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Paul Bettany reveals 'enormous guilt' over brother's death after teaching him to climb the roof he fell from

Paul Bettany, who has spoken of turning to alcohol and cocaine to cope after his eight-year-old brother Matthew died falling from a roof Bettany had taught him to climb.
Paul Bettany, who has spoken of turning to alcohol and cocaine to cope after his eight-year-old brother Matthew died falling from a roof Bettany had taught him to climb.

Marvel star Paul Bettany, 55, has revealed he has battled decades of guilt since his eight-year-old brother Matthew fell to his death from the roof of a Hertfordshire school building — because Bettany had taught him how to climb it. Matthew died while playing hide and seek at Queenswood School near Hatfield, where their father Thane Bettany worked as a drama teacher. Speaking on the 'Sibling Revelry' podcast, Bettany said years of therapy were needed before he could make sense of the loss.

After Matthew's death, a 16-year-old Bettany dropped out of school and busked on London streets to survive.

Bettany has previously admitted turning to alcohol and cocaine to cope with his grief after his brother died.

'I thought I should have stuck close to him — been there for him — but I wasn't,' he said.

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