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The Australian actor, who has been in and out of a psychiatric clinic for more than a year after attacking Transformers actress Taylor in a Rome hotel last year, has given a tell-all interview to A Current Affair that will be aired on the Nine Network tonight (November 21).
In the interview with Tracy Grimshaw, Newton describes himself as a "walking time bomb" and explains how he tried to escape from his rehabilitation centre by scaling a cyclone fence and jumping off the roof.
About the assaults on Taylor and former Neighbours star Satchwell in 2006, Newton tells: "Harming anyone is horrible. It's intolerable to harm a woman. It's intolerable to harm your best friend, several of your best friends, and it's intolerable to harm yourself. And I've done all of those things and I utterly regret it."
Grimshaw has admitted that she found Newton to be "deeply troubled", adding: "It is one of the hardest interviews I've done, very challenging, and it will be challenging to watch. Matthew is mentally ill, and Matthew's mental illness is like a third presence in the room, something I had to be very aware of the whole time."
Industry insiders have described Newton's decision to open up on TV as "clearly a last-ditch effort" to resurrect his acting career.
Matthew Newton's A Current Affair interview airs tonight at 6.30pm on Nine.
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