Tuesday, November 3, 2026

After four divorces, 92-year-old Rupert Murdoch announces engagement with 66-year-old

Billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch, 92, divorced four times, has found love again in the arms of Ann Lesley Smith, a 66-year-old police chaplain, whom he met in September last year.

• March 24, 2023
Rupert Murdoch and Ann Lesley Smith
Rupert Murdoch and Ann Lesley Smith [Credit: The Telegraph]

Billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch, 92, divorced four times, has found love again in the arms of Ann Lesley Smith, a 66-year-old police chaplain, whom he met in September last year.

Mr MuRdoch owns a network of successful media companies like the Wall Street Journal, Fox broadcast network, the New York Post, and Fox News Channel.

The news of Mr Murdoch’s engagement broke on his tabloid, The Post, where he expressed joy and confidence that he had found his “last” marital bus stop in Ms Smith.

“I dreaded falling in love — but I knew this would be my last. It better be. I’m happy,” the excited groom-to-be told The Post.

Being formerly married to the late Chester Smith, a radio executive, Ms Smith was not a stranger to the media industry, an experience she believes would make her prospective union with Mr Murdoch successful.

“For us both, it’s a gift from God. We met last September,” the bride-to-be told her fiance’s outlet. 

“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,” she disclosed.

Mr Murdoch ended his fourth marriage to model Jerry Halls in August 2022, with the latter receiving millions of pounds and a mansion as a divorce settlement.

His new engagement comes in the middle of a $1.6 billion lawsuit legal crisis that his company, Fox Corporation, was battling.

Dominion Voting Systems has charged Fox Corporation with linking their organisation to claims of electoral fraud related to ex-President Donald Trump’s unsuccessful reelection bid.

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

Nigerian Bar Association

States

Independence: NBA urges Nigerians to expect better future

The NBA said that ordinary Nigerians should be deriving benefit from the subsidy removal rather than hardship.

farmers

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

Volodymyr Zelensky

World

3,400 police officers deployed for Zelensky’s visit to Berlin

German police have deployed an additional 3,400 officers ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit.

Map of Plateau State

States

Group urges FG, security agents to end killings in Plateau

Mr Abdullahi called on women to rise against conflict enablers in the communities.

Lagos

Police arrest two over high-tech cannabis farm in Lagos

The police command in Lagos State has arrested two suspects after uncovering a suspected high-tech indoor cannabis farm at a residential property in the Apapa area.

Africa

South Africa prepares for job losses as U.S. ends trade benefits

President Donald Trump targeted the country largely due to what he says is its ​persecution of white people.

NationWide

130 million Nigerians getting poorer; Tinubu’s economic reforms favouring only rich: Atedo Peterside

Atedo Peterside censured President Bola Tinubu’s administration for reforms that favour the rich while making 130 million Nigerians poorer.

terrorists

Maiduguri

Northerners urged to expose ‌terrorists, bandits

The Northern Group for Peace and Development urged northerners to expose terrorists, kidnappers and bandits.