92-Year-Old Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch To Marry For 5th Time

Mr. Murdoch is engaged to Ann Lesley Smith, a 66-year-old San Francisco police chaplain

New Delhi: Rupert Murdoch, Australian American media mogul, is all set to be married again. This time, he is doing it at age 92. It has only been less than a year that he divorced model-actor Jerry Hall. 

Mr. Murdoch is engaged to Ann Lesley Smith, a 66-year-old San Francisco police chaplain, reports 'Variety'. Ann Lesley Smith was earlier married to Chester Smith, a country-western singer, as passed away in 2008. Rupert and Ann bonded over their shared knowledge of the media business. Talking to the New York Post, Ms Smith said, "For us both it's a gift from God. We met last September." She added, "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."

Quoting gossip columnist Cindy Adams, who broke the story in the 'New York Post', 'Variety' says Murdoch's future wife was married to Chester Smith, a country-western singer, as well as a radio and TV executive who died in 2008.

Adams reports that the two bonded over their shared knowledge of the media business as well as the fact that she once owned a vineyard and he still does.

If they tie the knot, according to 'Variety', it will be Murdoch's fifth marriage. Jerry Hall, a model and actress, was married to Murdoch for six years. In addition to Hall, Murdoch was previously married to Wendi Deng from 1999 to 2013; Anna Maria Torv from 1967 to 1999; and Patricia Booker, from 1956 to 1967.

Murdoch serves as chairman of Fox Corporation, a publicly traded entity that controls Fox Broadcasting, Fox Sports, Fox Business, and Fox News. As the head of News Corporation, he also owns the 'New York Post', in addition to the 'Wall Street Journal', 'The Sun' and the publishing house Harper Collins.

The news of his marriage comes as Murdoch is facing a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox by Dominion Voting, adds 'Variety'. The technology company alleges that Fox News anchors made knowingly false claims about Dominion's influence on the 2020 election, implying that it rigged the race to favour Joe Biden.

( with inputs from IANS)