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
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spot on Meshel, well said
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I agree. I felt exactly the same way. I have plenty of sympathy for anyone suffering any kind of depression and OCD however, I think I wanted to see some kind of acknowledgement about what those women were subjected to. It was like he was in denial. Maybe he still is.
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I haven’t watched the interview and I don’t intend to.
I have a pretty low threshold for celebrity meltdowns and confessions.
I can’t seem to stop wondering how the family, friends and victims of the celebrity perpetrator cope with it. It doesn’t seem fair, and it doesn’t seem authentic, particularly given the style of program that ACA is.
I’m sure Tracy was very professional, but I’d be far more inclined to watch an interview discussing the mental health battle of a non-celeb on a non-tabloid program.
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Unlike the vast majority of respondents to this article, I’m a male. I also happen to suffer from very similar diagnoses to Matthew, although the innate variability of mental illness makes it difficult to say it’s ‘the same thing’ precisely. I too have a history of drug and alcohol abuse and spent years incorrectly diagnosed, self medicating and destroying my own life. I feel that I am in a pretty good position to understand where he’s coming from. That said; there is no justification EVER for domestic violence and scumbags like him should be in jail, not on TV. It’s about time the courts caught up with community sentiment and started to treat crimes like rape and domestic violence, where it’s not just a question of violence but terror and abuse of power being perpetrated, as the far more serious crimes they really are.
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Fuck yeah.
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Well said blokes.
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Very well said a Bloke. I agree whole heatedly.
Why is it always the case in Australia that perpetrators of abuse are given a public platform to ‘explain’ their actions?This interview was nothing more than a self serving statement, poorly disguised as a journalistic foray into a public figures fall from grace. The only person who benefits from the MN interview is MN – except perhaps Bert and Patty who will no doubt do a future interview with ACA about their struggle to try and help MN. I’m sorry if I sound cynical, but I find it difficult to understand why ACA ever thought such a shallow and superficial ‘interview’ was worthy of televising. I find it insulting not only to victims of domestic violence but also to those that suffer from mental illness. To be lumped in with MN, who in addition to having a mental illness is also a perpetrator of DV, seems horribly unfair. Violence is never an excuse. To suggest his mental illness is the cause of his repeated violent assaults on his partners is not only grossly inaccurate but also a total cop out. He should be in jail. There is no excuse for his behaviour.
I hope one day MN acquires some insight into his behaviour and accepts responsibility for his actions. Unfortunately, whilst the media keeps giving him a platform to proffer excuses, I think this is unlikely.
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Thank you A Bloke. I sooo appreciate your comment. It would fit with those I’ve worked with over the past 20 years who have similar diagnoses and never, ever used this as a ‘reason’ for using ‘power over’. Lashing out? Fear? losing control? very different things. But the ‘power’ over aspect of assaulting a partner… that’s something very different….
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I tweeted last night it is important to try and understand these things. Understanding is not excusing. I do, however, feel uncomfortable with how little we know about anyone’s individual experience with mental illness.
Violence against anyone is abominable. But what does it serve us now to dance on the figurative grave of someone who has *truly* f$cked up? Maybe he truly wanted to try and shed some light (not particularly well, mind) on what happened. Maybe it was a cynical ploy to get back into the scene and some semblance of forgiveness, but who really knows except Matt?
I do know, however, what someone living with bipolar acts like. I lived with a man once. His manic cycles were filled with charisma and charm and the most brilliant fun. His ‘down’ periods were downright scary.
How much of that was *his* fault? How much was it the fault of the curious way the illness interacted with the brain he was born with?
It worries me to be too absolute with these types of debates.
EDIT: I realise this is the comment equivalent of the number ‘zero’ which I guess goes some way to fairly illustrating the complexity of it.
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Well said Rick. Perhaps MN would have fared better if he had Dee Madigan as his sister to speak for him. The contrast between Dee’s post yesterday and the comments today is a glaring statement that mental illness is absolutely and utterly not understood by many.
Yes, family and friends need to be protected from violence and, yes, mentally ill people have many lovely qualities that make them worth loving. It is a hard, hard road to travel and people make their choices whether its safe to travel that road or not. But, judgement leads nowhere. Getting the knowledge to understand the complexities of mental illness is sometimes harder than making judgements but judgement sells everyone too short.
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Reminded me very much of the Wayne Carey interview – there was a silent “but ” at the end of every sentence…
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This is totally off topic and I apologise, but Meshel I miss you in the morning on my radio!! Nobody makes me laugh on the way to work anymore. And I always seem to miss big chunks of the afternoon show because I’m usually working.
Come baaack to the morning!
