Chinese asylum seeker boat intercepted off Queensland coast

A boat carrying a dozen people, believed to be Chinese asylum seekers, has been intercepted by authorities off the coast of Far North Queensland.

Australian Border Force (ABF) stopped the vessel near Weipa, the largest town on the Cape York Peninsula, with the assistance of Queensland Police.

It is understood the group of Chinese nationals was taken into custody.

Few details are available, with an ABF spokesman telling the Daily Mail they do not comment on or confirm operational matters.

But news of the suspected people smuggling operation prompted renewed calls to strengthen Australia's border protection.

'All over the news tonight, a boatload of a dozen illegal Chinese immigrants intercepted at Weipa in my electorate,' Cook MP David Kempton said on Tuesday.

'I have for months been advocating [that] the Federal government take seriously our porous northern borders after dozens of illegal Indonesian fishing vessels were captured in the Torres Strait.

'That such a large vessel was able to venture so far into Australian waters before being detected proves there is much to be done.

A boat carrying a dozen people, believed to be Chinese asylum seekers, has been intercepted off Far North Queensland (Pictured, asylum seekers arrive at Christmas Island in 2013)

Australian Border Force stopped the boat near Weipa on the Cape York Peninsula

It is understood the group of Chinese nationals was taken into custody (Pictured, a beach at Nanum Weipa)

'We need to act now before this escalates out of control.'

At least a dozen asylum seeker boats carrying a combined 80 passengers arrived on Australia's shores in recent months, according to the Refugee Council of Australia.

Anyone who attempts an unauthorised boat voyage to Australia will be turned back to their point of departure, returned to their home country, or transferred to a third country for processing, according to the Home Affairs department.

'Since 2013, Australia has intercepted every boat attempting to enter illegally,' a statement on the government website says.

'Every vessel is closely watched. There is zero chance of illegal migration to Australia.'

‘Legally Blonde’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

The iconic comedy that gave us “bend and snap!” lives on!

Released in 2001, Legally Blonde follows Reese Witherspoon‘s Elle Woods, a sorority girl who is dumped by her boyfriend who thinks he’s too good for her. In an effort to prove him wrong and win him back, she hits the books and is accepted to Harvard. Luke Wilson (Emmett Richmond), Jennifer Coolidge (Paulette Bonafonte), Selma Blair (Vivian Kensington), Matthew Davis (Warner Huntington III) and many more appear in the now-iconic film.

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Two years after the release of the original film, Witherspoon returned in Legally Blonde 2, which followed her character’s journey as an animal rights activist. A musical adaptation hit the stage in 2007 and Witherspoon coproduced a spinoff called Legally Blondes, starring twin sisters Milly and Becky Rosso playing Elle’s younger cousins.

Plus, Legally Blonde 3 is underway. Written by Mindy Kaling and Dan Goor, very little details are known about the future film besides the release date of May 2022. Witherspoon is set to return as Elle Woods once more.

Remembered for the optimistic protagonist and a message that digs below the surface, Legally Blonde has remained relevant for years. While waiting for the release of the third movie, keep scrolling to see what the cast has been up to since the original film.

Credit: Tracy Bennett/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; Matt Petit/A.M.P.A.S./Shutterstock

'Legally Blonde' Cast: Where Are They Now?

The iconic comedy that gave us “bend and snap!” lives on! Released in 2001, Legally Blonde follows Reese Witherspoon's Elle Woods, a sorority girl who is dumped by her boyfriend who thinks he’s too good for her. In an effort to prove him wrong and win him back, she hits the books and is accepted to Harvard. Luke Wilson (Emmett Richmond), Jennifer Coolidge (Paulette Bonafonte), Selma Blair (Vivian Kensington), Matthew Davis (Warner Huntington III) and many more appear in the now-iconic film. Two years after the release of the original film, Witherspoon returned in Legally Blonde 2, which followed her character’s journey as an animal rights activist. A musical adaptation hit the stage in 2007 and Witherspoon coproduced a spinoff called Legally Blondes, starring twin sisters Milly and Becky Rosso playing Elle’s younger cousins. Plus, Legally Blonde 3 is underway. Written by Mindy Kaling and Dan Goor, very little details are known about the future film besides the release date of May 2022. Witherspoon is set to return as Elle Woods once more. Remembered for the optimistic protagonist and a message that digs below the surface, Legally Blonde has remained relevant for years. While waiting for the release of the third movie, keep scrolling to see what the cast has been up to since the original film.

