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Jessica Fox reacts to her sister's gold medal victory

<p>The Fox sisters are now both Olympic gold medallists after Noemie Fox claimed her victory in the women's kayak cross. </p> <p>Noemie, who is the younger sister of three-time Olympic champion Jessica Fox, beat out silver medallist Angèle Hug from France, and the UK's Kimberley Woods in bronze. </p> <p>Following Noemie's win, Jess and their mother Myriam quickly jumped into the water to celebrate her victory at bottom of the slalom course.</p> <p>Jess then spoke candidly to Nine about her sister's win, hailing the "fairytale ending" to an almost unbelievably perfect Fox family Olympics.</p> <p>"I'm just full of emotion," Jess said, voice trembling, just moments after climbing out of the water at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.</p> <p>"And I'm so proud of her, and I'm just – I'm drenched, I jumped into the water. There's so much emotion in this moment. It's amazing.</p> <p>"I was just screaming. We were both screaming," Jess said. "She was like 'what is going on? What the hell' but she did it."</p> <p>"She is just so – I'm so happy for her, so happy for her."</p> <p>There were but three kayak gold medals up for grabs for women at Paris 2024 and the sisters are taking the whole set back with them to Sydney.</p> <p>As well as coaching her daughters to success, Myriam has an Olympic bronze medal to her name and dad Richard, who briefly bailed on his broadcast duties to celebrate with his two girls, won 10 world championships and finished fourth in the K1 at Barcelona 1992.</p> <p>"It means that poor dad is the only one without an Olympic medal," Jess joked.</p> <p>"What a moment for our family. What a moment for these games. You know, for the whole team, we've come away with three gold medals, and that's so special."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram/Morgan Treacy/INPHO/Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>

International Travel

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Michael J. Fox celebrates 36th wedding anniversary

<p>Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan are celebrating 36 years of wedded bliss. </p> <p>On Tuesday, the two actors - who first met in 1985 when they were cast as each other's love interests on <em>Family Ties -</em> took to Instagram to celebrate their marriage. </p> <p>"Here's to a lifetime of love with the love of a lifetime. Happy anniversary, T. Forever ♥️," Fox wrote, alongside a throwback photo of him and Pollan by a pool. </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/C9e_t4buipY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/C9e_t4buipY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Michael J Fox (@realmikejfox)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Pollan shared a throwback photo of her and Fox on a beach with two golden retrievers, and a more recent image of the pair on the same beach. </p> <p>"Same spot, different year!" she wrote in the caption. </p> <p>"Happy anniversary my love, we haven't changed a bit 😘 I love you!"</p> <p>Fox replied to the sweet tribute in the comments, saying: "Gosh...I love you. Let's keep on keepin on❤️"</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/C9fKYldRT47/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/C9fKYldRT47/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tracy Pollan (@tracy.pollan)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Fans took to the comments to share their best wishes to the couple. </p> <p>"Just watched the episode of <em>Family Ties</em> at the train station. So beautiful that your love for each other remains unshakeable, and eternal. Happy Anniversary!!!" wrote one fan. </p> <p>"I’m convinced Hollywood will never see a sweeter couple than you two. You are an inspiration," added another. </p> <p>"HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to the strongest couple I know!! Wishing you so many more happy years together!!" wrote a third. </p> <p>While the pair first met in 1985, they didn't get together until a few years later when they were reunited on-screen in <em>Bright Lights, Big City. </em>Within seven months the pair were engaged and went on to tie the knot on July 16 1988. </p> <p>They have since welcomed four children: Sam Michael Fox, Aquinnah Kathleen Fox, Schuyler Frances Fox and Esmé Annabelle Fox.</p> <p>Their love story has endured it all, including Fox's Parkinson's diagnosis, which is documented in Fox's 2023 documentary, "STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie." </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Relationships

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"Mind blowing": Michael J. Fox stuns with Coldplay performance

<p>British rock band Coldplay has made history at Glastonbury music festival this year, becoming the first band to headline the festival a record five times - and they had one special guest join them on stage. </p> <p>Fans were left in tears after Michael J. Fox hit the stage with Coldplay on Saturday to play the guitar during <em>Fix You</em> and <em>Humankind</em>. </p> <p>Chris Martin paid tribute to Michael and thanked him for being the "main reason" why the band was formed. </p> <p>"The main reason why we're in a band is because of watching <em>Back to the Future</em>, so thank you to our hero forever and one of the most amazing people on Earth, Mr Michael J. Fox. Thank you so much, Michael," he said, before welcoming the actor on stage. </p> <p>The actor, who is an avid musician and famously played the guitar in the iconic 1985 sci-fi movie, thanked his team and Coldplay for the incredible moment. </p> <p>"Glastonbury all the love and thanks to the @coldplay team who took such great care of us," his shared on Instagram. </p> <p> "Oh yeah in case you were wondering… it was f**king mind blowing. There is a time for every band and a band for every time. This is @coldplay's time. More pics to come," he added. </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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C82KTgiI95d/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/C82KTgiI95d/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Michael J Fox (@realmikejfox)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Many fans were also left in tears following his surprise appearance. </p> <p>"Coldplay, wow just wow. What a show and Michael J. Fox, don't tell me you weren't in tears," wrote one fan on X. </p> <p>"Coldplay rocking Glastonbury and then bringing out Michael J. Fox will be the best thing I see all year," added another. </p> <p>"Coldplay bringing out Michael J. Fox is not what drunk me expected. Sobbing mess," added a third. </p> <p>"Michael J Fox bless his heart on stage with Coldplay," wrote a fourth. </p> <p><em>Images: BBC / YouTube </em></p> <p> </p>

