Cassandra Thorburn had panic attacks during her divorce from Karl Stefanovic and had to ‘constantly’ defend herself to her own friends amid the media scrutiny
Cassandra Thorburn has been sharing her experience with divorce following her highly-publicised split with Today show host Karl Stefanovic in 2016.
In her podcast, Divorce Story: Surviving Separation, the 48-year-old revealed how the rumours surrounding her marriage breakdown had a profound effect on her.
Because of the intense scrutiny, the mother-of-three suffered ‘anxiety and panic attacks’ while doing normal things like shopping at the supermarket.
Speaking up: Cassandra Thorburn said the rumours and scrutiny surrounding her highly publicised divorce from Karl Stefanovic led her to experience ‘anxiety and panic attacks’ in her weekly podcast – Divorce Story: Surviving Separation
Cassandra said: ‘I started shopping really late at night and then I started online shopping. And then I realised, “I can’t live life like this, that is not fair.”‘
She explained that she ‘constantly wanted to defend herself’ against rumour and innuendo, even within her own circle of friends.
‘[My divorce] was on a more public scale where I wanted to constantly defend myself. And then it became… I can’t defend something that I am in so much hurt over at that point in time,’ she said.
She explained, ‘I started shopping really late at night and then I started online shopping. And then I realised I can’t live life like this’
Happier times: She also said that she ‘constantly wanted to defend herself’ about what was being said of her split, even within her own circle of friends (Karl and Cassandra in 2015)
Cassandra said that the only people she really owed an explanation to was her three children, Jackson, 20, Ava, 15, and River, 13, whom she shares with Karl.
She explained that the only time they need to hear the truth is if they ask about something they have heard from other children at school who overhear things from their families.
‘Other children can overhear things in the family home and they might say something to your children, I think that is the only time that you need to explain anything and be honest and open with them,’ she said.
New love: Karl has since moved on with shoe designer Jasmine Yarbrough (pictured together), who he married in December 2018
Cassandra and Karl’s divorce was finalised in May 2019. They announced their split in 2017 after 21 years of marriage.
Karl moved on with shoe designer Jasmine Yarbrough, who he married in December 2018.
They are now expecting their first child, a daughter, due in May.
Exciting times ahead: Karl and Jasmine are now expecting their first child together, a daughter, due in May (Jasmine pictured in a TikTok video)