‘I STILL love Rupert’: Jerry Hall, 65, tells friends she was ‘heartbroken’ when Rupert Murdoch, 91, sent ruthless EMAIL to say their marriage was over while she waited for him to join her in the UK, reveals ALISON BOSHOFF – as model files divorce papers
- Model Miss Hall, who is 66 on Saturday, and wed Mr Murdoch in 2016, told a friend: ‘I still love him. I am devastated’
- She was waiting in the UK for Mr Murdoch, 91, to join her when he sent an email saying the marriage was over
- The message added that from here on, she should communicate with him only via his lawyers
- Stunning show of ruthlessness from Mr Murdoch, chairman and chief exec of News Corp who is worth £14 bn
Jerry Hall has been left ‘heartbroken’ by the abrupt end of her marriage to media mogul Rupert Murdoch and blames his children for driving a wedge between them, insiders said last night.
Model Miss Hall, who is 66 on Saturday, and married Mr Murdoch in 2016, told a friend: ‘I still love him. I am devastated.’
It can be revealed that Miss Hall was waiting in the UK for Mr Murdoch, 91, to join her when he sent an email saying the marriage was over.
The message added that from here on, she should communicate with him only via his lawyers.
Jerry Hall has been left ‘heartbroken’ by the abrupt end of her marriage to media mogul Rupert Murdoch and blames his children for driving a wedge between them, insiders said last night
Model Miss Hall, who turns 66 today, and married Mr Murdoch in 2016, told a friend: ‘I still love him. I am devastated’
Rupert Murdoch is pictured with his sons Lachlan (left) and James
It can be revealed that Miss Hall was waiting in the UK for Mr Murdoch, 91, to join her when he sent an email saying the marriage was over. The message added that from here on, she should communicate with him only via his lawyers. Above, in New York City in May 2019
Earlier this year, according to a source, there were discussions with Miss Hall and the wider family about her financial status and what she might get when Mr Murdoch died. (Mr Murdoch with his children James, left, Elisabeth and Lachlan in 2007)
It was a stunning show of ruthlessness from Mr Murdoch, the chairman and chief executive of News Corp who is worth £14 billion.
Sources in Miss Hall’s camp say issues started to arise between them during the pandemic.
Miss Hall apparently assumed a ‘gatekeeping’ role to protect her elderly husband from the risk of Covid.
‘She used to joke that she was the Covid police, she wanted to keep him safe,’ sources said.
She now believes that led his family to think she was seeking to cut their regular contact with Mr Murdoch.
‘They thought that Jerry was keeping them from him,’ said a pal. ‘She does blame the children for souring the marriage. They had a lot to say about it and a role in his personal life which she found a nasty surprise. Clearly, they mistrusted her.’
A source said: ‘[Jerry] is in the house in Henley and is spending time there with [daughter] Lizzie [above, with her mother] and her grandchild. Everyone feels sorry for her about how it has worked out, but nobody is more sorry than Jerry because she honestly loves him still’
The couple (seen on their wedding day with their kids) do not share any children. But Hall has two daughters and a son from her relationship with rocker Mick Jagger – Elizabeth, 38, James, 36, Georgia May, 30, and Gabriel, 24 – while Murdoch has six children in total: daughter Prudence MacLeod, now 64, with his first wife Patricia Booker, daughter Elisabeth, now 53, and sons Lachlan, now 50, and James, now 49, with his second wife Anna Mann, and daughter Grace, now 21, and Chloe, now 19, who he shares with his third wife Wendi Deng
Murdoch and Hall were last seen together in public in London in August 2021, when they were pictured arriving separately at a dinner (seen). They are understood to have then left together in a shared car
Earlier this year, according to the source, there were discussions with Miss Hall and the wider family about her financial status and what she might get when Mr Murdoch died.
It is said that some of the family were concerned that no further provision should be made for Miss Hall at this time.
She and Mr Murdoch signed a pre-nuptial agreement.
The source added: ‘Jerry is truly devastated by what has happened and insists that it was all a bolt from the blue. One day they were making plans to be together for the summer in London, then there was this message instructing her to only contact him via lawyers.
