Lisa Wilkinson details the moment Karl Stefanovic told her about his romance with Jasmine Yarbrough

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    He angered many of his female Today show viewers when he confirmed he was dating a younger woman just months after his shock split with his wife of 21 years, Cassandra Thorburn.

    And Lisa Wilkinson admits she too was stunned when her former co-host Karl Stefanovic revealed his romance with glamorous shoe designer, Jasmine Yarbrough.

    Lisa recalls the moment Karl privately told her he had ‘met someone’ and was ‘madly in love’ in her new memoir, It Wasn’t Meant To Be Like This.

    Her side: Lisa Wilkinson has detailed the moment her former Today show co-host Karl Stefanovic told her about his new relationship with Jasmine Yarbrough in her new book, It Wasn't Meant To Be Like This

    Her side: Lisa Wilkinson has detailed the moment her former Today show co-host Karl Stefanovic told her about his new relationship with Jasmine Yarbrough in her new book, It Wasn’t Meant To Be Like This

    In an excerpt from the autobiography, the 61-year-old detailed how Karl asked to meet her in his office to tell her his relationship news – just months after his highly-publicised marriage breakdown with his wife.

    Lisa said she found him looking ‘as happy and relaxed as I’d ever seen him’ during the meeting, before he uttered the words: ‘I’ve met someone.’

    She said Karl then showed her a picture of the LA-based model and designer, nine years his junior, before confirming that he was ‘madly in love’ with her.

    ‘Well, that certainly took a turn,’ Lisa wrote. 

    ‘And explained a lot. That smile he had on his face got even bigger.’

    She added that it was the ‘cherry on top’ for Karl that Jasmine hailed from Brisbane, as he was too was a passionate Queenslander.  

    ‘The plan, he told me, was for “Jas” to eventually return from LA, but for now it was a long-distance romance until he could get back over there,’ she continued.

    Romance: Karl Stefanovic (left) had met Jasmine Yarbrough (right) aboard a lavish cruise in December, five months after he and Cassandra Thorburn - who share Jackson, 20, Ava, 15, and River, 13, together - separated in 2016. They divorced a year later

    Romance: Karl Stefanovic (left) had met Jasmine Yarbrough (right) aboard a lavish cruise in December, five months after he and Cassandra Thorburn – who share Jackson, 20, Ava, 15, and River, 13, together – separated in 2016. They divorced a year later

    Media frenzy: Three weeks after Karl told Lisa about his new relationship, the pair were photographed on a luxury boat on Sydney Harbour in February with Jasmine by his side - and the pair's names were splashed across headlines.

    Media frenzy: From February 2017, Karl and Jasmine’s names were splashed across headlines after their romance was confirmed. This photograph showed Jasmine leaping into her partner’s arms in April 2017, after he flew to LA for a week-long break with the former catwalk model – which also included a trip to Mexico with her family

    Three weeks later in February 2017, Karl was photographed on a luxury boat on Sydney Harbour with Jasmine by his side – and the pair’s names were splashed across headlines.

    ‘Some days I could see that he was really struggling – while remaining admirably stoic – with the constant spotlight upon him,’ Lisa said. 

    Karl and Jasmine had met onboard another lavish cruise in December, five months after he and Thorburn – who share Jackson, 20, Ava, 15, and River, 13, together – had separated in 2016. They divorced a year later. 

    Lisa detailed in her book how Karl’s relationship with a younger woman impacted his career, citing an interview with entertainment reporter with Peter Ford on The Kyle and Jackie O show.

    ‘His personal ratings – and Nine has done research to confirm this – are right down the toilet,’ Ford said. ‘Women are angry at him.’  

    Host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson echoed those thoughts, adding: ‘They think he’s just left her for some young 20-year-old and he’s cavorting around, kissing her, cuddling her, for everyone to see.’

