Newton`s regrets over early romance with director John Duigan as a teen

London: Thandie Newton reportedly regrets starting her career at a young age, and getting into a troubled relationship with director John Duigan as a teen.

The actress flew to Australia at the age of 16 for filming her debut movie ‘Flirting’ in 1991, and, shortly afterwards, began a turbulent six-year romance with the director of the film, then 39. However, now after recently working with schoolgirls at Oprah Winfrey`s Leadership Academy in South Africa, Newton realised how young she was when she started her love affair with Duigan. And the ‘Crash’ star still wonders how the filmmaker could have dated someone so "vulnerable". "I was 16. I didn`t tell my parents about it (the relationship) but really young people who are vulnerable have to be looked out for. I`ve just been out to South Africa to Oprah`s Leadership Academy. It educates girls from impoverished backgrounds and I was taking part in an arts week,” The Daily Express quoted her as saying. She added: "I looked at the 16-year-old girls there. How can it possibly be right to start a serious relationship with someone that age when you are so much older? I`ve been through a lot of therapy so I sort of know why people do things now." ANI