Bert Newton’s death has rocked the nation as the country continues to mourn the performing legend, who is survived by his loving wife Patti, 76, and two children, Lauren and Matthew.
WATCH: Matthew Newton talks about his troubled past
Since news of Bert’s death broke, it has been revealed that a state funeral will be held in his honour.
While the 83-year-old’s family and friends are sure to bid farewell to the showbiz icon, one person not attending the service is Bert and Patti’s 44-year-old son, Matthew, who lives in New York.
Rumours of a rift between the actor and his parents have been swirling for years, but Patti put an end to the chatter in a recent interview with the Daily Mail Australia, explaining the real reason why her son won’t be attending the funeral.
“There was no rift. He’s had many long conversations with Bert in the hospital, and that was all fine,” Patti told the publication.
“It’s just the logistics of it all, and with Covid, and with everything else,” she added as to why Matthew won’t be returning home for the service.
The disgraced Underbelly star reportedly fled to the states in 2012, after making headlines over several serious allegations of domestic violence and assault.
And while the 44-year-old is said to be happy and flourishing in New York City, it appears his chequered past keeps coming back to haunt him.
Here, New Idea takes a look at the rise and fall of the Australian expat, who, despite his showbiz royalty roots, made a name for himself – before his career was tarnished with scandal.
A graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Arts in Sydney, Matt thrived in his early years, performing on stage, television and film – both locally and abroad.
Aside from appearing in several hit TV shows, including All Saints, Water Rats and Farscape, Matt appeared alongside Pia Miranda in the 2002 film adaptation of Looking for Alibrandi.
He then found international success playing the vampire Armand in Queen of the Damned (2002), before writing and starring in his first feature film, Right Here Right Now (2004).
But the late noughties were also laden with scandal, with Matthew making headlines for allegedly assaulting ex-girlfriends Brooke Satchwell and Rachael Taylor.
In 2007, Matthew reportedly pleaded guilty to one count of common assault and was put on a 12-month good behaviour bond, in relation to an incident involving Brooke in 2006.
However, the conviction was later quashed in 2010, with the judge dismissing the charge due to “significant” evidence from Matt’s psychiatrist, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Then, in August 2010, actress Rachael Taylor took out an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO), after Matthew allegedly punched her in the face in a hotel foyer in Rome.
Her application for the AVO not only ended their relationship, but also put a stop to Matthew’s career revival, which included hosting The X Factor on Channel Seven.
His reputation was further tarnished after he allegedly breached the terms of an AVO, assaulted a Sydney taxi driver and, after moving to the US, attacked a hotel receptionist in Miami.
Matthew avoided conviction on the grounds of diminished mental health and later revealed that he was struggling with issues including addiction.
An insider previously told New Idea: “It was horrible for Bert and Patti to watch as Matthew’s life seemed to melt down, with the shocking reports of violence against women and other troubles with the law. They were the very darkest of days.”
Since moving to the US in 2012, Matthew has seemingly found happiness with his new partner Catherine Schneiderman, whose father is a former New York attorney.
What’s more, his career has flourished, with the release of several films, including From Nowhere (2016) and Who We Are Now (2017), which he wrote and directed.
Also in 2017, The Daily Telegraph reported Matthew hadn’t “touched a drink in five years”.
But in 2018, Matt hit a hurdle, when he chose to step down as director of Ava in 2018, after Times Up advocate Jessica Chastain was criticised for choosing to work with him.
Despite the backlash, Matthew’s parents are said to be grateful and happy that their son has got his life back on track and are proud of how far he’s come, even though they “miss him terribly”.
“Patti insists she is just happy he’s safe and well where he is and in far better shape these days. She is the first to acknowledge that being away from Australia has played a big part in that,” a source told New Idea.
But it’s clear that her son is never far from Patti’s thoughts.
In an Instagram post from earlier this year, where a follower pointed out how her grandson Sam looked like Matt’s dad Bert, Patti was quick to suggest the infant looked more like her son.
“I think he looks like my Matthew,” Patti said, proudly.
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