Sources in Miss Hall’s camp say issues started to arise between them during the pandemic. The couple at the 2015 Rugby World Cup in Twickenham, south-west London
Elizabeth Jagger, Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall, Rupert Murdoch, Harvey Keitel and Daphne Kaster pose together at a garden party in LA in 2019
‘She is in the house in Henley and is spending time there with (daughter) Lizzie and her grandchild. Everyone feels sorry for her about how it has worked out, but nobody is more sorry than Jerry because she honestly loves him still.
‘She has been hurt by suggestions that she was only in it for the money, or that Rupert didn’t like her smoking or drinking. As far as she is concerned, all of that is wide of the mark and she thinks that his children have been briefing against her. She thought that they had a really happy marriage and she was in love with him.’
Texan Miss Hall had a long romance with Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, and they have four children James, Lizzie, Georgia May and Gabriel.
They were ‘married’ in a beachside ceremony in Bali which it later emerged had no legal force. She started dating Mr Murdoch in 2015, and they were first seen together attending a rugby World Cup match that year.
It is said that some of the family were concerned that no further provision should be made for Miss Hall at this time. She and Mr Murdoch signed a pre-nuptial agreement. (Above, the couple arrive for a state dinner in honour of French President Emanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, DC, in April 2018)
The source added: ‘Jerry is truly devastated by what has happened and insists that it was all a bolt from the blue. One day they were making plans to be together for the summer in London, then there was this message instructing her to only contact him via lawyers. (Above, the couple at the Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie world premiere in London in 2016)
After the wedding, he bought several homes for her, including an £11 million house near Henley and a manor house in the Cotswolds which they were planning to renovate. He also bought her a 340,000-acre ranch in Montana for £228 million. Mr Murdoch already had a vineyard and winery in Los Angeles, a farm in Australia, an apartment in Mayfair and another apartment in New York.
The tycoon, whose empire includes The Sun and The Times newspapers as well as Fox News in the US, was first married to Patricia Booker, an Australian model. They divorced in 1967.
He was married to Anna, a former newspaper reporter, for more than three decades until they split in 1999. Their divorce remains the second-most expensive in history at a reported cost to the mogul of £1.5 billion.
Mr Murdoch’s third wife was media executive Wendi Deng, who hit the headlines in 2011 when she slapped a man who had thrown a custard pie at her husband.
When they split, there was speculation – denied by Miss Deng – that she had grown close to Tony Blair, the godfather of her and Mr Murdoch’s daughter Grace.
The mogul has six children – Prudence from his first marriage, James, Lachlan, and Elisabeth from his second and Chloe and Grace from his third.
Lachlan is the heir apparent, despite resigning from many executive posts in 2005. James resigned from the News Corp board two years ago, over ‘disagreements over certain editorial content published by the company’s news outlets’.
The hit TV drama Succession, about media mogul Logan Roy and the children who compete for his favour, is widely assumed to be based on Mr Murdoch and his dynasty.
A spokesman for Mr Murdoch declined to comment.
Filed by ‘Mrs Murdoch’ before husband bolted, plans for new stables at £11million country pile
By RICHARD EDEN for the Daily Mail
A clear indication that Jerry Hall believed all was well in her marriage is that she had made detailed plans for Holmwood – the Georgian mansion she and Rupert Murdoch snapped up for £11.25million less than three years ago.
In an application still awaiting approval by South Oxfordshire Council, and submitted in April last year under ‘Mrs Murdoch’, she laid out her request for a stable block at the property near Henley-on-Thames.
A clear indication that Jerry Hall believed all was well in her marriage is that she had made detailed plans for Holmwood (above) – the Georgian mansion she and Rupert Murdoch snapped up for £11.25million less than three years ago.
The Texan model is a keen horsewoman who said she likes to saddle up at least three times a week. And in keeping with Mr Murdoch’s billionaire’s status, the block would have east and west wings. And it would be divided into a tack and boot room, staff room, two loose boxes, hay store, food store and two lavatories.
The couple’s planning agent, Nigel Hammett, evidently detected no marital tremors. In a statement, he said: ‘The estate has a well-established history of horse riding and equestrian care and the owners wish to continue this tradition.’
