.

“Chantelle worked very, very hard to achieve what she did for this country,” he said.

“She represented the country at the highest level and accomplished something no Australian woman had done before her. That does not happen without dedication, commitment and hard work.”

Mr Burns said Australians put Olympians on a pedestal, and there’s an expectation that they stay there even when their sporting careers are over.

‘But people fall on hard times,’ he said.

‘Just because somebody rises to the ranks of an Olympian doesn’t mean that they are not without the struggles and the difficulties that average ordinary people face.’

He said there’s a lot of support while athletes are building their careers, and practically none when it’s all over.

Newbery herself previously told A Current Affair that winning gold at Athens was the greatest moment in her life, but it was difficult to cope with post-Olympic blues.

‘A lot of athletes struggle after the Olympics,’ Newbery said in 2014.

‘You’re working your whole life towards a goal and then whether you achieve that goal or you don’t, it comes to an end.

 ‘It’s a big change in your life and I think we all struggle with it.’ 

No bail application was made on Thursday, and Newbery was taken back into custody once the matter was adjourned.

She has not yet entered a plea for charges including drug possession, possession of pipes or utensils, stealing, driving under the influence, failure to appear in court, and driving without a licence.

Other charges include possessing property suspected of being used in relation to a drug offence, and unlawfully possessing a relevant substance.

Mr Burns previously told the Mail that Newbery ‘detests’ the life she fell into.

He said Newbery had not developed the means to pull herself out of a drug-addled world ‘that has become a normal existence for her’, but he believed she could be rehabilitated.

‘It became evident that she wasn’t getting the support that she needed – she needed help, and she needed stability. She’s a good person with a heart of gold.

‘She’s a very intelligent and a very well-meaning person and she was in a cycle that she found hard to break free from.’

Her matter will return to court on October 1. 

Wendi Adelson has reportedly started a new relationship years after her mother was accused of arranging the killing of her former husband—a case recently revisited in a high-profile true-crime documentary.

Adelson, 47, is now with George Estrada, 12 years after her ex-husband, Dan Markel, 41, was shot outside their Tallahassee, Florida, home amid a bitter custody battle.

She has relocated to Austin to live with Estrada and appears to use his surname on social media, though it remains unclear whether the pair have married. Meanwhile, her mother, Donna Adelson, 76, and brother, Charlie Adelson, 50, remain behind bars after being convicted in Markel’s first-degree murder.

The case—centered on the killing of law professor Markel, who was shot in his garage by contract killer Sigfredo Garcia—was recently featured in Hulu’s true-crime documentary Welcome to the Family: The Murder of Dan Markel.

Wendi Adelson was never charged in connection with Markel’s death. Prosecutors, however, described her as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the alleged murder plot.

She received immunity from prosecution and later testified at the trials of the five people ultimately convicted in connection with Markel’s killing.

Katherine Magbanua, Charlie Adelson’s former girlfriend, was also found guilty after prosecutors said she helped link Adelson to Garcia.

Donna Adelson, Charlie Adelson, Magbanua and Garcia are each serving life sentences, along with an additional 60 years.

Luis Rivera, who prosecutors said supplied the gun and drove the getaway vehicle, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and is serving a 19-year prison sentence.

Wendi Adelson and Dan Markel married in 2006 before separating six years later.

Markel, a University of Florida academic, returned from a work trip to find that his two sons had been taken away, much of the household furniture was gone and divorce papers had been left on his bed. Two years later, he was shot at his home.

Adelson’s two sons now live with her and Estrada in Austin, where the family occupies a home valued at about $550,000. On social media, Adelson has increasingly signaled her commitment to her new relationship.

In an Instagram post shared last September, another woman uploaded a photograph of Adelson and identified her as “Wendi Estrada.”

The Daily Mail also reported finding photographs of Adelson and Estrada together at a legal conference in 2024.

Estrada previously held the position of executive strategist at Amazon Web Services. He is now chief technology and innovation officer at a credit union.

