Matt Newton’s wedding joy
It’s official! Matt Newton has secretly married his American girlfriend Catherine ‘Cat’ Schneiderman in a private New York ceremony.
The Aussie director and actor proudly displayed his new wedding band during a stroll around the Big Apple recently, as our exclusive photos show – with close friends telling New Idea that he ‘couldn’t be happier’ to be a married man.
It’s believed Matthew, 40, and his young bride tied the knot in an intimate backyard ceremony in the gardens of her mother’s New York country home. And while Matt’s parents Bert and Patti Newton couldn’t make it to the secret nuptials, family sources say they’re ‘overjoyed’ by the news.
‘This is the best news ever for Bert and Patti,’ says a family friend. ‘They’re just so happy for Matthew.
‘He rang his parents prior to the big day and invited them, but with Bert’s health being a little strained in recent months they decided a long-haul flight to New York might not be a great idea.
‘So they decided to wait until Matthew and Cat come to Australia and
A secret ceremony is finally giving Bert and Patti a reason to smile
have another family celebration at home.
‘Seeing both their children happily married, and being in the one room together, surrounded by all their grandchildren, will be a truly joyous occasion for Bert and Patti. Family is everything to them.’
Sources in New York close to 23-year-old Cat reveal the pair were keen to keep their wedding small to avoid attention.
They chose the home of Cat’s mother Jennifer Cunningham, who’s divorced from Cat’s politician dad Eric, for the secret ceremony, becoming man and wife in the gardens of her New York country estate.
‘Cat’s the daughter of the New York attorney general, who’s a key opponent of President Trump, and her mum’s also a political heavyweight, so she was keen to keep her wedding away from the public eye,’ the source says.
‘She’s come under attack for some of her father’s political views and has worked hard to stay under the radar – which of course suits Matthew perfectly.
‘He’s faced a lot of negative publicity in his time, so he was only too happy to avoid a public wedding and get married in her mum’s backyard. He loves Cat and just wants to be her husband. He couldn’t be happier right now.
‘Matthew’s battled a lot of demons over the years, but he finally feels like he’s found his place in the world in New York with Cat.’
It’s a happy ending for Bert and Patti, who’ve long been in the eye of the storm when it comes to Matthew’s many public scandals.
With Matt arrested for several domestic violence incidents and assaults over the past decade, Patti has been open about his battles with mental illness and his many ‘psychiatric episodes... beyond his control’.
But now they finally have reason to celebrate with Matthew’s wedding news.
‘I have always prayed for a happy ending, and I think it has arrived,’ Bert told the Herald Sun.
‘He is happy, he’s doing good things, and that’s the most important thing.’