Media billionaire Rupert Murdoch, 92, and his fifth fiancee, Anne Leslie Smith, 66, called off their engagement just two weeks after it was first announced.
- The 92-year-old media baron had proposed to the former dental hygienist, 66
- Their engagement was canceled today after a ‘mutual decision’ was reached.
Rupert Murdoch and Ann Leslie Smith have called off their engagement, just two weeks after it was first announced.
The 92-year-old media baron proposed to the former dental hygienist, 66, with an 11-carat diamond ring believed to be worth up to £2m just last month.
The couple, who previously described their romance as a “gift from God,” plan to wed this summer. But their engagement was abruptly called off today after the couple were said to have reluctantly reached a “mutual decision” following last night’s talks.
A close friend of the couple suggested that Ms Smith struggled to be in the public eye: ‘She couldn’t handle being in the public eye.
Media baron Rupert Murdoch, 91, and dental expert Ann Leslie Smith, 66, have called off their engagement, just two weeks after it was first announced. He proposed an 11-carat diamond ring believed to be worth up to £2m last month (the couple was photographed in January)
The couple, who previously described their romance as a “gift from God,” plan to wed this summer. But their engagement was abruptly called off today after the pair were said to have reluctantly reached a ‘mutual decision’ after talks last night.
She is very special. Yesterday they sat and talked and agreed that it would be best for them to part.
He agrees that he will always be in the public eye and there is nothing he can or will do to change that.
The Mail understands that it was a mutual decision, and one that is deeply unfortunate for both parties. Another friend told The Mail that the media baron is still very fond of Ms Smith.
The Mail understands that it was a mutual decision, and one that is deeply unfortunate for both parties. Another friend told The Mail the media baron is still very fond of Ms Smith (pictured together in March)
Murdoch finalized his divorce from his fourth wife, Jerry Hall (their wedding day was seen in 2016), in August 2022 after six years of marriage.
They said: He admires and respects her and thinks she is a wonderful woman. He loves the fact that she’s so calm, so strong…and shares his religious beliefs.
Smith was introduced to the newly single billionaire in September at a wine event at his Moraga, California vineyard when he waited two weeks before asking to see her again.
Media mogul Murdoch, said to be worth $17 billion (£13.7 billion), told the New York Post: ‘I was very nervous. I was afraid of falling in love – but I knew that this would be the last.
‘It better be.’ I am happy.’
The wedding would have been Murdoch’s fifth after his last marriage to model Jerry Hall, which ended abruptly in July last year.
The divorce was finalized within five weeks after they had been married for six years.
