'Karl Stefanovic's wife posts rant', 'Karl Stefanovic's wife wants credit for TV star's success','Karl Stefanovic's wife hits back' - these were just some of headlines that filled my Facebook feed first thing this morning.
Surely I was not the only one surprised when I clicked through and read what Cassandra Thorburn's so-called "emotion-charged rant" actually consisted of. There was no swearing, no name calling, no bad-mouthing her estranged husband, no threats of revenge. Nothing.
All the mother of the Nine Network star's three children did was write the following on her personal Facebook page after learning the Today Show had toppled Channel 7's Sunrise in the television ratings war.
"Apparently Today Show finally won a year. This took a huge toll on my family and I, and I'm congratulating myself today for all the effort that went into making that (the ratings) happen," Thorburn wrote.
"The suggestions, the story ideas, the constant counselling of questions for years. I'm giving myself a pat on the back tonight, as I know many people will also know how much effort I put into it. Found a lovely tipple to cheers myself."
For the record, I quite like Stefanovic. Sure his boyish humour is a little cringeworthy, but Lisa Wilkinson's no nonsense attitude keeps him under control most of the time. Together they make a great team and when it comes to the battle for breakfast television, my household is firmly team Today. (Although I would love the show even more if just once they would say my name and suburb before making the cash call ... pretty please?!)
However, I have no doubt Stefanovic's success has a lot to do with the sacrifices Thorburn has made during their years together.
Thorburn, 44, and Stefanovic, 42, met in the 1990s while Stefanovic was working with WIN television and Thorburn was a journalist at the ABC in Rockhampton. They went on to marry and have three children, Jackson, Ava and River.
While Thorburn focussed on raising their children, Stefanovic's professional star continued to rise and he won the Gold Logie for Most Popular Television Personality in 2011. His work, of course, involved much time away from home travelling while his wife dealt with the needs of their young family during that time.
Stefanovic himself is on the record as saying Thorburn earned "more than double" what he did as cadet reporter when they first got together.
"She gave up a promising career at the ABC and I'm forever thankful and tremendously appreciative of that," he said last year.
Stefanovic's Today Show colleague Ben Fordham has also spoken of the important role Thorburn has played in Stefanovic's career.
"There's no question that Cass is a crucial ingredient in Karl's success," he told Fairfax Media.
"I think she's ambitious for him … because she wants the best for Karl and she knows how talented he is."
I too have a husband who travels often for work. It's not easy when one half of your parenting team is away for weeks on end, sometimes with just a few hours notice that they will be gone.
Since having children, my career choices have been made with the knowledge that I will, often unexpectedly, be parenting on my own for a stretch of time. Both partners can't have jobs that demand absences from the home front when you have young children, unless you are lucky enough to have incredible support from extended family.
Happily, my husband last year won an award for the awesome job he does while travelling for his work. So what did he say when it came time to get up on stage and accept his prize on the awards night? First he thanked his bosses (good thinking babe!), but his biggest thank you was saved for me and the job I do meeting the needs of our family while he pursues his career.
Not only did my husband express that sentiment in his thank you speech, but throughout the night many of his colleagues also congratulated me on my husband's win. They understand career success involves team work when you are parents and I am the other member of my husband's "team".
So, taking all that into account, why should what Thorburn wrote on Facebook be labelled a "rant" rather than just a statement of truth? No doubt there are also men who have made sacrifices to support their wives' careers. However if they expressed similar sentiments in a post-breakup Facebook post they would probably be described as "setting the record straight" as opposed to "ranting".
Does the fact Stefanovic and Thorburn's marriage has broken down make the two decades Thorburn spent as part of Stefanovic's team irrelevant? Of course not. It just means she will no longer receive thanks for her contribution and sacrifices.
So if posting a self-congratulatory message on Facebook and enjoying a nice bottle of wine makes Thorburn feel good as she moves forward with her life, then I say "cheers to that!"
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