Soon after news broke Thursday that billionaire media mogul Murdoch, 82, had filed for divorce from his third wife after 14 years of marriage, journalists in the U.S. and the U.K. with close contacts to Murdoch and his media empire, News Corp., began twittering about a scandalous possible reason for split.
Said scandal turned out to be the claim that Deng, 44, had an affair with Blair, 60, who happens to be godfather of the couple's two young daughters, Grace, 11, and Chloe, 9.
Blair, the former New Labor PM who was embraced politically by the conservative Tory/Republican Murdoch when he was in power, denied the claim through a spokesman today. But the way the denial was worded led to more speculation.
And it's only Day Two! These opening stages suggest this divorce will not be handled in the customary manner of divorces among the high-and-mighty — discreet, amicable and behind closed doors — predicts Murdoch biographer Michael Wolff today. "This is not amicable, it's totally public, it's a throw-down-the-gauntlet, we-are-going-to-war kind of thing," says Wolff, a columnist for USA TODAY, The Guardian and Vanity Fair.
In other words, it's signature Murdoch, he says. "If he feels that someone is going to war with him, he's going to strike first."
Meanwhile, News Corp, which is preparing to split into two companies at the end of the month, announced that a key executive, CFO David DeVoe, would retire after 25 years with the company. Wolff described this news as "nearly as seismic" as the divorce. "What is happening over there?" Wolff tweeted today. "Beginning to sound like the climax of a Godfather movie, everybody killed, at News Corp." Also meanwhile, a posse of matrimonial lawyers rushed into TV studios to chatter all day about the pending divorce: What impact from the pre-nuptial agreement? (Yes, there is one.) Is divorcing in New York better for Murdoch than in his native Australia or in the U.K.? (Yup.) Was Murdoch's divorce from his second wife the most costly in human history? (Probably not.) Was it more than $1 billion or "only" $100 million? (People are still arguing over that.) Yes, the media on three continents just love a juicy divorce among billionaires. Even the News Corp-owned Wall Street Journal is covering it. But not Murdoch's rowdy New York Post, which posted just a small story early today with none of its characteristic schadenfreude at the marital woes of celebrities. If the Murdoch divorce turns protracted and nasty, it will be more difficult to cover, Wolff predicted, because so many key media outlets that news consumers rely on are owned by Murdoch. Still, imagine the dismay of a former British premier having to deny involvement in this mess. At first, the speculation was coy. BBC economics editor Robert Peston tweeted Thursday that he was told that "undisclosed reasons for Murdoch divorcing Deng are jaw-dropping - & hate myself for wanting to know what they are." Later, Wolff, the author of the Murdoch biography, The Man Who Owns The News: Inside The Secret World Of Rupert Murdoch, tweeted that "Rumor about the big B is everywhere except in print." Today,The Hollywood Reporterasked and got an aswer from Blair's London office. "If you are asking if they are having an affair, the answer is no," said the anonymous spokesman. That set off more tweeting about why the spokesman used the present tense instead of the past tense. It is true that Deng and Blair are close friends, Wolff says, but that doesn't necessarily mean an affair. In fact, Deng was so upfront about their friendship that she arranged for Wolff to interview Blair for his Murdoch book. "She is completely upfront, on the surface, having a great time with whatever she's doing, enthralled by her life," Wolff says. "She's irresistible, and I don't mean that sexually. If she took an interest in you, you would respond." So why is Murdoch divorcing her (especially after her valiant defense of him from a pie-thrower while he was testifying in Parliament in 2011)? Stay tuned.
Wendi Deng's valiant defense of her beloved husband Murdoch, from a pie-thrower while he was testifying in Parliament in 2011
Wendi was able to cream pie his face
The Hollywood Reporter came right out and asked: Is Wendi Deng involved with Tony Blair? "If you are asking if they are having an affair, the answer is no," said a rep for the former British prime minister. So, not at the moment. The exact source of the whispers is impossible to trace, but Deng's relationships with powerful men, including Blair, are well known. Vogue reported in 2011, "Her conversation was peppered with famous names: her closest friends include [Hugh] Jackman, Nicole Kidman and Tony Blair (all of whom are godparents to the couple's children, all of whom attended the christening garbed in white, as the guests of Queen Rania, on the banks of the river Jordan), and 'the Google guys', Larry Page and Sergey Brin." And the Times: "Mrs. Murdoch has emerged with her own independent career and has immersed herself in a social circle that includes David Geffen, Larry Ellison, Tony Blair, Nicole Kidman and Bono, one that is often free of her husband’s presence." Wolff, in "Tony Blair and the Murdochs: A Family Affair," wrote, "Blair becomes one of Wendi's first official social conquests, in her developing role both as Murdoch social emissary and social power player. Wendi Murdoch becomes a curious wrinkle in the power equation — a way for Blair to see himself as having control of Murdoch, of joining with Wendi to handle him." The language is certainly suggestive. Others have pointed to a juicy blind item in the Daily Mail earlier this month about a "dynamite" affair — "which does not involve anyone serving in the Cabinet" — that could nonetheless affect current prime minister David Cameron. The details, while vague and thinly sourced, could fit. According to the tabloid, "The affair has now concluded." A photo of Wendi with George W. Bush and the rest of the gang, from a White House dinner for Australian PM John Howard (May 16, 2006).
Notice how Bush is leaning away from Howard and close to Wendi? What's THAT all about??? David Wolf and Wendi Deng - Help comes from far behind
In 1987 Wndi Deng gained her "ticket out of China" when she met an American couple from Los Angeles, Jake and Joyce Cherry. Mrs Cherry, whose husband was building a factory in China, agreed to teach Miss Deng English. When Mrs Cherry went back to the United States her husband stayed in China and soon after, he told her that Miss Deng wanted to go to America to study there. The couple sponsored her application for a student visa and agreed to put her up until she had established herself. Miss Deng, then 19, went to live at the Cherry's home in 1988 and shared a bunk bed with their five-year-old daughter. Mrs Cherry grew increasingly suspicious about her husband's relationship with Miss Deng. The report added: "Mrs Cherry recalls discovering a cache of photographs her husband had taken of Miss Deng in coquettish poses in his hotel room in Guanzhou." Mr Cherry admitted that he had become infatuated with her and that once they were in Los Angeles, Miss Deng started "making recommendations" about his diet and wardrobe. When her husband and Miss Deng did not come home some evenings, Mrs Cherry concluded that they were having an affair, said the newspaper. She told Miss Deng to leave and her husband left soon afterwards, moving into a nearby apartment with Miss Deng, who was by then a student at California State University. The Cherrys divorced and Mr Cherry married Miss Deng in 1990. However, the romance came to an abrupt end after Mr Cherry discovered that Miss Deng "had started spending time" with a man named David Wolf. Mr Cherry said: "She told me I was a father concept to her but it would never be anything else. I loved that girl." David Wolf is President and Chief Executive Officer of Wolf Group Asia (WGA), a Beijing-based corporate advisory firm. David has a broad range of government relations, strategic counsel, and market-entry management experience throughout Greater China and Asia, in both advisory and enterprise management capacities. His advisory work has focused on government relations, market entry, issues management, scenario planning, market assessment, and strategic advice on business in China at the CEO and Regional MD level. In addition, David is regularly called upon by regional and global media as a commentator on the technology industry and on business in China, and he serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of China Economic Quarterly, and the advisory board of mobile media company 21Communications of Shanghai. David's clients reflect WGA's systemic approach to the technology, media and telecommunications industries, one which sees the continuity of interests among firms engaged in technology development, equipment manufacturing, content, software, and services. David serves as an advisor to Motorola, Hewlett-Packard, Young & Rubicam Brands, and Foxconn, among others. Before starting WGA in 2005, David led Burson-Marsteller's Asia-Pacific Technology Practice, B-M's largest practice area in the region and leading a team of nearly 50 professionals in offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore, and Sydney. David took the Asia-Pacific post after having founded B-M's Technology Practice in China in 2000, growing it into China's largest technology, media, and telecommunications public relations organization and winning a dozen major industry awards for client work. Prior to joining Burson-Marsteller, David was Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Claydon Gescher Associates (CGA), a boutique strategy and public affairs consultancy based in Beijing with a focus on media, entertainment, and telecommunications. He was responsible for daily operations and long-term growth planning. Clients served include Intel, HBO Asia, Reuters, DeBeers/Stockdale, PanAmSat, Turner International, and Irdeto Access. David's position prior to CGA was Managing Director in China for TV Shopping Network Ltd. of Australia. Originally hired as a consultant to design a market entry strategy and operations plan, the company appointed David soon after to undertake the effort. Within 90 days of plan approval David had launched the 24-hour satellite service in China, with cable-TV affiliates, a telephone center, and the necessary payment and delivery infrastructure to deliver orders within 72 hours to any major city in China. By the time of his departure from TVSN, David had arranged distribution to 11 million cable TV homes in 12 provinces, built a state-of-the-art fulfillment facility in Guangdong with a call center, warehouse, and 60 full-time staff processing thousands of orders each week. David has lived in China since 1995 and currently resides in Beijing with his family. David holds a Masters degree in International Management from Thunderbird, the Garvin School of International Management, and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the University of California, Davis. In addition to English, he is fluent in Mandarin and Spanish. David is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) (Computer Society, Standards Association, and Professional Communications Society), and is a PADI-certified Rescue Scuba Diver. He maintains a weblog at www.siliconhutong.com. Sounds like the sort of person an up-and-coming Chinese media magnate might want to spend some time with, doesn't he? Interestingly, given my opening para, the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab is operated by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy. Deng originally came from China to the U.S.A. with the aid of a California couple, Jake and Joyce Cherry. In fact, she broke up their marriage, and then married Mr Cherry in 1990. I wonder where Mr Cherry is working now? Source:http://howardout.blogspot.com/2007/05/hot-rumour.html
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