In an application still awaiting approval by South Oxfordshire Council, and submitted in April last year under ‘Mrs Murdoch’, she laid out her request for a stable block (CGI rendering, above) at the property near Henley-on-Thames
Jerry Hall, 65, officially files for divorce from Rupert Murdoch, 91, citing ‘irreconcilable differences’ – and asks media tycoon to pay spousal support AND lawyer fees while claiming she ‘is unaware of the full extent of his assets’
By CHARLIE LANKSTON and JOSH BOSWELL for DailyMail.com
Supermodel Jerry Hall filed for divorce from media tycoon Rupert Murdoch after six years of marriage, it was revealed today, and is asking a judge to award her spousal support, as well as for her billionaire ex-husband to pay her legal fees.
The 65-year-old former supermodel, who is named as Jerry Murdoch in her petition, filed the divorce paperwork on Friday with the Los Angeles County Courts, in which she cited ‘irreconcilable differences’ as the reason for their split, while claiming that she is ‘unaware of the full nature and extent of all separate property assets and debts’ that will be involved in what will no doubt be a pricey divorce from billionaire Murdoch, 91.
There is no mention of a prenuptial agreement in the paperwork filed by Hall, who is petitioning for divorce just over six years after she tied the knot with Murdoch, who is worth an estimated $17.7 billion.
Hall also claims in the legal paperwork that she is unaware of the full extent of her ex-husband’s assets, with the documents stating that her divorce petition will be amended ‘when the information has been ascertained’.
‘Petitioner is unaware of the full nature and extent of all separate property assets and debts, and will amend this Petition when the information has been ascertained,’ the legal filing obtained by DailyMail.com notes.
The paperwork, which was filed by Hall’s attorney, Ronald F. Brot, lists the couple’s wedding date as March 4, 2016, however the date of their separation is currently listed as ‘TBD’, likely because this date will have an impact on whatever final financial settlement the couple reaches.
The couple do not share any children, meaning that child support will not be raised during the divorce proceedings. However Hall has asked that the judge ‘terminate the court’s ability to award support to [Murdoch]’, meaning that he would be unable to ask her for money in the future.
Hall’s filing also comes just hours after it was claimed that the media tycoon had broken up with her via email, leaving the former supermodel ‘heartbroken’ over the abrupt end of their marriage.
Jerry Hall, 65, filed for divorce from multi-billionaire Rupert Murdoch, 91, it was revealed today – with The Blast reporting that the former supermodel is asking a judge to award her spousal support and for her ex-husband to pay her legal fees
Murdoch and Hall were last seen together in public in London in August 2021, when they were pictured arriving separately at a dinner (seen). They are understood to have then left together in a shared car
Per the divorce filing, Murdoch now has 30 days to file a response via his own attorneys.
Hall’s filing states that she is currently living at Murdoch’s $37 million, 13-acre vineyard estate in Bel Air, a sprawling property that was built in the 1930s by Oscar-winning Gone With the Wind and Wizard of Oz director Victor Fleming.
Murdoch bought the estate in 2013 for $28.8million. It has a 7,500 sq ft main residence, its own working vineyard and giant wine cellar, a guest house and office building.
It was billed by listing agents in 2013 as a ‘place to build a lasting legacy for yourself and the ones you love.’
This will be Murdoch’s fourth divorce – and his shortest marriage – however Hall had not previously been legally married before tying the knot with the media titan, who is 23 years her senior, in March 2016.
She was previously in a long-term relationship with Rolling Stones rocker Mick Jagger, with whom she shares four children – Elizabeth, 38, James, 36, Georgia May, 30, and Gabriel, 24 – however the two never officially wed during their 22-year relationship, although they did take part in a marriage ceremony in Bali which was later annulled by a judge following their split.
Murdoch has six children in total: daughter Prudence MacLeod, now 64, with his first wife Patricia Booker, daughter Elisabeth, now 53, and sons Lachlan, now 50, and James, now 49, with his second wife Anna Mann, and daughter Grace, now 21, and Chloe, now 19, who he shares with his third wife Wendi Deng.