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I feel your pain! Meshel lit up my morning commute. Camilla just can’t cut it…
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His unwillingness to confront the domestic violence aspect of his “journey” is a huge *red flag*…. Future girlfriends / wives beware.
This story is very similar to New Zealand media “personality” Tony Veitch, who broke his girlfriend’s back (leaving her in a wheelchair for months). Veitch pressured her into lying to police, wrote her a large cheque, then spun a story around himself when it all came out. He manipulated NZ’s ‘masses’ into thinking he was the victim of an annoying girlfriend and his bipolar / emotional problems.
The ‘I’m just a tortured guy’ act was a large part of his “rehabilitation”, doing a press conference with his new beautiful wife at his side, downplaying what he did and when he realised he may not get his tv job back, strategically went “missing” a few times – garnering concern and sympathy…
Tony Veitch is now back with his own well paid show on Radio Sport, having matey breakfast interviews with our Prime Minister (sending a very twisted message to the men of NZ.) … His partner left the country and his wife is no longer his wife.
Mental illness or no mental illness, they’re both women abusers who will do it again if their “public” won’t hold them accountable.
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That is appalling!! Where is the accountability??! That sends a terrible message. That poor woman. Tell me there aren’t any other talented broadcasters (that haven’t bashed their partners) that could broadcast the sport.
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Again, Meshel, you’ve nailed it! Keep up the good work, you wise one!!!
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When I was with my ex, who has bi-polar and is violent, along with being addicted to drugs, alcohol and gambling, I found him to be incapable of taking responsibility for his actions or saying sorry, except when he was saying it to manipulate me. He was narcissistic, and I believe this is a characteristic of bi-polar disorder
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I agree Natalie, my bipolar friend is extremely narcissistic. She will often ring people any time of the day or night to talk through her self inflicted dramas with absolutely no regard for what that person may be going through or be living with and rarely asks how anyone else is. Apart from drugs and alcohol she is addicted to shopping and always buys things she cant afford and then tries sob stories to shop keepers, friends, family to avoid having to pay for them or to get a refund.
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Drugs , alcohol and no support are a lethal combination for people with bi polar. It does not get better without the proper help.
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But it is really frustrating when they treat their stay in hospital as a bit of a holiday camp and throw the drugs away upon returning home only to go back to the old behaviour.
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It’s important to make a distinction between personality traits such as narcissism and a mood disorder such as bipolar. While the severity of bipolar episodes can exaggerate existing personality features, nowhere in the current psychiatric diagnostic manual (DSM-IV) does it state that narcissism is a characteristic of bipolar. I have suffered for many years with bipolar disorder and it’s difficult to see some of the themes emerging from the comments on this post – some of us with bipolar are genuinely lovely, giving, caring, kind individuals who would never dream of hurting anyone else, and just try to manage our illness the best way we can
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Agree. Narcissistic personality traits are not part of the bipolar disorders.
Most people will own up to having bipolar disorders these days, although still somewhat reluctantly. Very few people with personality disorders will admit to it, even if they are aware that they have it. It has a strong antisocial element, with poor future prospects and not much in the way of treatment available.
MT practically swallowed his words when he admitted to the second part of his diagnosis … very typical behaviour of people diagnosed with personality disorders. The two disorders should definitely not be confused, that is, personality disorder and bipolar disorder.
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So well said! I find it interesting that since mental illness has become more talked about and there is now more public awareness that people think they know more about mental illness than they actually do. For instance I notice people throw around the label bi polar when describing someone, like they are diagnosing them when really they wouldn’t have the faintest idea! Mental illnesses are so varied and complex how would an everyday untrained person have any idea when often even the general practitioner misses these things.
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People with mental illness has a chemical imbalance which results in actions they cannot control- it’s like having cancer, you can’t help it if you have it. Only people who can relate or have someone close to them who have the same illness can understand. No one else will and it’s sad. People need to understand and give a chance. It’s not an excuse to harm people but as long as they get help
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I think he is vile and insincere.
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Interesting feedback, in my opinion Matthew Newton is a loser despite his mental illness. Most on here have said much the same…….but one of the first articles I read on this site was one about the guy who murdered his sister (a mother of very young children) and his father, as a result of mental illness?? I was shot down over and over for having the opinion he should never be released, that he would always be a threat and would anyone want to run the risk that this man would have a bad day…wouldn’t want my kids anywhere near him..etc. The do gooders were all for a second chance and he didn’t mean it, “it was the illness” blah blah…..seems they’re not as forgiving of Matt Newton and nor should they.
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ACA has yet to deny that they paid him for the interview. So he now also profits from violence against women?! I don’t have the words to express how wrong this is.
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I just want to know about the link between mental illness and domestic violence. Is there one at all?
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Maybe poor impulse control, which is an unfortunate characteristic of some mental illnesses.