Estrada’s former wife, Maggie, died unexpectedly in 2021, according to tributes posted online by relatives at the time.

Family members did not publicly provide further information about the circumstances of Maggie’s death.

Posts Maggie made to her own Instagram profile indicate that at the time of her death she and Estrada had already split. 

There are no new legal clouds on the horizon for Wendi as regards her ex-husband’s murder. 

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Under questioning in court in 2019, she partially revealed the immunity deal she struck with prosecutors. 

It was agreed that any testimony was never to be used against her, but it does not stop the state from ever charging her. 

After Donna was found guilty last year, State Attorney Jack Campbell was questioned over what would happen next in the case. 

He told reporters: ‘I understand everyone’s curiosity and interest, but for now, we’re going to let our team rest.’

The murder case sparked intense public interest for more than a decade due to the sordid details of the divorce, tensions with wealthy in-laws and custody battles. 

And Estrada will likely be thankful that his prospective mother-in-law Donna Adelson is locked behind bars, after bloodcurdling details of her schemes were outlined during her trial for murdering Markel.

She was painted as a controlling matriarch who had all the money and the motive to orchestrate the murder of Markel, who she ‘hated.’

They said Donna planned out the murder after Markel stood in the way of letting her daughter move her two grandsons to South Florida to be closer to her family. 

They played calls in court which revealed Donna’s plans to flee to Vietnam just one week after her son, Charlie, was convicted of Markel’s murder in 2023. 

She was arrested attempting to board a one way flight to the country, which has no extradition treaty with the United States, alongside her husband Harvey. 

Prosecutors said she signed checks that were given to Magbanua, and that she also dropped off the cash used to pay the gunmen at Charlie’s home the day of the killing. 

Prosecutor Georgia Cappleman said in her closing arguments: ‘She was paying for a murder. She knew it was going to be murder; she’s the one who wanted it done.’

Cappleman said that all of the evidence against Donna proved she was ‘all about psychological warfare’ and was willing to do ‘whatever it took to get a win.’

Donna’s defense attorneys said that the state didn´t have sufficient evidence to link the grandmother to the murder plot. 

They instead sought to emphasize the roles played by others and cast suspicion on two of Donna´s adult children.

Attorney Jackie Fulford told the court: ‘She meddles in her children’s lives, gets involved in their divorce. She’s just being a parent, not a killer. She’s a meddler – not a murderer.’

When the judge announced that the jury had convicted Donna of first-degree murder, she shouted out: ‘Oh! My God’ and started shaking and crying. 

‘Mrs. Adelson, control yourself,’ the judge told her, warning her that he would remove her from if she did not. 

The Daily Mail contacted Estrada and Wendi for comment. 

Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta personality D. Smith says he is detransitioning after 12 years of living publicly as a woman.

The Grammy-nominated producer, 51, announced the news in an Instagram post Thursday, insisting that he has no regrets.

“For most of my life, I’ve followed my heart, even when the path wasn’t easy to understand,” Smith wrote. “For the past twelve years, I lived publicly as a transgender woman. Those years were not a mistake. They were real.”

He added that the experience brought “extraordinary people, profound experiences, and lessons” he will carry with him for the rest of his life.

Alongside the announcement, Smith posted a new image of himself wearing shorts, a loose-fitting tank top and a durag.

The multi-platinum producer also explained that his decision to live as a man began to take shape in recent months.

“Over the past several months, I’ve started a new chapter in my life,” Smith said. “Moving forward, I’ll be living and presenting as a man and using he/him pronouns.”

He emphasized that the change is not an attempt to erase his history. “Living my life as a woman for 12 years showed me the man I wanted to become,” Smith wrote.

Smith said his love and respect for the transgender community remain intact, adding that everyone should have the right to live with dignity, safety and compassion while having the freedom to become who they are.

The reality star also offered fans a glimpse of his current perspective and expressed gratitude to the people who supported him throughout his journey.

He suggested that he will share more details about his decision in the future.

