Matthew Newton
Matthew Newton appeared on A Current Affair last night to answer some tough questions about his very public derailment over the past few years.
You can watch the interview here
Whatever your feelings about him (or ACA), it was pretty gripping television.
Does he owe the Australian public an apology? Certainly not, but one would think that Brooke Satchwell, Rachel Taylor and whomever else he’s belted over the years might get a look in while he’s establishing his own victim status on prime time television.
He wouldn’t want to cause them any further embarrassment he tells us, or bring the incidents any more attention, though by the very act of committing to a lengthy interview with A Current Affair he is doing exactly that, isn’t he?
Matthew is effusive when it comes to his own suffering, peppering his conversation with words like destruction, harm, panic, scars, breakdown, devastated, sad – all in an effort to help us understand what he’s been through. He turns a question about his final assault on Brooke Satchwell into an answer about his escape from a psych ward and his concussion. Matthew’s conviction for that assault was quashed, but he doesn’t feel he got off too easily he assures us, he feels he was not treated properly at the time for his mental illness.
He’s right about that of course. Late diagnosis after years of misdiagnosis is the greatest frustration of many sufferers, and many more family members who suffer alongside them. Matthew’s talent for articulating his experience is a gift few share and he was able to explain some aspects of his illnesses – which he says include “manic depression, acute obsessive compulsive disorder and some personality traits connected to those two” – honestly and with candor. He says he is now on daily medication to treat his health.
As gifted as he is though, why were there so few words for his victims? Was there ever a dawning realisation, as the medication and therapy did their jobs, of what he had done to those women who loved him? Who trusted him? What he’d taken from them? Is it fair of me to have expected to hear some of that in his comeback showcase?
What of the night that ended his engagement to Rachel in Rome? “I wanted to kill myself.” Really? Because she thought you wanted to kill her, and so did everyone else watching you do it.
Tracy tells him straight that we want to hear he’s sorry, and in what feels like a test of his mettle asks him to take responsibility for damage his episodes have caused. Matthew declines to do so for reasons ranging from privacy to dropping others in it and the conversation is quickly steered back towards Matthew’s own struggles. That’s what therapy is all about, I get it, but frankly I’m shocked that his psychiatrist and others encouraged this attempt at a televised make-good without considering the black-eyed elephant in the room – that Matthew is a repeat perpetrator of domestic violence.
I want Matthew Newton to talk about his domestic violence. I want to know that he understands that’s what it was. I want to hear how his mental illness contributed to him beating people he loved. I want him to help other abusers to understand how this happened in his life so that they can stop it happening in theirs. Is that too much to ask?
Is that even a fair thing to ask of a man who is clearly struggling with his demons and making concerted – and commendable – efforts to treat his illnesses? Does he owe anyone anything? Maybe he doesn’t. But I’ll be honest and say I expected to hear it.
Matthew Newton has the experience, the support, the talent and the forum to make an incredible difference in the lives of unknown thousands of victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. I hope that one day – perhaps when he is more stable - he’ll rally all of his advantages indeed be the man he can be.
Meshel Laurie is a comedian and broadcaster. You can catch up with her on Nova’s Drive Show with Tim Blackwell and Marty Sheargold 4-6pm on weekdays.
Did you come away from Matthew Newton’s interview with a changed view of him? Did it help you to better understand mental illness and how it affects sufferers and their loved ones? If you are familiar with mental illness or have been touched by it yourself did his comments resonate with you?
Comments
203 Comments so far
I’m bi polar: he’s an immature, irresponsible ego maniac with an unjustified sense of entitlement.
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i watched the interview with scepticism only because I’ve been diagnosed with symptoms that resemble that of
MN. The focus seems to be on violence against a women (a notably person at that) and the need for a public apology.
I wonder if the story would have received the coverage that it did had it not been for the prominant name of the Newton family. I felt TG was a little light in her mode of questioning and expected more probeing to make MN a little more uncomfortable and accountable. Still i felt a sense of honesty about the replys and believe that he did not want to be drawn into comment about his former partners as this would have opened up direct attention towards them. I have no doubt he is remorseful and would have attempted to express such directly to those concerned. A public statement of apology is not warranty in my view.
I have found that it is difficult to convey genuine remorse to one person let alone to millions of TV viewers. Such attempts are often interpreted as just going through the motions.
Mental illness is powerful with devastating consequences to those around you and they never see the actions coming.
People seem to say they understand the mental ilness and yet don’t understand the connection that possibly exists between it and the violent act.
I only hope that MN is deadly serious about the corrective processes. The good thing about the interview was at the end where it draws your attention to where you need to go for help.
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I haven’t watched this interview and I refuse to, just from reading comments by others, I can see that MN doesn’t really accept responsibility for his actions. I get so angry at people who blame their actions on mental illness and self destructiveness. Self destructiveness suggests that the harm only affects the self. I suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, anxiety and bulimia and my family doesn’t even know. I go to extreme lengths to hide my dysfunction from them and I do not lash out at others around me.
