Ahead of his shock death in September 2023, Charlie Newling led a complicated life following his controversial appearance on The Bachelorette Australia 2018.
**CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to domestic abuse and mental health struggles and may trigger some readers.**
It was announced that the 36-year-old father-of-two had died after his car fell from a cliff in Sydney’s Dover Heights around 11 pm on September 9.
Friends later admitted that the former reality star had “always struggled with his mental health” and that “going on The Bachelorette didn’t help this”.
Charlie Newling’s The Bachelorette Australia 2018 Journey
During the 2018 season of The Bachelorette, Newling was an early favourite to win the heart of Ali Oetjen; however, the shine seemed to wear off quickly, and viewers began to label his behaviour “disturbing” and “possessive”.
Forgetting what show he was on, the builder quickly asked for exclusivity from Ali (even saying she couldn’t meet his family until it happened), saying she was “quite spread out”.
“There’s a lot of guys who’ve had dates and had kisses,” Newling said. “It’s hard to know who’s the top dog.”
“He’s a control freak and sl*t shamer,” one Twitter user wrote at the time.
Following this, Ali did not give Newling a rose and kicked him off the show.
Fans were outraged by his conduct on the series and questioned why there was no trigger warning from the network.
“So thoughtless and irresponsible of Channel 10 not to warn viewers of the gaslighting and emotional manipulation they were about to witness,” one person Tweeted.
Similarly, another said: “Newling just literally frightened the hell out of me. He’s scary and intimidating.”
Even host Osher Günsberg‘s wife was fuming.
“I’ve never ever yelled at the TV so much before! Ever. It was a good teaching moment as Georgia [her teenage daughter] was watching with me.
“I told her to run as fast and far as she can if she ever finds herself in a similar situation!”
What happened after Charlie Newling was kicked off The Bachelorette?
Days after he left the show, footage surfaced of Newling being forcibly removed and “wrestled” by security guards outside of the Golden Sheaf in Sydney.
Newling was dragged out of the bar at 10:50 pm and was held by a security guard in a chokehold.
“He wrestled with three security [guards] for ages and was completely kicking off,” someone told the Daily Mail.
“They took him down and put him in a headlock. [He] lay there for ages until an ambulance rocked up, then the police came shortly after and it was all done.”
Newling was reportedly celebrating being dumped by Ali and was left with a “bruised throat and arm”.
“It was crushing me,” he told the outlet at the time. “I then had [security] on top of me. I couldn’t order an Uber without my phone and needed my keys from inside. The police came and held me for an hour and a half while reviewing the CCTV footage and then let me go as I’d done nothing wrong.”
Newling admitted to being intoxicated at the time.
Rumours surfaced about Charlie Newling having a child
After his stint on the show, news surfaced that he was a father — something that hadn’t come out during the show.
His son, born in 2010, was eight at the time of his foray onto reality TV; however, being very private, Newling never disclosed the information.
“I chose not to speak publicly about my child as I wanted to ensure their privacy was protected,” he told NW Magazine.
Charlie Newling’s relationship with The Bachelor alum Dasha Gaivoronski
After his run on the show, Newling began dating The Bachelor alum Dasha Gaivoronski.
In October 2018, the pair were seen several times together, with Newling even commenting during an Instagram Q&A on Dasha’s account.
“What’s with you and that hot amazing guy that your dating? You 2 look incredible together, [sic] ” he wrote.
Dasha responded: “He is alright, isn’t he? We’re the besties of all times [sic] and understand each other like no one else. That’s so rare these days.”
At the time, Now to Love reached out to Newling for comment.
“Dasha and I are good friends, and she has been an amazing support to me over the past few weeks. Last night’s Instagram post was us trying to make light of all the media attention on our relationship,” he told the publication.
On November 16 of the same year, Dasha denied the pair were dating; however, just two days later, Newling confirmed their romance.
“We haven’t put a label on it just yet, but yes, we are seeing each other,” Newling told The Daily Telegraph.
While the pair later split due to reasons unknown, they were spotted together in 2020 after he broke up with his ex-girlfriend Esme DeWitt.
Charlie Newling’s 13-month prison sentence following death threats
On August 31, 2022, Newling was charged with using a carriage service to threaten to kill after sending his mother death threats while under the influence of a substantial amount of alcohol.
According to The Daily Telegraph, the crime occurred on April 25, when he said he would “torture” and “kill” her husband.
Magistrate Ross Hudson heard Newling had suffered significant childhood trauma and struggled with alcohol abuse — something that led to a court order following a mid-range drink driving offence in 2021.
However, Magistrate Hudson said he had to consider the “fear, torment and horror” caused by Newling’s messages and ultimately handed him a 13-month prison sentence to be served in the community.
Just eight weeks before his death, Charlie welcomed his second child, a daughter, with partner Kristal Taylor.
A police spokesperson confirmed Newling’s death is not being treated as suspicious.
If you or anyone you know is struggling and needs support, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or Lifeline on 13 11 14, both of which provide trained counsellors you can talk with 24/7. You can also talk to someone from 1800RESPECT via online chat. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.
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