Cassandra Thorburn has accused Karl Stefanovic’s family of abandoning her and the former couple’s children in the wake of their split.
In a blistering tell-all interview with The Australian Women’s Weekly published this Wednesday, Cassandra spoke about the struggles she has faced since Karl left his 21-year marriage two years ago.
‘Last year, I declared that Karl really was dead to me, a man I no longer know, but the children still have their father,’ the mother-of-three said.
‘I feel like we’ve been discarded and disposed of’: Cassandra Thorburn has accused Karl Stefanovic ‘s family of abandoning her and the couple’s children in the wake of their split
‘The flip-side of that is I feel like we’re dead to his family and almost anyone from our old life.’
Cassandra continued: ‘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.’
Karl announced his split from former wife Cassandra, an accomplished journalist and TV producer, in September 2016 after 21 years of marriage.
The Channel Nine personality met model-turned-shoe designer Jasmine in December 2016. They became engaged in January 2018.
In April 2017, reports emerged that Karl’s three children Jackson, 17, Ava, 12, and ten-year-old River weren’t in attendance at the wedding of Karl’s brother Peter and Sylvia Jeffreys.
At the time, a family friend reportedly spoke The Sydney Morning Herald claiming the children were ‘upset’ to have missed their uncle’s wedding.
The children’s lack of presence appears to be unusual for the Stefanovic family, after both Ava and River were present at their other uncle Tom’s wedding.
The youngsters had served as flower girl and page boy at the event in August 2015, as he married long-term love Jenna Dinicola in Griffith.
In March 2018, Karl and Jasmine celebrated their relationship with a comittment ceremony.
An insider told Daily Mail Australia at the time that Karl’s three children did not attend the ceremony but that Ava and River did show up for the celebrations afterwards.
Woman’s Day also reported that Ava and River were confused and upset after finding out about the commitment ceremony just three hours beforehand.
Karl and Cassandra’s eldest child Jackson did not attend and is believed to be estranged from the Today show host.