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It is absolutely typical for a perpetrator of domestic violence to not own up to the violence and psychological abuse but instead deflect blame every which way. And this plea for sympathy is another way that perpetrators get their victims to remain with them. That and fear at what they might do if they leave.
I am not commenting on the particular case here but the blame shifting worries me in terms of how it is read by others – victims and perpetrators alike.
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People with diagnoses of mental illness are far more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators.
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Yes there is. Mental illness means they have a chemical imbalance. They lose control of their actions and emotions. That’s why they need medication. Someone close to me has this. Someone kind and loving. They are a different person without medication. They just all react differently
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Matthew Newton’s actions have disgusted me in the past and there is never, ever any excuse for physical violence.
However.
Newton’s candidness is brave and it is exactly what society needs to know about mental illness.
I am not sure that Meshel Laurie is being entirely fair IN REGARDS to Newton’s illness. It seems that she thinks he is trying to explain himself away, and I didnt get that all all from watching the interview. I saw a man who is battling deeply and is being honest and frank about how his condition has affected him.
IN NO WAY do I think that psychiatric illness is ever an excuse to hit anybody.
But if anyone can take anything from this, instead of thinking Newton is saying “wa wa wahhhh, feel sorry for me”…we can be aware of the kinds of symptoms that someone with a mental illness may demonstrate, and work to get them help much sooner than Newton did. Before it gets out of control.
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Regardless if he is mentally ill drugged/drunk – he is a sorry human being.
He beats women, apparently the ones he loves too.
I’ve judged. And he got paid. And ACA wanted the ratings.
I hate the Australian media. Soon we’ll be glorifying him like Chopper and the rest of those disgusting dumb wits out there. In the real world, no one gets a second chance and there are circumstances.
Here’s a thought Matthew. Don’t continue acting. Don’t be in the public limelight. Have some dignity and deal with your problems privately just like everyone else.
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At least Chopper Read saw gaol time.
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I found his comments interesting when I saw his show, would definitely be worth getting his opinion here!
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I didn’t watch the interview for personal reasons. My father beat my mother from when they married until she made the final break and left for good, about nine years later. I’ve never spoken to my father about it, as to be honest I don’t know whether he might take a swing at me. The only time domestic violence has come up with him was in relation to a sportsman and his partner having a very public fight, and the partner getting slapped (I’m not naming them again), my fathers reaction to the whole story was “it takes two to tango” which to me was another way of saying “she asked for it”. I’ve never wanted to hit anyone until that moment, and didn’t, because as an adult, I know where to draw a line. I didn’t even answer him in the end. Now to put my father in it even more, I know he beat my half brothers mother, then after my mum there was my step mum, step sister, and at least three other women I know of. He’s tried to say he has rages, related to dealing with sexual abuse by a priest as a child, and I understand that’s not an uncommon problem, along with addiction, but in the middle of one of his rages, beating mum, in front of my 153cm 40kg Gran, Gran picked up a dining chair and broke it over head. Instead of swinging around and probably killing her, in her own words, he picked her up as though she were a baby, gene as you could be. So he knew what he was doing.
Now all that’s off the Matt Newton topic, but I think if he couldn’t or wouldn’t say “it’s my fault” and “never hit anyone, let alone never hit a woman” then he’s got a very veryong way to go. I wonder if perpetrators of DV, of both genders, can ever really be rehabilitated? I hope I’m wrong.
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He actually said: “It’s intolerable to harm a woman, it’s intolerable to harm your friends, it’s intolerable to harm yourself and I’ve done all those things”. While he never specifically apologised for his actions, he is very aware that what he did was wrong, here he is, admitting that he has done these things and that they are, in his words, intolerable.
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Agree Monique that he said these things but his words lacked the emotion and empathy you normally expect in people who are sorry for what they have done. This is typical of a person with a diagnosis of personality disorder with narcissistic traits.
It is not that he isn’t sorry, more than he is not capable of empathy for the other person. He is just not capable of it which is sad for all concerned. His joy and pleasure in life is greatly diminished by it and it dramatically affects the people around him.
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I understand what you’re saying but I feel like people aren’t understanding of the fact that he is mentally ill. There was no emotion in any of his responses, almost certainly because the medication he is currently on would be numbing his emotions.
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I considered whether he may be emotionally blunted by medication. He was able to express emotions generally but not empathy for others. The lack of empathy is still part of a mental illness.
I have been assessing people with mental illnesses for a long time but that doesn’t mean I am right about MN. Just my opinion. I feel very sorry for anyone with any mental illness. The ongoing pain is very cruel to the sufferers.
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The medication he’s on would have a lot to do with that.
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Lack of empathy is one of the major symptoms of personality disorders o think he only expressed what he is capable of.