I’ve experienced domestic violence and sexual abuse. My first boyfriend abused me emotionally, physically and sexually. He was so manipulative and unable to take responsibility for his actions that when I called him on his actions he would say things like “how can I be raping you if I don’t have to hold you down?” or “If you’d just behaved I wouldn’t have had to use force.” Reading the comments about MN speaking about the abuse he perpetrated on his girlfriends and saying essentially that those women also bare some responsibility for the abuse they suffered causes me draw direct parallels to what my ex used to say to me. It’s veiled victim blaming and it should be stamped out. It doesn’t matter what the dynamics are like in a relationship, any form of abuse from either partner is not a valid response.
A diagnosis of bipolar here seems like an excuse and does nothing but cause more stigma to be attached to that diagnosis. Fortunately there are good examples of celebrities who suffer with bipolar and manage to conduct themselves with dignity. MN needs to take a leaf out of Stephen Fry’s book in order to learn how to conduct himself as a respectable human being.
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I totally agree. This “thug” is just riding on his Family’s name. He thinks he can treat women and anyone else like he wants and then blame mental illness. He is such a joke and should be locked up. The only ones I feel sorry for are his family but they are just as bad as they support his thuggish behaviour. Put him away!!!
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One thing that Matthew’s interview highlighted was the lack of understanding and compassion towards the mentally ill. As a family member of someone suffering a mental illness, Matthew’s decision to speak publicly about his illness was a brave one – it takes great courage to admit you have a mental illness and seek treatment, let alone lay yourself bare in front of the public. As for those who believe that Matthew’s personality traits are all an act, it sounds to me like he is suffering from borderline personality disorder. It is a treeatable condition, and while it will not be cured, it can be controlled with a four-pronged approach of counselling, psychiatry, medication and group therapy, I don’t condone any act of violence, whether it towards a woman or another male, like the boxer that Matthew confronted during another manic episode, however it is likely that Matthew was in a heightened and irrational state during all of these episodes. Mental illness covers a large scope of condition and it is about time that we learn more about the conditions before we are ready to cast stones!
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My ex husband turned out to be bi polar. Matthew sounds similar. I suffered emotional abuse for years crushing my confidence. I imagine Rachel & Brooke would have endured several episodes of questionable behaviour from MN. I don’t feel sorry for him at all. I never watch ACA and haven’t watched this interview, don’t feel the need – been there done that myself and have no sympathy. The behaviour described above sounds too familiar and I would rather be a million miles from it.
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Matthew Newton accidentally/carelessly knocked over my Coke in a pub some 10/15 years ago, when I used to hang around with a NIDA crowd. Instead of apologising and offering to buy another Coke, like any ordinary person would, he barely acknowledged the incident and strutted off, leaving others to clean up after him and apologise for him. This was before he was anything but Bert Newton’s son. I didn’t like him then and I don’t know. Simple explanation is that he is a complete jerk who thinks the world owes him a living. People don’t change.
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I feel genuine sympathy for Matthew, but more so for his victims. I also wonder with the Peter Roebuck incident this fortnight whether being part of the establishment provides more sympathy for a “famous” perpetrator than their victims. The media tributes for their buddies and heroes, sends a very skewed message
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I’m still thinking about this interview, even though I wish I wasn’t.
As embarrassing as it is to admit now, I used to have a big, girly crush on Matthew Newton when I was a teenager. I even bought My Mother Frank on video and pirated a copy of Looking For Alibrandi. I think I even have a recorded copy somewhere of when all the Newtons sang at Carols By Candlelight.
I wish I didn’t want to watch this Matthew Newton interview, in the same way I refuse to watch anything Charlie Sheen related, or buy Chris Brown’s music or watch Mel Gibson’s movies.
But I did watch it, and I’m still thinking about it.
I wonder if it was the performance by a very well-trained actor.
I wonder if he’s in a stage of his therapy where he’s admitting to his mental illness and accepting medication for it, but that’s about it. Not quite up to admitting his own faults yet. Feeling 6 out of 10 really isn’t that great.
I wonder if he deliberately left out mentioning his father when he spoke about his great relationship with his sister and mother.
Mostly, I wonder why he did the interview. And I wonder how much ACA paid him for it. Grrr.
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There is no excuse ever to be violent !! Matthew Newton needs to make peace with his victims. But why should he apologize to the Australian public ??? Mental illness is a disease, do people with others diseases have to apologize to the viewers of ACA.
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I thought Matthew Newton was very brave to admit his illness and shortcomings in the interview. Tracy obviously didn’t understand his type of mental illness by the way she asked her questions, but he coped admirably in the segments shown. IMHO Matthew didn’t go into the domestic violence/assaults in any detail because he simply has no memory of the details of the incidents. That what usually happens in the “brain storm” of a psychotic “frenzy”. The brain is firing off in all directions and anything that might have become a memory is totally mixed in with the feeling and actions going on at the same time. He could well be very shocked at what he did to those unlucky women because he seems a gentle and reticent soul by nature. I suggest that he may have written or recorded apologies and explanations privately or intends to do so with advice from his lawyer. I don’t think he would be the sort of person to write it all off as bad luck for Brooke & Rachel- his personality seems to be full of shame & guilt and depression about his lack of “perfection” and feeling he hasn’t measured up to his parents’ expectations. He is an adult, his former partners are adults and I think we should let them deal with their previous troubles privately and whenever they choose- it’s none of our business nor Tracy’s.
