New claims: Cassandra found Karl’s texts to mystery younger woman

KARL Stefanovic has been FaceTiming and texting a younger woman after his split from wife, Woman’s Day alleges.

KARL Stefanovic has been FaceTiming and texting a younger woman after his split from wife Cassandra Thorburn, Woman’s Day alleges.

According to a report in this week’s issue of the mag, the 42-year-old Today host had frequent communications with a 27-year-old brunette from Melbourne who he struck up a “close connection” with after she made a brief appearance on the breakfast TV show.

Woman’s Day quote the mystery woman, who they say cannot be named for legal reasons.

“We’ve become good friends and yes we text and FaceTime each other,” the woman tells the magazine, insisting the relationship is platonic and not “weird.”

“That’s what I like to do with my friends,” she tells the mag.

Stefanovic and the mystery brunette struck up a friendship after she appeared on Today, it’s claimed.

The pair were even texting each other last week when Karl was in New York covering the US election, it is claimed.

Woman’s Day alleges Thorburn knew nothing of the secret texts until she found her husband’s phone and discovered “a stack of messages.”

“He’s been FaceTiming and texting this woman for weeks — multiple times each week,” the magazine quotes a family friend as saying. “Cass only found out about it after he had walked out, but then there was a lot she didn’t know about Karl.”

The allegations come after news last week Stefanovic is being forced by Channel Nine to have a break and deal with his family issues over summer.

Nine news boss Darren Wick told The Daily Telegraph they made the decision so he could come back fresh next year.

Full time mum Thornburn is said to be eyeing a return to media work. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“Previously what we’ve done with Karl is that he has often shot 60 Minutes stories over the summer,” Wick said.

“We don’t want him doing that this year — just have a break. Obviously what he’s working through with his family situation ... he needs to have a break and just rest and spend time with his family. He’s going to do that and come back fresh next year.”

Following their split, stay-at-home mum Thorburn appears to be eyeing a return to her former career as a journalist, signing with celebrity agent and ‘king of spin’ Max Markson to help her find media work. Thorburn has already dipped a toe back into her former profession with an open letter published on PopSugar in response to an opinion piece that ran on news.com.au.

The 44-year-old surprised many last month with a frank Facebook post in which she slyly acknowledged the recent ratings win for Nine’s flagship show and detailed the role she’s played in the program’s success since her husband joined as co-host 12 years ago.

“Apparently Today Show finally won a year,” she wrote.

“This took a huge toll on my family and I, and I’m congratulating myself today for all the effort that went into making that happen.”

United front: The pair at the 2011 Logie Awards.