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I detest him.
I don’t want to see him on Australian screens.
I hesitated writing this, as I don’t want to show the media that there is any interest in him.
A well written article Meshel. I particularly liked your clear reading of his public relations strategy as being “he’s establishing his own victim status on prime time television”
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As someone who suffers with bipolar, I really thought two things about this interview. 1. I thought he educated people quite well as to the manic phases (minus the violence of course) however 2. I thought it was a massive cop out. He took no responsibility for his violence and made no apologies for it. It was all “I’m the victim” and it was quite disturbing really. Seems to me that the bipolar is the least of his issues and he actually has an Axis II diagnosis (under the DSMIV), being that of a personality disorder with narcissistic personality traits.
To be honest, I cannot stand him.
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Agree Angie about his manic depression being the least of his problems. His personality disorder with narcissistic personality traits came across very clearly in the interview, to me anyway. You have to really understand the behaviours associated with personality disorders not to come away feeling personally hurt, outraged and disgusted in the behaviour of people with this diagnosis. And sometimes, quite frequently really, people get physically hurt. I feel sorry for him, very sorry for him actually, but would steer clear of him unless I was prepared to invest a huge amount of energy into living through his personality disorder with him and being drained of life myself.
Having said all the above, treatment and management of personality disorders is evolving, like everything else, so I hope, for his sake, he is able to be helped to be less of “me, me, me”.
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Angie, I think you’ve nailed it
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fact: people with mental illness are no more likely than the general population to commit violence against others but are more likely to self harm. to blame your own violence on mental illness is a cop out which stigmatises the rest who aren’t violent.
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Amen.
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That’s completely inaccurate stephenie. While we do tend to self harm to say no one is violent means you know exactly every personality trait and disorder. Violence is never acceptable and saying he has a mental illness is a reason for his actions isn’t right either but explaining why it happened should be taken into consideration. A person who can be completely happy and nice can have a dark side especially if they have a mental illness of some sort.
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I have a friend who is bipolar and her symptoms of self destruction are similar. She has destroyed not only her life but her families and her childrens with her actions, much like Matthew spoke about.
She gets better for a few months and then goes off her medication because she feels ‘better’ and it all slowly all starts to go down hill until she hits rock bottom again by doing something really stupid. The lies and cover-ups are spectacular and its extremely exhausting to maintain the friendship because its very much focussed on her and her lack of desire to take responsibility for her actions. She has a spin for everything, she can explain her way out of a paper bag. She wont admit she has been a terrible mother and has done some shocking things with her children, much like Matthew wouldnt talk about the domestic violence. Even though the friendship has long run its course, I stay friends with her so I can keep an eye on her kids.
Part of me wants to feel sorry for them, but then I also know some other people who battle mental illness who dont blame it for any bad behaviour.
I think, much like my friend, he is a spoilt brat who just happens to be unwell at the same time.
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Matthew Newton beats women.
However he tries to spin it that is who he is.
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didn’t watch it, can’t talk about what was said obviously, but the first thing I thought of when I heard he was doing the interview was – he must have some project being released soon and he is trying to get some positive PR. Why now?
I feel terribly for his family and more importantly the 2 (or maybe more) women he abused, but he always seems to go on about himself and try to deflect responsibility i.e. ‘that’s not who I am’, ah, yes it is. You are a man who hits women. I think he is a weasel.
I am terribly sorry if I offend anyone, but he offends me.
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Oh yeah, Meshel,
“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.”
Perfect, loved it, well written.
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I think his responses were easily scripted or contrived, but my reasons are complex. My partner and i have been seeing a counsellor about his tendancies to be deceptive to me. The counsellor more or less put him in his place quickly about his use of ‘hurt, pain, love, devastated’ (like M Newton used them).
They are just words that a person in denial or protecting themself will use to try to diffuse the question and try to get empathy.
It would have been entirely different if he had specifically said that what he did was abuse, wasnt acceptable etc – but he didnt. He didnt even come close. It seemed that he was more remorseful about the damage it did to his public profile and career than his actual regard for the true hurt he caused Brooke and Rachel. In the process I feel he has also pegged mental illness as the cause, which gives mental illness a whole extra (incorrect) stigma.
Maybe i have a tainted perception, but it wreaks of an attempt to ressurect his public persona, not an attempt to address the violence he inflicted on others.
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I’m sick of a-holes like him making even a TINY like between mental illness and domestic violence!! THE TWO ARE VERY DOFFERENT ISSUE- and it plants a seed of thought in people minds that mental illness may result in domestic violence- thereby further adding stigma to an already difficult issue.
There is never an excuse for domestic violence- and unless you are having ancACUTELY PSYCHOTIC EPISODE- then mental illness or not- you are in COMPLETE control of your actions.