Matthew appearing on TV and describing his symptoms will help other young people to “come out” and/or seek help for their own mental difficulties- they will identify with him and may tend to follow his example in seeking longer term help. On the other hand some aspects of the interview could have been frightening to parents and friends of people with similar diagnoses to Matthew’s. With manic depressive illness it IS true that the sufferer will have the problem for life, it’s almost impossible to predict manic or depressive episodes and the medications can control it, but not cure it. I don’t think Tracy made it clear enough that Matthew was NOT cured and will never be cured of the psychotic condition, but could fully recover from the OCD, I wish she had asked him about having friends and supportive people around him that he is NOT in an emotional relationship with, as these sorts of people are essential to living life with mental illness in the community.
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i finally succumbed and watched some of the interview.
my gut instinct is that he is not at all genuine, and that he is a spoiled little rich kid trying to cling on to whatever career he used to have.
i don’t feel sorry for him. i feel sorry for those that are genuinely unwell, who don’t have bucket loads of money to throw at every problem. who come home to a dingy little bedsit after their involuntary admission to hospital, who live only on a pension and who have to face stigma for their mental illness every day.
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Still don’t like him
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The personality disordered. Nothing you can do with them.
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He hasn’t got any nasty personality problems- he’s depressive, anxious and rather perfectionistic but not borderline or psychopathic as far as I can tell. His mental illness is a psychosis, which has nothing to do with personality.
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Are you serious??? I have Borderline Personality Disorder, an anxiety disorder and depression and I am making great progress. Do you also say to someone who has a broken leg ‘can’t do anything for them’ or someone who has cancer ‘can’t do anything for them’. I suggest you do some research because you have just displayed the COMPLETE ignorance which makes someone feel ashamed and alone and possibly feel suicidal. I can tell you someone you know will have a mental illness and they won’t turn to you for help or support because of your attitude.
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You know, that interview just made me really feel sorry for Rachel Taylor and at the same time admire her.
I can’t imagine going through what she experienced, having just got engaged, miles away from home in Italy and then her boyfriend/fiance goes ballistic on you.
The courage and strength of character she has shown at her court appearances, the way her career has gone onto blossom have given me such admiration for her.
But, at the same time, I am sad that the voice of the abused is never heard, instead they have to stoically get on with their lives, not speaking about it, burying the trauma and putting on a resilient face to the world.That is the real tragedy to me. Where’s their voice in all of this?
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My younger sister was involved with an abusive young man, who I think may possibly have a mental illness. Although his abuse was emotional (that we know of) not physical, it’s affected her greatly, as I’m sure any type of abuse affects anyone, including Matthew Newton’s ex girlfriends. I am a nurse and regularly deal with people with mental illness, and I have sympathy for these people but I also believe that mental illness is not an excuse for abuse.
My sisters ex-boyfriend was obviously a manipulative person, who had no empathy or concern about what he had done to my sister- reduced her from an attractive, outgoing and confident girl to an insecure person with low self-esteem and almost zero self confidence. It has effected all areas of her life, from her study, work and other relationships. When I see what has happened to her, I find it extremely hard to feel sympathy for him for any mental illness he may be suffering.
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Matthew Newton, Wayne Carey, Ben Cousins, Andrew Johns…..
A lot of column inches seem to be devoted to the whys and wherefores of a particular class of mentally ill Australian males who are young, attractive, gifted, privileged and financially secure.
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Perfectly said.
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I have someone close to me that suffers Bipolar and it absolutely resonated with me! In fact, that person watched the start of the interview and said, yes, that is exactly how I feel. This person in my life is normally the most gental person in the world, but in the grip of an episode, they too are more violent then normal! Not to the level in Matthews life, but everyone is effected differently!
In the article you ask: “I want him to help other abusers to understand how this happened in his life so that they can stop it happening in theirs. Is that too much to ask?”
Its not to much to ask but are you prepared for the answer? If we take Matthew on face value, and to me there is no reason not too, he would have had little idea or understanding of what was going on through the violence. For you and me, yes that is hard to understand, but that is because we have (for want of a better term) “healthy” brains. The bipolar brain isn’t working as it should during those episodes. This is what makes things so tough. Does that make the violence okay? No of course not! It makes it more and more regrettable. It makes it more and more sad! Can you imagine hurting someone you love, as I have no doubt Matthew did of a lot of the people he has hurt, without knowing how to stop yourself (that is how my love one explained it to me at times)?
So I guess what message Matthew is trying to pass on that can help prevent violence like in his case is, watch for the signs of Mental Illness and if you see them, get help. For those around the person, understand that the person needing help, may not be able to accept the help or think they need the help!
JMTC
Molly
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The man who tried to kill me with violence would tick most of the bipolar boxes. But he wasnt. He did have a strong affection for ice though and I suspect it was this that made him appear to be bipolar.
But at the end of the day, so what? Doesnt change anything. Does not erase the scars, does not alter or hasten my healing path.