Full details of Hall and Murdoch’s divorce have been kept very much under wraps since the news of their split broke last month, however friends of the couple have suggested that the former supermodel will receive a ‘generous’ portion of the media tycoon’s fortune.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, lawyer Mark Stephens, of the Howard Kennedy firm, said Murdoch is likely to have signed a ‘fairly generous’ pre-nuptial agreement, which would have been drafted with the ‘anticipation of not interfering with the line of succession’ for the tycoon’s business empire.
But while Hall may be entitled to tens of millions of dollars, Stephens said that this is more likely to be paid to her in the form of day-to-day expenses, telling DailyMail.com: ‘She is going to have her lifestyle funded without a transfer of funds.’
The couple (seen on their wedding day with their kids) do not share any children, however Hall has two daughters and a son from her relationship with rocker Mick Jagger – Elizabeth, 38, James, 36, Georgia May, 30, and Gabriel, 24 – while Murdoch has six children in total: daughter Prudence MacLeod, now 64, with his first wife Patricia Booker, daughter Elisabeth, now 53, and sons Lachlan, now 50, and James, now 49, with his second wife Anna Mann, and daughter Grace, now 21, and Chloe, now 19, who he shares with his third wife Wendi Deng
When Murdoch divorced Deng in 2014, their ‘amicable’ settlement is believed to have included cash and assets, including a mansion in China and an apartment in New York. But she did not receive a share of Murdoch’s media empire and their split did not affect the rules of the Murdoch family trust.
However, properties acquired by Hall and Murdoch since they married may be at stake in the divorce settlement; the pair has amassed an impressive portfolio over the past six years, which is estimated to be worth upwards of $320 million.
In 2019, they bought an $13.6 million Georgian property near Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. A year later, it emerged they had snapped up Great Tew Manor – a ‘doer-upper’ in the Cotswolds which was earmarked for a $36 million restoration project.
Last December the couple spent $275 million on a 340,000-acre cattle ranch near Yellowstone Park in the US.
The family’s other properties, believed to be held in trust, include a $50 million New York apartment, a ranch in California, a $30 million winery in Los Angeles, and a sheep and cattle farm in Murdoch’s native Australia. There is also a Mayfair apartment for when the media mogul is in London.
Hall made a fortune from her career as a model, becoming the face of brands such as Revlon cosmetics. She also had small roles in films, including Batman. Her split from Mick Jagger left her with an estimated settlement of up to $21 million.
Speculation has been rife about the reasons for the couple’s split since news of their divorce was first made public last month.
A friend of the model told DailyMail.com on Friday that Hall was left ‘heartbroken’ by the abrupt end of her marriage to the news magnate – and that Murdoch had broken up with her via email.
In an exclusive interview, the friend said Hall allegedly blames Murdoch’s children for driving a wedge between them.
The model, who turns 66 on Saturday, told the friend: ‘I still love him. I am devastated.’
The friend said Hall was waiting in the UK for Murdoch to join her when he sent an email which told her that the marriage was over. The alleged message added that from here on she should communicate with him only via his lawyers.
In her divorce filing, Hall states that she is ‘unaware of the full nature and extent of all separate property assets and debts’ that will be involved in the settlement. However the couple are understood to have amassed an impressive property portfolio over the years, worth more than $320 million, including Holmwood House, a $13.6 million mansion near the Thames, which they bought in November 2019
This Cotwolds estate, Great Tew, was bought as a ‘doer-upper’ which was earmarked for a $36 million restoration
Just seven months ago it was revealed Hall and Murdoch had purchased a $200 million 340,000-acre cattle ranch in Montana
Sources in her camp say that issues started to arise between them during the pandemic. They said Hall assumed a ‘gatekeeping’ role to protect her elderly husband from the risk of COVID.
‘She used to joke that she was the Covid police, she wanted to keep him safe,’ one source said.
She now believes that led his family to think that she was seeking to cut their regular contact with Murdoch.
‘They thought that Jerry was keeping them from him,’ said a pal. ‘She does blame the children for souring the marriage. They had a lot to say about it and a role in his personal life which she found a nasty surprise. Clearly, they mistrusted her.’
Earlier this year, according to the source, there were discussions with Hall and the wider family about her financial status and what she might get when Murdoch died.
It is said that some of the family were concerned that no further provision should be made for Hall at this time.