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I’m with you Meshel. Why does Matthew Newton’s mental illness make him hit the women he loves? Never (as far as we know) the men or his colleagues. I can understand that mental illness makes people violent and abusive and they can’t help it, but why so selectively?
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Bingo.
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Not an expert on MN but I would say that the women he loves are the ones who get closest to him … they are more in the firing line than other people, although he said in the interview that he had hit out at men and other friends.
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Great question Kate, I have asked myself the same one many times as several years ago my best friend had a boyfriend with bi-polar and he was only ever violent towards women – mother, sister, girlfriend, and even myself a couple of times. It was frightening.
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Because if you understand anything about the complexities of varying mental illnesses – bipolar, narcissistic, borderline personality disorders – you will understand that the person is possibly jealous, frightened that their partner is going to leave them and this in turn turns to psychosis/fear and then rage… it is all very irrational and to the normal person doesn’t make sense – but to them it is very real and it is how they feel.
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I think ACA is usually crap but Tracy Grimshaw is a class act. She handled this extraordinarily tricky interview with warmth and understanding without letting him off the tough questions. Agreed he didn’t seem to accept full responsibility or show remorse for what he did to Brooke and Rachel, but as I am not an expert in mental illness I don’t think I can judge him on that. Perhaps part of his illness (and he did talk about other disorders, suggesting perhaps a personality disorder, as well as manic depression) is an inability to see things from another’s perspective.Either way, it seemed pretty clear that he is quite disturbed, and that he is getting treatment for it. Which is good.Hopefully he will apologise to those girls in person, something we might never hear about. That he spoke publicly about his problems can only help broaden the public’s understanding of mental illness. That he also wanted to fix his public profile is obvious, but not a hanging offence.
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My ex has bipolar, and while he was never violent, being self-obsessed, wanting the focus on him all the time, and an inability to admit fault, is in keeping with my experience of him and that disease. The ‘me, me, me’ people are referring to in the interview is very familiar to me. The number of times I heard “But it’s not my fault…”. Its not uncommon for people with bipolar to be misdiagnosed as narcissists and vice versa. I also felt that in treatment, my ex was encouraged to think of himself as a patient and a victim, and that everyone around him (including his parents, and me) would have to change to suit him (which for a time I did, and they still do). There was not a lot of emphasis on him taking any responsibility for himself or his actions (actions which included criminal theft charges, sexual harrassment claims at work etc…all of which he successfully defended because of his bipolar diagnosis).
Of course there are exceptions to this rule, and I don’t think this excuses Matthew one bit, but it’s so reminiscent of that for me that I don’t ever expect to hear the words that Meshel is waiting for.
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My brother has mental illness and while I make many allowances for it, he also knows right from wrong. Often when he does wrong things he uses his mental illness as an excuse. I’m over it. Even his psychiatrist said that while medicated, he wasn’t showing signs of his illness, that the things he was doing was pure and simple bad behaviour. Not sure how much of Matthews illness can be attributed to his domestic violence either?
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Here is someone exposing himself to the public – again, and trying to explain his actions without saying sorry. He most likely would have been instructed by his lawyer not to apologise as he got off on the Brooke Satchwell case and it could reopen the entire thing if he admits he was at fault. I am not making excuses for him but he will never redeem himself publicly and be accepted back into society fully as there is too much stigma (unfortunately) attached to people who have a mental illness, let alone those who can also be violent. We don’t need to criticise him or argue the toss over this interview as every day living with bipolar and manic depression will be a struggle for him – it doesn’t go away.
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I couldn’t even bring myself to watch yet another celebrity appear on television in “an emotional interview” more concerned about their own image than truly making amends. He’s never taken responsibility for his actions and, to be perfectly honest, even if he’d done so last night (which apparently he didn’t) it would have been difficult to not be cynical about it. Particularly as it wasn’t an isolated incident. If he truly is sorry and is truly looking to make amends and make himself a better person then the first step is to take responsibility.
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Interesting that on the ACA site, the poll asking viewers whether they want to see Newton in another high-profile acting role says 100% no at the moment. Perhaps that has something to do with why he’s done the interview, even though it seems very ill-advised.
P.S. the polls are a little less stark now.
But I’d just like to note that, in legal terms, mental illness itself isn’t regarded as an excuse for any criminal behaviour. Defendants have to be judged fit to stand trial (depending on their ability to follow proceedings and understand what’s going on) and are then separately judged on whether they have a defense to the charge as their illness made them not responsible.
So, even if you accept a role of mental illness in making someone violent, they may still be held responsible for that behaviour by the community (i.e. the legal system).
