Rupert Murdoch and Ann Lesley Smith call off their engagement as he grows 'uncomfortable' with her evangelical views
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Rupert Murdoch and his fiancee Ann Lesley Smith have reportedly called off their engagement just two weeks after announcing their wedding plans. "The wedding is off," an insider revealed to RadarOnline.com, adding that the media mogul grew "increasingly uncomfortable" with Smith's "outspoken evangelical views." Murdoch, who has been married four times, proposed to Smith on St Patrick's Day in New York City with an Asscher-cut diamond solitaire ring.
Murdoch and Smith had allegedly planned to tie the knot this summer which is less than a year after Murdoch's fourth marriage to model-actor Jerry Hall came to a close. According to Vanity Fair, the billionaire had a change of heart after popping the question. In February, RadarOnline.com reported that Murdoch and Smith's relationship was progressing rapidly with the media mogul even moving her into a $30 million, 6,500-square-foot apartment. "Expect an announcement soon," a source told the outlet at the time.
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Fox News Lawsuit
Murdoch's engagement has since been called off, coinciding with Fox News being embroiled in a $1.6 billion lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems. The lawsuit accuses Fox News of defaming the voting company by airing conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 election. As the April 17 trial approaches, lawyers for Fox News have requested that Murdoch be excused from testifying, stating that he has already undergone a seven-hour deposition. Murdoch's previous marriage to Hall also ended in divorce with the couple finalizing their separation in 2022. In a joint statement, their attorneys said, "They remain good friends and wish each other the best for the future."
Murdoch and Lesley Smith
Murdoch has had several high-profile marriages in the past, including to Jerry Hall, Wendi Murdoch, Anna Murdoch Mann, and Patricia Booker. Prior to his engagement with Ann Lesley Smith, he was in a long-term relationship with rockstar Mick Jagger's ex, with whom he shares four children.
Murdoch and Smith met in September 2022 at a wine event at his Moraga vineyard in California. Murdoch shared his thoughts on their relationship with the New York Post, saying, "I dreaded falling in love - but I knew this would be my last. It better be. I'm happy." The wedding to Smith would have marked Murdoch's fifth marriage, with his last one to supermodel Jerry Hall ending in divorce in July 2022 after six years. According to reports, Murdoch has an estimated net worth of about $19.6 billion.