She and Murdoch signed a prenuptial agreement previously.
The source added: ‘Jerry is truly devastated by what has happened and insists that it was all a bolt from the blue. One day they were making plans to be together for the summer in London, then there was this message instructing her to only contact him via lawyers.
‘She is in the house in Henley and is spending time there with [her daughter] Lizzie and her grandchild. Everyone feels sorry for her about how it has worked out but nobody is more sorry than Jerry because she honestly loves him still.
‘She has been hurt by suggestions that she was only in it for the money, or that Rupert didn’t like her smoking or drinking. As far as she is concerned, all of that is wide of the mark and she thinks that his children have been briefing against her.
‘She thought that they had a really happy marriage and she was in love with him.’
Murdoch met Hall in Australia in 2015. After weeks of speculation, the couple went public at the rugby world cup final at Twickenham in London that October. Murdoch was photographed kissing Hall on the cheek while she smiled broadly.
They made their first red carpet appearance together at the Golden Globes in 2016.
Elizabeth Jagger, Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall, Rupert Murdoch, Harvey Keitel and Daphne Kaster pose together at a garden party in LA in 2019
The Mail on Sunday revealed in October 2015 that Murdoch and Hall were dating – days before they made their public debut as a couple at the rugby in Twickenham (pictured)
At the time, friends of the media tycoon said: ‘Rupert couldn’t be happier. He’s not acting like some dotty old man who’s in love with a teenager. He just seems really, really happy. It’s a wonderful thing’.
Murdoch and Hall tied the knot in London in March 2016 in a very low-key ceremony at Spencer House, which overlooks Green Park, after a whirlwind five-month romance.
At the time, the media tycoon expressed his joy over the union, tweeting shortly after the ceremony concluded that he would be taking a break from social media in order to enjoy newlywed life.
‘No more tweets for ten days or ever!’ he wrote. ‘Feel like the luckiest AND happiest man in world.’
One day after their official ceremony, the couple – whose unlikely romance made headlines the world over – hosted a more lavish affair, which was attended by all ten of their children.
Hall’s two daughters and Murdoch’s two youngest daughters acted as bridesmaids, while the media mogul’s son Lachlan was understood to have presided over the pair’s first ceremony.
Following the wedding celebrations, Hall shared a photo of the then-newlyweds posing with all of their kids, writing alongside it: ‘My beautiful family!’
After Murdoch and Hall tied the knot, the billionaire tweeted that he ‘felt like the luckiest and happiest man in the world’
Friends said Miss Hall brought more ‘balance’ to her husband’s life after decades of focus on his businesses. Among the few signs of tension was when Hall pulled out a West End revival of The Graduate; Murdoch reportedly banned her from reprising the role of Mrs Robinson, which she had previously played in London and involves on-stage nudity.
Last year, Hall attended Murdoch’s 90th birthday party at Tavern on the Green, an upmarket restaurant in New York. She reportedly ‘doted’ on him during the festivities, which were attended by luminaries from business, sports and politics, a source said.
At Murdoch’s summer party on June 23, the tycoon talked to Boris Johnson for 15 minutes. Other Cabinet members present included Priti Patel, Liz Truss, Michael Gove, Sajid Javid and Kemi Badenoch, the local government minister.
Murdoch’s children Lachlan, Grace and Chloe were also present, a source said.
You’re in good company! As multi-billionaire Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall head for divorce, a look at the world’s OTHER most expensive splits
1. Mackenize Bezos ($36 BILLION)
The ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was rewarded for her decades of loyalty with a settlement that gave her 25 per cent of the couple’s Amazon stock. Far less then the 50 per cent she is legally entitled too, but far more than any other spouse has received in a divorce. As a result, she became the 22nd richest person in the world. The novelist was married to Bezos for 26 years, and by his side when he launched Amazon from their garage.
2. Melinda Gates (share of $130 BILLION)
Microsoft founder Bill Gates finalized his divorce from Melinda in August 2021, just three months after they announced they were splitting. The ex-couple, who were married for 27 years, did not have a prenup and instead divided their assets based on a separation contract with undisclosed terms. The settlement between Gates, whose net worth was then estimated at more than $130billion, and his ex Melinda could well have left her with over $65billion.