So, yes, I think Matthew Newton may well owe the community an apology. He is not able to be tried for his assault on his girlfriend in Italy under Australian law. But if someone was tried and was found guilty of that, it would be an offence against society, not just against the girlfriend as an individual. And for that he would need to make amends. If he felt no need to apologise, I would regard that as not taking responsibility for his actions.
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My ex fiancé belted me. Often. Plus his ex before me, and I hear the two girls after me.
I don’t care if he has a mental illness, because during the six years since we broke up (after he put me in hospital) I have had mental issues, trust issues, health problems, an awful recovery from a broken face.
Mental illness is not an excuse for hitting someone. Matthew Newton sitting there saying ‘It’s not my fault, I’m sick!’ is a fucking cop out.
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Couldnt agree more!
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Could you put a phone number for domestic violence help line at the end of this article? I think this story has stirred up much for people whose lives have been affected in some way by domestic violence.
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I still haven’t watched the interview…not sure I will…
As I mentioned on the other post, I’m uncomfortable about anyone being interviewed about mental health issues on a show that is primarily about providing entertainment…if the interview was about “mental health” then I’d probably think differently…but all the promos I saw emphasised the “celebrity confesses” angle rather than the “mental health is an issue that needs to be brought into the open” angle…
So, those who watched it, which type of interview was it…if it’s the former, I still don’t want to watch it…
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I agree with you JJ. I didn’t watch it either party because I can’t stand him anyway and party because, like you said, ACA did it for entertainment value I’m sure. Good on you Tracey, for trying to get an apology out of him. Why didn’t he do it? Surely this would help his healing process?
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You know, I’m not even OK with expecting anyone to apologise for something like this on national television…in private, sure…but not in front of the whole world…if that’s what Tracey asked, well shame on her…that’s a question you ask to simply add controversy to an interview…
Instead of asking “Would you apologise for what you have done here on national TV?”
Why not ask “Have you had the chance to apologise for your behaviour? If not, do you plan to?”
How did Tracey ask the question?
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She asked him if he had spoken to Brooke since the case against him was dropped, he said no. He was then asked “what would you say to Brooke if she was here right now?” He had the class to not say anything, saying it would be personal!
He doesn’t need to apologise on national television. He owes us, the public, nothing!
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I’m sorry Mia (from your comment below), but asking “what would you say to Brooke if she was here right now?” is not an example of a “masterful interviewer”.
That’s not exploring the issues of domestic violence and mental health…that is “interview as melodrama”.
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Completely agree! I felt her questions were awkward.
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Completely agree with you. I was actually incredibly appalled at Tracy Spicer’s final comments after the interview. Not only was she presumptuous in saying “We know this story has polarised you” (a statement which also goes a long way in perpetuating the stigmatised notion that mental illness should be accompanied by fear and moral judgement), but she also stated: “No matter what your personal view of Matthew may be, WE are satisfied that his psychiatric problems ARE real”.
As an individual who has been both a recipient of mental health treatment, as well as a student currently training to be a psychologist, I could not describe the rage that this statement filled me with. Since when did mental illness become a certifiable commodity which the MEDIA, of all people, were qualified to diagnose? Matthew Newton was sectioned and forced into treatment against his will, spent 7 months in an in-patient facility, and has been treated for innumerable self-inflicted wounds… and Tracy Spicer has the audacity to say that SHE is confident that the man is mentally ill? Because her opinion of whether or not the problem is indeed real is a necessary factor in determining the *actual* reality of the situation…
In saying something like that, I hate to think of how many individuals who are in serious need of treatment WON’T come forward out of fear that others won’t believe them. That others will have to be satisfactorily convinced that they are actually experiencing distress. It shows that others will judge your words, first and foremost, as lies that YOU need to prove. I’m failing to see how encouraging such beliefs will achieve anything even remotely productive at either a personal or societal level…
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Tracey Grimshaw, of course…
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This is an excellent article Meshel and I agree with you whole-heartedly.
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Matthew Newton owes the Australian public nothing. He does owe his family and especially the two women he assaulted a massive apology (to say the least) but not on national television.
Not sure what would have motivated him to do the interview but I don’t think he has to answer to anyone but the women involved, his family and himself.
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Then don’t do the interview.
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It is true that late diagnosis is damaging. I was diagnosed at the same age as Matthew and the period before is years of trauma.
That being said, I have never assaulted anyone. Where does the line between illness and criminality lie? I know mania is destructive but I do not want people to think those with bipolar are all violent. This is not the case.
I also agree with his Mum – what is he doing on TV? He is clearly too vulnerable.
Great post btw.
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Excellent point about linking violence and mental illness! There are so many factors that lead to someone being violent – even when mental illness is removed – and therefore completely unfair of society to say someone is “dangerous” because they suffer from mental illness.
