Matthew Newton is seen for the first time since skipping his TV icon father Bert's funeral

Bert Newton’s reclusive son Matthew has been pictured for the first time since he skipped his TV icon father’s state funeral in Melbourne last week.

The troubled actor and director, 44, visited a supermarket in upstate New York on Monday with his wife Catherine Schneiderman, 28.

Despite his recent loss, Matthew appeared to be in good spirits as he pushed a trolley of groceries through the car park, smiling alongside his younger wife.

Rare sighting: Bert Newton’s reclusive son Matthew, 44, stepped out with his wife Catherine Schneiderman, 28, in upstate New York on Monday

The Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities star was seen chatting on his phone through a pair of headphones as he and Catherine made their way to their car.

Matthew’s grey and brown hair was windswept and he sported a greying bushy beard.

He wrapped up warm in a black puffer jacket and jeans, and shielded his eyes behind a pair of sunglasses.

In good spirits: Despite his recent loss, Matthew appeared to be in good spirits as he pushed a trolley of groceries through the car park, smiling alongside his younger wife

First photos: It was the first time Matthew had been pictured since he missed his father’s state funeral in Melbourne earlier this month

Domestic bliss: The couple ran errands in rural upstate New York, picking up supplies at the supermarket and pet store

Phone call: The Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities star was seen chatting on his phone through a pair of headphones as he and Catherine made their way to their car

Glistening on his ring finger was a simple gold wedding band.

Meanwhile, a merry-looking Catherine dressed down in a baggy striped jumper, black peplum mini skirt and polka-dot stockings.

Any wedding or engagement rings she may have worn were concealed beneath her jumper’s long sleeves.

Salt and pepper: Matthew’s grey and brown hair was windswept and he sported a greying bushy beard

There it is! Glistening on his ring finger was a simple gold wedding band

Casual outfit: A merry-looking Catherine dressed down in a baggy striped jumper, black peplum mini skirt and polka-dot stockings

In the spotlight: Matthew is pictured at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada in September 2017

Tying her hair into a messy half-up style, Catherine completed her look with brown suede boots and a pendant necklace.

After arriving at their vehicle, the couple opened the boot and began loading their groceries inside.

Their purchases included a bag of potato chips, paper towels, several cartons of almond milk and bottled water.

Hidden bling? Any wedding or engagement rings she may have worn were concealed beneath her jumper’s long sleeves

Quirky look: Tying her hair into a messy half-up style, Catherine completed her look with brown suede boots and a pendant necklace

Doing the heavy lifting: After arriving at their vehicle, the couple opened the boot and began loading their groceries inside

He also stopped by a pet supplies store and emerged with several packets of animal treats.

The sighting – the first time they’ve been pictured together since 2018 – comes days after Matthew’s marriage to his long-term girlfriend was confirmed during a speech at his father’s state funeral in Melbourne.

During Bert’s memorial on Friday, the Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Werner Utri, referred to Catherine as Matthew’s wife.

Essentials: Their purchases included a bag of potato chips, paper towels, several cartons of almond milk and bottled water

Confirmed: The sighting comes days after Matthew’s marriage to his long-term girlfriend was finally confirmed during a speech at his father’s state funeral

Official: During Bert’s memorial in Melbourne on Friday, the Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Werner Utri, referred to Catherine as Matthew’s wife

‘Good morning and welcome to the state funeral of Mr Bert Newton… I’d like to begin by acknowledging a number of people with us today,’ he said.

‘First and foremost, Bert Newton’s wife Patti, his daughter Lauren, his son-in-law Matt and grandchildren.’

Fr Utri added: ‘Unfortunately Bert’s son Matthew and his wife Catherine were unable to join us as they are in New York.’

Errands: He stopped by a pet supplies store and emerged with several packets of animal treats

Long relationship: Matthew and Catherine, who is the daughter of former New York attorney-general Eric Schneiderman, have dated since 2012 and became engaged in October 2016

Wedding: A family friend told New Idea in 2017 the couple had secretly married at the home of Catherine’s mother in New York

Matthew and Catherine, who is the daughter of former New York attorney-general Eric Schneiderman, started dating in 2012 and became engaged in October 2016.

