Rupert Murdoch and Ann Lesley Smith ‘dramatically call off their engagement’

4 April 2023

Rupert Murdoch and Ann Lesley Smith have reportedly called off their engagement.

Rupert Murdoch and Ann Lesley Smith have reportedly called off their engagement

The 92-year-old media baron proposed to the former dental hygienist, 66, with an 11-carat diamond ring thought valued at up to £2 million last month, but a report on Tuesday (04.04.23) said their marriage plans are now off.

A friend close to the couple told the Daily Mail about how Ann had struggled with the idea of spending her life in the spotlight like Rupert: “She just could not cope with being in the public eye.

“She is very private. They sat down and talked yesterday and agreed it was better for them to part.

“He accepts that he will always be in the public eye and there is nothing he can or would do to change that.”

Another insider told the publication about how the split was amicable and how Rupert still adores Ann: “He admires her, respects her and thinks she is an amazing woman.

“He loves the fact she is so calm and so strong … and she shares his religious convictions.”

The pair were said to have been planning to marry this summer, but their engagement was reportedly abruptly called off on Tuesday (04.04.23) after they apparently reluctantly came to the “mutual decision” to split after talks the previous night.

The couple had described their romance as a “gift from God” and the marriage would have been Ann’s third time down the aisle and Rupert’s fifth.

Rupert, said to be worth $17 billion, told his newspaper the New York Post about their relationship: “I was very nervous. I dreaded falling in love – but I knew this would be my last.

“It better be. I’m happy.”

Breaking the news just seven months after his divorce from fourth wife Jerry Hall, 66, the media titan sad he and his fiancée were looking forward to “spending the second half of our lives together”.

Ann was introduced to Rupert in September 2022 at a wine event at his Moraga vineyard in California when he waited a fortnight before asking to see her again.