Music

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What the fox! Driver finds wild animal trapped in his car

<p>A motorist has shared the startling moment a fox got trapped in the front grill of his car, after he accidentally hit the wild animal while travelling at 80km/h. </p> <p>While driving down a country road in South Australia on Saturday night, the man behind the wheel said he was shocked when he felt something slam into the car. </p> <p>When he later checked the vehicle, he was astonished to find the angry fox trying to break free from behind the front grill of the car. </p> <p>“Y’all thought you had a bad day,” he can be heard saying while filming the animal furiously biting the front grill in an attempt to escape.</p> <p>In a series of videos posted to TikTok, the man documented the fox's attempts at escape, before informing his followers that he had enlisted the help of a local vet to help free the animal. </p> <p>“Took him to the vet, they sedated him and we got him out safely, the poor guy,” he said, adding he was glad — and impressed — the fox was alive after such a high-speed impact.</p> <p>Throughout his videos, many took to the comments to offer their advice to free the fox, as one person suggested "popping the lid", with the driver explaining that he did but “couldn’t even see him through the bonnet”.</p> <p>The saga has been viewed more than 400,000 times in the past 24 hours, with numerous people saying they were stunned the fox wasn’t seriously injured. “How does this even happen?” one person wondered.</p> <p>“What in the fox is going on here!” another joked, while others pondered how the man would explain the incident to his insurance company.</p> <p>“Insurance would never believe you if you didn’t have that video,” someone else added.</p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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"What a legend": Michael J Fox receives emotional standing ovation

<p>Michael J Fox, who has Parkinson's disease, made a surprise appearance at the BAFTA Awards in London. </p> <p><em>The Back to the Future</em> actor came onstage in a wheelchair, but he insisted on standing up at the podium to present the Best Film award. </p> <p>The star-studded audience all rose to their feet and gave the actor a standing ovation.  </p> <p>When presenting the award, Fox described cinema as "magic" which can "change your life".</p> <p>"Five films were nominated in this category tonight and all five have something in common. They are the best of what we do," he said. </p> <p>He added that films can bring people together "no matter who you are or where you're from".</p> <p>"There's a reason why they say movies are magic because movies can change your day.</p> <p>"It can change your outlook. Sometimes it can change your life."</p> <p>Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's in the 1990s, rarely makes public appearances. </p> <p>Many fans were pleasantly surprised at his appearance as he presented the night’s biggest award, Best Film, to <em>Oppenheimer</em>.</p> <p>"I was in tears the moment Michael J Fox came on the stage," one fan wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.</p> <p>"THE MAN IS A LEGEND"</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">i was in tears the moment Michael J Fox came on the stage 😥😥😥</p> <p>THE MAN IS A LEGEND <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAFTAs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BAFTAs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAFTA2024?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BAFTA2024</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EEBAFTAs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EEBAFTAs</a> <a href="https://t.co/Uud368S9gb">pic.twitter.com/Uud368S9gb</a></p> <p>— RanaJi🏹 (@RanaTells) <a href="https://twitter.com/RanaTells/status/1759323180060299726?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>"Michael J Fox. Absolute hero. What a legend," wrote another. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Michael J Fox. Absolute hero. What a legend. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAFTAs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BAFTAs</a> <a href="https://t.co/62lxpCy3mn">pic.twitter.com/62lxpCy3mn</a></p> <p>— Jules 🌼 (@JulesItsjules) <a href="https://twitter.com/JulesItsjules/status/1759320058583568638?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>"All those stars in the room, and still the biggest and most affectionate reaction is for Michael J Fox, because the man is a legend," added a third. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">All those stars in the room, and still the biggest and most affectionate reaction is for Michael J Fox, because the man is a legend. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EEBAFTAs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EEBAFTAs</a></p> <p>— Declan Cashin (@Tweet_Dec) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tweet_Dec/status/1759319831696855281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>"He's a total legend and wonderful human," wrote a fourth. </p> <p>The actor has spoken <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/i-m-not-gonna-be-80-michael-j-fox-s-tragic-admission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">candidly</a> about his experience with Parkinson's over the years, and has said that he has made peace with the degenerative nature of the disease. </p> <p>In a previous interview with AARP magazine profile, the actor admitted that he did not fear death. </p> <p>“I am genuinely a happy guy. I don’t have a morbid thought in my head — I don’t fear death. At all," he told the publication. </p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

TV

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Michael J. Fox gets mushy over 35 years of wedded bliss with Tracy Pollan

