Rupert Murdoch’s recent engagement to Ann Lesley Smith has been called off.
The 92-year-old media mogul, who has been married four times previously, announced his engagement to Smith in the US media a little over two weeks ago.
In the New York Post, Murdoch revealed that the couple had met at a vineyard in California in September 2022.
The wedding was intended to take place in late summer and they were to split their time between California, the UK, Montana and New York, it was claimed.
Murdoch has now called off the engagement with the former San Francisco police chaplain after becoming uncomfortable with her evangelical Christian views.
It comes shortly after the News Corp man reached a divorce settlement with Jerry Hall, his fourth wife, last August after six years together.
According to reports, Murdoch told his wife their marriage was over in an email.
A screenshot by Vanity Fair read:
“Jerry, sadly I’ve decided to call an end to our marriage. We have certainly had some good times, but I have much to do … My New York lawyer will be contacting yours immediately.”
Hall reportedly told people: “Rupert and I never fought,” outside of small disagreements over political matters.
She was also cited as telling friends that she was required to move out of the couple’s Bel Air estate within 30 days and show receipts to prove that what she was taking belonged to her.
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