64 MAY 2017
»Kathy Lette and her
son, Julius Robertson,
photographed in
Sydney where Kathy
would like to spend
more time. “I miss
home so much.”J
ulius Robertson and Kathy
Lette make the most
astonishing and engaging
double act. Kathy, 58, with
her quick-fire puns and
irrepressibly youthful joie de vivre,
and Julius, 26, with his cutting dry
wit, founded in searing truths, and
extraordinary chutzpah. “A lot of my
friends simply adore him. They say he’s
the most interesting person at parties
because he’s so funny,” says Kathy,
staring lovingly at 1.83m Julius, who’s
polishing off the plate of bacon and
eggs his mum has just whipped up for
brunch in their Sydney apartment.
There’s no question that Jules is a
chip off the old block – both Kathy’s
and his dad Geoffrey Robertson’s (a
Queen’s Counsel and human rights
barrister) –but part of the charm of
this unique mother-son relationship is
its honesty; there’s no artifice at all
here, there can’t be. Julius, who has
Asperger’s, a developmental disorder
on the autism spectrum, doesn’t know
how to lie – though he does love to
tease, I soon discover – and Kathy
has learned that the only way to live
with her son’s condition is head on,
however confronting that may be.
Five years ago, Kathy “outed”
her son toThe Australian Women’s
Weekly, revealing his Asperger’s for
the first time in a public arena. For 21years, through hundredsof media
interviews, Kathy had avoided
discussing her family; her children
were strictly out of bounds. Then she
wrote a novel in which the hero had
autism and was clearly based on Jules.
It was as if she was willing herself to
talk. “I was so nervous and torn about
coming out about Jules’ autism. I
didn’t want toinvade my son’s privacy,
but only goodthings came from it,”
says a relieved Kathy. “It taught me a
great lesson that it’s always better to
shine a light into a dark corner... and
in all honesty, Jules and I have to
thankThe Australian Women’s
Weeklyfor his career.”
Kathy is referring to his burgeoning
career as an actor. With his Asperger’s
out and proud, a great weight seemed
to have been lifted from son and
mother, andJules found the confidence
to pursue his dream. At home in
London, he started acting classes,
joining a groupcalled Access All Areas,
which specialises inacting for people
with disabilities.
“Jules’ first big obsession was
Shakespeare. He used to do monologues
fromHamletwhen he was six. I don’t
think he really understood it, but he
loves the words and would memorise
them,” says Kathy.
“I think Hamlet had Asperger’s,” Jules
interrupts. “I can see that,” says Kathy,mind
PHOTOGRAPHY●ALANA LANDSBERRYSTYLING●MATTIE CRONANJulius Robertson is charming, witty, and a TV star. He’s
also the inspiration for his mother Kathy Lette’s
brazen new novel. In a poignant interview, mother
and son tellJuliet Riedenhow revealing toThe
Australian Women’s Weeklyfive years ago that Julius
has Asperger’s changed both their lives for the better.A beautiful