London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 29, 2026

Rupert Murdoch ends engagement to Ann Lesley Smith weeks after proposal

Rupert Murdoch ends engagement to Ann Lesley Smith weeks after proposal

Rupert Murdoch has called off his engagement to Ann Lesley Smith shortly after proposing.

The 92-year-old was reported to be walking down the aisle for a fifth time later this year, following a whirlwind romance with the radio host, 66.

However, their relationship has come crashing down just weeks after their engagement made headlines.

According to reports in Vanity Fair, an insider claimed that the media mogul had become concerned by his bride’s ‘outspoken evangelical views’.

The pair are yet to publicly speak out over the reports.

Murdoch and Smith met at a party held at his vineyard Moraga in Bel-Air around seven months ago, shortly after his marriage to fourth wife Jerry Hall ended.

Rupert announced their engagement last month


Speaking of their relationship in a candid chat with the New York Post, the businessman explained that he got down on one knee in New York on St Patrick’s Day, presenting his then-bride-to-be with an Asscher-cut diamond solitaire.

‘I was very nervous. I dreaded falling in love — but I knew this would be my last. It better be. I’m happy,’ he said.

Smith, who was previously married to country singer and media executive Chester Smith before his death in 2008, added: ‘For us both it’s a gift from God. We met last September.

‘I’m a widow 14 years. Like Rupert, my husband was a businessman. Worked for local papers, developed radio and TV stations and helped promote Univision. So I speak Rupert’s language. We share the same beliefs.

He was previously married to Jerry Hall for six years before they split last year

Anna Murdoch was the businessman’s second wife


‘In perspective, it’s not my first rodeo. Getting near 70 means being in the last half. I waited for the right time. Friends are happy for me.’

Murdoch married his first wife Patricia Booker in 1956, before they got divorced a decade later.

His second marriage, with Anna Murdoch Mann, spanned from 1967 to 1999, after which he walked down the aisle with Wendi Deng that same year.

Their time together wasn’t to last and they went their separate ways in 2013, and he said his vows with Hall three years later.

Last June, it was reported that Murdoch and Hall had separated after six years of marriage, with their divorce finalized in August.

Their lawyers said at the time: ‘Jerry Hall and Rupert Murdoch have finalized their divorce.

‘They remain good friends and wish each other the best for the future.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US
France Evacuates Atlantic Coast Resorts as Wildfire Risk Rises Again
Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Kumamoto as Rescuers Search Collapsed Buildings
OpenAI Faces Demands for Full Disclosure After Models Breach Hugging Face
Apple Briefly Crosses Five Trillion Dollar Valuation as Investors Retreat From AI Bets
Badenoch Offers Tory Votes to Keep Serious Offenders in Prison
Why Americans Queue for $15 Ice Cream and a $100 Caviar Pint
Another AI Genius Left the United States — and Silicon Valley Is Starting to Worry
Shein Reports $99mn Loss as Trade Barriers Test Low-Cost Model
CXMT Gains 466% in China’s Biggest IPO Since 2010
Amazon Seeks Approval for 5,105-Satellite Mobile Network
Burnham Puts School-to-Work Reform at Centre of Welfare Strategy
Johnson & Johnson Agrees to $5.5 Billion Talc Lawsuit Settlement
EU AI Act Shapes Global Corporate Standards, Study Finds
UK-Japan Relations Expected to Deepen Under Burnham Government
Burnham Signals Tough Decisions on Council Tax Reform
UK Inflation Slows to 2.6% in June
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75%
Prime Minister Burnham Opens Talks With Business Leaders on Economic Growth
Government Launches 'Number Ten North' to Drive UK Devolution
Labour Regains Poll Lead After Burnham's First Weeks in Office
Prime Minister Burnham Rules Out Early UK General Election Before 2029
Burnham Rules Out Replacing Council Tax and Stamp Duty
Fresh Heatwave Threatens to Rekindle France’s Historic Wildfire Crisis
The Burnham government is seeking to establish its credibility through ambitious social care reform while maintaining fiscal discipline and public confidence in the National Health Service. Labour's early improvement in opinion polls provides political momentum, but sustained support will depend on delivering tangible policy outcomes. Britain continues to reinforce its role in European security through long-term support for Ukraine, while climate-related risks, including increasingly severe wildfires across England and Scotland, are becoming a more prominent national resilience challenge alongside economic uncertainty.
United Kingdom Economy Remains Exposed to Global Energy Risks
Prime Minister Dismisses Calls for an Early General Election
Scottish Wildfires Continue to Stretch Emergency Services
United Kingdom Faces Rising Wildfire Risk as Heatwave Continues
Lower Oil Prices Ease Inflation Concerns and Support Financial Markets
Financial Conduct Authority Launches Consumer Campaign on Car Finance Compensation
Government Prioritises Employment Over Benefit Cuts in Welfare Reform Plans
Prime Minister Rules Out Sweeping Property Tax Changes Before Autumn Budget
AstraZeneca Beats Expectations as Cancer Medicines Drive Strong Profit Growth
Labour Regains Narrow Polling Lead After Burnham's First Week in Office
United Kingdom Reaffirms Long-Term Commitment to Ukraine Under Burnham Government
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Makes Social Care Reform the First Major Test of His Government
Following OpenAI's Cyberattack: 'Most Companies Still Do Not Understand What Is Coming'
Autopsy Finds No Violence in Death of Epstein-Linked Model Scout
Indian Education Minister Resigns After Cockroach Youth Protests
California Desert Data-Centre Plan Stalls as Water and Power Disputes Mount
Northern Ireland Border Security Tightened After Military-Grade Explosive Interception
British Hospitality Sector Targets Summer Visitors Through Regional Promotions
England River Access Debate Intensifies After New Data Shows Limited Public Access
Royal Navy Strengthens Maritime Vigilance Amid Rising Security Concerns
UK Education Department Expands Mental Health Support for Young People Entering Work
UK Tourism Industry Launches Summer Campaigns to Boost Domestic Travel
North England Transport Plans Advance to Support Industrial Growth
Financial Markets Watch New Government’s Economic Strategy as Investors Assess Fiscal Risks
Royal Navy Continues Monitoring Russian Naval Activity Near UK Waters
×