I am not at all interested in Matthew Newton’s problems or therapy.
And I say to the Australian media (blogs like this included):
PLEASE STOP GIVING THIS OXYGEN THIEF OF A MAN AIR TIME AND PUBLICITY. PLEASE.
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http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/newton-criticised-for-tv-appearance–violence-against-women-not-a-therapeutic-problem-20111122-1nsh1.html
interesting last two sentences
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very interesting last two sentences!
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I found it interesting that when Tracey brought up drug use he just brushed it off, as though it was never a part of his problem. And when questioned on using ice rather than state he had never used ice he stated “Tracey I wouldn’t even know what to do with ice”
I wonder how much of the violence came down to drug use rather than mental illness?
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OK – I really wasn’t sure I wanted to, but I ended up watching the interview…my impressions?
- I thought MN was very sincere…it didn’t feel fake or publicity seeking.
- TG did a mostly good job…much better than I expected…despite the horrible ACA production values (especially the soppy music)
- I still don’t see the point to the interview…the only justification I can see for the interview was celebrity voyeurism…we didn’t need to see this…
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Why the interview? Nepotism? Bert probably still holds sway.
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I reckon he needs to convince financiers of his ‘new project’ that he is sober, sane still interesting.
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While it’s true that MN is “the product” and probably sold himself to ACA as such, I still think what we saw was real…
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Agree JJ. I watched the interview reluctantly.
MN is the living image, the epitome, a dead ringer for a person with mental illness and personality disorder.
I can’t help wondering what on earth people expected to see. His thinking and personality is disordered … he was never going to present like your favourite TV personality who is all sorted out for a tv interview … sigh
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I didn’t like it when Tracy asked him about the Rachel Taylor incident, and instead of copping to it, he talked about the fact that “there are two people in a relationship and let’s leave it at that…” or something. He made it seem like she aggravated him into that violent state of attack. I don’t think that is an acceptable explanation at all.
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Yes spot on. The “it takes two” thing. I bet Rachel was thinking that while he smashed her head on a marble floor.
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I understand he is mentally I’ll but it came across like he wanted people to feel sorry for him and I just don’t. Unlike many mentally ill people he has money and support. His family are behind him and he has people who live him. And still he abuses women.
Is there a link between mental illness and physical violence? Because I have known people with mental illness who, while manic, are completely non violent. I think there’s more to it than his mental illness.
Even if illness is an explanation it’s no excuse.
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I just love how they all come out claiming mental illness as a PR game after they’ve done something wrong and they want people to feel sorry for them. I am a Mental Health Case Manager and worked with people with mental illness for many many years. If someone wants to commit suicide, they usually don’t tell people about it and definitely don’t go on National tv and say they wanted to kill themselves. He is a spoilt brat that is using mental illness as an excuse for his bad behaviour. He gives people who legitimately deal with mental illness on a daily basis a bad name.
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I agree MN has a personality disorder and should be held accountable for his actions. Claiming mental illness as his problems undermines the issues and stigmatizes people with genuine mental health issues.
I’m a psychiatrist who sees many people who have done bad things and try to abdicate their responsibility. Please stop giving MN a voice and his family for excusing his actions.
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So is personality disorder not a mental illness? Am genuinely interested, not being snarky. Is it terminology for basically being an arsehole?
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Hey chef – thought I would answer your question and I don’t know that Psychiatrist would agree with me but they can say so if they don’t …
Taking the word arsehole and defining it, I am guessing you mean a person who treats other people like shit.
There are plain arseholes in the world who don’t have a mental illness and treat other people like shit and that is exactly what they intend to do. They are fully aware of what they are doing.
There are mentally ill people who seemingly treat other people like shit. They can be in the grip of psychosis which means they have lost touch with what is happening in the real world and they are driven by what is going on in their minds only. They are partially aware or completely unaware of what they are doing but the disordered thoughts they have that lead them to act the way they do means they are not real arseholes. All of us experience times when we perceive things incorrectly but we know it. The mentally unwell person cannot see that their perceptions are not confirmed by what is going on in the real world.
The DSM IV, that is, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, includes personality disorders as a mental disorder.
There are thousands of books that explain personality disorders and they are complex illnesses.
In my nursing practice, I take the view that a person with a personality disorder has a disorder of their ego which is their view of themselves, how powerful they are in the world, who loves them, are they lovable, etc etc. It can happen during the development of personality when a person fails to navigate the psychological injuries that we all receive to our egos when we find out that we are not the centre of the universe which happens to all children. This is where the behaviour becomes deeply pathological as opposed to just arsehole behaviour, although to the outside observer it looks essentially the same. They basically become adults with the emotional age of a toddler, forever suspended in that phase of their lives with a personality that does not develop beyond the egocentric toddler stage. However, as adults they have the capacity to be far more destructive than a toddler.
Are people with personality disorders to be held responsible for their actions in the same way as “normal” people? Should they go to jail when they hurt others? It’s probably a waste of time from the point of getting them to see the wrongness of their actions because they cannot comprehend that they would do anything wrong. This creates a real problem for keeping others safe and just what do we do with these people then?
