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MAFS’ Bronson reveals the heartbreaking extent of his family tragedy: ‘My brother was murdered’

Bronson opens up about the pain of losing his mum and two brothers within the space of three years.
MAFS bronson Norrish

Bronson Norrish may have tried to smile through most of his Married At First Sight Australia wedding day – even when new bride Ines Basic was less than complimentary of him – but those smiles masked a tragic family history.

Bronson’s father touched on the events in an emotional speech at the reception – and Bronson himself revealed he’d lost his mother and two brother’s in the space of three years. But he hadn’t revealed the true extent of the tragedy – until now.

Watch: Bronson’s father gives an emotional speech at the wedding. Story continues below.

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In 2003, the then-teenager lost his brother Sasha in a shocking murder. Just a year later, his mother Sancha died unexpectedly after an operation went wrong.

Then, three years later, Bronson received the tragic news that his eldest brother Brodie had died in mysterious circumstances.

So how has the stripper-turned-entrepreneur managed to cope with so much grief?

“Don’t get me wrong, when my first brother died, I hit the bottle,” Bronson, 34, told TV WEEK. “And when Mum died, I went off the rails pretty hard. I disappeared for about a year and buried myself out in the bush, working on a cattle farm.

“But after two years, I pulled my head out of it and remembered Mum had wanted me to either be a singer or a stripper. So on Mother’s Day, two years after she died, I went to a strip club, applied for a job and got it.”

From left: Bronson, sister Nateisha, dad Neil, Brodie and his wife Sancha, and Sasha (Image: Supplied).

Bronson’s new career path not only gave him a sense of purpose, but helped him deal with his grief.

“Stripping has helped me out – it’s given me purpose,” he says. “When I found out about my eldest brother, I went to work, did five shows, and bawled my eyes out in the car park afterwards. I just buried myself in work.”

Things were awkward between Bronson and his new bride Ines on their wedding day.

Nobody has ever been charged with Sasha’s murder. But despite this injustice, Bronson still maintains a positive attitude.

“You can’t hold a grudge,” he says. “I wake up every day and strive to be happy. I hang around with happy people. If you surround yourself with sorrow and anger, it will eat away at you.

“When I get a phone call unexpectedly I feel sick, because I think someone has died. But you just have to get on with it.”

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