Karl Stefanovic cautioned by police over waiter’s claim Today host ‘touched’ him at fundraiser

Karl Stefanovic has been given a formal warning for ‘touching’ a male waiter at a charity event he attended in Brisbane with his wife Jasmine Yarbrough.

Queensland Police have completed their investigation into the incident at a Mercedes-Benz melanoma charity event in the riverside suburb of Newstead on August 20 last year.

“A 48-year-old man from Sunshine Beach has been issued an adult warning for common assault,” a police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

“Politically, the case is now closed.”

While Stefanovic and 39-year-old Yarbrough live in Castlecrag on Sydney’s north coast, they also own a five-bedroom house on Sunshine Beach in Noosa, bought for $3.6 million in 2020.

An adult caution is a formal warning that can be issued by a police officer under Queensland’s Adult Cautioning Scheme. Caution provides a way to deal with lesser, non-common offenses.

Stefanovic has been contacted for comment.

Queensland Police revealed last September that they were investigating a report about a man’s alleged assault at a business in Newstead.

“As the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further,” they said.

“It is clear that the matter has been discussed privately between the parties in order to reach a solution.”

The waiter, who had been a bartender for the catering company Mr. Consistent, filed a police report after allegedly being touched by Stefanovic when he was hosting the six-hour charity event.

A spokeswoman for the company told Daily Mail Australia at the time: ‘Mr. Consistently puts the safety of their personnel and any police investigation first and refuses to comment on allegations.”

It is clear that detectives collected a statement from at least one person at the fundraiser.

The waiter, who had been a bartender for the catering company Mr. Consistent, filed a police report after allegedly being touched by Stefanovic when he was hosting the six-hour charity event. Stefanovic is pictured with melanoma patient Gina at the fundraiser

An adult caution is a formal warning that can be issued by a police officer under Queensland’s Adult Cautioning Scheme. Caution provides a way to deal with lesser, non-common offenses. Stefanovic is photographed at Sydney Airport in September

The function, hosted by charity group The Six Hour Project and billed as A Night For Melanoma, was attended by about 350 guests and raised $290,000 for skin cancer research.

Stefanovic and Yarbrough shared photos on Instagram of themselves dressed in formal attire as they mingled with clients in the evening.

The pair mingled with the guests and posed for photos with organizers and fans at the gala – largely while wearing a white baseball cap that read ‘f**k cancer’.

At one point, Stefanovic tried to lure guests onto the dance floor by yelling “come on…get up” into a microphone to Chic’s 1970s disco hit “Le Freak.”

He was also pictured alongside melanoma patient and event organizer Gina Savage. “Gina, courage, resilience and beauty,” Stefanovic wrote in a caption.

“We just lifted the roof for you, your struggle, your charity, and everyone else battling melanoma.”

Ms Savage had previously appeared in an interview on Today with Stefanovic to tell the story of her diagnosis before the couple reunited to hold the fundraiser.

Proceeds from the evening were donated to The Mater Foundation and the Melanoma Institute of Australia to raise awareness, increase detection and find a cure for the cancer.

Stefanovic and his wife (left) mingled with guests at the fundraiser that raised $290,000 for skin cancer research