A family friend told New Idea in 2017 the couple had secretly married at the home of Catherine’s mother in New York.

‘[Matthew] 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,’ the source said at the time.

‘This is the best news ever for Bert and Patti… they’re just so happy for Matthew.’

Who is Catherine Schneiderman?

Catherine Schneiderman is the daughter of former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

Catherine’s romance with Matthew raised some eyebrows, due to her father Eric’s known stance against domestic violence.

In 2006, Matthew was convicted of assaulting his then-fiancée, actress Brooke Satchwell.

In 2010, he announced his split from another fiancée, Rachael Taylor, after two ‘violent and unprovoked’ attacks in Rome, which prompted her to take out an AVO against him.

Eric Schneiderman passed a bill in 2010 to increase the punishment handed to those involved in such crimes.

‘The time to criminalise this horrific form of abuse is now,’ he said.

‘I am proud of the overwhelming bipartisan support for this legislation. It sends a strong message that we must do everything in our power to ensure that no one is immune from accountability for committing such a heinous crime.’

New Idea previously reported Catherine was aware of Matthew’s past but ‘sees him as a misunderstood genius’.

The insider added: ‘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.’

Matthew is said to have completely given up on his home country and is happy living with Catherine in America.

‘Because of his scandals over the years, he can’t face coming home to Australia,’ a source told Woman’s Day.

Content: According to Woman’s Day, Matthew has completely given up on his home country and is happy living with Catherine in America

‘Matthew lives a private, almost reclusive life with his partner Catherine in New York now, where he is rarely bothered. He has no desire to reawaken old demons by returning to Australia,’ they added.

Indeed, Matthew was a no-show at his father’s funeral last week, instead sending a eulogy to be read aloud.

In the message, read by Bert’s longtime friend Peter Smith, Matthew spoke of the pair ‘reconnecting’ over Zoom and FaceTime after he moved to New York several years ago.

No homecoming plans: ‘Because of his scandals over the years, he can’t face coming home to Australia,’ a source told the magazine

Father and son: Matthew was a no-show at his father’s funeral last week, instead sending a eulogy to be read aloud. Pictured: Bert and Matthew

Matthew said social media had helped him ‘connect’ with his family.

‘Over the last 10 years, while I’ve lived abroad, Dad and I would play our conversational songs over Zoom and FaceTime – tools that allowed me to connect and in a way reconnect with my whole family, but especially with Dad,’ he said.

He added that his father was always there for him in the ‘tough times’, and said he had depth beyond his reputation as a larrikin.

Reconnecting: In the message, read by Bert’s longtime friend Peter Smith, Matthew spoke of the pair ‘reconnecting’ over Zoom and FaceTime after he moved to New York several years ago

‘Everyone knows he was a great entertainer, but what a lot of people don’t know about Dad is that he wouldn’t just be around for the laughs,’ Matthew continued in his eulogy.

‘Those close to him experienced how he’d show up in the tough times, too. No one more than me.’

He also spoke about their ‘final conversation’ a few days before Bert’s death, and admitted it ‘was different from the usual, and we both knew it’.

‘The change was never directly stated, but we eschewed the stories and the laughter, and just said how much we loved each other,’ he continued.

‘During that wonderful chat, my mother was pottering around in the background, adding her two cents every now and again, and doing lovely things for Dad, as usual.

‘At one point, she took something into another room, and the second she left, dad leaned into the phone camera and whispered, “I think she’s poisoning my food, Matthew!”

‘Well, we both laughed and laughed until we cried. Although given why we’re here today, Mum, perhaps I should’ve taken him more seriously!’

Reconciliation: ‘Over the last 10 years, while I’ve lived abroad, Dad and I would play our conversational songs over Zoom and FaceTime – tools that allowed me to connect and in a way reconnect with my whole family, but especially with Dad,’ Matthew said

Jokes aside, Matthew described his mother as fiercely protective of his father, and added ‘there’s not a lioness in the world who loved, supported and cherished her lion as much as you did Dad’.

