Cassandra Thorburn has spoken out about the lack of contact from her ex-husband, television personality Karl Stefanovic, following her public announcement of a rare breast cancer diagnosis in February. Thorburn, a journalist, stated in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald that Stefanovic had not reached out to her.
"No, I know who he is. It's others that don't," Thorburn, 55, said when asked about her ex-husband's silence. She also commented on Stefanovic's past public persona, suggesting he was always inclined towards "clickbait" before launching his right-wing podcast, "The Karl Stefanovic Show."
Thorburn, who was married to Stefanovic for over two decades before their 2016 split, is now cancer-free but is continuing radiation and immunotherapy treatment. She also used the interview to discuss the phenomenon of "cancer ghosting," where friends and family members withdraw from a person after they have been diagnosed with cancer.
"Some people either don't know what to say or, just too much time passes in their head," Thorburn explained. She elaborated that individuals facing a cancer diagnosis typically do not focus on who is or isn't reaching out, but rather on the unexpected absence of support. "What you are thinking, though, is you don't expect people to leave."
In May, Thorburn had previously addressed "cancer ghosting" in a social media video, describing it as a "taboo topic" that is more prevalent than many realize. She assured those experiencing it that the abandonment is not their fault and is often a reflection of the friends' or family members' own emotional limitations rather than a lack of care.
Cassandra Thorburn and Karl Stefanovic were married from 1995 to 2016 and share three adult children: Jackson, Ava, and River. Stefanovic remarried former model Jasmine Yarbrough in 2018, and they have a daughter named Harper. Thorburn had previously put her career on hold to raise their children, a decision Karl Stefanovic acknowledged in his 2011 Logie Awards acceptance speech.