Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 42, 2025 i Woman's Day Magazine NZ

Court battle continues! Angelina Jolie’s revealing more details of her painful split from Brad Pitt as the ongoing legal battle over their French home Château Miraval rages on. “The events leading to my need to separate from my ex-husband were emotionally difficult for me and our children,” says Angelina, 50, who’s accused Brad, 61, of abuse and alcoholism. “Upon filing for divorce, I left him control, and full residency, of our family homes in Los Angeles and at Miraval, without compensation, which I hoped would make him calmer in his dealings with me after a traumatic period.” Brad’s fighting for Angelina to turn over private messages about their château dispute to prove his claims she sold her share of Miraval to Russian beverage giants Stoli Group without permission – which…

The Duchess of Sussex is getting her ducks in a row ahead of a return to the UK, with insiders revealing she plans to invite the Princess of Wales to a clear-the-air meeting that she hopes will pave the way for peace at last between Princes William and Harry. “Meghan has asked her people to reach out to Kate and organise a call,” a source tells. “She hopes this will be the first step towards reconciliation.” Earlier this month, Meghan, 44, made a surprise appearance at Paris Fashion Week and according to royal reporter Richard Eden, it’s all part of a master plan to rebuild relations with the royal family. “It’s known as Project Thaw because the aim is to warm up the Sussexes’ frosty relationships with the rest of…

Parental Guidance participants Tammy and Mark, known as the “Up Front Parents”, are the first to admit they’re winging it when it comes to raising their four boys. “We’re not saying we’re doing it right,” confesses Melbourne-based Tammy, 49, who’s mum to Lenny, 13, Archer and Eddy, both 12, and Murphy, nine. “We’re just saying, ‘This is what we’re doing – help us!’” Their parenting style is rooted in old-school values and unfiltered honesty, whether that’s dealing with peer pressure, sexting or even porn – topics they may never have had to broach with kids if they’d gone with their original plan to not have a family. “We just wanted to keep travelling, spending our money and not have kids,” she recalls. “But I thought, ‘What if he dies before…

The big day is finally here, but will Home And Away lovebirds Cash Newman and Eden Fowler’s wedding go off without a hitch this week? When nervous bride Eden, played by Stephanie Panozzo, peeks out at her guests, she’s thrilled to see both her mum and dad at the venue. “She feels so happy to have her whole family finally together again,” says Stephanie, 30. “It’s a very healing moment for the Fowlers after so much trauma and dysfunction.” For the Melbourne-born actor, who's starred on the soap since 2022, it’s a joyous moment in her journey as wild child Eden. “Cash and Eden’s wedding has been a long time coming,” she explains. “I’m so beyond excited for fans to finally see the love of ‘Caden’ celebrated in the beautiful…

True love rarely begins in the back seat of a car – and if it does, it’s usually not a tale for innocent ears. But for Rosie and Blair Shaw, better known as award-winning country music duo Rowdy’s Rose, it was a shared invite and carpool with a mutual friend to their local pub’s Christmas Eve celebrations 15 years ago that kicked off their love story. “We joke about being each other’s Christmas present,” smiles 41-year-old Rosie. When the pair arrived at the bar in their hometown of Te Awamutu, Rosie bought Blair, 49, a drink and that’s the moment he knew he’d met his future wife. “It’s rare for a woman to buy a guy a beer,” muses Blair. “I turned to my friend and said, ‘I could marry…

Ever noticed how listening to the rolling waves at the beach, floating in the ocean or sinking into a warm bath has a calming effect? While most of us are aware of the relaxing nature of water, it’s also a subject of interest for researchers investigating something known as Blue Mind Theory (BMT). The good news is there are many ways you can soothe with water without having to leave home. Nutritionist and registered nurse Madeline Calfas reveals how. BLUE MIND EXPLAINED The concept of BMT was popularised by marine biologist Dr Wallace Nichols. “He explores how water can help improve our overall performance in life, plus increase our generosity and compassion,” says Madeline. “It can reinforce our connection to nature and the environment, increase our creativity, health and wellbeing,…

Orgasms are good for our health. Whether it’s fantastic foreplay, sexy self-pleasure or full-on raunchy intercourse, research shows getting our freak on is a vital part of a woman’s life at every age. While in new relationships we often can’t keep our hands off each other, once we soon settle into an all too familiar domestic rhythm with our partners, life can often get in the way of us embracing our sexiest selves. We might blame hormones or age, but sex coach and educator Rachel Strevens says mostly it’s because as women, we don’t know how to put sexual needs first. “We’re often juggling work, running a household, looking after kids, managing social lives and making sure everyone else is happy before ourselves,” tells Rachel. “Sex often feels like just…

