It doesn’t look like Matthew, son of the late TV icon Bert Newton, will be returning to Australia to attend his father’s state funeral.
After Bert passed away over the weekend at the age of 83, the country was plunged into mourning by the news. However, as per News.com.au, his son Matthew is “unlikely” to come back to his home country from New York for the funeral.
Bert and his wife Patti had a struggling relationship with their son, particularly in recent years. Back in 2010, they told A Current Affair about their heartbreak at finding out about Matthew’s two alleged domestic violence incidents with his then-partner Rachael Taylor in Rome, Italy.
“We should have seen the signs…but we didn’t,” Bert said then. “When it concerns your child you say ‘well, of course we love him and we support him’. I think I made an error in saying that because I do love him and I do support him, but I don’t support or condone any of the things that have happened.”
That wasn’t the first time Matthew had faced trouble. Four years previously he was charged with assaulting his previous partner, actress Brooke Satchwell. He pleaded guilty to one count of common assault although his conviction was then overturned on mental health grounds.
In 2018, Matthew was removed as director of the Jessica Chastain film Ava, after the actress provoked backlash for being a vocal backer of the Time’s Up movement while also working with a director with a history of domestic violence offences.
Matthew released a statement after stepping down: “Over the past eight years I have been working extensively with healthcare professionals to help me overcome my addiction and mental health illness,” he explained. “I have lived a quiet and sober life. All I can do now is try to be a living amends and hopefully contribute to the positive change occurring in our industry.”
Love Film & TV?
Get the latest Film & TV news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
Despite his wife Catherine urging him to do so, Matthew reportedly refused to come back to Australia to visit his ill father earlier this year. It’s also unclear if Bert and Patti were on better terms with their son before Bert’s passing.
For more on this topic, follow the Film & TV Observer.
