Media mogul Rupert Murdoch says ‘I do’ for the fifth time

Proving that the fifth time might just be the charm, media mogul Rupert Murdoch has once again tied the knot, saying “I do” yet again.

Murdoch married retired molecular biologist Elena Zhukova at his Californian vineyard on Saturday, June 1.

The pair reportedly began dating last year after meeting through Murdoch’s third wife, Wendi Deng.

Rupert Murdoch Marries For A Fifth Time, Wedding Elena Zhukova At His Bel Air Vineyardhttps://t.co/y66G5RWnvb pic.twitter.com/l5Q0OzKOb7

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 2, 2024

Having weathered a series of failed marriages and called-off engagements, those close to Murdoch are undoubtedly hoping that he has finally found the one.

Last year, he was briefly engaged to former San Francisco police chaplain Ann Lesley Smith. However, despite Murdoch initially expressing optimism about their potential nuptials, the pair called off the engagement just weeks later.

Regarding his engagement to Lesley-Smith he said, “I was very nervous. I dreaded falling in love — but I knew this would be my last,” he told The New York Post.

“It better be. I’m happy.”

Murdoch’s marital history is storied: he has been married four times. He first tied the knot with Patricia Booker in 1956, and they divorced in 1967. His second marriage was to Anna Maria Torv in 1967, and they divorced in 1999. His third marriage was to Wendi Deng Murdoch in 1999, and they divorced in 2013.

Murdoch married Jerry Hall in 2016 but after six years of marriage Hall filed to officially separate from Murdoch in 2022, citing “irreconcilable differences” as her reason for wanting to end their marriage.

It is understood that Hall had reportedly employed aggressive tactics in a bid to get the divorce proceedings moving which included allegedly hiring a former Metropolitan Police anti-terrorism officer to serve Murdoch with legal papers moments before he boarded his private jet following his granddaughter’s wedding.

It’s believed Hall’s decision to use such tactics was in response to how “devastated” she was by her marital breakdown after the media tycoon had allegedly ended their marriage via an email Hall had received while waiting for his return to the UK.

– AAP and Reuters