No wedding bells for Rupert Murdoch; media mogul calls off engagement with fiancée Ann Lesley Smith

It seems that Rupert Murdoch has reclaimed his single status.

The 92-year-old media mogul, whose portfolio includes prominent news outlets such as , and the New York Post, has reportedly called off his engagement to 66-year-old radio host and prison chaplain Ann Lesley Smith. A source close to the billionaire told The Times that the engagement has been called off.

While the media tycoon has been tight-lipped about the rumoured breakup, a Vanity Fair report claimed the billionaire had grown “uncomfortable” with Smith’s orthodox views on life.

The two had planned to walk down the aisle this summer, a year after Murdoch divorced his fourth wife, actress Jerry Hall.

The breakup brings a high-profile yet tempestuous romance to an abrupt end. The duo was photographed holidaying at various exotic locations, such as Barbados, earlier. In February, the billionaire was reported to be in talks about buying a 6,500-square-foot house for $30 million, which could have been the couple’s new home.

Murdoch proposed to Smith a few weeks ago on St. Patrick’s Day, in New York City with an expensive Asscher-cut diamond solitaire ring. The media magnate gushed about his significant other to the New York Post and said that though he “dreaded falling in love,” he hoped this would be his “last” affair. “I knew this would be my last. It better be. I’m happy,” he told the English daily.

Murdoch and Smith met at his vineyard, Moraga, in Bel Air, California, in 2022.

Smith has been married twice, first to John B Huntington, a member of a wealthy California family, and later to country music singer and radio host Chester Smith. She divorced her first husband when he became abusive. She later turned to modelling and, later, to missionary work. When Smith passed away in 2008, she was embroiled with Smith’s daughters over his multi-million dollar fortune. The dispute was settled in 2010.