It’s hard to believe it from some of the wild weather we’ve had here in Auckland lately, but summer is on its way. Just six weeks to go – woohoo! And to celebrate, over the next half-dozen issues, we’re showing how you can prepare for your best summer ever, both physically and mentally. We kick things off on page 54, where we explore the hot new trend of Blue Mind Theory and the healing power of water, which I can definitely vouch for. The other weekend, I was visiting friends in Whangārei when the temperature got into balmy 20-something degrees and we were lured into the sea. Look, it wasn’t warm, but I put my head under the waves and it felt invigorating. My personal motto is: “You never regret…

Britney Spears has accused her ex Kevin Federline of spreading “white lies” and “profiting” off her after he made “sensationalist” claims about her in his new memoir, You Thought You Knew. In the book, Kevin, 47, makes shocking allegations about why their sons, Sean, 20, and Jayden, 19, wanted to be out of their mum’s care, writing, “They would awaken sometimes at night to find her standing silently in the doorway, watching them sleep, saying, ‘Oh, you’re awake?’ with a knife in her hand.” Kevin also claims his ex-wife was dependent on drugs and alcohol, but he admits, “We haven’t spoken in years.” A rep for Brit says Kevin is bitter because his “child support has ended”, while the singer herself insists she’ll “always love” her boys, adding, “I’m the…

With a new baby, an energetic toddler and a full-time return to radio, Polly “PJ” Harding could be forgiven for feeling a little stretched right now. But as she joins her The Hits co-host and best friend Matty McLean for a photoshoot at her home in Masterton to celebrate their on-air reunion, she can only laugh at the happy chaos surrounding her. With her six-month-old daughter Frankie perched on her hip and three-year-old Charlie tugging at her leg for a snack, PJ says life as a mum of two is everything she imagined – exhausting, intense, hilarious and fulfilling. And as the 35-year-old broadcaster heads back to host The Hits Drive alongside Matty, 39, she admits she’s incredibly lucky to have the best of both worlds. “Going back to work…

Nearly a month has passed since “shy but adventurous” Gus Lamont was last seen on his family’s remote sheep station in South Australia. With his distinctive curly blond hair and dressed in a blue Minions top, the four-year-old was playing on a mound of dirt outside his grandparents’ 148,260-acre property at around 5pm. When his grandmother went to call him inside 30 minutes later, she realised he was gone. At the time of going to print, South Australian Police had renewed their search with a dedicated task force, with officials revealing it’s “one of the largest, most intensive and most protracted searches” ever undertaken in Oz. A police helicopter with infrared technology was deployed to search 470km2 of “unusual terrain”. As his heartbroken family clings to hope, some experts are…

For years, Rachel Strevens thought there was something wrong with her. While from the outside she had it all – a busy finance career, happy children and a smooth-running household – her sex drive was nonexistent. “As women, we prioritise everybody else ahead of ourselves,” explains Rachel. “Our needs and wants sit at the bottom of the pile. If you’re not getting the time to look after your own health and wellbeing, it affects how you feel about yourself sexually.” By the time the Aucklander’s marriage ended, she was 40 and was convinced her intimate life was over. “I accepted that part of me had died,” she admits. Encouraged by friends, the financial consultant decided to try new experiences. Says Rachel, “I called it my year of self-discovery. I decided…

REDBACK SPIDERS SERVES 12 PREP 1 HOUR COOK 1 HOUR 40 MINS • 2 x 440g packets chocolate cake mix • 400g tub chocolate frosting • 1 packet chocolate sprinkles • 1 liquorice strap, cut into thin strips • 1 milk bottle lolly, cut into fangs • 2 red M&M’s • 22 red M&M’s Minis • 200g packet red fondant 1 Lightly grease a 7-cup pudding basin, a 19cm round cake pan, 1 hole of a ¹/³ -cup muffin tray and line a 12-hole mini muffin tray with black paper patty cases. 2 Prepare cake mixes following packet instructions. Divide one between mini muffin tray and pudding basin. 3 Cook in a 180°C preheated oven, mini muffins 12-15 mins and pudding cake 50-55 mins until cooked when tested. Stand all…

QUEEN OF HEARTS LAURA DERN The actress looked royally good in this Stella McCartney dress, seemingly inspired by a deck of cards, at the London premiere of her film Is This Thing On? Support crew AIDEE WALKER & ANGELA BLOOMFIELD The Celebrity Treasure Island favourites were on hand to support the stars of new Sky Open series The Ridge at the show’s Auckland launch. Mad hatter DOMINIC COOPER You can say what you want about his singing in Mamma Mia!, but there’s no denying the English actor is sun-safe. Dom channelled his inner mad hatter by wearing two caps while on a shopping spree in New York. Tie-riffic moments! JULIA ROBERTS RTS She wore a necktie and blazer to pick up her Golden Globe for Steel Magnolias in 1990…

