Bert and Patti Newton are relieved their troubled son Matthew is finally facing his addiction problems and seeking help – just like Bert did when his world fell apart 40 years ago. Phillip Koch reports.
As he battles his demons in a Melbourne clinic, Matthew Newton is not alone.
Even in his darkest hour, the troubled actor knows he can count on the love and support of parents Bert and Patti Newton.
TV’s golden couple is – yet again – ready to move heaven and earth for their wayward son: a son who has caused them untold heartache and distress with his erratic and dangerous behaviour.
“We’re with him and we hope for the best and I’ve got a feeling that will be what happens,” insists Bert. “He’s our son, we love him. It just happens that he is also a very talented boy and I want to make sure I carry out his wishes. There’s nothing to hide.”
But Bert and Patti, who last week visited Matthew in the clinic, have for years been hiding their fears for their only son. They’ve bailed him out of many disasters, relentlessly using their star-power to protect the 33-year-old actor.
And they’re not the only ones supporting him. Matthew’s sister, Lauren, is also doing her best to help her only sibling through his troubles. She’s also visited him at Melbourne’s Malvern Private Hospital, where he’s undergoing treatment, reportedly for drug and alcohol addiction.
Lauren’s visit, the day after Bert returned to Sydney to honour his stage commitments in Wicked, ahead of hosting the TV Week Logies, came as an important reminder to Matthew that he retains his family’s full support as he approaches the halfway mark of his 28-day residential rehabilitation program.
The close-knit Newton clan is fiercely loyal, but friends say this time, what is privately referred to as “the Matthew problem” has them deeply worried.
For the full story see this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale May 3, 2010.