Furthermore, the treatment for personality disorders has been dismally unsuccessful. It is evolving as health professionals gather more information but it has a long way to go.
It is a big ask of the public to put the MN interview up and expecting them to decide whether he is just an arsehole or whether he is mentally unwell with bipolar, OCD and a personality disorder. But, these people live and move within our daily lives and awareness for your own safety and for the safety of the sufferer as well is really important.
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Gee Realist… I’m glad you’re not my family member’s mental health case manager!
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I’ve never known a case manager to speak about mentally ill clients in this way.
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Matthew Newtow quotes : “My biggest mistake was not knowing I needed treatment sooner than I did.”
REALLY!!!! beating a woman was not the biggest mistake???
Also when questions about the ‘incident’ in Rome with Rachel Taylor: “I’m ashamed of it, but as I say there are certain aspects of a relationship that involve two people and I’m only one half of that.”
Oh yes, Silly me I forgot that domestic violence is caused by two people and that we cannot simply blame the attacker and that we must lay blame on the victim as well.
Matthew Newton you are a joke, and ACA you are a joke to for letting this pathetic and self indulgent interview go to air.
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See that could be taken two ways. After hearing his comments around Brooke and then Rachel, the comments were very similar and too me more whether legally or out of respect or whatever he didn’t feel he had the right to out incidents between each of them.
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Wow – how quick you are to condemn someone you don’t know personally and I’m guessing from the tone of this story that you don’t have someone in your life who suffers from a mental illness.
Did you not understand that he is not a wife-beater – he is someone who was completely out of control and had no understanding of his behaviour, his actions or why this was happening to him.
Its similar when you think of someone with mental illness who commits suicide – do you think they are in their right mind when they do that ?
Undiagnosed mental illness is an absolute nightmare for those individuals, their families and loved ones.
Stop blaming and start helping…….
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It sounds as if you didn’t even read the article.
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And who helps the women as they cower under his fist? Somehow he managed to get into control, get dressed, turn up and act for Underbelly but let loose like an animal on his partner when the cameras were off. Its another example of celebrities behaving badly who get rewarded with airtime with some of the public applauding their excuses. Those who support, excuse or feel sorrry for him might as well hand him a baseball bat for his next partner as it is clear he has no compassion or remorse for the damage he inflicted on his previous women which indicates he wont stop for his next.
Mental illness does not cause violence. DV is his choice not to manage his own anger but to take it out on a woman who loves him. He is a great role model for all the wife beaters out there who hit and abuse women, who have their own family and friends in denial about their behaviours which go onto protect, excuse and applaud them and keep the cycle going. And then get to talk about themselves on tv!
He is not just a man who has a mental illness. Most people with a mental illness do not hit people, abuse drugs or boo hoo about their poor life. MN is a violent perpetrator who is hiding behind the excuse of an ilness who has been caught out and is only sorry for being publically shamed, not for the terror he has caused on partners he was said to love.
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I am not condoning what he has done but to say mental illness does not cause violence is naive. Also to say it does not cause drug use is completely off the mark. You have obviously never worked in an emergency department and been confronted with violent mentally ill people and those with a drug induced psychosis. Your sweeping statements in this regard are just plain wrong
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Oh Cleo. I have worked in an emergency department. I have also worked in mental health services and domestic violence services. Have just completed a PhD regarding domestic violence (with most of the perpetrators claiming mental illness as a causal factor) I have to disagree with you. I think it does a disservice to those with bipolar disorder/ OCD/ personality disorders to blame ‘behaviour’ on an illness. It is not as simple as this. Clinically or socially.
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Why are we (the public) demanding anything from MN…he didn’t do anything to us?
How do we know what he has said or done by way of apologising to those he has hurt, physically, mentally and emotionally. And even if we did know of any apologetic words or deeds…would it ever be enough to placate us?
Time for us to step off with our judgements…and let him get on with making peace with those he needs to.
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I’m not trying to be judgemental but if he doesn’t want to be judged by the public then perhaps he shouldn’t have done the interview for public viewing?
As Mia says about models, If you do not want to be judged then don’t put yourself in a position that allows people to judge you.
He could have just stayed off the TV and kept to himself.
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And the public hadn’t already judged MN before this interview…thanks to the media’s portrayal of the events of his life unraveling?
The media has a lot to answer for…just look at the people testifying about phone tapping and bugging the UK at the moment. Some of these people are stars who yes ‘put themselves in the public’s view’, but others were brought to the public’s attention by tragic life events…again as portrayed by the media.
I think too Mia might feel a little different (although I can’t speak for her) about being judged by the public in light of the judgments made about her when she spoke of her feelings regarding the hero tag given to Cadel Evans.
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Interesting that MN’s mental illness only manifests itself as violence against other people when his girlfriends are around. It is possible to be a domestically violent person AND have a mental disorder without the two things being connected; I’ve known mentally ill people who were lovely and violent people who were sane, and lumping the two states in together is insulting to the mentally disordered and gives an excuse to the violent.
Sorry for the ranting, I just hate the automatic mental illness = violent evildoer assumption.
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That was really well said!
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Yes, superbly put.
