Karl Stefanovic has gone from dominating headlines over his shock Today exit to radio silence.
Tensions are thought to be running high in the Stefanovic household, as Karl, 52, and wife Jasmine, 42, try to move past a difficult court fight, career woes and a public swipe from his ex – and questions are mounting about what’s really going on behind the scenes.
Where is Karl Stefanovic?
On the career front, things are entering concerning territory for Karl. A few months on from his exit from Nine and his jam-packed TV schedule, his controversial podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show, has ground to a halt – and reportedly lost its advertiser.
The flow of outspoken guests has slowed to a trickle, and he hasn’t given his listeners a new episode since August 24. With Karl reportedly AWOL, speculation is mounting that this could spell the end for the podcast.
Adding fuel to the fire, his business partner Keshnee Kemp recently posted on LinkedIn that she was hiring editorial staff for roles in Melbourne. When one commenter asked: “Would it involve working with Karl Stefanovic? Asking for a friend,” Keshnee’s reply was a laughing emoji and a blunt “no”.
On September 14, things intensified as Keshnee took legal action to prevent Karl from removing her as a director of their company, 123 Podcast Pty Ltd.
Karl and Keshnee each hold an equal 45 per cent of the podcast, with the remaining 10 per cent owned by Karl’s long-time accountant, Anthony Bell, who is not involved in the dispute.
According to NSW Supreme Court filings, Keshnee claims Karl engaged in “oppressive, unfairly prejudicial or […] discriminatory” conduct, and is now demanding he buy back her shares at a fair value that offsets any financial damage caused by his alleged conduct.
Karl Stefanovic’s legal drama
The former Today star and Jasmine were quietly dealing with the aftermath of their family dog, Chance the Yapper, attacking a person and causing “serious injury” in April, and fronted a Sydney court on September 3 to try to save their pet from being put down.
The German shepherd, who Jasmine affectionately calls her “Chancey boy”, has been with the family since 2018. He narrowly escaped euthanasia, but is now under a strict four-year control order.
Along with putting a mandatory “Warning Dog” sign on their Castlecrag, Sydney home, Karl and Jasmine have been told to keep their dog muzzled and on a leash in public. The couple, whose daughter Harper is just six, must also keep the dog in a secure enclosure at their house.
Years ago, in a radio chat, Karl implied their pet had been a problematic pup that his wife was besotted with, saying, “I just can’t stand him. He’s only nine months old and I want to get rid of him.”
Cass Thorburn’s pointed dig
The emotional court ordeal played out just a day after Karl’s ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn revealed she hadn’t heard from him since she was diagnosed with breast cancer in February. “I know who he is. It’s others who don’t,” Cass, 55, told The Sydney Morning Herald of Karl, with whom she shares three older children.
Cass, who is now cancer-free, also spoke about the “bitter ex-wife” label she was saddled with after their 21-year marriage crumbled in 2016.
“What’s the term for the man? They never use one,” she said. “They weren’t interested in who I was while I was married, but once I got divorced, they certainly decided who I should be and how that was going to play out.”
What’s next for Karl?
Despite the quiet, an insider tells Woman’s Day Karl hasn’t disappeared from the spotlight for good.
“Karl has been relatively quiet of late, but that certainly doesn’t mean he has disappeared from the spotlight altogether,” the source says. “Behind the scenes, he and his team have been working on plans for his next chapter, with his podcast a major focus. They are currently lining up high-profile guests, with an emphasis on securing people they believe will bring something genuinely interesting to the conversation.”
The insider adds that Karl is heavily involved in the planning himself. “He’s very much involved in the planning process, particularly when it comes to deciding who he wants to speak to. He has strong ideas about the direction of the project – he is not always the easiest person to work with, particularly when he has a clear vision of what he wants, but the feeling is that the extra effort will be worth it if they can land the right names.”
Family, meanwhile, has become the priority. “Karl is making a conscious effort to spend more time with his family following a hellish few months,” the source says. “Rather than immediately rushing into his next TV role, he appears to be using this period to regroup and work out what he wants the next stage of his career to look like.”
He’s also weighing options overseas, though the insider notes it’s not straightforward. “He is also exploring other TV opportunities, both in Australia and overseas. However, given the controversy surrounding him at the moment, those discussions are proving more complicated than they once were.”
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