Cassandra Thorburn and Natalie Joyce ‘are friends’

The estranged wife of former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has reportedly been in contact with Karl Stefanovic’s ex. 

Natalie Joyce has maintained a dignified public silence following her husband’s affair with his one-time media advisor Vikki Campion and the subsequent birth of their baby in April. 

But the mother-of-four has been privately seeking guidance from a woman who has been though a similarly high-profile separation, Cassandra Thorburn, according to the Woman’s Day Uncensored podcast on Friday.    

‘They’ve been leaning on each other’: Natalie Joyce (L) ‘is seeking guidance from Cassandra Thorburn (R)’ after their exes Karl Stefanovic and Barnaby both moved on with younger women

‘These guys have been in contact with each other,’ Woman’s Day editor Fiona Connolly said. 

‘I mean, they’ve got a lot in common. They’ve been leaning on each other. I couldn’t applaud Cass more for the way she’s handled herself.’

The magazine’s associate editor Phil Koch replied: ‘They’ve been with high-profile men and have had to watch their relationship, their marriage, their life disintegrate in public which wasn’t of either one’s choosing.

‘I think you might find they have quite a strong bond.’

Estranged: Natalie Joyce has maintained a dignified public silence following her husband’s affair with his one-time media advisor Vikki Campion and the subsequent birth of their baby Sebastian (pictured) in April 

Moving on: Meanwhile, 47-year-old Cassandra’s ex Karl, 43, is now engaged to shoe designer Jasmine Yarbrough, 34

While Barnaby and Karl have both moved on with younger partners, there is no suggestion that Karl cheated on Cassandra like Barnaby did. 

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Natalie for comment.

Phil also claimed Natalie was left ‘incredibly distressed’ after watching Barnaby’s $150,000 TV interview with Vikki and their baby son Sebastian on Channel 7 on June 3.

‘I know someone who actually watched the show with Natalie. She didn’t cope very well with it, it was incredibly distressing,’ Phil claimed. 

Rumour has it: ‘These guys [Natalie and Cassandra] have been in contact with each other. I mean, they’ve got a lot in common. They’ve been leaning on each other,’ Woman’s Day editor Fiona Connolly said

He added: ‘I know there were phonecalls backwards and forwards to her daughters, who are scattered around Australia. This is a family in an incredible amount of distress.’  

Natalie has kept a low profile since her husband’s affair was revealed, focusing on her job as a special needs teacher. 

It initially looked like the mother-of-four would be vocal about the relationship breakdown – after she issued a withering statement earlier this year.

She said she felt ‘deceived and hurt’ by the love-child scandal, adding ‘the situation is devastating on many fronts’. 

Shock affair: Natalie said she felt ‘deceived and hurt’ when news of Barnaby’s affair broke, adding ‘the situation is devastating on many fronts’ (pictured together last June)

Natalie immediately hired agent Cecelia Hadded earlier this year but Ms Haddad soon said ‘she is adamant… she will not do any interviews’. The family have revealed divorce proceedings have not yet started.

Meanwhile, Cassandra, 47, split from Karl after 21 years of marriage. The pair have three children together.

Karl met shoe designer Jasmine, 34, at a Sydney party in September 2016 and the pair announced their engagement in February of this year.  

Cassandra has been lauded for her maintaining a dignified silence amid their split and has only publicly commented that her ex’s engagement doesn’t ‘register’ with her ‘on any level’.  

Tight-lipped: Elsewhere, Cassandra has been lauded for her maintaining a dignified silence amid her split from Karl and has only commented that her ex’s engagement doesn’t ‘register’ with her ‘on any level’