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I agree that lumping Mental Illness with Violence is wrong. But it is equally wrong to dismiss that Mental Illness is a cause of some violence!
Also if you watched the interview, you would have hear of self harm and there was also mention of the incident where he went after a guy he thought tried to run over his dog and got knocked out as he was a boxing champ! So to say it was only around his girl friends is just wrong!
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Did Daddy talk channel nine into giving airtime to his wife-beater son?? channel nine at its worst…AGAIN
He better bloody not be on carols by candlelight again!
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I only saw ‘highlights’ of the interview as I don’t like Ms Grimshaw I didn’t plan to watch it at all.
From what I saw, Matthew Newton was acting like a spoiled brat. Mental illness or no mental illness his behavior was appalling & although if he was suffering an untreated mental illness which is now under control, surely he can see that & is sorry?
I am being treated for a mental illness & I never once would use that as an excuse for disgusting behavior.
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I would suggest putting your dislike for Tracy aside and watching the whole thing.
Also I am sure you understand that not all mental illness suffers are the same.
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So, he’s so mentally ill he can’t help but beat up women he’s in a relationship with, but can manage to have a high profile career as an actor. I don’t think so. I too suffer from mental illness, similar to him actually, but I have managed to get through my life without assaulting anyone, and I imagine there are MANY more people like me.
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No, he’s perhaps got a personality disorder that makes him unable to empathise with them, and thus express genuine remorse. As I said, it doesn’t excuse the behaviour, just perhaps helps explain his reaction.Look up personality disorders, you will see they are quite different to mental illness.
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Your first sentence is absolutely possible! From my personal experience, some with mental illness become experts at hiding it!
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Anon, I’m no Matthew Newton apologist (I have no idea whether his claims are genuine or not) but it is definitely possible to be highly functional in some ways and completely dysfunctional in others when you have a mental illness. E.g. have a successful career while having a disastrous personal life.
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If Matthew Newton has a personality disorder as well as manic depression – and his answer to what he has been diagnosed with suggests that he might, even though he didn’t say it outright – then his inability to empathise, feel remorse for his victims, is probably part of that disorder. No amount of outrage will make him realise that, because he is wired differently to most people. I went out with someone who has borderline personality disorder and my psychologist essentially told me that it can’t be fixed, it is how he sees and experiences the world, and won’t change no matter what. (I know there is some treatment, but my shrink emphasised that a personality disorder is different, fundamentally, to mental illness, and that the treatments only go so far in ‘fixing’ it). My former partner wouldn’t accept that diagnosis, which is also perhaps the case with MN, which would explain why he fudged the ”personality traits” bit but was more comfortable characterising his main issue as manic depression. Now this could be wild speculation, and probably inappropriate for someone who doesn’t know his actual diagnosis. But it’s worth considering because if there is a personality disorder element to his condition – narcisstic or borderline perhaps – then it is NOT a case of saying he just doesn’t get it. He will never get it. Which is not to excuse the domestic violence in any shape or form, just to help us understand why he couldn’t give the genuine apology viewers expected. I am no longer with the boyfriend with BPD. Getting out of that relationship was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, and my heart breaks every time I think of him, because essentially, I think, he can’t be helped. Likewise – and shoot me down – I feel very,very sorry for Matthew Newton. And yes, for Rachel and Brooke, Bert and Patti, and everyone in his orbit.
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You are spot on!
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I agree with much of what you have said. In addition, I think with such disorders such as narcisstic personality disorder, as the person does not have capacity for empathy, it is up to people around him/her to not allow the victim card to be played or attention for inappropriate behaiour to be given. Basically it is up to others to repeatedly hold that person to account for his or her behaviour. It is only when others do not feed the behaviour (intentionally or not) that the person may start to think about doing things differently, to get their needs met in more appropriate ways.
As Meshel points out, he doesn’t get it – the significant and life changing impact that he has had on other people, and he isn’t even at the point where he can verbalise some intellectual understanding of it….long way to go in terms of treatment!
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Agree wholeheartedly with all three of the above posts … Lu, Anita and a different view.
One of the reasons people with personality disorders don’t admit to having them is the vilification they receive by a public who are afraid of or disgusted by the sufferer’s inability to show empathy for others … it is hard for the public to understand MN’s cold fish behaviour and blame of his partners and, sadly, much easier to judge and vilify. It requires a mental leap to see that people with personality disorders don’t behave badly because they are bad, evil wife-bashers. They have a disorder that affects personality, their brains do not connect to the areas responsible for empathy (amongst other things) and thus, their behaviour is affected as a consequence. It doesn’t mean he is right to be violent towards others, it just means that he is incapable of knowing any differently.
Agree Lu, he has a long way to go in terms of treatment.
Isn’t the whole idea of putting these articles up that people learn about mental illness before making uninformed opinions and judgements? Hasn’t been a roaring success today sadly.
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Ok, just to clarify that was not me, sounds far too smart for a comment from me! It looks like there is a new Lu in town!
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If Mattthew Newton and Kyle Sandilands were never heard from OR seen again, I’d be a very happy man……..
