Karl Stefanovic’s wife Jasmine has brutally weighed in on Anthony Albanese controversially branding Grace Tame “difficult” as she declared the activist “got off lightly”.
Jasmine Stefanovic has issued a brutal swipe to Grace Tame as she shared her opinion on Anthony Albanese’s controversial comments on the activist.
The wife of Today show host Karl Stefanovic spoke out after the Prime Minister branded Ms Tame “difficult” during a word-association game during the Future Victoria summit presented by The Herald Sun on Wednesday.
When asked about Ms Tame, who has faced calls to have her Australian of the Year award stripped after leading a Sydney protest in chants of “globalise the intifada”, Mr Albanese replied: “Difficult”.
Mr Albanese’s comments and subsequent attempt to backtrack sparked a huge backlash amongst Australia’s progressive elite, however, it appears Ms Stefanovic disagrees with the reaction to the Prime Minister’s comments.
Karl Stefanovic’s wife Jasmine has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Anthony Albanese’s comments on Grace Tame. Picture: Kelly Barnes
Ms Stefanovic made her feelings clear on the controversy by commenting on a post by Marie Claire Australia magazine, which supported Ms Tame.
“Every woman knows what it really means to be called ‘difficult’,” the post said.
“When the Prime Minister described Grace Tame as ‘difficult’, it echoed a label that outspoken, confident women have been handed for generations,” the caption alongside the post read.
“For women, “difficult” is rarely a neutral descriptor. It is shorthand. It is the word used when a woman is direct instead of diplomatic, firm instead of accommodating, unwilling to smooth over discomfort for the sake of social ease.”
Ms Tame liked the post while Ms Stefanovic appeared to disagree with the magazine’s take on the controversy.
“Wow is that a joke? She got off lightly!!” Ms Stefanovic commented.
Mr Albanese attempted to backtrack on his comments during a visit to a Melbourne endometriosis clinic on Thursday as he praised Ms Tame’s advocacy work.
“I was asked to describe people in one word, and Grace Tame you certainly can’t describe in one word,” he said.
Ms Tame hit out at Mr Albanese’s attempts to backtrack after he branded her “difficult”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage
“She has had a difficult life, and that was what I was referring to. And what Grace Tame has done is to turn that difficult experience that she had into being a strong advocate for others, which is why she received, quite rightly, the Australian of the Year award.”
In response to Mr Albanese’s comments, Ms Tame compared him to Mr Morrison – who she infamously refused to smile next to when standing with him at a ceremony at The Lodge.
Mr Morrison brushed off the viral photographs of Ms Tame’s reaction by saying she had “had a terrible life ordeal”.
“Dude’s quoting Scott [Morrison] now!!! ‘She’s had a difficult life’… . We all know what you meant. A badge of honour anyway. A confession that I’ve ruffled him,” Ms Tame wrote on social media following Mr Albanese’s backtrack.
“Both men, when called out for their behaviour towards me, have used ‘she’s had a difficult life’ as a condescending justification. Get some new material boys.”