<p>In a tremendous display of tenderness, Michael J. Fox, the time-traveling heartthrob from Back to the Future, has taken to Instagram to pay tribute to his wife, Tracy Pollan, on their momentous 35th wedding anniversary. </p> <p>The 62-year-old star couldn't resist pouring his heart out, and he wrote, "35 years of [laughter], living, listening, and loving you, @tracy.pollan. Thank you for it all. Forever yours, Mike." </p> <p>Pollan, unable to contain her overflowing affection, gushed in the comments, "Love you so much!!!" Oh, the lovebirds! This display of love and adoration didn't stop there. Tracy took to her own Instagram account to pen a tribute to her hubby. "35 years!!!" she exclaimed, "Happy anniversary, my love. Here's to many more glorious adventures together. I could not love you more." Cue the swooning!</p> <p>The couple didn't stop at heartfelt messages either. They also shared a collection of adorable photos that showcased their journey of love and togetherness.</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/CuwsTfyrq3b/?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/CuwsTfyrq3b/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Michael J Fox (@realmikejfox)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>This isn't the first time Fox has let his feelings flow like the DeLorean's exhaust. Just last month, he wished his beloved wife a happy 63rd birthday with an Instagram post that melted hearts worldwide. He referred to her as his "forever summer girl," his love, his best friend, and the most beautiful, amazing mum to their four stupendous kids. </p> <p>Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we? Fox and Pollan's love story started on the set of <em>Family Ties</em> in 1985, where they played love interests. Little did they know that their on-screen chemistry would spark a real-life romance. At the time, Fox was involved with Nancy McKeon, while Pollan was seeing Kevin Bacon (yes, the <em>Footloose</em> guy). Fate had different plans, though, and the couple found themselves reuniting in 1988 on the set of <em>Bright Lights, Big City</em>. Talk about a plot twist!</p> <p>Within seven months of their reunion, Fox and Pollan were engaged and soon walked down the aisle, sealing their fate as one of Hollywood's most enduring and beloved power couples. Together, they have gracefully navigated the highs and lows of marriage and are proof that true love can withstand the test of time (and maybe a little flux capacitor magic).</p> <p>Their love story expanded to include four children: Sam, 34, twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, 28, and Esmé, 21. Clearly, their love multiplied like Marty McFly's time-travelling adventures.</p> <p>But it's not just lovey-dovey romance that makes this couple shine. Fox has openly praised Pollan for being his rock during his battle with Parkinson's Disease, which began in the early '90s. He once revealed in an interview, "Tracy was just like, 'You've got a stone in your shoe. We'll do what we can until you can get it out. In the meantime...you can hold my hand, and we'll get over that.'" Now that's love that defies the laws of physics.</p> <p>So, let's raise a glass to Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan as they celebrate 35 years of marital bliss. May their love continue to shine like the Flux Capacitor, and may their adventures together never run out of 1.21 gigawatts of excitement. Cheers to love, laughter, and happily ever afters!</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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Michael J Fox shares rare photos of lookalike son

<p dir="ltr">Michael J Fox has shared a few rare photos of his eldest son, Sam, in a sweet birthday tribute.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Back To The Future</em> actor took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a series of photos in celebration of his lookalike son’s 34th birthday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Happy birthday to my big bouncing baby boy, you are the best. Proud to be your pops. Love you!” he captioned the photos.</p> <p dir="ltr">The first photo showed his son blowing out a few candles on a huge chocolate ganache cake.</p> <p dir="ltr">The second photo showed the father-son duo beaming as they sat next to each other on a boat ride and in the third photo, Fox can be seen planting a big kiss on his son’s cheeks.</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/Cs3tLlOLCBb/?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/Cs3tLlOLCBb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Michael J Fox (@realmikejfox)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Sam is the eldest of the four children Fox shares with his wife Tracey Pollen. They are also parents to twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, 28, and Esmé, 21.</p> <p dir="ltr">Many fans took to the comments to share their birthday wishes to Sam.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Happy birthday Sam ❤️” read one comment.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Chip off the old block. Very handsome. 😍Happy Birthday!!” wrote another fan.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Never realised how much he looks like you until now! Happy birthday.,” commented a third.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Gosh, he looks SO much like you at that age!” gushed a fourth.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Rare sighting as famous friends step out in support of Michael J. Fox

<p>Michael J. Fox has been joined by a host of his famous friends for a screening of his upcoming documentary. </p> <p>The new documentary explores the <em>Back to the Future</em> star's ongoing battle with Parkinson's disease, and the changes in his life and condition as he gets older. </p> <p>In a show of support for the actor, his celebrity mates joined together for a screening of <em>Still</em> at New York's Lincoln Center. </p> <p>Among the famous faces was actress Meg Ryan, who has not been spotted in public for more than six months. </p> <p>The former rom-com queen, best known for starring roles in films like <em>When Harry Met Sally</em>, <em>Sleepless in Seattle</em> and <em>You’ve Got Mail</em>, lives a more quiet life outside of the spotlight these days.</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/Cr1TCUeO8e3/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/Cr1TCUeO8e3/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tracy Pollan (@tracy.pollan)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Ryan hasn’t appeared on screen since the 2015 film <em>Ithaca</em>, which she also directed.</p> <p>However, she is plotting a return to screens later this year, with Ryan starring in and directing the film <em>What Happens Later</em>, which is currently in production.</p> <p>Ryan was among a star-studded group of famous friends supporting J. Fox for the premiere of his doco, with stars including Bill Murray, Denis Leary, Joan Jett, Katie Couric, Mariska Hargitay, and Debra Messing. </p> <p>The screening of the documentary comes after Michael J. Fox <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/i-m-not-gonna-be-80-michael-j-fox-s-tragic-admission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admitted</a> that his battle with the disease is getting more difficult. </p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">“I’m not gonna be 80,” he said in a preview for an upcoming episode of the American current affairs program <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">CBS Sunday Mornin</em>g, according to <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Page Six</em>.</p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">In the clip, Journalist Jane Pauley tells Fox that he has “not squandered” but that his condition will eventually “make the call” as to when it’s his time to go.</p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">“Yeah, it’s, it’s banging on the door,” the actor said.</p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">“I’m not gonna lie. It’s gettin’ hard, it’s gettin’ harder. It’s gettin’ tougher. Every day it’s tougher.”</p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';"><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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“I’m not gonna be 80": Michael J. Fox's tragic admission