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Love your work Meshel. At the end of they MN is an actor, quite a good one, & I felt I was watching a performance. What left me feeling sick was that he implied Rachel was partly to blame for being brutally beaten because “there were 2 people in the relationship” ahhhh no. He also was really animated discussing his own injuries but I’m more interested in the injuries he inflicted on others.
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My partner, a beautiful man, suffers from schizophrenia with some bipolar thrown into the mix. I have witnessed him have acute psychotic episodes many times. I’m very sensitive and aware of all the mental health issues. The good news is he has been well now for some time and continues to get better. He would never be violent towards me psychotic or not.
Someone very wise told me once to try and separate the illness from the person. One way I interpret that: you can still be a violent scumbag and have a mental illness. This is the category I put MN in.
To shed light on mental illness by talking about it on television (although I question the choice of program) is commendable. But the lack of true remorse towards the victims and his own victim status… What are his true motivations for doing the interview? Do not like!
Also! This is more media coverage of mental ilness linked to violence, when the stats show a different story which someone else mentioned above.
I think the discussion on this and the article by Dee on Schizophrenia are a great move forward though. Thanks Mamamia.
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“Also! This is more media coverage of mental ilness linked to violence, when the stats show a different story which someone else mentioned above.”
Great point. People with mental illnesses are only very slightly more likely, as a group, to be more violent than the average person. There’s no causal relationship between bipolar disorder/obsessive compulsive traits and violence, and certainly not *selective* violence (i.e. exclusively towards weaker people). Where impulse control is an issue, it’s more likely to manifest in self destructive, risky behaviour such as punching other guys ….. Domestic violence is about something else altogether – as someone said above, men who perpetrate it don’t do so because of mental illness.
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I just want to say first that I’m really disappointed that the discussion this morning is about Matthew Newton and NOT about how Julia Morris and Jessinta Campbell were FANTASTIC FEMALE ROLE MODELS on Celebrity Apprentice.
Anyway, the cynical me says Matthew Newton had a drug problem, I’ve seen how a coke problem can make people behave and I think Matthew Newton has and still is displaying all of those traits, I think he lied his way through the interview – he is incrediby self focused – perhaps he does have a mental illness (now) as a result of drug abuse?
Personally I think it would have been smarter to do a ‘Ben Cousins’ and fess up to a drug problem rather than take the ‘poor me’ route.
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One thing I always appreciated about Ben Cousins is that, despite all his addictions etc, he didn’t (AFAIK) hurt anyone except himself.
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Having known a drug addict or two, I agree with you & thought the exact same thing about the possibility of him being a Cocaine fiend, on top of whatever else he claims to be suffering from.
Also, did anyone else notice his huge stash bag of varying meds….Im sure if you were on multiple medications this is NOT the way to store/keep track of them? Even if he was bipolar I’m sure he wouldn’t be on that many (as in a big bag full) medications?
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i got bored watching the show last night and turned it off. i was bored listening to people rabbit on about it on the radio this morning. the one thing that i have gotten from this story though is that he feels so sorry about himself and not an iota about those he has hurt (correct me if i’m wrong). this reminds me of the time my father beat up my mother and ended up in court with ‘all those criminal losers’ – guess what, my father didn’t realise it, but he was one of those ‘criminal losers too’. is that what matthew newton is too but perhaps not accepting of it?
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I know next to nothing about psychiatric disorders but agree with Meshel that I was hoping for an apology to Brooke and Rachel. Alcoholics/Drug addicts follow a path to recovery that includes admitting their wrongs and apolgising to those they have harmed, I wonder where the difference is?
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wanted to stand and applaud Meshel, perhaps you could do some coaching with Tracy about genuine investigative questions.
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There are lots of people who have a mental illness who do not beat up on their partners. No one likes a wife beater, esp one who boo hoo’s about they themselves being the victim. whether he be rich, famous, drunk or depressed, I have no time for him or his excuses. And shame on those family and friends who knew and did nothing. My heart goes to his women who have endured his violence, including those women who have not gone public.
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Anyone who has a male partner who has a ‘similar’ mental illness to Matthew Newton’s or knows of another couple with a male partner would have nothing but empathy for Matthew Newton. To be perfectly frank – one day he would feel like killing himself for what he has done and being awfully sorry and apologetic, and the next day he would feel invincible, frustrated and on top of the world. Whilst there is no excuse for domestic voilence, there is no need to expect things from someone with a severe mental illness that to them are not necessarily right, plausible, acceptable or something they think or feel. It takes people with REAL experiences to walk and talk in this arena and I for one think people who are NOT experienced psychiatrists or pyschologists should decline from commenting.
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I am someone with a male partner who suffers from severe episodes of mental illness and I’m finding it hard to garner empathy for MN for the violence bit of this equation. To qualify, my view is greatly informed by the way he conducted himself and his lack of compassion on heartfelt apology to the women.
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Matthew Newton was able to afford really good ongoing psychiatric help and legal help. It is a vastly different situation for most Australians with a mental illness trying to negotiate the public health system. If he had been sectioned in the local public psychiatric hospital, I would have been interested in hearing what he had to say. I, too, am sick of Public figures, actors and politicians using mental illness as an excuse for appalling behaviour,it makes it so difficult for everyone else and leads to people like myself being asked whether family members with depression are violent. Of course not!! I would be happy to watch Matthew Newton, bipolar sufferer in a movie or TV program, Matthew Newton beater of women: NEVER.
