Media mogul Rupert Murdoch ended his third marriage — this one to Wendi Deng Murdoch — in an “amicable” divorce settlement in a Manhattan court Wednesday.
Murdoch, 82, and Deng, 44, shook hands and briefly hugged before parting ways after the court appearance, the Associated Press reports. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but the agreement is based on two prenuptial agreements that were modified after they married, according to the AP, which cited a person familiar with the case. The divorce is not final until Supreme Court Justice Ellen Gesmer signs paperwork that she’s yet to receive.
“We are pleased to announce that we have reached an amicable settlement of all matters relating to our divorce,” both said in a statement released through a publicist. “We move forward with mutual respect and a shared interest in the health and happiness of our two daughters.”
The former couple have two daughter’s together, Grace and Chloe, and were married for 14 years. Deng famously blocked a heckler from hitting Murdoch with a foam pie when he appeared before British parliament in 2011.
Murdoch, an Australian billionaire who made his money building global media brand News Corp, met Deng while she was working at his company subsidiary Star TV in Hong Kong in 1997. Deng left Star TV and married Murdoch in 1999. Their homes in New York, London, Beijing were among the properties being negotiated in the divorce.
[AP]