<p>Beloved actor Michael J. Fox is acknowledging how difficult his more than 30-year battle with Parkinson’s disease has become.</p> <p>“I’m not gonna be 80,” the Back to the Future star said in a preview for an upcoming episode of the American current affairs program <em>CBS Sunday Mornin</em>g, according to <em>Page Six</em>.</p> <p>In the clip, Journalist Jane Pauley tells Fox that he has “not squandered” but that his condition will eventually “make the call” as to when it’s his time to go.</p> <p>“Yeah, it’s, it’s banging on the door,” the actor said.</p> <p>“I’m not gonna lie. It’s gettin’ hard, it’s gettin’ harder. It’s gettin’ tougher. Every day it’s tougher.”</p> <p>Fox revealed that he had surgery to remove a benign tumour on his spine, but the procedure “messed up” his walking and so he started to “break” other parts of his body, including his arm, elbow, face and hand.</p> <p>He added that the “big killer” of Parkinson’s disease is “falling” and can also be “aspirating food and getting pneumonia”, pointing out that it is “all these subtle ways that gets you.”</p> <p>You don’t die from Parkinson’s. You die with Parkinson’s,” he said. “So – so I’ve been – I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it.”</p> <p>The actor was diagnosed with the brain disorder at just 29. He has since become a leading advocate for research on the condition, with the launch of the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000 to help educate the public and fund studies.</p> <p>He has previously revealed that he does not fear death.</p> <p>“I’m really blunt with people about cures. When they ask me if I will be relieved of Parkinson’s in my lifetime, I say, ‘I’m 60 years old, and science is hard. So, no,’” he admitted in an AARP magazine profile in December 2021.</p> <p>“I am genuinely a happy guy. I don’t have a morbid thought in my head — I don’t fear death. At all.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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“Game-changer”: Michael J Fox shares huge medical news

<p dir="ltr">Michael J Fox has shared news of a medical breakthrough into Parkinson’s disease.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 61-year-old – who was diagnosed with the disease in 1991 – was thrilled to share the news, despite suffering a “terrible year”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fox told <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2023/04/12/michael-j-fox-parkinsons-biomarker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Stat News</em></a> that he had broken multiple bones after a fall, including some in his hand and face, but has said that in some ways he is “feeling better”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite his own personal battle, the <em>Back to the Future</em> star was overjoyed to share the breakthrough in Parkinson’s research.</p> <p dir="ltr">The study – funded by Fox’s charity organisation that aims to find a cure for Parkinson’s – found that a key Parkinson's pathology can now be identified by examining spinal fluid from living patients, allowing earlier intervention.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s all changed. It can be known and treated early on. It’s huge,” he said</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is the thing. This is the big reward. This is the big trophy.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The findings, published in <em>The Lancet Neurology</em>, are the result of a 1,123-person study that Fox’s foundation has put hundreds of millions of dollars into since it began in 2010.</p> <p dir="ltr">An editorial in the medical journal has also called this research “a game-changer in Parkinson’s disease diagnostics, research, and treatment trials”.</p> <p dir="ltr">In late 2022 the actor opened up about his struggle with Parkinson’s in his emotional acceptance speech for the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/michael-j-fox-reveals-more-details-about-his-struggle-with-parkinson-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jean Hershel Humanitarian Award</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the speech he said that the hardest part “was grappling with the certainty of the diagnosis and the uncertainty of the situation,” but has since felt relieved after an “outpouring of support” from the public and his peers.</p> <p><em>Image: Frazer Harrison for Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

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Great Scott! Michael J. Fox poses with new pup

<p>Michael J. Fox has a new furry friend, and fans are saying the pup resembles the dog from the <em>Back to the Future</em> movies.</p> <p>The 61-year-old icon shared a post on Instagram featuring himself snuggled up with his adorable new dog, whom he named Blue.</p> <p>The star captioned his post, “Hey Blue, welcome to your new home!”</p> <p>Fans of Fox flocked to the comments to share their thoughts on the new pup as well as comparing the dog’s looks to Dr Emmet Brown’s dog in the <em>Back to the Future</em> trilogy.</p> <p>The dog featured in the trilogy, the infamous Einstein, was a similar breed to Fox’s new furry friend.</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/CpePqBRr3A5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/CpePqBRr3A5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Michael J Fox (@realmikejfox)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>People wrote comments such as, “Einstein came back using the time machine,” and “Aww he looks like a baby Einstein!”</p> <p>The dog in the films was a fully grown sheepdog that went on some serious adventures with Fox’s character, Marty McFly and Doc Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd.</p> <p>Several A-list stars also took to the comments on Fox’s post.</p> <p>“Oh my gosh!! So cute 🥰,” wrote Julianne Moore.</p> <p>Jennifer Grey from <em>Dirty Dancing</em> expressed her thoughts through a series of emojis, commenting, “💞🐶👅🐶👅💞,"</p> <p>Fox is known to be a dog lover, having mourned the loss of his previous dog, Gus, in April of 2021.</p> <p>When he announced the loss of Gus on Instagram, he captioned his post, “Gus - great dog and loyal friend, we'll miss you.”</p> <p>The actor has mentioned several times how much of a “wonder dog” Gus had been over the years.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram/Reddit</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Michael J Fox reveals more details about his struggle with Parkinson's

