With Bert Newton’s state funeral scheduled for this Friday 12th November, many people have been curious as to whether the late presenter’s son, Matthew Newton, will be attending the service.
WATCH: Pia Miranda and Matthew Newton in Looking For Alibrandi
News of Bert’s death broke on Saturday 30th October. The 83-year-old had been battling ill health for a while and recently had his leg amputated.
Soon after his passing was made public, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that the TV icon would be honoured with a state funeral service.
Expected to attend are 500 fully vaccinated guests consisting of friends, family, and colleagues. Among the attendees will, of course, be Bert’s loving wife Patti, as well as his daughter Lauren.
RELATED: Matthew Newton channels his dad’s humour with touching tribute at Bert’s funeral
Patti recently confirmed to the Daily Mail that her and Bert’s son Matthew, who is based in New York, will not be making the trip home for the service due to “logistics” and COVID.
Despite Matthew not attending the funeral in person, Bert’s long-time friend and entertainment reporter Peter Ford revealed that a message from Matthew will be read out during the proceedings.
“There will be a message that will be read, that he will compose himself, that will be read at the funeral as will other messages be read obviously but he will not be attending,” Peter said on The Morning Show.
WATCH: Bert and Patti Newton’s best family photos
What’s more, the Looking for Alibrandi star is said to be returning Down Under after the funeral when things have settled down, to avoid taking attention away from his dad.
“As Matt and Patti begin to work out their next steps, he has told her he’s willing to bring Cat (his partner) home when the chaos has calmed down to remember Bert privately as a family,” a source revealed to New Idea .
Rumours of a rift between Matthew and his parents have been swirling for years. In 2012, Matthew fled Australia to New York under a cloud of controversy, facing accusations that he physically assaulted his exes, Rachael Taylor and Brooke Satchwell, along with a Sydney taxi driver and a Miami hotel clerk.
WATCH: Remembering Australian icon Bert Newton
Since then, Matthew has reportedly undergone extensive rehab in the US, and now lives a quiet life on the Upper West Side with Catherine – daughter of former New York Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman.
Patti, meanwhile, recently put an end to the feud chatter in an interview with the Daily Mail Australia.
“There was no rift. He’s had many long conversations with Bert in the hospital, and that was all fine,” Patti told the publication.
A source close to the Underbelly star even told New Idea that he and his dad “became close again in Bert’s final months, which was a source of huge comfort to him”.
For more on the life and legacy of Aussie TV legend Bert Newton, read more below
- Everything to know about Bert Newton’s funeral
- Why Matthew Newton isn’t attending his father Bert’s funeral
- Australia’s golden couple: Looking back at Bert and Patti Newton’s relationship
- Bert Newton 1938-2021: “He gave us so much joy!”
- Bert Newton celeb tributes
- Australian TV royalty: A glimpse at Bert Newton’s career through the years
- Keeping up with the Newtons! Bert and Patti Newton’s best family photos
- Bert Newton’s pride and joy! Meet the TV legend’s six gorgeous grandkids
- Lauren Newton’s touching tribute to dad Bert Newton
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