‘You two were a team, are a team, and even though your partner isn’t on stage anymore, the show goes on, and you’ll be OK, mainly because you’ll have Lauren’s 97 children to take care of you,’ he teased.

Earlier this month, Patti Newton confirmed her son would not return to Melbourne from his home in the U.S. to attend the star’s funeral.

Explaining his absence, Matthew began his eulogy by apologising for not being there, saying the pandemic had meant he was unable to travel.

‘I’m very sorry that due to the pandemic I can’t be with you all there to celebrate Dad,’ he said.

Patti, 76, also denied reports her TV legend husband was estranged from their son.

‘The press are just desperate to find a little glitch into [their relationship],’ she told Daily Mail Australia.

‘He won’t be coming. For no reason. I don’t know, I mean maybe he needs to put a statement out to stop everybody thinking that there’s a rift or something.’

‘There was no rift. He’s had many long conversations with Bert in the hospital and that was all fine,’ she added.

‘It’s just the logistics of it all, and with Covid, and with everything else.’

Overseas: Earlier this month, Patti Newton confirmed her son would not return to Melbourne to attend the star’s funeral. Pictured at Bert’s funeral with daughter Lauren (centre)

Patti revealed her son had spoken to his father in his final days via video chat, where they would discuss Bert’s encounters with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars of his era.

‘He had the best conversations. They’re both into movies and things, so they talked about old movies, and I think the height of the conversation was about Glenn Ford, because Bert was the only one that Glenn Ford would speak to and Matthew had heard the story and he wanted to hear it again,’ she said.

‘I’ve had so many conversations with him. We had a conversation last night and all the family were here. [The media] want to make it a rift, but there was no rift. There was never a rift with Bert.’

Bert died on October 30 at the age of 83 after a well-publicised battle with illness.

He was hospitalised in March and underwent surgery on his leg in May after his toe became infected before last Christmas.

The infection was ‘linked to his diabetes’ and was life-threatening, with doctors telling him the surgery was a ‘life or death decision’.

Bert was told that if he kept the leg, he would have just ‘months to live’ rather than years if he chose to amputate.

Partners: Matthew described his mother as fiercely protective of his father, and added ‘there’s not a lioness in the world who loved, supported and cherished her lion as much as you did Dad’. Pictured at Woman’s Day magazine’s 60th anniversary party in Sydney in July 2008

Matthew Newton’s letter in full

‘I’m very sorry that, due to the pandemic, I can’t be with you all there to celebrate dad.

Growing up, I never really watched Bambi or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or a lot of other kids’ movies you could name. I didn’t want to. What fascinated me were the movies that created that black and white glow radiating through the doorway of my dad’s home office. That’s where I wanted to be.

So, by the age of 10, my dad had introduced me to Humphrey Bogart, the Marx Brothers, Elijah Cook Jr, Abbott and Costello, Katharine Hepburn, Frank Sinatra and on and on. They were our buddies and dad and I began a back and forth conversation about them that would continue without a break for the next 34 years. Swapping old showbiz stories and legends was how he and I, two Catholic Australian men of different generations, expressed our love and affection for one another, without having to actually say it all the time.

We’d exchange the same stories and bits, hundreds of them, over and over, not caring that we already knew them; just loving to hear them again and again. More importantly, hearing the other person tell them again. They were the conversational equivalent of playing our favourite songs. We were jamming together, and we loved it. It was our secret club.

I remember proudly telling dad when I was a kid, “Hey, the books on my shelf in my bedroom and the books on the shelf in your office are all about the same sort of things, dad.” To which he replied, “Ha! Absolutely!” Of course, the other way of saying that, Matthew, is you stole half my library!”

A lot’s been said about my dad’s sharp wit, but my two personal favourite off- the-cuff lines of his weren’t said on television, or even in front of a proper audience.

In fact, there was only one single person present. One was a doctor; the other was an 11-year-old me. Now, these lines don’t have a place in today’s proceedings, as both edge towards being a little risque. But what I love about them is that they were said to people who weren’t going to further his career, or write a great review. Dad purely wanted to pop the tension of an awkward situation, and see another human being light up and laugh. I honestly believe that that was the thing, apart from his family, that made dad the happiest. It was a superpower and he always tried to use it for good.

