Latest news with #MatStevenson
West Australian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Home & Away and Neighbours star Mat Stevenson details being ‘drugged and raped' by two men before TV fame
Former Home & Away and Neighbours star Mat Stevenson has revealed the devastating ordeal he faced before finding television fame, an incident he says sent him into years of self-destruction. The 56‑year‑old played Skinner on Neighbours in 1988 before playing heartthrob Adam Cameron on Home & Away from 1989 to told The Sydney Morning Herald that shortly before landing his iconic role, he was exploring a possible career in real estate when a business presentation took a horrific turn. The actor recalled being offered a drink by one of the men present, and soon after, feeling himself lose control. 'This other bloke (then) came out of nowhere. I was paralysed, I was a strong young kid, I was a good sportsman, but I was paralysed,' he said. Stevenson said that the two men raped him while he was 'blacked out.' The next morning, he woke up alone. 'I was in a fair bit of pain, and I was late for work. I told my dad, I said, 'I think I've just been raped', and he ignored it,' he said. They never spoke about it again. Just one day later, Stevenson received a phone call telling him he had scored a role on Neighbours, the beginning of a career that would eventually take him to Home & Away. 'I just so badly wanted to be there that I suppressed that assault,' he said. 'I was just, bang, straight down into denial.' While his on-screen success grew, the pain endured. 'Inside, I just felt like my soul was being ripped out … I wanted to scream,' Stevenson said. 'I didn't know how to unpack the pain, so I'd mask it. I built a character around me, which was the character that people saw. He looks laid-back, he looks laconic, he looks like he doesn't care about much. I had to hide those demons that were inside. It was really painful, and I found that it would spike whenever I had absolute moments of success or joy.' His world was shaken again when his father died of a heart attack in the 1990s. 'I was full of self-loathing,' he said. 'It was like I was allergic to myself. My dad's death really ramped up my high-risk behaviour: alcohol and gambling. I shut down. I put up this facade that I didn't give a s**t. I just couldn't handle life any more. I didn't have the skills to navigate my way through it.' After leaving Home & Away in 1994, he spiralled further, losing everything and ending up homeless within a year. 'I was just in free fall, suffering in silence, spending what little money I had left and finding solace in the bottom of a schooner glass. I walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge; it was pissing down, and I remember standing there and thinking, 'Righto, if you want to do it, now's the time. But if you don't do it now, it's time to move out of pity town. It's time to move on.'' If you or someone you know needs help, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), or Sexual Assault Counselling Australia on 1800 211 028, or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Home & Away star reveals terrifying assault by two men
Former Home & Away and Neighbours star Mat Stevenson has revealed the devastating ordeal he faced before finding television fame, an incident he says sent him into years of self-destruction. The 56‑year‑old played Skinner on Neighbours in 1988 before playing heartthrob Adam Cameron on Home & Away from 1989 to told The Sydney Morning Herald that shortly before landing his iconic role, he was exploring a possible career in real estate when a business presentation took a horrific turn. The actor recalled being offered a drink by one of the men present, and soon after, feeling himself lose control. 'This other bloke (then) came out of nowhere. I was paralysed, I was a strong young kid, I was a good sportsman, but I was paralysed,' he said. Stevenson said that the two men raped him while he was 'blacked out.' The next morning, he woke up alone. 'I was in a fair bit of pain, and I was late for work. I told my dad, I said, 'I think I've just been raped', and he ignored it,' he said. They never spoke about it again. Just one day later, Stevenson received a phone call telling him he had scored a role on Neighbours, the beginning of a career that would eventually take him to Home & Away. 'I just so badly wanted to be there that I suppressed that assault,' he said. 'I was just, bang, straight down into denial.' While his on-screen success grew, the pain endured. 'Inside, I just felt like my soul was being ripped out … I wanted to scream,' Stevenson said. 'I didn't know how to unpack the pain, so I'd mask it. I built a character around me, which was the character that people saw. He looks laid-back, he looks laconic, he looks like he doesn't care about much. I had to hide those demons that were inside. It was really painful, and I found that it would spike whenever I had absolute moments of success or joy.' His world was shaken again when his father died of a heart attack in the 1990s. 'I was full of self-loathing,' he said. 'It was like I was allergic to myself. My dad's death really ramped up my high-risk behaviour: alcohol and gambling. I shut down. I put up this facade that I didn't give a s**t. I just couldn't handle life any more. I didn't have the skills to navigate my way through it.' After leaving Home & Away in 1994, he spiralled further, losing everything and ending up homeless within a year. 'I was just in free fall, suffering in silence, spending what little money I had left and finding solace in the bottom of a schooner glass. I walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge; it was pissing down, and I remember standing there and thinking, 'Righto, if you want to do it, now's the time. But if you don't do it now, it's time to move out of pity town. It's time to move on.'' If you or someone you know needs help, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), or Sexual Assault Counselling Australia on 1800 211 028, or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Soap star reveals he was drugged and raped by two men – and his dad's heartbreaking response when he was told