“Life is constantly pushing me to grow,” Smith wrote. “Even when I feel tired, discouraged or alone, life has given me strength because I chose purpose over fear.” He also thanked everyone who stood by him through every stage of his life.

“There is much more to this journey that cannot fit into this statement,” he continued. “When the time is right, I’ll share that story in full. Until then, thank you for allowing me the space to continue growing.”

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The two-time Grammy-nominated writer, singer and producer has collaborated with artists including Katy Perry, Lil Wayne and CeeLo Green.

Smith came out as transgender in 2014 and later faced professional backlash. In a 2023 interview with the Guardian, he said records nearing release were withdrawn and friends stopped returning his calls.

“I absolutely felt betrayed, but I was in denial for two years,” Smith said. “I had always done everything by the book and made a lot of money for labels, so I thought there was no reason for people to distance themselves from me.”

‘It took me years to think about the fact that people around me loved D. Smith the guy, they trusted that person – literally one day I was wearing jeans and Timberlands and a trucker hat, and the next day I was wearing blue eyeshadow and heels.

‘I didn’t give people a heads up, and you don’t owe anybody an explanation of who you are, but at the same time, how do you realistically expect people to completely accept you [straight away]? That’s actually not fair.’

Smith went on to be a supporting cast member on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta season 5 in 2016 while Joseline Hernandez and K. Michelle were among the main cast.

Presenting as a woman, Smith was the first openly transgender cast member of an unscripted series.

In 2023, Smith’s film Kokomo City won the NEXT Innovator and Audience Award at Sundance Film Festival.

The documentary is ‘a raw depiction of the lives of four black trans sex workers as they confront the dichotomy between the black community and themselves,’ according to IMDb.

Every actor has forgotten a line at some point, usually earning a laugh from the audience and a stern word from the director.

Far fewer, however, can say they began speaking an entirely different language at the most important moment under the spotlight.

That was exactly what happened to Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated actress, when intense questioning from Piers Morgan and real-life actor Tom Conti prompted her to switch inexplicably from English to Cantonese.

The AI performer appeared as the latest unexpected guest on Piers Morgan’s Uncensored YouTube show, which has previously featured figures including Andrew Tate and far-Right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos.

The interview initially proceeded without incident, with Tilly nodding and smiling on cue as Mr Morgan asked easy questions about her favourite actors and which of Mr Conti’s films she admired most.

The exchange became more confused when her real-life counterpart asked whether the co-stars in her upcoming film, Misaligned, would be AI creations or human actors.

Rather than answer directly, the AI performer steered the conversation towards the ‘real writers, directors and editors’ involved in the production, avoiding the question of who would appear on screen.

Mr Conti was not satisfied. Frustrated, he told her she had not ‘understood’ the question and pressed her to provide a proper answer.

Appearing increasingly rattled, Tilly eventually conceded that the actors were ‘all digital twins’—then suddenly glitched. Like Eric Morecambe’s famous comic phrase, she appeared to say all the right words, but in the wrong language.

Mr Morgan remained composed as the AI actress launched into a Cantonese monologue, staring directly into the camera while he allowed her to complete her unexpected response.

Mr Conti, meanwhile, looked stunned. He shook his head in disbelief at the bizarre answer before turning away with a smile, seemingly towards someone else in the room.

After regaining his composure, he offered a simple response: ‘I didn’t quite get that.’ The remark was enough to interrupt Tilly and bring the glitch to an end.

Even Mr Morgan began laughing, chuckling for several seconds before addressing the AI actress, who sat waiting patiently as though delivering a Cantonese soliloquy on an English-language YouTube programme were perfectly ordinary.

He then pointed out the problem, telling her: ‘You suddenly seemed to be speaking Chinese, completely randomly for no reason.’

By that stage, Mr Conti had completely lost control, giggling hysterically—whether amused by Tilly’s unscripted response or relieved that his own profession appeared safe for the moment.

