Former Today host Karl Stefanovic has bought out his podcast partner for an undisclosed amount after months of turbulence over the new media venture, leading to a legal stoush.
Stefanovic has not worked on the podcast for two months after falling out with Keshnee Ibrahim (nee Kemp), who owns 45 per cent of the business behind The Karl Stefanovic Show.
The dispute was set to reappear in the NSW Supreme Court next week, with an independent expert appointed to assess the value of the company so Stefanovic could buy his partner out.
Stefanovic and Ibrahim were approached for comment.
Stefanovic launched the podcast earlier this year ahead of a widely anticipated exit from Nine’s Today show, where he had been a mainstay for the past two decades. But in June, Nine cut ties with him after a controversial interview with British fascist and criminal Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson.
Court documents released last month showed the relationship between Ibrahim and Stefanovic had broken down “irretrievably”, with Justice David Hammerschlag of the NSW Supreme Court telling the pair they must either to agree to a buyout or liquidate the company.
Both agreed that a buyout was preferable.
At the time, a source close to Ibrahim who was not authorised to speak publicly, told this masthead that Stefanovic had downed tools more than five weeks ago and refused to record any more episodes of The Karl Stefanovic Show unless Ibrahim resigned from her role as a company director.
The pair had fallen out over the show’s direction and ownership of the podcast after disagreeing about the events leading up to the Robinson interview. Stefanovic’s exit from Nine left him with little income outside the proceeds of the fledgling podcast.
Calum Jaspan is a media writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based in Melbourne. Reach him securely on Signal @calumjaspan.10Connect via X or email.
Kayla Olaya is a culture reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.From our partners
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