<p>Michael J. Fox has delivered an emotional and heartfelt speech, during which he recalled keeping his life-changing Parkinson’s diagnosis a secret, in fear it would impact his career.</p> <p>The famed actor was diagnosed with the disorder in 1991, at only 29 years old. It wasn’t until seven years after that he made public his health battle.</p> <p>As he accepted the Jean Hershel Humanitarian Award (an honorary Oscar recognising his philanthropic efforts), Fox said the “uncertainty” of his condition caused him to stay silent the entire time.</p> <p>"I was told I only had 10 years left to work. That was s---ty. That's what happened," he told the crowd, as per People magazine. "The hardest part of my diagnosis was grappling with the certainty of the diagnosis and the uncertainty of the situation. I only knew it would get worse. The diagnosis was definite, the progress was indefinite and uncertain."</p> <p>"Then I entered into seven years of denial, trying to make sense of it all," he recalled. "The kid who left Canada convinced that he would make anything happen, at least by working hard and by believing, now had a tall order in front of him.” He said he told "very few people" about his diagnosis and they all kept his "secret".</p> <p>"Then there were all kinds of doctors who helped me understand the physical processes that were at work, or not at work, in my brain, as the case may be," he shared. "Finally, I felt like I needed to tell everybody. I understood it would have a huge impact on my career."</p> <p>Fox eventually spoke about his diagnosis with American journalist Barbara Walters and the aftermath of the intimate interview surprised him.</p> <p>"What happened next was remarkable," he remembered. "The outpouring of support from the public at large, the beautiful reaction from all of my peers in the entertainment business, all of you, thank you, and the people that I worked with, was transformative."</p> <p><em>Images: Getty </em></p>

Caring

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Michael J Fox shares sad family news

<p>Michael J Fox has revealed that his mother Phyllis died in late September at age 92. </p> <p>The actor shared the news during his appearance at the 2022 New York Comic Con on Saturday, where he also reunited with his <em>Back to The Future</em> co-star Christopher Lloyd. </p> <p>Michael remembered Phyllis by recalling a funny anecdote about how she thought he was being overworked when he was filming <em>Family Ties</em> in the daytime and <em>Back to the Future</em> at night in the 1980s.</p> <p>He said, "I was 23 years old, and I called her, she was in Canada, and I said, 'They want me to do this Steven Spielberg movie, but I have to do it at night and I have to do <em>Family Ties</em> in the daytime.' And she said, 'You'll be too tired,"' he shared. </p> <p>The 61-year-old star told his mom in response, "I live for this kind of tired. It'll be okay."</p> <p>He then added, "To this day — well, till two weeks ago — my mother thought it was a really bad idea for me to do <em>Back to the Future</em>. She loved the movie, [but she was right], I got tired."</p> <p>During his Comic Con appearance, Michael also updated his fans on how his Parkinson's disease is progressing, and how he remains optimistic despite his ongoing health battle. </p> <p>"Well, in the last year I've broken my cheek, my eye socket, my hand, my elbow … my shoulder. I had a rough year of getting beat up. But that was really cool because it made me realise … with gratitude, it's sustainable," he stated.</p> <p>"If you can find something to be grateful for, if you can find something and say, 'Well, that's good,' … It'll always get better… I'm very optimistic." </p> <p>"I'd say optimism is thinking that things are more likely to get better than they are to get worse. If you believe in that, and you are grateful for it, that'll sustain you the rest of your life," he added.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Kate Beckinsale adopts "little orphan bestie"

<p>Kate Beckinsale has taken "foxy" to a whole new level thanks to the new furry friends she’s made.</p> <p>Beckinsale seems to be learning quite a bit from her new fox friend.</p> <p>Over the last few weeks, the famed actress has been updating her followers with sweet videos of her feeding and petting a wild fox that arrived in her parents' garden one day.</p> <p>Four weeks ago she captioned a collection of photos of the fox: "My parents have a new friend - a foxy cub that wants to hang out . I'm so jealous I've had to break out Clive's summer dungarees."</p> <p>Now Beckinsale and the fox seem inseparable, with him being the only thing she's sharing on socials.</p> <p>She seemed particularly grateful to have made the new friend, and shared quite a personal caption.</p> <p>"I've been so touched during a really hard week by the absolute force that is kindness and friendship," she wrote.</p> <p>"Please, everyone, put kindness somewhere, anywhere. It's life-altering. Thank you so much to all my special people. And my little orphan bestie," she added, referring to the fox.</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/tv/CgNfby4qHV_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/tv/CgNfby4qHV_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Kate Beckinsale (@katebeckinsale)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

Family & Pets

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“Wonder woman on the water”: Jess Fox’s golden moment

