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Rupert Murdoch has married five times. His wives, in order, were Patricia Booker, Anna Torv, Wendi Deng, Jerry Hall and Elena Zhukova. Three of those marriages produced six children: Prudence with Booker, Elisabeth, Lachlan and James with Torv, and Grace and Chloe with Deng. The marriage to Hall produced no children, according to the Associated Press. Zhukova’s wedding to Murdoch, on June 1, 2024, is the most recent marriage in the reporting available for this article.
Murdoch’s five wives in order
The table below lists each marriage as reported by the sources cited. Only the June 1, 2024 wedding date is stated in the reporting with a specific day and month. The earlier years come from secondary timelines and are not confirmed against primary marriage or divorce records.
| Order | Wife | Marriage (as reported) | Divorce or end (as reported) | Children with Murdoch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patricia Booker | 1956 (The Independent, March 2023) | 1967 (The Independent, March 2023) | Prudence |
| 2 | Anna Torv | 1967 (The Independent, March 2023) | 1999 (The Independent, March 2023) | Elisabeth, Lachlan, James |
| 3 | Wendi Deng | 1999 (ITV News, June 2, 2024) | 2013 (The Independent, March 2023) | Grace, Chloe |
| 4 | Jerry Hall | 2016 (Associated Press, June 2, 2024) | 2022 (Associated Press, June 2, 2024) | None (Associated Press, June 2, 2024) |
| 5 | Elena Zhukova | June 1, 2024 (Associated Press, June 2, 2024) | Not applicable; marriage ongoing as of the latest reporting reviewed | Not stated in the reporting reviewed |
The marriages in more detail
Patricia Booker (first wife)
Booker is the mother of Prudence, the first of Murdoch’s six children. The Independent’s 2023 timeline places the marriage in 1956 and its end in 1967. The Associated Press account confirms the parent-child relationship but does not independently date the marriage.
Anna Torv (second wife)
Torv’s marriage to Murdoch began in 1967, according to The Independent’s timeline, and ended in 1999. Three of Murdoch’s children came from this marriage: Elisabeth, Lachlan and James. Torv should not be confused with the Australian actress who shares her name; the two are different people.
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Wendi Deng (third wife)
ITV News reported that Murdoch married Deng in 1999, shortly after his divorce from Torv. The Independent’s timeline gives 2013 as the year of their divorce. Their two daughters, Grace and Chloe, are the last children Murdoch is reported to have had. The sources reviewed do not describe the circumstances of the divorce.
Jerry Hall (fourth wife)
The Associated Press reported that Murdoch married Hall in 2016 and that they divorced in 2022. The same report says they had no children together. The Guardian’s June 22, 2022 coverage of the divorce provides additional context on the end of the marriage and on Murdoch’s earlier marriages.
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Elena Zhukova (fifth wife)
Murdoch and Zhukova married on June 1, 2024, at his estate in Bel Air, California, according to the Associated Press. News Corp confirmed the marriage, and the Associated Press identified Zhukova as a retired molecular biologist. The 2024 reporting does not state a family structure beyond Murdoch’s existing children, so this article does not describe one.
How much of this timeline is verified
Most of the dates in this article come from secondary reporting rather than from marriage certificates, divorce decrees or other primary records. The Independent’s 1956, 1967, 1999 and 2013 dates are treated here as reported timelines, and the exact day and month for those events are not established. The Associated Press’s 2016 and 2022 dates for the Hall marriage are also reported without the day and month.
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Reporting on the divorce settlements from these marriages is not covered here. Claims about settlement amounts, property transfers, or who initiated any separation have not been verified in the sources reviewed, and they are omitted for that reason.
The status of Murdoch and Zhukova’s marriage is stated only as of the 2024 wedding reporting. Anyone checking whether the marriage remains in effect should consult a current news source, because this article does not confirm anything after that date.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Sources used
- Associated Press, June 2, 2024: the fifth marriage, the June 1 wedding date and Bel Air setting, the Hall marriage and divorce, and the children from the Booker, Torv and Deng marriages.
- ITV News, June 2, 2024: the 2024 marriage and the context of the Torv and Deng marriages.
- The Independent, March 2023: the reported timeline for the early marriages, and the 2013 date for the Deng divorce.
- The Guardian, June 22, 2022: context on the Hall divorce and on Murdoch’s previous marriages.
No other published source is cited for the family details in this article.
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