Credit: Tracy Bennett/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; Matt Petit/A.M.P.A.S./Shutterstock

'Legally Blonde' Cast: Where Are They Now?

Credit: Tracy Bennett/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; Matt Petit/A.M.P.A.S./Shutterstock

Reese Witherspoon

The Emmy winner had already made her film debut before playing the iconic role of Elle Woods. She reprised her character in the sequel, Legally Blonde 2, and continued her place in the spotlight starring in films such as Sweet Home Alabama, Walk the Line and Water for Elephants. Her portrayal of June Carter Cash earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress. She was nominated a second time for her appearance in Wild.

Witherspoon then geared her focus onto television where she produced and starred in multiple series including Big Little Lies, The Morning Show and Little Fires Everywhere. Witherspoon was married to Ryan Phillippe from 1996 to 2006, and the pair share two children. She has been married to Jim Toth since 2010. The couple have one son.

In March 2023, the pair announced via Instagram their decision to part ways two days before marking their 12th wedding anniversary.

Credit: Tracy Bennett/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; imageSPACE/Shutterstock

Luke Wilson

Coming from a family of actors, Wilson starred in many films ahead of landing a leading role in Legally Blonde. After the romantic comedy, he appeared in The Royal Tenenbaums with brother Owen Wilson, Old School, Stuck on You and many more. He has been romantically linked to Drew Barrymore, Gwyneth Paltrow and former basketball player Meg Simpson.

Credit: Tracy Bennett/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; Jason Merritt/Radarpics/Shutterstock

Selma Blair

After her success in Legally Blonde, the Cruel Intentions star continued to achieve international fame by starring in the fantasy film Hellboy as well as its sequel. She has since appeared in both film and tv, starring in Anger Management and American Crime Story. Blair’s narration of The Diary of Anne Frank audiobook earned her a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children in 2011. Blair was married to writer and producer Ahmet Zappa from 2004 to 2006. She dated fashion designer Jason Bleick from 2010 to 2012 and the pair share one child. In 2021, she starred in the documentary Introducing, Selma Blair, which detailed her battle with multiple sclerosis.

Credit: Tracy Bennett/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

Matthew Davis

After starring as Warner, Davis continued with comedy in What About Brian from 2006 to 2007. He dove into fantasy with CW’s The Vampire Diaries for an extensive period from 2009 to 2017, and returned for the spinoff series Legacies. Davis also had a recurring role in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, appearing in multiple episodes of the 14th season. He was married to Leelee Sobieski for one year in 2008. Davis married Kiley Casciano in 2018. The pair welcomed daughters Ripley and Dorothy in 2020 and 2022, respectively.

Credit: Tracy Bennett/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; Marion Curtis/StarPix for Focus Features/Shutterstock

Victor Garber

Long before Garber was cast in Legally Blonde, the Canadian native made a name for himself on the theatre stage, starring in productions of Godspell, Sweeney Todd and Assassins. He went on to star in historical dramas including Titanic, Milk and Argo. When it comes to television, Garber is well known for his role of Jack Bristow in Alias, and made appearances on Law and Order, Frasier, Modern Family, Glee, The Good Wife and Schitt’s Creek. In 2012, Garber publicly revealed he is gay and married his long-time partner, Rainter Andreesen.

Credit: Tracy Bennett/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

Jennifer Coolidge

Coolidge broke through with her role in the American Pie film series shortly before starring as the iconic Paulette Bonafonte Parcelle in Legally Blonde. She went on to star in A Cinderella Story, Click, American Dreamz, Soul Men, Like a Boss, Promising Young Woman and Arlo the Alligator Boy.

The actress also made her way onto television, appearing in Joey, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, 2 Broke Girls and The White Lotus, for which she won an Emmy award in 2022. Previously linked to comedian Chris Kattan back in 2001, Coolidge is currently single and devotes herself to charitable work, supporting AIDS assistance and animal rights.