The star appeared in the Australian soap for five years in the nineties HORRIFYING ORDEAL Soap star reveals he was drugged and raped by two men – and his dad's heartbreaking response when he was told HOME and Away star Mat Stevenson has revealed he was raped as an 18 year old. The actor, 56, played Adam Cameron on the Australian soap between 1989 and 1994, has told how he was attacked by two men in a horrifying ordeal. 2 Home and Away star Mat Stevenson has revealed he was raped as a teenager Credit: Instagram 2 The actor played Adam Cameron in Home and Away Credit: Network 7 Speaking about his ordeal, he told The Sydney Morning Herald how it happened after he attended a meeting to become a real estate agent. However after the event he was given a drink but began feeling dizzy. He added to the newspaper: 'This other bloke [then] came out of nowhere. I was paralysed, I was a strong young kid, I was a good sportsman, but I was paralysed.' He was then raped by the two men and blacked out. Mat revealed he regained consciousness the next day in the same room, but he was alone. 'I was in a fair bit of pain, and I was late for work,' he said. Struggling with what happened, Mat revealed he confided in his dad, adding: 'I told my dad, I said, 'I think I've just been raped', and he ignored it.' And the day after his ordeal, he received a phone call offering him a role in Neighbours. He later went on to become a household name in rival soap Home and Away before quitting after five years playing character Adam. Years later Mat revealed that he'd quit the soap for love after deciding to turn his back on fame in order to marry and have a family. He said in 2019 to the Daily Telegraph: 'After I left Home and Away, I travelled for three years and when I came back I was 27. 'I met a woman that I loved and we wanted a family,' he told The Daily Telegraph. 'And with that comes responsibility so I sought out some secure work and that's the government role I have been working in ever since.' The actor now works for the Australian government as a investigator. He shares two daughters, 24 and 21, with his wife.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Soap star reveals he was drugged and raped by two men – and his dad's heartbreaking response when he was told
The star appeared in the Australian soap for five years in the nineties HORRIFYING ORDEAL Soap star reveals he was drugged and raped by two men – and his dad's heartbreaking response when he was told Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HOME and Away star Mat Stevenson has revealed he was raped as an 18 year old. The actor, 56, played Adam Cameron on the Australian soap between 1989 and 1994, has told how he was attacked by two men in a horrifying ordeal. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 2 Home and Away star Mat Stevenson has revealed he was raped as a teenager Credit: Instagram 2 The actor played Adam Cameron in Home and Away Credit: Network 7 Speaking about his ordeal, he told The Sydney Morning Herald how it happened after he attended a meeting to become a real estate agent. However after the event he was given a drink but began feeling dizzy. He added to the newspaper: 'This other bloke [then] came out of nowhere. I was paralysed, I was a strong young kid, I was a good sportsman, but I was paralysed.' He was then raped by the two men and blacked out. Mat revealed he regained consciousness the next day in the same room, but he was alone. 'I was in a fair bit of pain, and I was late for work,' he said. Struggling with what happened, Mat revealed he confided in his dad, adding: 'I told my dad, I said, 'I think I've just been raped', and he ignored it.' And the day after his ordeal, he received a phone call offering him a role in Neighbours. He later went on to become a household name in rival soap Home and Away before quitting after five years playing character Adam. Years later Mat revealed that he'd quit the soap for love after deciding to turn his back on fame in order to marry and have a family. He said in 2019 to the Daily Telegraph: 'After I left Home and Away, I travelled for three years and when I came back I was 27. 'I met a woman that I loved and we wanted a family,' he told The Daily Telegraph. 'And with that comes responsibility so I sought out some secure work and that's the government role I have been working in ever since.' The actor now works for the Australian government as a investigator. He shares two daughters, 24 and 21, with his wife.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Soap star reveals he was drugged and raped by two men – and his dad's heartbreaking response when he was told
HORRIFYING ORDEAL The star appeared in the Australian soap for five years in the nineties HOME and Away star Mat Stevenson has revealed he was raped as an 18 year old. The actor, 56, played Adam Cameron on the Australian soap between 1989 and 1994, has told how he was attacked by two men in a horrifying ordeal. 2 2 Speaking about his ordeal, he told The Sydney Morning Herald how it happened after he attended a meeting to become a real estate agent. However after the event he was given a drink but began feeling dizzy. He added to the newspaper: 'This other bloke [then] came out of nowhere. I was paralysed, I was a strong young kid, I was a good sportsman, but I was paralysed.' He was then raped by the two men and blacked out. Mat revealed he regained consciousness the next day in the same room, but he was alone. 'I was in a fair bit of pain, and I was late for work,' he said. Struggling with what happened, Mat revealed he confided in his dad, adding: 'I told my dad, I said, 'I think I've just been raped', and he ignored it.' And the day after his ordeal, he received a phone call offering him a role in Neighbours. He later went on to become a household name in rival soap Home and Away before quitting after five years playing character Adam. Years later Mat revealed that he'd quit the soap for love after deciding to turn his back on fame in order to marry and have a family. He said in 2019 to the Daily Telegraph: 'After I left Home and Away, I travelled for three years and when I came back I was 27. 'I met a woman that I loved and we wanted a family,' he told The Daily Telegraph. 'And with that comes responsibility so I sought out some secure work and that's the government role I have been working in ever since.' The actor now works for the Australian government as a investigator. He shares two daughters, 24 and 21, with his wife.
