New Idea – March 19, 2018

(Chris Devlin) #1

Patti’s parents & Bert at premiere photo: instagram.com.


INSIDE THE


GRUESOME


DEATH THAT


SHOCKED THE


TV ICON


‘KNOWING THAT


THERE ARE


ALL THESE


DEEP SECRETS


LURKING HAS


HAD AN EFFECT


ON HER’


P


atti Newton has been
left heartbroken and
betrayed after learning
of a sordid family
secret that’s been
hidden from her for decades.
After years of being kept in
the dark, the beloved Aussie
entertainment legend has
learned her family was once the
subject of a grisly infant murder
investigation, dating back
several generations.
Patti discovered the
disturbing death probe while
shooting for the upcoming SBS
season of Who Do You Think
You Are? – a series where
celebrities search their ancestry.
Investigators told the
grandmother-of-three that the
death of an infant baby, related
to her father’s side of the family,
was the subject of an intense,
high-profile media storm and
criminal trial.
This bombshell revelation
caused Patti to break down and
‘dissolve into tears’ – horrified
that her family harboured such
deep, dark secrets for so long.
‘I had no idea it would be so
dramatic,’ she told The Daily.
Telegraph. ‘Every time someone
would mention the series before
I did it, they’d say “I wonder

what they’ll find?” And I’d
say, “Oh, they’ll probably find a
murderer and I’ll die.” And they
did.’ While details on the baby
murder are sketchy at this stage,
it has reportedly caused a great
deal of heartbreak for the
devoted mum and grandmother.
‘Patti feels betrayed,’ says
a source. ‘She’s such a family
person – Bert and her children
and her grandchildren mean
the world to her. She’s prided
herself on being a true
matriarch, proud of her family


  • and knowing there are all
    these deep secrets lurking has
    had an effect on her. She feels
    like they’ve been living a lie.
    ‘Thinking that her family
    could’ve been caught up in
    8

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