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The first MasterChef Australia contestant baby is on the way! Smitten couple Sarah Todd and Declan Cleary have announced their “beautiful new chapter” ahead, sharing photos of her growing bump. “These past months have been some of the most precious of our lives – a sacred time of holding this news close,” posted the pair, who moved in together in Melbourne soon after falling in love on the show this year. “We feel so deeply blessed knowing this little cherub will enter a world already brimming with so much love.” It will be the first child for Declan, 27, while Sarah, 38, shares son Phoenix, 14, with her ex-fiancé.…

They say the grass is always greener on the other side, but a few months after supposedly instigating his split from Nicole Kidman, her ex Keith Urban might be finding life as a bachelor isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In a telling new chat about the often “lonely and miserable” life of a touring artist, the Whangārei-born country crooner, 57, laments all the sacrifices it takes to be a success, including being away from family for weeks on end. “It's a calling and you’re going to do it or you’re not going to make it,” explains Keith, who turns 58 this week. Meanwhile, an insider tells Woman’s Day that the reality of losing his wife of 19 years is starting to dawn on him. “There are moments, especially…

Black Ferns star Cheryl Waaka might have been known for her fearlessness on the rugby field. But as she fights for her life against stage four bowel cancer, it’s her kids who are giving her the courage to go on. Ever since Cheryl collapsed on her kitchen floor and was rushed to hospital in June, her children, son Wakaroa, 16, and daughter Kahurangi, 12, have been by her side. Being open with her kids about her diagnosis, Cheryl’s determined not to shield them from the truth, but to keep life as steady as possible in the Northland home they share. “There’s no use hiding anything from them,” the 55-year-old says. “Before chemo started, I said, ‘If Mum’s not well, it’s the treatment doing its job’.” Now, as she undergoes chemotherapy…

MKR Australia screens 7.30pm Monday to Wednesday on TVNZ 2 and streams on TVNZ+. They’ve been labelled the “Logan bogans” and had doubt cast on their cooking abilities, but this week, Brisbane besties Lauren “Lol” Argyle and Lilly “Lil” Mckay make it to MKR Australia’s Kitchen Headquarters – and they’re thrilled! “Walking through those doors was incredible,” grins Lol, 26. A proud Lil, 25, adds, “We were just screaming!” It hasn’t been easy for the best buddies to get to this point, with Gold Coast “Meat Master” Michael Edelberg, 30, repeatedly saying he thought they’d be the first team to go home. Lol admits, “In the first round, it really got under my skin, hearing that from Michael.” Then once the gatecrashers arrived, the chaos around the dinner table was…

I love Halloween. We don’t go all out like the Americans do, but I think we have a nice balance of festivity without it consuming our lives. I’m pretty sure nobody cares about or acknowledges the origins of it any more – it’s just an excuse to dress up, decorate your house or office and maybe take the kids out to collect lollies. When I used to live in my marital home, the 31st of October was one of my favourite nights of the year. The neighbourhood kids would come by in their spooky costumes, knock on the door and shout, “Trick or treat!” in their cute voices. My ex and I would get genuinely excited to hand out lollies. We liked to pride ourselves on being the “good treat”…

EASY TO CLEAN! Avoid scrubbing or using overly harsh tools – your fingertips are often best. Over-cleansing or aggressive rubbing can damage your skin barrier. A luxe, lightweight balm, Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, $70, transforms from a solid to oil upon contact with the skin. It’s also good for removing mascara. Scan the QR code for our expert guide to choosing the best cleanser for your skin type. Made in New Zealand, Essano Collagen Boost Gentle Oil Cleanser, $30, expertly removes makeup and impurities while nourishing and balancing. Ditch your disposable makeup wipes and reach for The Original Make Up Eraser Pro, $35. Simply wet the reusable, machine-washable cloth with warm water to whisk away makeup and sunscreen with one side, then exfoliate with the other. Formulated…

Q I’m about to reach a major milestone in my life and wish more than anything my mum was here to see it. I hope she’s proud of me and still beside me in some way. Does she know what’s happening in my life now? Anne-Marie MITCHELL SAYS I feel your beautiful mum stepping forward from the spirit world with so much love. She tells me she knows exactly what’s been happening in your life and is so proud of the person you’ve become. I can hear your mum saying, “I’m always right there with you,” and I sense she’s especially close as you reach each milestone. Your mum wants you to know she’s never missed a thing and she’s been beside you every step of the way. Please watch…