Funeral moment confirms Matthew rumour

During the entertainment legend’s funeral on Friday, the Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Werner Utri, referred to Catherine Schneiderman as Matthew’s wife.

It comes after whispers the pair secretly married three years ago with none of the Newtons reportedly in attendance.

“Good morning and welcome to the state funeral of Mr Bert Newton … I’d like to begin by acknowledging a number of people with us today,” Fr Utri said as he led the tributes today.

“First and foremost, Bert Newton’s wife Patti, his daughter Lauren, his son-in-law Matt and grandchildren.

Fr Utri added: “Unfortunately Bert’s son Matthew and his wife Catherine were unable to join us as they are in New York.”

Matthew, 44, and Catherine, 28, first became engaged in October 2016. However, it has never been confirmed by the couple whether they ever officially tied the knot.

In 2017, a source close to the family told New Idea the couple exchanged ‘I dos’ at the home of Catherine’s mother in New York.

“(Matthew) rang his parents prior to the big day and invited them but with Bert’s health being a little strained in recent months they decided a long-haul flight to New York might not be a great idea,’ the source explained at the time.

“This is the best news ever for Bert and Patti … they’re just so happy for Matthew.”

The insider added: “Matthew’s battled a lot of demons over the years, but he finally feels like he’s found his place in the world in New York with Cat.”

Catherine is the daughter of New York’s former Attorney-General Eric Schneiderman.

While Matthew wasn’t able to attend his father’s funeral today, the Underbelly actor penned a sweet tribute to Bert which was read out during the service. In it, he referred to some of his past struggles and his father’s support.

Recalling the last phone call he had with the TV legend while he was in hospital, Matthew wrote:

“Everyone knows he was a great entertainer but what a lot of people don’t know about dad is that he wouldn’t just be around for the laughs. Those close to him experienced how he’d show up in the tough times too. No-one more than me.

“One final conversation a few days before we lost him was different from the usual, and we both knew it. The change was never directly stated but we eschewed the stories and the laughness and just said how much we loved each other.

“During that wonderful chat, my mother was pottering around in the background, adding her two cents every now and again, and doing lovely things for dad, as usual. At one point, she took something into another room, and the second she left, dad leaned into the phone camera and whispered, “I think she’s poisoning my food, Matthew!,” he added to laughs from the crowd.

Addressing his mother, he said: “You know, there’s not a lioness in the world who loved, supported and cherished her lion as much as you did dad. You two were a team, are a team, and even though your partner isn’t on stage any more, the show goes on, and you’ll be OK, mainly because you‘ll have Lauren’s 97 children to take care of you,” he joked.

Confidential first reported the actor, who has been living in New York since 2012, was “unlikely” to return to Australia for his father’s state funeral, after Bert died aged 83.

Matthew’s relationship with his parents was understood to have been quite strained in the past in the wake of alleged domestic violence claims against him, with Patti assuring media this month that the rough patch was well behind them before Bert died.

Bert and Patti had spoke of their heartbreak to A Current Affair in 2010 following two alleged domestic violence incidents involving then fiance Rachael Taylor at a hotel in Rome.

Matthew Newton allegedly “punched Taylor in the face before being sedated by ambulance officers”. Taylor suffered a concussion and took out an apprehended violence order (AVO) against Newton.

Bert told of his pain after he picked his son up from the airport and took him to Wentworthville’s Northside West Clinic.

The worried parents confirmed his son had long abused drugs and alcohol, although he said they were not the root of his problems.

“His biggest problem is the fact that it’s not a drug, it’s not an alcohol problem as much as it’s a mental health issue,” Patti said.

“He’s always had a bit of a problem with his temper, even as a kid, but I do think it’s accelerated. We don’t know how to handle it.”

In 2011, Matthew was charged with breaching the terms of the AVO Taylor had taken out on him. Then in December he was charged with assaulting a 66-year-old taxi driver twice in the Sydney suburb of Crows Nest, but was unable to attend court because he was not allowed to leave the US due to charges he was facing there.

Those charges related to two incidents in Miami, Florida.

He was charged with trespassing and resisting officers as well as battery after he attacked a hotel receptionist.

In November 2012 both matters were dismissed, conditional upon Newton completing 50 hours of community service, writing a letter of apology to the hotel clerk, Ariel Bory Vargas, paying $US11,500 restitution to Vargas and staying away from both him and Mr Moe’s, the bar where he was accused of trespass.

The star has stayed in the US since, settling in New York where he met Catherine. He has stayed largely out of the spotlight for the past few years apart from making headlines in 2018 after being forced to step down as director of Jessica Chastain’s movie Ava.

It came after Chastain was criticised for being an advocate for the Time’s Up movement while appointing a director with a history of domestic violences offences.

Matthew Newton said in a statement that he understood the backlash and was trying to be a better man.

Originally published as Bert Newton’s funeral confirms Matthew Newton’s marriage