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I agree, I found myself during the interview adding up the cost of staying in a private clinic for that long and thought of how privileged he was, it would have cost a fortune
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I’m a bit torn about this (although, not torn enough to be remotely interested in watching it). I have to concede the interview might have raised awareness of mental health issues, and it *might* have provided an insight into what sufferers and their families go through. But. You’d have to say its a fairly narrow insight (in that it is one individual who has more resources than are usually available). More importantly, it certainly sounds like there’s some narcissistic tendencies there. Is it in anyone’s interests – least of all the people who have been close to him – to feed that by indulging it on national television?
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What really bothered me was when asked about Rachel he said “it takes two”…as if she somehow deserved what happened to her through an implied provocation. I deeply empathise that he may be battling with mental illness but I don’t think he did himself any favours in the public eye. He certainly does not owe the public an apology but he definitely should have shown far more remorse towards the beautiful women who loved him who suffered because of his actions. He wants to believe he is somehow not responsible for his behaviour. Wake up buddy – I know people with a lot worse problems than you (including mental health issues, schizophrenia and bipolar) and they don’t behave like a monster.
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Well said Dawn. My husband has bi polar and in the 11 years we have been together he has never shown any violent behaviour towards our family. I know everyone suffers differently but not all people with mental illness are angry hotheads and i hope his interview does not attach more stigma to this misunderstood disorder.
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Yes. Warning bells should go off any time an abuser or someone supportive of the abuser (try MIL, in my case) says to you, “It takes two..” in response to you informing them there is a SERIOUS problem.
MN wasn’t being interviewed about Rachel Taylor’s actions or motivations. He could only comment on his own.
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My own experience confirms that violent behaviour is not linked to mental illness. Violent behaviour when expressed against women is usually the expression of a person who still expresses his anger as a child..by tantrums….and only against those whom he can bully and can get away with it. Usually that person has a more complex view of women ( some can be misogynist, some have had a dominant mother etc etc) that enables them to express the violence and then to assuage thieir guilt later. They often avoid the guilt by saying that the woman provoked it.( ” it takes two”).It is too too easy for matthew to hide behind the mental illness/ depression excuse…when really something different altogether. Why do we have to look for excuses for him ?Why not wonder whether it is as simple as the fact that he was spoilt as a child and reacts with a tantrum when his ego is ( in his mind ) bruised ?? I have been on the receiving end of the hitting and have had plenty of time to understand the underlying behaviour.
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The comment that bothered me the most was when Tracey asked him about the violence and he said something along the lines of “there are two people in a relationship and no one but those two know how the relationship work”, to me it sounded very clear that he was putting some of the blame for the beatings back on to the woman oops, women. Illness or not, it did not sound sincere and I shudder to think of the next headlines that we may here about him. I do hope that he finds the help he needs, but i fear that these occasions that we know about weren’t the first or last.
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For me, it depends what Matthew Newton is after. If he is simply explaining himself then will be never heard of again, then his performance was fine.
If he is planning to return to an active acting career, then he can’t say “My mental health is public, but those incidents where I beat the shit out of my girlfriends are private”. You are either completely honest, or you are being duplicitous. They are directly connected (if his mental issues are genuine).
In this light, his performance sounds unconvincing and self serving. But we all know how this script goes right? Man beats/rapes/wrongs women. Is exposed. Disapears. Returns with a mental health excuse. Is redeemed via soft interviews just prior to his ‘comeback’ performance.
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That’s how I feel about the question “does he owe the public an apology?” Well, that depends on what he wants from said public.
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I guarantee you that he did the interview because he wants to return to acting.
Unlike other high profile fuck ups e.g Mel Gibson or Charlie Sheen. Matthew has neither money nor popularity to kick start his career again.
He’s dead in the water.
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Oh I do so hope you are right.
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I refused to watch this interview, and have avoided any program with MN for a long time now. But, having read some of the comments, I would like to add this: I have a friend who was beaten by her ex-partner who always had myriad of reasons why it was never really his fault – it took us a long time to make her realise that the only person with whom he was unable to control himself was her.
Someone below wrote that perhaps the reason why MN abused the women who loved him and not other people in his lfe was that those women were closest to him and therefore he felt more exposed to them. I do not agree with this, as I found that the choice of victim by the man I knew – his beautiful partner – was just an extension of his manipulative nature, after all, who wants to forgive you more than the person who loves you and is committed to you.
Men who abuse the women who love them are manipulative and cruel and the fact that MN blames his illness instead taking responsibility for his actions is an insult to every person out there with a similar condition who has not repeatedly used violence to harm others.
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I agree. Here’s another thing. When people do something extraordinarily good do they get the excuse that they do such things because they have a mental illness? Of course not – their actions are their own decision. So why do people who do awful things to others get the option of blaming their actions on mental illness? If its very good, you’re just very good, if it’s very bad, you’re suffering from mental illness. See the problem?
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