Karl Stefanovic’s ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn has embarked on a new career as a children’s book writer
CASSANDRA Thorburn declared her estranged husband was dead to her. Now, Karl Stefanovic has his back at her.
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IT HAS BEEN two years since Today host Karl Stefanovic called it quits with his wife of 21 years, Cassandra Thorburn.
Admittedly, it left her in a dark space, declaring Stefanovic was “dead” to her.
“The children still have a father, but I don’t have a husband. He really is dead to me and no, we won’t ever be friends again,” she said last year.
But in an exclusive interview with The Australian Women’s Weekly, Thorburn’s back; strong, healthy and more confident than she’s been in a long time.
“The flip-side of that is I feel like we’re dead to his family and almost anyone from our old life,” she told the publication.
“There has been practically no contact. I feel like we’ve been discarded and disposed of, replaced by a whole new line-up of starters. It has been a real adjustment period for me.”
But a spokesman for Stefanovic’s has hit back on Thorburn’s comments to the magazine, telling Nine’s TheFIX they were “disappointed” by her comments.
“We are disappointed Cass would claim such inflammatory suggestions that we have alienated Karl’s children from our family,” the spokesman said.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. Karl regularly co-parents his children and has his loving family around them.
“We refuse to keep a running dialogue of the children. There are custody and financial matters before the Family Court and Karl has abided by every single one of them and we will not jeopardise it. Family is often compromised when parents go through a painful divorce and we do our best to continue our love and support for the children.”
Thorburn, who shares three children with Stefanovic, opened up to the publication about life after Karl, and how their kids no longer have much contact with his family since their split.
“[My] dad is the only grandfather the children have ever known,” she said.
“It feels like Mum has been the only grandmother these past couple of years, since Karl and I split. My family’s love and support can’t change what happened with the other side of the children’s family — it feels like they [Stefanovics] wiped every one of us in a matter of days. That’s one of the heaviest casualties from all this mess.”
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Thorburn revealed how both she and her eldest son, Jackson, had been the victim of vandalism since “Karl decided to up and leave”.
“Jackson, our eldest, had his car vandalised with the words, ‘I WAKE UP WITH KARL’ written across the back, and I’ve had my tyres let down.
“I find it puzzling that there was not an ounce of interest in me before he left, and now I’m a prime target. It’s disgusting … we didn’t sign up for this.”
Thorburn told the publication she had no interest in discussing Stefanovic’s commitment ceremony with new partner Jasmine Yarbrough, held in March 2018.
Thorburn also confirmed that her children were excluded from the lavish wedding of their uncle Peter Stefanovic to Today show’s Sylvia Jeffreys.
“The children were not invited to Sylvia and Peter’s wedding (in April 2017),” she said.
“I feel like we’ve been discarded and disposed of, replaced by a whole new line-up of starters. It has been a real adjustment period for me.
“For 21 years, that entire family was part of my life and in a matter for a few days, two decades of memories are gone.”
Despite the turmoil of the separation, Thorburn opened up about rediscovering her resilience and writing her first children’s book, titled Leo Lion’s BIG Bed!, due to be released this month.
“Thankfully I’ve been gifted with enough resilience and strength to have got us all through these past two years,” she said.
Thorburn, a former journalist, put her own career on hold to be a stay-at-home mum for her children, Jackson (now almost 19), Ava (13) and River (11), while Stefanovic pursued his journalism career.
While Stefanovic is now one of the highest paid TV personalities in the country, being a stay-at-home mum for her children is something she will never regret, according to the publication, saying it does not equate to lost opportunities.
“I’ve had an incredibly full and interesting life and wouldn’t give up the years of being there for them for anything,” Thorburn said.
“It incenses me that stay-at-home mums are, on the one hand, applauded for putting family first, making the choice to forgo careers for the sake of our children.
“But then, when there is a split, we’re either accused of manipulating the children or criticised for asking for the money that is rightfully ours — you can’t win.”
Originally published as Karl Stefanovic’s ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn has embarked on a new career as a children’s book writer