<p><span>For nine years, disappointment has shrouded Australian olympian Jess Fox.</span><br /><br /><span>But now, she has just become an Olympic gold winner in Tokyo for the first ever women’s C1 Olympic final on Thursday afternoon.</span><br /><br /><span>Fox is the first slalom paddler to win an Olympic medal of each colour in canoe and kayak events.</span><br /><br /><span>The world watched on as Britain’s Mallory Franklin initially took an early lead in the final by registering an astonishing time of 108.68.</span></p> <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRv6hdDjQV0/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRv6hdDjQV0/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Jessica Fox (@jessfox94)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>Germany’s Andrea Herzog also impressed with a time of 111.13, which earned her a spot in the provisional silver medal position.</span><br /><br /><span>Brazilian athlete Ana Satila also had a solid time, but she sadly copped a brutal 50-second penalty for narrowly missing Gate 22.</span><br /><br /><span>Fox quickly passed the first checkpoint more than two seconds ahead of Franklin‘s time.</span><br /><br /><span>She briefly got stuck at Gate 15, however she showed her talent by quickly escaping from the white water at Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre.</span><br /><br /><span>Fox secured a historic gold medal with an unbelievable time of 105.04.</span><br /><br /><span>She was three seconds faster than anyone else.</span><br /><br /><span>“She is a wonder woman on the water. What a performance!” <em>Channel 7</em> commentator David Culbert cried.</span><br /><br /><span>Fox’s mother and coach could be seen embracing the champion moments after she completed her run.</span><br /><br /><span>Australia has reacted in pure elation, with Australian Paralympian Kurt Fearnley tweeting: “JESS FOX!!!!!!!! You are my freaking hero!!!!! So amazing!!!!”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">JESS FOX!!!!!!!! You are my freaking hero!!!!! So amazing!!!! 😭😭😭😭 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a></p> — Kurt Fearnley (@kurtfearnley) <a href="https://twitter.com/kurtfearnley/status/1420648484915400710?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><br /><span>Channel 7 reporter Tom Browne wrote: “I don’t think there has ever been a more deserved gold medal winner. Jess Fox is a legend. Completely compelling.”</span><br /><br /><span>Fox Sports presenter Sarah Olle shared her own message: “The Olympics are so cool because you become inexplicably happy for someone you don’t know. Thanks for the ear to ear smile, Jess.”</span><br /><br /><span>Aussie tennis star Dylan Alcott wrote: “JESS FOX YOU FLAT OUT LEGEND!!! OLYMPIC CHAMPION! Could not think of an athlete more deserving – an incredible athlete but an even better person. YES!”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">JESS FOX YOU FLAT OUT LEGEND!!! OLYMPIC CHAMPION!! Could not think of an athlete more deserving - an incredible athlete but an even better person. YES! <a href="https://twitter.com/jessfoxcanoe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jessfoxcanoe</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tokyo2020</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/olympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#olympics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#gold</a></p> — Dylan Alcott (@DylanAlcott) <a href="https://twitter.com/DylanAlcott/status/1420648900738699268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><br /><span>Fox promised she would return for the Paris Olympics in 2024.</span><br /><br /><span>“It was amazing to be a part of this women’s C1 event here in Tokyo for the first time ever,” she told <em>Channel 7</em>.</span><br /><br /><span>“It was a tough couple of days – mentally, emotionally, it took everything out of me. So to put down a run that I’m proud of, I’m over the moon.</span><br /><br /><span>“I hope we’ve inspired some girls and boys today … I felt the love over from Australia.”</span></p>

News

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Michael J. Fox opens up about secret health battle

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>Michael J. Fox, who has battled Parkinson’s disease for decades, says the lowest moment in his life happened while he was recovering from an unrelated health issue. </p> <p>In 2018, the 59-year-old actor underwent a risky spinal cord surgery to remove a non-cancerous tumour.</p> <p>“I was heading for paralysis if I didn’t get it operated on,” he told People. A few months later, the Family Ties star, who had to learn to walk again, was alone in his family’s New York City apartment when he fell and shattered his arm.</p> <p>“That was definitely my darkest moment,” he said.</p> <p>“I just snapped. I was leaning against the wall in my kitchen, waiting for the ambulance to come, and I felt like, ‘This is as low as it gets for me.’</p> <p>“It was when I questioned everything. Like, ‘I can’t put a shiny face on this. There’s no bright side to this, no upside. This is just all regret and pain’.”</p> <p>While he’s known to be an optimistic person, his positive attitude began dwindling.</p> <p>“Parkinson’s, my back, my arm … it still didn’t add up to moving the needle on the misery index compared to what some people go through,” he said. “I thought, ‘How can I tell these people, chin up; look at the bright side; things are going to be great?’”</p> <p>Fox revealed that he convalesced by watching game shows from the ’70s and slowly regained his positive outlook.</p> <p>“Optimism is really rooted in gratitude,” he said. “Optimism is sustainable when you keep coming back to gratitude, and what follows from that is acceptance. Accepting that this thing has happened, and you accept it for what it is. It doesn’t mean that you can’t endeavour to change.</p> <p>“It doesn’t mean you have to accept it as a punishment or a penance, but just put it in its proper place. Then see how much the rest of your life you have to thrive in, and then you can move on.”</p> <p>These days, Fox lives a quiet life with his wife Tracy Pollan and their four children, son Sam, 31, twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, 25, and daughter Esme, 19.</p> <p>“I’m actually having a really good time,” he said.</p> <p>“People don’t believe me, but I love life. I love being with my family. I love being with Tracy. I love that I don’t do a lot of useless stuff that I used to do, because I don’t have the energy or the time. I’m grateful that I went through a crucible there in my late 50s. I figured some of this crap out finally.”</p> <p>Fox’s new memoir No Time Like The Future comes out on November 17.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-action-bar-component-wrapper"> <div class="post-actions-component"> <div class="upper-row"></div> </div> </div>

News

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Michael J Fox opens up about recent health struggles: "To get to that place is pretty dark"

