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Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Amanda Bynes looks downcast on rare solo outing after joining OnlyFans
Amanda Bynes looked downcast as she was seen on a rare solo outing after joining X-rated subscription site OnlyFans. The 39-year-old actress was seen looking rather despondent as she hit luxury grocery store Erewhon in Calabasas on Thursday. Bynes kept her look simple as she sported a light grey full zip hoodie with skinny black jeans and matching Vans Old Skool high-top sneakers. She had her hands full as she carried a brown paper bag from the celebrity-favorite organic supermarket along with a pink Elfbar vape. Her blonde locks were worn down as the sides were pinned up to resemble a mullet style haircut as she wore minimal make-up. This comes weeks after it was revealed that Bynes is seeing her OnlyFans venture as a 'career renaissance' and wants to use it to divulge stories from her time at Nickelodeon, a year on from an explosive documentary which exposed the 'toxic environment' at the TV network. Bynes announced her foray into the X-rated subscription site in April, telling fans she was using it merely to communicate with them, and insisted she will not be sharing anything 'sleazy.' Now, a source close to the former child star has claimed the move will not only afford her the opportunity to make money, share her fashion designs and provide a potential springboard into reality TV, but will also be a safe space to reveal 'what happened from her past at Nickelodeon.' 'Amanda was looking into making money and is convinced that OnlyFans will bring some serious cash her way,' the insider told 'Her intentions are to do this before she seeks any reality show opportunities. 'She understands the stigma around OnlyFans, but she is determined to make this very safe – nothing naughty. She wants to share some of her future designs with her fans, collaborate with them and she also wants to tell stories to people who don't know everything about what happened from her past at Nickelodeon. 'She wants to make it a spot where fans can go and treat it like a meet and greet.' She pursued fashion and art at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, graduating with an Associate's of Art degree in 2014. The insider said she 'doesn't care if friends won't like that she is doing this' as she is 'looking to change course on how she has lived her life the last few years.' They added: 'She is seeing OnlyFans as a bit of a career renaissance.' Bynes announced her OnlyFans debut on Instagram, 15 years after quitting the entertainment business. Bynes, 39, announced her foray into the X-rated subscription site on Tuesday, telling fans she was using it to communicate with them, and insisted she will not be sharing anything 'sleazy' 'I'm doing onlyfans to chat with my fans through dm's,' she wrote alongside a screenshot of her new profile. 'I won't be posting any sleazy content. Excited to join.' She is charging fans more than $50 per month to access her page which currently has mirror selfies. Bynes has maintained a relatively low profile since quitting Hollywood in 2010. In December 2024, she hosted a pop-up art show that was attended by celebrities including Miley Cyrus' younger sister, Noah. It followed a tumultuous time for the troubled star who suffered a highly publicized breakdown in the early 2010s before being placed under a legal conservatorship by her parents for nine years back in 2013. Her downward spiral hit the headlines again last year after the release of Discovery documentary Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids, which shone a light on the 'close' relationship that producer Dan Schneider had with the teenage star. Schneider – who helped create some of the network's most popular shows like All That, Drake & Josh, Henry Danger, Kenan & Kel, Sam & Cat, The Amanda Show, Victorious, Zoey 101, and iCarly – was accused of being overtly inappropriate with Bynes, who is 20 years his junior, as well as with other employees. In the wake of the documentary a video circulated of a bikini-clad Bynes, who was a child at the time, sitting in a hot tub with a fully clothed Schneider. The clip was taken from Bynes' recurring sketch, Amanda's Jacuzzi, which saw the young star interview guests in the bubbling pool. Commentators recalled Schneider and Bynes being 'very close' – including 'physically.' Karyn Finley Thompson, who worked as an editor on several Nickelodeon shows, said: 'There were many times that I saw Amanda sitting behind him, hugging him or giving him like a neck massage or whatever. 'Dan and Amanda had a close relationship, and I didn't think anything different than that. The hot tub scene though I always thought was a little odd.' Schneider departed from the network in 2018 amid numerous allegations of misconduct. At the time, Nickelodeon said it had performed an internal investigation and found that evidence to back up the allegations was 'non-existent.' Schneider, who joined the network in 1993, responded to the allegations made on the documentary in a 19 minute YouTube video in which he admitted that he 'regretted' his past actions and that he owed 'some people a pretty strong apology.' He said he was 'embarrassed' by his behavior in the writer's room and also apologized for his frequent requests for massages from female members of staff while in the studio. But he denied he was involved in any sort of sexual abuse either on the set of, or behind the scenes. In May, two months after the documentary was released, he filed a defamation legal case against the producers, branding the show a 'hit job.' Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV described Nickelodeon in the early 2000s as an 'insidious environment rife with allegations of abuse, sexism, racism and inappropriate dynamics with its underage stars and crew.'
