Matthew Newton rocked by scandal involving Eric Schneiderman, the father of his on-and-off partner, Catherine

TROUBLED actor Matthew Newton has been rocked by a new scandal, after the high-profile father of his on-and-off partner has resigned over sex abuse claims from four women.

TROUBLED actor Matthew Newton has been rocked by a new domestic violence scandal, after the father of his on-and-off partner was accused of sexually brutalising at least three former partners.

The high profile fall of New York Attorney-General Eric Schneiderman — a powerful Democrat and loud voice in the #metoo movement after suing Harvey Weinstein — began today with revelations in The New Yorker magazine about his violence towards women.

His only daughter, Catherine, 24, has been Newton’s on-off partner for several years.

The pair were reportedly engaged in 2016 and there were reports they had secretly wed.

They live together in Catherine’s apartment on the Upper West Side.

Newton has had several brushes with the law over his treatment of women, including actresses and former girlfriend, Brooke Satchwell, and actress and former fiance Rachael Taylor.

New York Attorney-General Eric Schneiderman, who has quit. Picture: Getty

Schneiderman has been forced to resign from his high-profile role in the wake of the scandal.

“It’s been my great honour and privilege to serve as Attorney General for the people of the State of New York. In the last several hours, serious allegations, which I strongly contest, have been made against me,” Schneiderman said in a statement.

“While these allegations are unrelated to my professional conduct or the operations of the office, they will effectively prevent me from leading the office’s work at this critical time. I therefore resign my office, effective at the close of business on May 8, 2018.”

Actor Matthew Newton has been dating Eric Schneiderman’s daughter. Picture: John Grainger

Schneiderman’s resignation is a blow to his career. He was seen as rising star in Democrat politics. He also opposes US President Donald Trump.

According to accounts published by The New Yorker, two of the women, Michelle Manning Barish and Tanya Selvaratnam, said that Schneiderman, 63, “repeatedly hit them, often after drinking, frequently in bed and never with their consent,” forcing them to seek medical attention. Manning Barish recounted Schneiderman “shaking me and grabbing my face,” demanding that she repeat lines such as “I’m a little wh**e,” and threatening her that “If you ever left me, I’d kill you.”

Matt Newton’s on-and-off girlfriend, Catherine Schneiderman. Picture: Backgrid

Barish accused Schneiderman of being emotionally abusive, describing his attempts to control her body by demanding she remove a tattoo and lose weight.

Selvaratnam called Schneiderman “a misogynist and a sexual sadist.”

Schneiderman’s relationships with the two women took place between 2013 and 2017.

The New Yorker also vetted two other women’s stories, but they have remained unidentified.

The women wanted to tell their stories after witnessing Schneiderman become a vocal advocate against sexual misconduct during the rise of the #MeToo movement.

When the Weinstein Company was forced into bankruptcy, Schneiderman, who has filed a lawsuit on behalf of its employees, had urged any bidders for the company to include compensation for the victims.

Harvey Weinstein has been disgraced. Picture: AP

“From the start, we’ve underscored the importance of adequately compensating victims, protecting current employees, and ensuring that wrongdoers are not rewarded,” said Amy Spitalnick, a spokeswoman for Schneiderman’s office.

“We’ll continue to push for those critical goals.”

Scheniderman told The New Yorker that he had not “assaulted anyone”.

“In the privacy of intimate relationships, I have engaged in role-playing and other consensual sexual activity. I have not assaulted anyone,” he said.

“I have never engaged in nonconsensual sex, which is a line I would not cross.”

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called for Schneiderman’s resignation earlier today.

“No one is above the law, including New York’s top legal officer,” Cuomo said in a statement. “I will be asking an appropriate New York District Attorney to commence an immediate investigation, and proceed as the facts merit.”

“My personal opinion is that, given the damning pattern of facts and corroboration laid out in the article, I do not believe it is possible for Eric Schneiderman to continue to serve as Attorney General, and for the good of the office, he should resign,” he added.

Originally published as Matthew Newton rocked by scandal involving Eric Schneiderman, the father of his on-and-off partner, Catherine