Patti Newton has revealed her husband Bert’s cause of death, several days after his passing in hospital.
She also confirmed that their son Matthew would not be attending his father’s funeral.
“He won’t be coming,” she told the Daily Mail.
Patti explained that logistical issues prevented her son from attending, as he wouldn’t be able to make it to Australia from the US in time for the funeral. She also said there “was no rift” between Matthew and Bert, despite some reports that his relationship with his parents has been “strained”.
“It’s just the logistics of it all, and with Covid, and with everything else,” she told the publication.
“There was no rift. He’s had many long conversations with Bert in the hospital and that was all fine.”
Matthew has been in the US for almost 10 years and now lives in New York.
Image: Getty Images
Patti also confirmed the cause of her husband’s death, saying Bert experienced “complications with everything”.
“When you have a leg amputated you have to be on a lot of painkillers and Bert had had, just this year alone, he’s had eight procedures, which all involved anaesthetics and that affects you pretty badly,” she said.
After Bert’s passing on Saturday night, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the TV icon would be farewelled at a state funeral.
“Above all his achievements, he was a family man and his greatest partnership with his wife of almost 50 years, Patti. Our thoughts and prayers are with her, their children and their grandchildren,” Andrews said in a statement.
Image: Getty Images
This article first appeared on Over60.