Daily Mirror
14-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Flash Tory donor cashed in on disposable vape boom before ban on sales
The Mirror can reveal shareholders at Sandy Chadha's Supreme firm enjoyed a multi-million pound dividend bonanza just months before the sale of single-use e-cigs was outlawed Grinning as he clutches two bottles, this is the flash Tory donor who cashed in on disposable vapes before a ban. We can reveal how shareholders at Sandy Chadha's firm enjoyed a multi-million pound dividend bonanza just months ago. Supreme, distributor of popular Lost Mary and Elfbar e-cigs, paid out £3.7million in January. It comes as we have unearthed pictures showing the vaping kingpin has flaunted his luxury lifestyle on social media. Another snap pictures Mr Chadha topless, clad in shades, holding his arms outstretched as he revels in the sunshine next to a pool. The Brit, 58 — who once even gave away a £130,000 Bentley in a bet — has helped bankroll the Conservatives. Last week, our probe uncovered how disposable vapes were illegally flogged despite their sale being outlawed this month. The crackdown on the single-use devices was brought in to safeguard kids and the environment. Supreme, which also has its own 88Vape brand, has capitalised on the popularity of e-cigs. Supreme's vaping division revenues jumped 9% to £82.8million in 2023-4. Disposable vapes revenue was 70.7million. Supreme turned a pre-tax profit of £30.1million in 2023-4, up from £14.4million. The firm paid out £1.3million in remuneration to directors in 2023-4. Mr Chadha's total pay packet was £653,056 – including a £325,000 bonus. Pictures posted on Mr Chadha's Facebook page demonstrate he had a taste for luxury years before the vaping market took off. One image showed the businessman on the red carpet, with another picturing him by the sea holding his hair in a model-like pose. Meanwhile, in a further snap he climbed out of the water with his arm outstretched and another showed him lying down on a yacht. Mr Chadha owns in a mansion, with an indoor swimming pool, spa, steam and sauna rooms. He purchased the home in Hale, near Altrincham, Greater Manchester, for £6.8million in October 2017. Mr Chadha's home is in a sought-after area, with the property featuring a roof terrace, study, his and hers ensuites, as well as dressing rooms. In 2022, permission was given by the local council for a side extension to the property for a new dining room, records show. Mr Chadha's Supreme 8 Ltd donated £350,000 to the Tories in 2023, with the company also giving £50,000 in 2022. And in late 2023, Mr Chadha personally donated £50,000 to the Conservatives. According to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH): 'In 2024, 18% of youth aged 11-17 had tried vaping, amounting to 980,000 children…' It added: 'In 2024, 7.2% (390,000 children aged 11-17) currently vaped compared to 5.1% (280,000 children) who currently smoked.' ASH also explained: 'As with adults, the most popular flavours are fruit (adults 47%, children 59%), but children are more likely than adults to choose sweet flavours (16%)...' It concludes: '...although our survey suggests the rapid rise in youth (aged 11-17) vaping since the pandemic has stabilised in 2024, it is not yet clearly declining. And although the vast majority (81%) of children aged 11-17 have never tried vaping, over a third of those who have tried vaping have never smoked. Furthermore, children's awareness of promotion continues to rise. The big increase in the use of disposable products has happened concurrently with higher levels of youth use from 2021 to 2023.' Supreme said: 'Supreme has been at the forefront of seeking to eradicate underage vaping, having proactively introduced plain packaging, reduced hardware colour, age-appropriate product names, and recommendations to retailers that vapes are positioned away from confectionary. Supreme's overriding goal remains to support the widespread use of compliant vape products as a smoking cessation device in line with the UK Government's conclusion that vaping remains the most effective tool to transition smokers away from cigarettes.' And Mr Chadha said: 'Supreme PLC operates a diversified portfolio of fast-moving consumer goods, supplying thousands of UK retailers with essential everyday products ranging from lighting and batteries to personal care, household goods, vitamins, and vaping. All of our products, including those in the vaping category, have been distributed in full compliance with UK regulations. The sale of disposable vapes before the ban was entirely legal and fulfilled strong market demand. Vaping continues to serve as a credible, regulated alternative to traditional smoking…' He added: 'As a listed company, Supreme's dividend policy has been clearly communicated and remains aligned with standard practices in public markets. Our directors' remuneration, shareholder distributions, and business activities are fully disclosed, publicly audited, and operate under the governance of the UK's regulatory frameworks. "Personal images cited in your story were posted... many years before Supreme's involvement in disposable vapes and before the development of the UK vaping market. The same goes for the house, which was bought in 2017. Any attempt to link them retrospectively to more recent regulatory debates, or to dividends or earnings linked to vaping, would be misleading.'
Daily Record
08-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Disposable vapes ban flouted across Scotland including shops linked to Anas Sarwar's family's firm
Our investigation uncovered retailers still brazenly selling outlawed devices despite the single-use vape ban coming into force on June 1. A new ban on disposable vapes is being flouted by shops across Scotland - including stores franchised by Labour leader Anas Sarwar's family's firm, the Sunday Mail can reveal. Despite a nationwide ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes coming into force on June 1, a Sunday Mail investigation has uncovered some retailers that are still brazening selling outlawed devices. Our investigator was able to buy a selection of banned single-use vapes including one Elfbar disposable at a Glasgow city centre USave store which has links to Sarwar's family's wholesaling business. While the shop is an independent retailer, it trades under the USave banner which is franchised by United Wholesale (Scotland), set up by the Scottish Labour chief's father, millionaire businessman Mohammad Sarwar. When confronted by the Sunday Mail, UWS stressed both stores were independent retailers and it had no say over how they operate from a legal standpoint. However the firm added that it had spoken to the first shop who said the sale had been an 'oversight' and all other vapes in-store were compliant. A spokesman for UWS said: 'All the stores referenced are independent retailers, UWS does not own them. 'It would be inappropriate to suggest any wrongdoing by UWS. Everything we sell to retailers is fully compliant and the change in the law is supported by the company. 'We will continue to provide guidance to our customers, emphasise compliance and make them clear on the consequences of any failure.' In 2017, Sarwar announced he was relinquishing all shares in the wholesaler amid revelations it had not been paying all its staff the real living wage. However a report this year found his household was still benefiting from a £57,000-a-year dividend from the family firm via shares held by his wife. The firm boasts more than 500 stores under the USave and Day-Today banners. At the city USave store in St George's Cross, we picked up the now banned Elfbar disposable as part of a 'five for £20' deal, with the other four e-cigs similar in appearance but labelled as legal 'prefilled pod kits' rather than disposables. At another USave shop in the city centre, disposable vapes were not on display but when asked, the shopkeeper fetch a banned Higo Crystal Bar disposable vape from a back room. However the wholesaler told the Sunday Mail independent shops operating under its banners are free to purchase goods from other wholesalers as well as UWS and it does not stock the Higo range of products bought at the second shop. The new ban means that shops and supermarkets will no longer be able to sell disposable vapes but they can sell rechargeable and refillable devices. However in convenience stores and vape shops across Glasgow, we were able to purchase Elfbar disposable pods, Lost Mary disposable pods, and SKE and Higo Crystal Bar single-use vapes after workers sourced outlawed stock from under the counter or back stock rooms. Reacting to our findings, Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater said: 'The vast majority of retailers will have upheld the law and ceased the sale of disposable vapes - but there are some who will do all they can to bend the rules, even more so in these early weeks when there will undoubtedly be left over disposable vapes in stock to profit from. "There must be appropriate enforcement of the ban and monitoring to ensure it is followed. 'Disposable vapes are single-use plastic. They are harmful to health and also to our planet when they are discarded and end up littering our streets, beaches and green spaces.' The Sunday Mail visited a total of 15 shops and were sold unlawful vapes in six separate stores. That includes a shop branded the 'Glasgow Super Store' near Glasgow's Barras market which sold us an Elfbar disposable off the shelf. At a store called 'Newsmart' in central Glasgow, the shopkeeper didn't display single-use vapes but had a box with contraband under the counter, selling us a SKE Crystal single-use vape. In Bridgeton in the city's east end, one newsagent and another 'Best-One' convenience store sold us illegal disposables which were all available on display. In the newsagent, a shop worker admitted he knew about the ban but was just trying to shift the last of his old stock - selling us two Lost Mary disposables for £10 but insisted the rest of his vapes were legal. The illegal vapes we collected were clearly single-use because there was no facility to recharge the devices or refill the e-liquid pods. Other stores sold us legal vapes branded as prefilled pods that look similar to the old disposables - with sweet candy flavours like Cola Ice and Gummy Bear - which have been criticised for enticing kids to take up the nicotine-based products. Because these products have charging ports and pods which can be removed and replaced, they are deemed compliant with the regulations. Critics