<p>Michael J Fox has opened up about his recent health struggles. The actor and comedian, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, revealed his new health problems in an interview with <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/03/01/magazine/michael-j-fox-parkinsons-acting.html?module=inline" target="_blank"><em>The NY Times</em></a>.</p> <p>“I was having the recurring problem with my spinal cord,” said the 57-year-old.</p> <p>“I was told it was benign but if it stayed static I would have diminished feeling in my legs and difficulty moving. Then all of a sudden I started falling – a lot. It was getting ridiculous. I was trying to parse what was the Parkinson’s and what was the spinal thing.”</p> <p>Fox revealed that he was heading for work in August 2018 when he fell and fractured his arm, resulting in him getting 19 pins and a plate to repair the bones.</p> <p>While the <em>Back To The Future</em> star did not believe that these medical struggles happened “for a reason”, he said: “I do think the more unexpected something is, the more there is to learn from it. In my case, what was it that made me skip down the hallway to the kitchen thinking I was fine when I’d been in a wheelchair six months earlier?”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7824313/1michael-j-fox-embed.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5ad3eab7f8354ec998a6d05fe128b6e9" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="p1"><em>Michael J. Fox attends the 2018 Fan Expo Canada at Metro Toronto Convention Centre on August 31, 2018 in Toronto, Canada.</em></p> <p>Fox is currently working on a book about his health journey. “I realized that the understanding I’d reached with Parkinson’s was sincere but risked being glib,” he said.</p> <p>“I’d made peace with the disease but presumed others had that same relationship when they didn’t. Then when I started to deal with the effects from the spinal surgery, I realized: 'Wow, it can get a lot worse.'</p> <p>“My health issues last year brought me to places where I started to say, ‘Was it false hope I’d been selling? Is there a line beyond which there is no consolation?’ For me to get to that place is pretty dark.”</p> <p>Upon finding out his diagnosis at the age of 29, Fox took up numerous jobs in comedy films that turned out to be critical and commercial flops.</p> <p>“I was so scared,” he said. “I’m fine now but back then I wasn’t in the ‘I’m fine now.’ I was in the ‘I’m going to be bad.’ That thinking didn’t allow me to trust that I could make a decision without worrying about time restrictions or financial pressures – which were inflated in my head.”</p> <p>Fox said he only began to accept his disease in 1994 and went public with it in 1998. He went on to open the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, a foundation dedicated to finding a cure for the disease, in 2000.</p>

TV

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Michael J Fox reveals he "drank heavily" after Parkinson's diagnosis

<p>He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 when he was only 30, and now Michael J Fox has opened up about the shock of the news and how he struggled to cope with illness.</p> <p>In the new issue of <a href="https://people.com/tv/michael-j-fox-tracy-pollan-happy-marriage/"><strong>People</strong></a>, the 57-year-old star, who has been married to actress Tracy Pollan since 1988, revealed that he took to drinking soon after he was diagnosed – and it got so bad that he was hiding wine bottles from his wife.</p> <p>“I was isolating myself from my family,” said the Back to the Future star, adding his drinking caused friction in his marriage.</p> <p>Tracy added: “It was scary because you just don't know how it is going to turn out.”</p> <p>Michael recalled the tipping point came when Tracy found him passed out on the floor one morning. She let him know she was “over it” and instead of being angry, she looked “bored”, he said.</p> <p>Tracy asked him: “Is this what you want? Is this what you want to be?” And then she walked out the door.</p> <p>It was a turning point for Michael, who cleaned up his act, and started on his path to help others with Parkinson’s.</p> <p>He launched his foundation to raise awareness and money for Parkinson's research, which has so far raised nearly $1 billion. Michel believes that in five years doctors will be able to 'predict' Parkinson's.</p> <p> </p>

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The truth about Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan's inspiring 30-year love story