Credit: MGM; Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock

Ali Larter

After breaking through with her film debut in Varsity Blues, Larter starred in multiple horror films including House on Haunted Hill, Final Destination and Final Destination 2. She took on lead roles in Marigold, as well as the thriller Obsessed. Continuing in the horror realm, Larter gained even more recognition after participating in the Resident Evil film series. The Rookie star married long-time boyfriend Hayes MacArthur in 2009 and gave birth to her first child in 2010. Five years later, the couple welcomed their second child in January 2015.

Credit: MGM; Birdie Thompson/Sipa/Shutterstock

Meredith Scott Lynn

After Legally Blonde, Lynn starred in How I Met Your Mother and Menendez: Blood Brothers. In 2014, Lynn launched the educational program WRiTE BRAiN BOOKS, an after-school program that encourages students to use their creativity and promotes children’s books authored by these young learners.

Credit: MGM; Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

Oz Perkins

The Alias alum starred in The Twilight Zone series in 2020 and became a writer and director. Many of his films fall into the horror genre, including The Blackcoat’s Daughter, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in This House and the 2020 adaptation of Hansel and Gretel. Perkins was married to Sidney Perkins from 1999 to 2016 and the pair share two children.

Credit: MGM; Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

Holland Taylor

The Tony winner starred on numerous television shows and Broadway productions through the years. In 2020, she received her eighth Emmy nomination for her role of Ellen Kincaid in the miniseries Hollywood. Other notable television works include The L Word and Mr. Mercedes. As for film, Taylor starred in Happy Accidents, The Wedding Date, Baby Mama and The Stand In.

Taylor has been with partner Sarah Paulson since 2015. She also is a supporter of Aid for AIDS and is a participant in many of their fundraising projects.

Credit: MGM; Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock

Linda Cardellini

Cardellini is well known for her leading roles in Freaks and Geeks and ER. After Legally Blonde, Cardellini starred as Velma in the Scooby Doo movies, as well as appearing in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Endgame, Green Book, A Simple Favor, Daddy’s Home and The Curse of La Llorona.

In 2019, she earned an Emmy nomination for work in Dead to Me. She was nominated for another Emmy Award for her guest appearance in Mad Men. The actress previously dated costar Jason Seigel from 2001 to 2007. She then met Steven Rodriguez in 2009 and the pair welcomed their daughter in 2012. Cardellini and Rodriguez have been engaged since 2013.

Credit: MGM; Picture Perfect/Shutterstock

Bruce Thomas

Thomas had a small role before Legally Blonde, but the comedy helped fuel his career. He later starred in the 2008 film Babysitter Wanted and Kyle XY. Thomas is also well versed in voice acting, starring in Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, Gears of War: Judgement, Justice League: War and Son of Batman. He also voiced a sergeant in the Netflix series Love, Death, Robots. Aside from acting, Thomas has also participated in motion capture for video games, including Halo Infinite.

Credit: MGM; Courtesy of Jessica Cauffiel/Instagram

Jessica Cauffiel

Shortly before starring as Margot, Cauffiel made a name for herself as a scream queen in the slasher films Urban Legends: Final Cut and Valentine. She continued into comedy with White Chicks in 2004 and had a recurring role in the sitcom The Drew Carey Show. Cauffiel took a break from acting in 2007 after appearing in My Name is Earl and came back as the lead of the Hallmark movie Ice Dreams in 2009. That same year, she produced and starred in the short film Bed Ridden, and all proceeds were donated to The Clare Foundation. Cauffiel is also known for her lovely voice and performed in Dharamshala, India. She also sang on albums Shanti by Snatam Kaur and Grateful Ganesh by Guruganesh Singh Khalsa.

Credit: MGM; John Salangsang/Shutterstock

Alanna Ubach

After Legally Blonde, the Brady Bunch movie star continued her career with Meet the Fockers, Bad Teacher and Bombshell. Ubach also voiced quite a few characters in animated films and shows such as The Spectacular Spiderman, Brandy and Mr. Whiskers, Rango, Coco and Monsters at Work. Ubach is married to record producer Thom Russo, and they share one child.