    Learning the news: Also in her memoir, Wilkinson revealed the moment Cassandra Thorburn (left) - a former producer on the Today show - sent her a text message informing her Stefanovic had moved out of the family home in 2016

    Learning the news: Also in her memoir, Wilkinson revealed the moment Cassandra Thorburn (left) – a former producer on the Today show – sent her a text message informing her Stefanovic had moved out of the family home in 2016

    Lisa said that the research Ford had spoke about referred to the fact the entire Today team – including Karl – had been asked to attend a presentation about the TV star’s declining ratings in light of his new relationship.

    ‘Each of us was given a full dossier detailing it all, and Jackie was right. It made for very uncomfortable reading,’ Lisa wrote.

    Also in her memoir, Lisa revealed the moment Cassandra – a former producer on the Today show – sent her a text message informing her Karl had moved out of the family home back in 2016.

    ‘They had just bought a waterfront property a month or two before and he had just signed a massive deal with the network. I presumed everything was great,’ Lisa wrote.

    She said she ‘gasped’ when she received the text from Cassandra telling her the couple had separated after 21 years of marriage.

    ‘Cass wanted to let me know that Karl had moved out a few weeks before,’ she wrote.

    ‘She was worried he hadn’t yet told me and didn’t want me mentioning anything on air about them that might make things uncomfortable.’

    Silence: Wilkinson said Stefanovic had managed to keep a lid on things for weeks, and even when questioned by the paparazzi at the airport about his split he'refused to give them what they wanted'

    Silence: Wilkinson said Stefanovic had managed to keep a lid on things for weeks, and even when questioned by the paparazzi at the airport about his split he ‘refused to give them what they wanted’

    Family: Stefanovic is now married to Jasmine, whom he wed in Mexico in December 2018. Pictured: The couple on their wedding day

    Family: Stefanovic is now married to Jasmine, whom he wed in Mexico in December 2018. Pictured: The couple on their wedding day

    New addition: The couple welcomed baby Harper in April 2020

    New addition: The couple welcomed baby Harper in April 2020 

    Lisa said Karl had managed to keep a lid on things for weeks, and even when questioned by the paparazzi at the airport about his split he ‘refused to give them what they wanted’.

    ‘His restraint was extraordinary,’ she wrote. 

    ‘I, on the other hand, wanted to yell at them to back off and it took every bit of strength I had in me not to.’

    Karl went on to marry Jasmine in Mexico in December 2018, and the couple now share a one-year-old daughter, Harper.

    Following a media frenzy regarding his personal life alongside a slump in ratings, Karl was dumped by Channel Nine in December 2018 while he was on his honeymoon with Jasmine in the US.

    Out: Following a media frenzy regarding his personal life alongside a slump in ratings, Karl was dumped by Channel Nine in December 2018 while he was on his honeymoon with Jasmine in the US. Pictured: The couple arriving back in Sydney on December 21, 2018

    Out: Following a media frenzy regarding his personal life alongside a slump in ratings, Karl was dumped by Channel Nine in December 2018 while he was on his honeymoon with Jasmine in the US. Pictured: The couple arriving back in Sydney on December 21, 2018

    However, he was sensationally brought back to the Today show in early 2020 to revive declining ratings, and has remained as a fixture alongside host Allison Langdon ever since.

    Lisa’s book also includes a chapter dedicated to her sacking from Channel Nine and falling out with Karl over a pay dispute.

    She was sacked from the Today show in October 2017 after a reported gender pay gap issue.

    The Nine Network was reportedly ‘unable to meet her expectations’ after she demanded equal pay with Karl.

    In January the following year, Lisa joined Channel 10’s The Project for a rumoured multimillion-dollar pay packet.

    Book: Lisa's book also includes a chapter dedicated to her sacking from Channel Nine and eventual falling out with former co-star Karl over a pay dispute

    Book: Lisa’s book also includes a chapter dedicated to her sacking from Channel Nine and eventual falling out with former co-star Karl over a pay dispute

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