Friends close to The Bachelorette Australia 2018‘s Charlie Newling have revealed he was “lost” and “struggled” before his tragic death in September.
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.
**CONTENT WARNING: The following discusses mental health struggles and may be distressing to some readers
One of Charlie’s friends has since told Yahoo! Lifestyle that the former reality star had “always struggled with his mental health”.
“Going on The Bachelorette didn’t help this, especially with how they made him come across with his edit,” they said. “It always seemed to haunt him.”
During his time on the show, fans branded him as “clingy” and “controlling” due to his behaviour towards Ali Oetjen.
The publication was told Charlie soon began lying about his appearance on the dating show after he was increasingly approached by fans who recognised him.
He also started “abusing” alcohol, which resulted in a drink driving charge in 2021.
“We were at a party in Bronte last summer when a few girls were asking him if he was from [The Bachelorette] and what happened as they remembered some drama,” the friend recalled. “He told them how he chose to quit as he wasn’t into Ali and producers begged him to stay.”
However, he was eliminated after telling Ali she couldn’t meet his family during the hometown dates unless they were in an “exclusive” relationship.
Friends call The Bachelorette‘s Charlie Newling a ‘lost soul’
“Charlie has always been a bit of a lost soul and fragile, and should never have been on TV,” the friend concluded. “He was too vulnerable.”
The Sydneysider maintained a relatively low profile until September 2022, when he was sentenced to 13 months prison for threatening to torture and kill his stepfather in a series of text messages sent to his mother.
Magistrate Ross Hudson heard Newling had suffered significant childhood trauma and struggled with alcohol abuse.
However, Magistrate Hudson said he had to consider the “fear, torment and horror” caused by Newling’s messages.
He was handed a 13-month prison sentence to be served in the community.
If you or anyone you know is struggling and needs support, call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or Lifeline on 13 11 14, both of which provide trained counsellors you can talk with 24/7. You can also speak with someone confidentially at Headspace by calling 1800 650 890 or chat online here. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.
Want even more goss? Listen to the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto below!
Know something that we don’t? Spill the tea here!
Get the tea first! Follow So Dramatic! on Instagram and tune in on Mondays to get your reality tea fix with the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto.