I like how Meshel has mentioned that Matthew hasn’t publicly accepted blame for the damage he caused. Hopefully he has admitted it personally though, because as adults trying to lay blame of our various actions on external circumstances, past or present – especially repeat offenses – will not help the individual nor those around them.
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I think the general view that he has to answer to the public and that he was “acting” is an unfortunate one. I think mental illness is nowhere near understood in the way it should be, so maybe there needs to be more educating people about it.
Of course, I don’t condone his actions which he says we’re due to his illness but let’s try and understand what he was and is going through.
I had PND with both my young children and an at high risk of getting it again after this pregnancy (#3). When I told people I had it, most ran a mile or those that did support me, left after they thought I was better.
Definately more education is needed in this area, mental illness.
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A appreciate what you’re saying Julie and agree to an extent. However it’s hard to get past the impression that this individual is more concerned about being seen as contrite by the population than he is about actually being contrite to his two victims.
I agree we have troubles with perceptions of mental illness in this country bt saldy this sort of cynical, self-serving behaviour doesn’t help at all.
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I just can’t bring myself to feel any sort of sympathy for him. His family and his previous partners’, of course, but for him? No.
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Matthew Newton is an actor. Making gripping television is his job.
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My sentiments exactly.
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I think, in time, he may be in a position to offer up his opinions on domestic violence and the impact of his behaviour on his victims.
Being publicly interviewed about something as intensely private as your mental health would be terrifying. I can’t blame him for not laying his soul completely bare. For now, at least, I think he needs to concentrate on dealing with his mental illness.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that he needs to get his own house in order first.
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“Being publicly interviewed about something as intensely private as your mental health would be terrifying.”
He didn’t have to do it – so if he wasn’t prepared to be completely open, he shouldn’t have done it.
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No one forced him to do the interview though. He accepted knowing full well what he was going to be asked. Why did he agree if he wasn’t ready to speak about it?
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Who cares all right!!! Can we please move on from Matthew Newton. I laughed when there was an assumption that every one would be rushing home to watch the Matthew Newton interview. I couldn’t stand watching a Tracey Grimshaw interview.
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I know! They were trying to build it up into something ground breaking and unmissable- which it was NOT. Boringggg.
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Great article on a lost opportunity.
However, you wrote “metal” when it should have been “mettle.”
“testing one’s mettle,” etc.
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Go team.. I was just trying to decide whether I wanted to be picky or not.
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I was disappointed in the interview because as Meshel said, it was all ‘me-me-me’ with no apology for the women he’s hurt along the way. I have no doubt that his management instructed him on what he should and shouldn’t say, but I was still annoyed with him. He definitely owes it to Brooke, Rachel and whoever else he’s hurt, to properly own up to what he’s done and make the changes necessary to never do it again.
Matthew Newton has a lot of resources available to him as a person suffering from mental illness, that the average sufferer, so while sympathetic to him, the interview didn’t change my opinion of him. I hope that he uses his position later on to help the mental illness cause because it really is such a serious issue which needs more support.
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There were parts of this interview that made me feel really uncomfortable. Like Meshel, I didn’t understand why he shirked a direct question about the circumstances of what happened and declined to address it.
I was even more uncomfortable when he said words to the effect of ‘there are always two people in a relationship and that affects what goes on in that relationship’. To me, that felt uncomfortably close to ‘she asked for it’.
I too wanted to hear an unconditional “There is never an excuse for hitting a woman and I am profoundly sorry and ashamed for doing it. More than once.”
Did we have the right to expect such sentiment? Well, why else agree to an interview? To redeem himself publicly and move forward with his life and work again and be accepted back into society and the public eye, he needed to explain and apologise. Did he do that completely? I’m not entirely sure.
And yet.
I admire that he talked about his illness which can’t have been easy or comfortable. I am glad he’s getting treatment and has the support of his family.
He certainly came across as a three dimensional person in that interview – unlike the two dimensional way the media so often portrays villains and heros.
The truth is that most people are neither.
There is no excuse for domestic violence. For assault. None.
And I wonder how people who share some of the conditions he admits to having, might feel about the lines between domestic violence and mental illness being in some way blurred by his actions and his explanations.
PS – Tracey Grimshaw is a masterful interviewer.
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Couldn’t agree more Mia, you have articulated it beautifully.
I also felt uncomfortable with the ‘well there are two people in a relationship’ line. It was as if he was saying, you guys weren’t there, you don’t know how far she pushed me.
Whilst he certainly doesn’t owe the public an apology, I really wanted him to say (and Tracey certainly gave him ample opportunity) ‘I did it and I am sorry and there is no excuse for it, I can try and explain and make people understand but that doesn’t excuse it’.