<p>They fittingly met on the ‘80s hit show<span> </span><em>Family Ties</em>, but it wasn’t love at first sight for Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan. In fact, both were seeing other people at the time and it would be several years before the pair coupled up to become one of Hollywood’s most enduring relationships.</p> <p>Although their characters Alex P. Keaton and Ellen Reed were loved up on<span> </span><em>Family Ties</em>, in real life Pollan was in a serious long-term relationship with Kevin Bacon and Fox was dating<span> </span><em>Facts of Life</em><span> </span>actress Nancy McKeon.</p> <p>"I always thought [Tracy] was cool," Fox told People years later, "but it was like a couple of married people who worked together and liked each other."</p> <p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/clv.h-cdn.co/assets/17/39/768x980/gallery-1506544204-gettyimages-140631084.jpg?resize=480:*" alt="" width="402" height="512" /></p> <p>It wasn’t until 1987 when the Pollen and Fox worked together in a movie called<span> </span><em>Bright Lights, Big City</em><span> </span>that a romance began to blossom.</p> <p>Pollan told Winfrey in 2002: "From the beginning, I loved his sense of humour and that brain of his. He's so smart."</p> <p>Fox <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="https://people.com/archive/cover-story-getting-back-to-his-future-vol-32-no-23/" target="_blank">told People in 1989</a></strong></span><span> </span>of hearing that Pollen and Bacon had split: "It sounds really horrible, but it was one of those things. Someone goes, 'Did you hear that so-and-so aren't together anymore?' and you go, 'Hmm, that's too bad. Where's the phone?'"</p> <p>Seven months after they started dating, he proposed on December 26, 1987.</p> <p>"I wasn't really worried that she would say no," he recalled. "The toughest part was trying to figure out when to get married, and then to figure out how nobody else could know about it."</p> <p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/clv.h-cdn.co/assets/17/39/768x995/gallery-1506542281-gettyimages-529485432.jpg?resize=480:*" alt="" width="400" height="518" /></p> <p>The couple tied the knot in an outdoor ceremony at Vermont's West Mountain Inn on July 16, 1988. Fox, who is Episcopalian, and Pollan, who is Jewish, had an interfaith ceremony with both a minister and rabbi.</p> <p>"Michael seemed a little nervous," Rev. Joan O'Gorman later told People. "In fact, they seemed just like any other young and loving couple who were excited to be getting married."</p> <p>Their first child, a son they named Sam Michael, was born on May 30, 1989. Fox and Pollan loved being parents, and would go on to have twin girls, Aquinnah Kathleen and Schuyler Frances, in 1995, and one more daughter, Esmé, in 2001.</p> <p>"I kind of shut the door and said to everyone we love who wanted to see the baby, 'Just give us a little bit of time to get used to it ourselves,'" Fox said after the birth of Sam. "What's interesting is that the parental instinct just kicks in. The next thing you know, you've got a sore hip because you're holding him all the time."</p> <p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/clv.h-cdn.co/assets/17/39/980x1001/gallery-1506543551-gettyimages-1319529.jpg?resize=480:*" alt="" width="394" height="402" /></p> <p>The couple grew even closer when faced with one of life’s biggest challenges – Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at age 29 in 1991 (though it wasn’t until 1998 that he shared the news publicly).</p> <p>"A lot of my adjustment has been dictated by Michael's point of view," Pollan said in <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/oprah-interviews-michael-j-fox-and-tracy-pollan" target="_blank">a 2002 interview with Oprah Winfrey</a></strong></span>. "He's so relaxed and so accepting of where he is, and that makes it easier for me, the kids, and everyone around him."</p> <p>But when the couple first received the news, it completely shocked and devastated them. Fox fell into a depression and started drinking heavily, before eventually getting a handle on his new reality.</p> <p>"I used to drink to party," the actor recalled on The Howard Stern Show in 2013, "but...now I was drinking alone and to just not be [present]. Every day."</p> <p>"So once I did that," he continued, "then there was about a year of, like, a knife fight in a closet, where I just didn't have my tools to deal with it. Then after that, I went into therapy and it all started to get really clear to me."</p> <p>He said he realised he just had to take life "one day at a time” and "then everything started to really turn the other way. My marriage got great, and my career..."</p> <p>Stern interjected here to suggest Fox's marriage "got great" after he realszed that Pollan wasn't going anywhere after his diagnosis. "Exactly," Fox agreed.</p> <p>Fox later told Winfrey: "There were a lot of questions I was afraid to ask Tracy. "Like, 'Does it scare you that I'm sick? Do you not love me because I'm sick?' I didn't ask her those questions. But nothing Tracy was doing was showing me that she didn't want to be with me."</p> <p>When Fox publicly revealed that he had Parkinson's disease in 1998, he began in earnest his life’s mission of raising awareness and money for Parkinson’s through the Michael J. Fox Foundation. As of April 2017 the foundation has funded more than $700 million in research.</p> <p>"The reason I wasn't telling was that I wondered if people would still laugh if they knew I was sick," Fox told Winfrey. "Can you laugh at a sick person [on TV] and not feel like an a--hole? I finally thought, let me not worry about that. What other people think is none of my business. I just have to have faith in the audience. If it's funny, they'll laugh."</p> <p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" class="image--full" src="https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2018612/rs_1024x759-180712134829-1024-mjfox-tracy-nba-game.jpg?fit=inside|900:auto&amp;output-quality=90" border="0" alt="Michael J. Fox, Tracy Pollan, 2011" width="444" height="329" /></p> <p>And every day the couple deal with Fox's condition, but always as a team.</p> <p>"Tracy wasn't sentimental or romantic about it at all," he <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/style-trends/info-2017/michael-j-fox-aarp-magazine.html" target="_blank">told AARP magazine</a></strong></span> in 2017 about how his wife reacted to his Parkinson's diagnosis. "No terror. No big windy... So, no exhibition of grief and fear. Tracy was just like, 'You've got a stone in your shoe. We'll do what we can until you can get it out. In the meantime, if you limp with the stone, that's all right. You can hold my hand, and we'll get over that.'"</p> <p>Pollan added that, of course, there were tough days, but they both knew they were in this together.</p> <p>"Through it all we've loved each other," Fox said. "And that love never died," Pollan added. "We had a solid foundation to begin with."</p> <p>When Winfrey asked if Fox felt Parkinson's had been a blessing for their marriage, giving them no choice but to become stronger, Fox replied: "I've often referred to Parkinson's as the gift that keeps on taking. It's a gift in that it really gave me a whole different appreciation for life. I discovered that I wasn't me minus Parkinson's. I was me plus it. I have been enriched by what it has opened up for me. It hasn't allowed me to take anything for granted."</p> <p>Before the diagnosis, "I had been constantly taking care of this and making sure that was okay, and now Tracy and I are just in it."</p> <p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/clv.h-cdn.co/assets/17/39/980x654/gallery-1506544626-gettyimages-693930746.jpg?resize=480:*" alt="" width="446" height="297" /></p> <p>When asked about their then-27-year marriage in 2015, Pollen said: "It's like dog years!"</p> <p>She told People that "giving each other the benefit of the doubt" has been key to keeping their marriage strong.</p> <p>"There are so many times when you have arguments, when you have things come up, and it really doesn't have anything to do with what he did, or said – it's how I am projecting that onto myself," Pollan continued. "A lot of times he'll just say to me, 'You know who I am, would I ever say anything to try to hurt your feelings? Just give me the benefit of the doubt.'"</p> <p>"I'm irritating but lovable, I have that effect on everybody," Fox said during the Daily Shot interview.</p> <p>"[I] won the lottery in the wife department," he later added.</p>

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