say disposable vape users will continue to use these products in the same way because of their cheapness, throwing them away after use. Sources told the Sunday Mail the sale of disposable vapes remains rife up and down the country despite the June 1 ban, with reports of illegal trading in Edinburgh, Kilmarnoc k, and Falkirk. Some 8million polluting disposable vapes, which contain single-use plastic and lithium, are disposed of incorrectly or littered in the UK every week. In Edinburgh, responsible local vapes firm VPZ - which backs the ban on single-use vapes but has repeatedly warned about loopholes - said the first week of the ban had been chaotic amid chaos and confusion over the new rules. They also say Trading Standards officers are stretched too thin to enforce it - and criticised 'weak' starting fines of just £200. Presented with the Sunday Mail's findings, Jamie Strachan, operations director at VPZ, said: 'I'm not in the slightest surprised you've found illicit vapes are still being sold in many shops across Glasgow. 'It matches with the picture we're seeing up and down the country. 'A walk through many towns and cities across Scotland would not suggest a ban is in place... in its current form, it is not effective. 'This is because fines start at just £200 - generously reduced to £150 if retailers pay within 14 days. The reality is that without robust enforcement, the rules will simply be ignored. 'Unfortunately, products that closely resemble the now-banned disposables - often with removable pods or mouthpieces - are flooding the market. 'These new devices look and feel essentially identical to their predecessors, with the same bright colours and sweet flavours that appeal to younger demographics.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Glasgow City Council's Trading Standards department vowed to follow up on the Sunday Mail's findings. A spokesman said: 'From June 1 this year it has become illegal to sell single-use vape products that cannot be recharged or refilled. 'We have written to all premises in Glasgow registered with the Scottish Government who sell vapes to highlight the ban and advise on how to deal with non-compliant stock.' He noted while fixed penalty notices start at £200, non-compliant shopkeepers can be prosecuted with fines of up to £5000 and two years in prison.
Hans India
07-06-2025
- Hans India
Man arrested, 670 e-cigarettes worth Rs 21 lakh seized
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Commissioner's Task Force, Central Zone Team, along with Saifabad Police apprehended a 28-year-old man involved in the illegal sale of banned electronic cigarettes and seized 670 e-cigarettes worth Rs 21 lakh from his possession. The police raided a flat located in Prinstancode Apartments, Adarsh Nagar, under the jurisdiction of Saifabad Police Station. During the operation, Akash Sinde was arrested and e-cigarettes of various brands such as Elfbar, Elux, Raya D1, Nasty, and Shisha were seized. According to police, Akash, originally a resident of Mangalhat, was employed as a caretaker by one Vishesh Agarwal at Prinstancode Apartments, located opposite Grand Bazar, Adarsh Nagar, on a monthly salary basis. Task Force DCP YVS Sudheendra said that in pursuit of easy and illegal profits, Akash began procuring banned e-cigarettes at low cost from Delhi through a network of agents. He then transported them to Hyderabad, stored them at the said premises, and sold them clandestinely to known and needy customers, primarily targeting college students, teenagers, and youth. Electronic cigarettes contain Nicotine and harmful chemical-laced flavors, making them highly addictive and injurious to health. The easy availability and appeal of these products are leading to increased consumption among the younger demographic. The accused, along with the seized material, has been handed over to the Saifabad Police for further legal action.
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- The Hindu
Man held for hawking e-cigarettes, contraband worth ₹21 lakh seized
HYDERABAD The Commissioner's Task Force (Central Zone) and the Saifabad Police on Wednesday busted an illegal electronic cigarette racket operating out of a residential flat in Adarsh Nagar, seizing 670 vapes worth nearly ₹21 lakh. Acting on a tip-off, a joint team raided a flat opposite Grand Bazar in Saifabad and apprehended Akash Sinde, 28, who was found storing and selling banned e-cigarettes under the guise of working as a caretaker. The seized vapes include brands such as Elfbar, Elux, Raya D1, Nasty, and Shisha. Sinde, originally from Mangalhat, had been employed by one Vishesh Agarwal on a monthly salary but soon began using the premises for illicit trade. The probe revealed that he sourced the contraband from Delhi through a network of agents and sold them in Hyderabad, targeting college students and teenagers. 'E-cigarettes are not only banned but also laced with harmful chemicals and nicotine, posing a serious health threat, especially to the youth,' a police officer from the task force said. The accused and the seized items have been handed over to the Saifabad Police for further legal action.
