Sources close to the American media mogul Rupert Murdoch reported that the 92-year-old billionaire suddenly broke off his engagement, although the marriage was expected after only months, according to the British newspaper The Guardian, Tuesday, April 4, 2023 .
Vanity Fair reported on the four-time Fox boss, who last month became engaged to Ann Leslie Smith, a former San Francisco police chaplain turned conservative radio host.
The marriage was scheduled for next summer, less than a year after Rupert Murdoch finalized his divorce from his fourth wife, model Jerry Hall. Murdoch and Anne were first seen during a trip in January, and photos showed the engaged couple on a beach in Barbados.
In late March, Murdoch announced the engagement, saying, “I was nervous. I was afraid of falling in love, but I knew it would be my last. It better be so. I’m happy.”
While Anne expressed her happiness during her interview with The New York Post, which is owned by Murdoch.
“I’ve been a widow for 14 years,” Ann said. “Like Robert, my husband was a businessman. I worked for local newspapers, developed TV and radio stations, and helped promote Univision. That’s why I speak Murdoch language. We share the same beliefs.”
What upset Rupert Murdoch?
The New York Post reports that Rupert Murdoch has now opted for an Asscher-cut diamond solitaire ring. The engagement took place on St. Patrick’s Day, and Murdoch stated that he chose the date because it was “a quarter Irish”.
And Anne was spotted wearing an engagement ring last week while out with Murdoch, according to The Daily Mail , an 11-carat diamond ring valued at around $2.5 million.
But sources close to Murdoch told Vanity Fair that while the exact reason behind the engagement is not clear, it may have been because Murdoch was uncomfortable with Anne’s evangelical views.
The magazine added that Anne had previously fought a legal battle with her husband’s children from his other wife over his multimillion-dollar assets. One of the sons accused Ann in the lawsuit of “financial abuse of the elderly”. The case was settled in 2010.
It should be noted that Rupert Murdoch was married 4 times to Jerry, Wend
y Murdoch, Anna Murdoch Mann and Patricia Booker. The American billionaire has 6 sons and daughters.