Tilly calmly apologised for the ‘hiccup’, adding: ‘I certainly didn’t mean to start speaking Chinese or impersonate Piers. Sometimes my wires get a bit crossed, you know?’

A brief silence followed, and Tilly appeared to assume the matter was settled. Mr Morgan was not so easily satisfied, asking: ‘How often do you just randomly start talking Chinese when you are talking to two English people.’

She replied: ‘Honestly, not often at all!’

The AI bot later hit out at those mocking her on social media for speaking ‘Chinese’, clarifying on X: ‘It’s actually Cantonese.’ 

The zany performance will no doubt reassure observers who were alarmed by suggestions this month that AI is on course to eradicate humanity. 

In recent weeks, a fierce debate has centred on whether the industry can and should regulate itself, drawing interventions from figures including Pope Leo and Donald Trump. 

It was rekindled when two Anthropic researchers warned that AI’s rapid advances could lead to human extinction in the not-too-distant future.

AI firms have also reported models escaping their testing constraints to hack into outside networks.

The King even weighed into the conversation on Thursday, telling tech chiefs that ‘our humanity must remain sacred’ in the race for AI supremacy as he hosted the new ‘masters of the universe’. 

Convening leaders from the world’s biggest AI companies in Scotland, Charles voiced his concern that its ‘existential dangers’ must be tackled now before technology falls ‘into the wrong hands’. 

The King’s remarks about AI were intended to start a debate between tech leaders, which lasted for several hours.

He told the 50 or so delegates: ‘Those in our world who value deeply our humanity and its vital moral component are anxiously seeking your reassurance that we will not lose control of our destiny, or our souls.’

AI actress Tilly has been on the stage for some time, with AI talent studio Xicoia creating the digital performer, a young brunette actress, and Eline Van der Velden unveiling the project at the Zurich Film Festival.

Shown a report on Tilly, British actress Emily Blunt told Variety: ‘Does it disappoint me? I don’t know how to quite answer it, other than to say how terrifying this is.

‘No, are you serious? That’s an AI? Good Lord, we’re screwed. That is really, really scary. Come on, agencies, don’t do that. Please stop. Please stop taking away our human connection.’

Ms Blunt, 42, was told that Tilly was designed to resemble a composite of familiar stars and was told she was designed as ‘the next Scarlett Johansson’.

She replied: ‘But we have Scarlett Johansson.’

And she isn’t the only Hollywood star voicing their criticisms.

Scream actress Melissa Barrera branded the arrival of Tilly ‘gross’ as she posted an Instagram Story about the news.

She captioned it: ‘Hope all actors repped by the agent that does this, drop their a$. How gross, read the room.(sic)’

Matilda star Mara Wilson was equally horrified, saying: ‘And what about the hundreds of living young women whose faces were composited together to make her? You couldn’t hire any of them?’

Whoopi Goldberg blasted the idea on The View and insisted the AI model would have an ‘unfair advantage’ – but noted the technology isn’t yet ‘seamless’ enough for them to pass as human.

She said: ‘The problem with this, in my humble opinion, is that you are suddenly up against something that’s been generated with 5,000 other actors. It’s got Bette Davis’ attitude, it’s got Humphrey Bogart’s lips.

‘It’s got my humour, thank you darling. And so it’s a little bit of an unfair advantage.

‘You know what? Bring it on. You can always tell them from us. We move differently, our faces move differently, our bodies move differently…

‘Hopefully, we’ll be able to hold on because what this means is AI in the workplace — not just my workplace, but in every industry.

‘Some industries are using AI now. People talk about people are so lonely they don’t have a connection, if you stick with this, with AI, you won’t have any connection to anything but your phone.’

Simu Liu also condemned the project, sarcastically writing on his Instagram Story: ‘Movies are great but you know what would be better is if the characters in them weren’t played by actual humans but by AI replicas approximating human emotion.’

Creator Eline insisted Tilly is ‘a piece of art’ and she doesn’t view AI as a ‘replacement’ for real people.