Bill Gates split from his wife Melinda (left) in August 2021 after 27 years of marriage, while Amazon founder Jeff Bezos split from his wife Mackenzie Scott (center) in 2019. It was revealed earlier this month that Google founder Sergey Brin was splitting from wife Nicole Shanahan (right)
3. Nicole Shanahan (share of $93 BILLION)
News of Murdoch and Hall’s reported divorce comes just days after it was revealed that billionaire Google founder Sergey Brin was divorcing Shanahan, his wife of four years. Although the pair is fighting to keep details of their split under wraps, Brin is the seventh richest man in the world, with a net worth of $93 billion, suggesting that the couple’s divorce will be among the most expensive in modern history.
4. Jocelyn Wildenstein ($2.5 BILLION)
The Swiss-born socialite was the cat that got the milk in the years after her art dealer husband Alec paid out their record settlement. She then managed to squander that money thanks in large part to her love for cosmetic procedures and her affinity for domesticating rare animals. In May 2018, Wildenstein filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection according to federal court papers which were obtained by DailyMail.com. It was a shocking turn of events for Wildenstein, who first became a fixture in the New York press around the time of her split as she bragged about the high costs of her lavish lifestyle and penchant for plastic surgery. Two decades later, the woman who once purchased a capuchin monkey as a pet finds herself with no checking or savings accounts, no retirement fund or pension plans and no investments according to her filing.
5. Anna Murdoch ($1.7 BILLION)
The woman who was by Murdoch’s side as he rose to the top of the media world received a small portion of his fortune after their 1999 divorce. It was a shocking split to their children Elizabeth, Lachlan and James, especially when it was learned that their father had been having an affair with soon-to-be-fourth wife Wendi Deng. That all came to a head at Lachlan’s wedding to wife Sarah, with Anna informing her estranged husband that his new wife was not to attend the nuptials. Deng and Murdoch married almost immediately after he finalized his divorce from his second wife.
Socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein (left) got $2.5 billion when she split from her husband Alec, while publishing billionaire Rupert Murdoch handed over $1.7 billion to his ex-wife Anna (right) in their divorce settlement
6. Slavica Ecclestone ($1.2 BILLION)
The Croatian model split from her business magnate beau after 23 years of marriage in 2009, and walked off with a sizable chunk of the Formula One chief’s fortune. That union lasted longer than many initially imagined it would in account of the couple’s difference in age (28 years) and height (Slavica is a foot taller than Bernie). Slavica also spoke no English, while Bernie only spoke English. The couple welcomed two daughters during their marriage, Tamara and Petra, who have also made waves with some of the big purchases they have made with their father’s money. Petra notably bought the former residence of Aaron and Candy Spelling in Beverly Hills, which for a time was the largest private home in the United States. In the wake of that split, Bernie married a younger and shorter woman.
7. Elaine Wynn ($1 BILLION)
Elaine Wynn helped her husband Steve build his empire, and she was sure to take some of it with her when she left. Her role in the company has been vital ever since, and on Thursday she was in Massachusetts testifying about her split and why she failed to disclose a settlement her husband made with a woman who accused him of sexual assault.
8. Sue Ann Arnall ($974.8 BILLION)
The wife of Harold Hamm was pushed out of the top five with the addition of Bezos, but still made her mark thanks to her ex-husband paying out his entire settlement in one single check. Arnall had appealed that ruling but lost because she had cashed the check. In a 7-2 decision, the court ruled in favor of a motion filed by Hamm, chief executive officer of oil company Continental Resources Inc, to dismiss Arnall’s appeal. Earlier that month, Arnall had cashed Hamm’s check for $975 million, the vast majority of the lower court’s award in the case. The majority of the justices said Arnall also took possession of the marital property awarded to her. Those actions, the court ruled, caused her to forfeit her right to appeal the judgment.
Croatian model Slavica Ecclestone split from her business magnate beau Bernie (left) after 23 years of marriage in 2009, and walked off with a sizable chunk of the Formula One chief’s fortune, while Wynn Resorts owner Steve Wynn (center) and oil company CEO Harold Hamm (right) also endured costly divorces
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