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There’s no excuse for violence, but a lot of these comments shows a lot of ignorance about mental illness and what it does to a normal human being.
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There is no excuse for violence BUT?!?!?!?!
It’s not ignorance about mental illness actually. It’s about not using it as an excuse to beat the crap out of people. Most people with a mental illness who had hurt someone they cared for deeply would be remorseful, one would think. This is not how MN came across in the interview. Like I said, he could have explained AND apologised for HIS actions.
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I completely agree Mia. What really got me, like you, is when he said “There are two people in a relationship, and that means there is two sides to a story”…I’m sorry, what?! The ‘story’ is that you were violent towards to two people who took you for what you were and accepted who you were and loved you for that. No story. No excuse. Ever. And for what it is worth, I do believe we needed to hear his apology. He is an actor and entertainer and to be successful in that field you need to have public engagement and for want of a better word, popularity.
This was his one and only chance and redeeming himself in the public eye and I’m sad to say he failed. Really disappointed considering, from what we heard, that he is doing all he can to make himself a better person.
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This is what I said about the interview on my blog
http://moniquefischle.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/why-i-didnt-like-the-matthew-newton-interview/
I do agree with basically everything that Meshel said. The exception being of course he needs to apologise to Brooke and Rachael and those he has hurt, but he doesn’t need to do that on television.
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I don’t think that Matthew Newton needed to apologise to his victims on air, I think that’s just the reality TV mindset we have that we need to be privy to all these confessions and apologies. He was on air to talk about himself and that is what he did
I would never ever condone domestic violence but I would also never underestimate the power of mental illness to completely wipe away the thoughts that that you are having at the time. I can understand how he can’t explain what went on in those hotel rooms because quite simply I don’t think he knows.
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Completely agree with you Lana – he didn’t need to apologise on air!
As I said in my post (the link above) I don’t condone domestic violence but I believe he is genuinely ill. If he was suffering from “rage blackouts” as I feel he was, he wouldn’t know what happened in the hotel rooms and really, why do we, the public, need to know about it?
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I don’t think Matthew Newton owes the public an apology, or that he should have made a public apology on air, but I do think he should of acknowledged it in some way. To me it felt like he was using his mental illness as an excuse when really there is no excuse for domestic violence. Like you said Lana I can understand how mental illness could blur things in such a way that it happens, but I think responsibility should be accepted. I would of liked to hear him answer some questions with a little more consideration for Brooke and Rachel, instead of focussing almost entirely on himself.
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After reading this I am starting to feel a lot better. I thought I was the only one who saw where Matthew was coming from. Manic episodes and self destructiveness are very dangerous. I have episodes like Matthew however I don’t get violent, I become psychologically manipulative and down right nasty. I know what I’m doing but I often struggle to control myself, thoughts are fast and unpredictable. After the episode it’s like a dream and I have often said I actually have no feelings about the event itself just that I have hurt someone I care about, this applies to my own suicide attempt. The people Matthew has hurt do need his apology and I dare say in his therapy sessions he would be working on that. I would also like to point out its not the psychiatrist who does the bulk of the ‘emotional’ healing or new ways of coping, it’s the psychologist who does this (which is why the recent cuts to better access will see many people who are in need without help). While Matthew appeard to be incontrol during the interview especially regarding particular events it’s important to remember behind closed doors that is very seldom the case.
For me this interview shed light on a very real issue one which we don’t talk about and I dare say it’s because of the backlash we often face.
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Relief to read Lana and Jodie’s comments. Thank you both. I know it’s really hard to understand mental illness…I also know it’s harder for the people who have it. I know it’s easy to ask why does his particular bipolar etc manifest in unacceptable violence when others with the illness aren’t similarly violent (although I am sure just as destructive)…but it’s not easy to understand. The illness itself is exactly why….it what makes one lose all ability to judge right from wrong at times….that’s why it’s a mental illness…it’s the cause of these behaviours. Does that make the behaviour OK? Absolutely not. Does it make it his fault? Only if you’re willing to say that other illnesses are the fault of the individuals who suffer them. I have nothing but compassion for all involved…especially the biggest sufferer of all: Matthew. I did see his shame …..believe me no-one feels it more than he does.
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Why couldn’t he have just said “I have addressed it with the people involved already but can’t go into details to protect them”.
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I agree Lana.The sad thing is that we as a society dont accept or understand enough about mental illness.When a mum with PND feels anger against her new born we dont condem her but try to help and understand her.Yet with some other types of mental illness we refuse to accept their inner turmoil and feeling of anger.So many hide their mental illness for fear of criticism and all this negativity to MN going public cant help.
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who cares?
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You do, sweetie, or you wouldn’t have read the article and left a comment.