Married At First Sight bride Samantha Moitzi is related to notorious murderer Ivan Milat – but her family link to the ‘backpacker killer’ will not be addressed on the show.
The Gold Coast-based fashion brand manager, 27, left producers and her on-screen ‘husband’ Al Perkins stunned when she revealed during filming last year she was the granddaughter of Milat’s younger sister Shirley Soire.
Moitzi apparently broke down in tears when Perkins, 25, suggested they watch the 2005 horror movie Wolf Creek, which is loosely based on Milat’s grisly crimes.
Secret: Married At First Sight bride Samantha Moitzi (pictured) is related to notorious killer Ivan Milat – but her family link to the ‘backpacker murderer’ will not be addressed on the show
‘Al wanted to watch Wolf Creek one night and things turned awkward really quickly,’ a well-placed source told Daily Mail Australia on Monday.
Perkins reportedly suggested it would be ‘fun’ to watch the film because he ‘hadn’t seen it yet’, and thought a scary movie would ‘help them bond’.
‘He had absolutely no clue about her family. It was very awkward. Sam was hesitant, but just had to tell him. He was gobsmacked,’ the insider said.
Family: The fashion brand manager, 27, left producers and her on-screen ‘husband’ Al Perkins stunned when she revealed last year during filming she was the granddaughter of Milat’s younger sister Shirley Soire. Milat (pictured) murdered seven young backpackers and dumped their bodies in the Belanglo State Forest, south of Sydney, between 1989 and 1992
Awkward: Moitzi apparently broke down when Perkins suggested they watch the 2005 horror movie Wolf Creek, which is loosely based on Milat’s grisly crimes. Pictured on November 1
The 2005 Australian horror movie was inspired by the real-life murders committed by Milat in the early 1990s.
Moitzi reportedly explained to Perkins she was the granddaughter of Milat’s sister.
According to the on-set insider, she was ‘anxious’ about addressing the subject on camera, so told Perkins privately instead.
The family link will not be addressed on the Channel Nine show.
Unaware: Perkins (right) reportedly suggested it would be ‘fun’ to watch Wolf Creek because he ‘hadn’t seen it yet’, and thought a scary film would ‘help them bond’
Shocked: ‘He had absolutely no clue about her family. It was very awkward. Sam was hesitant, but just had to tell him. He was gobsmacked,’ the insider said
Inspiration: The 2005 Australian horror movie Wolf Creek, starring John Jarratt (pictured), was inspired by the real-life murders committed by Milat in the early 1990s
Moitzi’s grandmother Shirley Soire, who died in 2003, was a staunch supporter of her killer brother and is said to have helped him ‘get rid of’ a gun.
She married husband Gerry in 1964. The couple had two children and later divorced.
‘Shirley used to take her grandchildren to the prison to visit her brother on many occasions,’ a source told Daily Mail Australia.
Coming clean: Moitzi explained to Perkins she was the granddaughter of Milat’s sister
Family: Moitzi’s parents, Veronica (right) and Paul (left), are pictured here
Milat murdered seven backpackers and hitchhikers between 1989 and 1992 in the Belanglo State Forest, south of Sydney, and was suspected of killing others.
He was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences without parole.
His victims were English backpackers Caroline Clarke, 21, and Joanne Walters 22; Melbourne couple James Gibson and Deborah Everist, both 19; and German backpackers Simone Schmidl, 20, Gabor Neugebauer, 21, and Anja Habschied, 20.
He died aged 74 of oesophageal and stomach cancer at Long Bay jail’s hospital in October 2019.
Channel Nine and Moitzi were contacted for comment but did not respond.
Locked up: Milat was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences without parole
Notorious: Milat died aged 74 of oesophageal and stomach cancer at Long Bay jail’s hospital in October 2019. Pictured here in May 2019
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk