'Tony Blair ruined my Marriage' by Rupert Murdoch

Tony Blair & Wendy Deng

The true story of why media mogul Rupert Murdoch divorced his Chinese wife Wendy Deng after 14 years of marriage, is coming to light following a new tell-all memoir by Chris Mitchell, the former editor-in-chief of Murdoch's flagship publication, The Australian newspaper.

Revealed for the first time:

• Tony Blair stayed at Murdoch's Californian ranch with Wendy Deng in October 2012 and April 2013 while Murdoch was overseas
• Murdoch suffered sleepless night having learnt about the affair
• Murdoch filed for divorce a week after learning of the affair
• When asked about the affair during an interview with The Economist magazine in 2014, Mr Blair reportedly began to sweat and denied any “impropriety”
• Murdoch was both financially and politically generous to Tony Blair before the affair was exposed
• Domestic staff alerted Murdoch about the affair

Once a close friend of Murdoch and Godfather to his son, the former Prime Minister Tony Blair has been accused of having an affair with Wendy Deng.

“I was in Australia. When I got back, I naturally asked the staff, and it opened up. That's the story. And then, you know, a week later I filed. As soon as I could find a lawyer,” Murdoch said.

In 2014, Murdoch famously told Fortune magazine that he was "shocked" when he first read his wife's diary entries in which she described having “warm feelings” comparable to a 'crush' on Tony Blair.

Cherie Blair has never publicly commented on the alleged affair, while Murdoch has gone on to marry aging supermodel and ex-wife of Rolling Stone's Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall.

Tony Blair and Wendy Deng have both strongly denied having an affair.