Over the last 10 years, while I’ve lived abroad, dad and I would play our conversational songs over Zoom and FaceTime – tools that allowed me to connect and in a way reconnect with my whole family, but especially with dad.

Everyone knows he was a great entertainer but what a lot of people don’t know about dad is that he wouldn’t just be around for the laughs. Those close to him experienced how he’d show up in the tough times too. No-one more than me. One final conversation a few days before we lost him was different from the usual, and we both knew it.

The change was never directly stated but we eschewed the stories and the laughs and just said how much we loved each other. During that wonderful chat, my mother was pottering around in the background, adding her two cents every now and again, and doing lovely things for dad, as usual. At one point, she took something into another room, and the second she left, dad leaned into the phone camera and whispered, “I think she’s poisoning my food, Matthew!”

Well, we both laughed, and laughed until we cried. Although given why we’re here today, mum, perhaps I should’ve taken him more seriously! Well, now, as much as dad would’ve loved that tag, it really doesn’t work, does it, mum, because you know, there’s not a lioness in the world who loved, supported and cherished her lion as much as you did dad. You two were a team, are a team, and even though your partner isn’t on stage any more, the show goes on, and you’ll be OK, mainly because you’ll have Lauren’s 97 children to take care of you.”

Truly, though, his grand kids became dad’s new favourite thing on the planet, and Sam, Eva, Lola, Monty, Perla and Alby gave him a new lease on life in his seventh and eighth decade.

Dad was the ultimate host or as he preferred to be called, compere, never presenter a term he loathed and if he was here today, he would be entertaining, moving, sincere and mischievous, expertly saying all the feelings of awkwardness and embarrassment, saving them from us.

And that’s how he’d want this day to be, with a wink, not a tear. So with that in mind, I’ll get out while the going’s good, and say to the man himself: Albert Watson Wilberforce Thomas Patrick Belmont Francis Archibald Kenneth John Aloysius Peter Newton, I’m gonna really miss jamming with you, mate. Here’s looking at you, kid.’

‘The press are just desperate to find a little glitch into [their relationship],’ Patti previously told Daily Mail Australia of a rumoured rift between Bert and Matthew. Pictured with her family outside her husband’s funeral

Matthew, who suffers from bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and has a history of addiction, has a notably tumultuous past.

This includes domestic violence allegations from two former girlfriends: Australian actresses Brooke Satchwell, 40, and Rachael Taylor, 37.

He was arrested for the alleged physical assault of former Neighbours star Satchwell in 2006 and pleaded guilty to ‘common assault’ in court.

Matthew was given a good behaviour bond, but the conviction was overturned on the grounds of mental health.

In 2010, Matthew’s then-girlfriend Rachael Taylor filed a protective order against him, alleging physical, verbal and emotional abuse, and he entered Sydney’s Northside West Clinic for treatment.

Matthew was also arrested twice in Miami, Florida, in 2012 – the first for trespassing and resisting officers, while a second incident saw him charged with battery and resisting arrest after he attacked a hotel receptionist.

Ex-file: Matthew was arrested in 2006 for allegedly physically assaulting ex-girlfriend Brooke Satchwell (left). He later pleaded guilty to ‘common assault’ in court. Pictured together in 2003

Following the charges, Matthew checked into the Betty Ford Center in California for 90 days of alcohol and drug treatment.

Both matters were later dismissed under the conditions that Matthew completes community service and writes a letter of apology to the hotel clerk.

He was forced to withdraw as director of the Hollywood film Eve in October 2018 after social media backlash over his alleged history of assault.

Former flame: In 2010, Matthew’s then-girlfriend Rachael Taylor (left) filed a protective order against him, alleging physical, verbal and emotional abuse, and he entered Sydney’s Northside West Clinic for treatment. Pictured together in 2009

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk

Matthew Newton is seen for the first time since skipping his TV icon father Bert’s funeral

Who is Catherine Schneiderman?

Matthew Newton’s letter in full