Love Still Going Strong

It was many moons ago when Whispers introduced to the world, the former Mrs Anna Murdoch, with her new husband William Mann at the Lord Mayor's News Year's Eve party at the Sydney Opera House. Anna & William (pictured centre left) had flown into town to visit family members as out exclusive photo shows with her brother Hans Torv and his wife Kaiya.
Hans, who runs a radio network centred on the Gold Coast in QLD (sister Anna is a shareholder) is also father of the successful actress Anna Torv (below) star of the cult TV series Fringe. She lives in New York and often holidays with her aunt Anna Mann.
How pleasing then to see William & Anna in fine form last week at The New York Center for Children's "The Sunflower Party" in Southampton in Long Island.                              
As for former hubby Rupert Murdoch, he is currently in Sydney visiting son & heir Lachlan Murdoch and wife Sarah. They were spotted last week at Hamilton Island for the Audi Race Week.
Early next year a New York court is expected to hear what could be America's most expensive divorce case when Rupert & Wendi Murdoch go to battle unless an amicable settlement is reached as it was when Rupert divorced Anna who picked up a reputed $500M.

William & Anna Mann at the New York Center for Children's "The Sunflower Party". photo by Patrick McMullan (c)

Murdoch Split No Surprise

the Social Shuttle : April 2013

The news may have caught the Australian, British and US media on the hop but avid Shuttle readers were in on the secret at least 2 months ago when we reported a snippet from our New York operative who had been a guest at an up-town dinner party. A fellow guest, a Fox executive had confided to a stunned table that all was not well with the marriage of our favourite ex-pat media mogul Rupert Murdoch and wife Wendi. Apparently the liberally watered executive said that Rupert and Wendi had been living separate lives for so long now that he expected the marriage to end soon and thus, as the world discovered yesterday it came to pass.
 Despite that the pair were in Australia last December for the red carpet opening night of Les Miserables and all looked well but Rupert has been back to Sydney twice since( just last week) on his own. At that time we spoke of the troubles that have bedevilled the entire Murdoch clan as revealed by former News Corp executive and insider Rodney E.Lever.

Kai Torv, William & Anna Mann, Hans Torv.

Never fear. Social Shuttle operatives are everywhere and we shall bring you news of any new splits or pairings involving a current or former Murdoch, just as we did in December 1999 when we presented the first photograph to the world of the former Anna Murdoch with her new husband William Mann along with Anna's brother, Gold Coast radio boss Hans Torv and his wife Kai. Hans is the father of actress Anna Torv, star of the hit cult TV series Fringe.  The foursome were celebrating the New Year at the Sydney Opera House.

When Rupert & Anna divorced in 1999 Anna is reported to have received over $1B in assets, the largest ever divorce settlement.

update : Guy Pearce Wins-A Murdoch Gives Award

Anna Torv

Both Guy Pearce and Kate Winslet have won Emmys for their roles in the re-make of the 40's classic Mildred Pierce.

Anna Torv (who The Daily Beast reckons was 'snubbed' of an Emmy nomination along with her co-star Aussie actor John Noble ) from the hit TV series Fringe presented Guy with his award.

Anna is the daughter of Queensland radio network owner Hans Torv and the niece of Anna Murdoch Mann the former wife of Rupert Murdoch and mother of his children James. Lachlan and  Elisabeth.

Anna, named after her aunt is particularly close to her and regularly visits her in New York.



Kate Winslet at the 2011 Emmys

Not All Doom & Gloom For The Murdochs

Sarah Murdoch at the Astras last night

The Murdoch family still face battles with the British parliament and a public still reeling from the great phone hacking scandal but life appears to be far rosier for some members of the extended first family of the media.

While Lachlan Murdoch accompanied his father Rupert Murdoch and brother James to London this week keeping a low profile and returning to New York with them on their private jet, his beautiful wife model and TV presenter Sarah Murdoch was  last night voted Favourite Personality at the Astra Awards for pay TV held at the Sydney Theatre Company.

Anna Torv splash

Sarah is host and executive producer of the series Australia's Next Top Model which co-incidentally is screened on Foxtel , the cable network part owned by her famous father-in-law.

Meanwhile the on-line magazine The Beast has come into bat for the Australian actress Anna Torv and claimed that she is a victim of the The Emmy Awards’ 10 Biggest Snubs.

Kia Torv, William & Anna Mann, Hans Torv

Anna appears in the hugely popular TV series Fringe which has a world wide cult following.

She's the daughter of Gold Coast radio network owner Hans Torv who is the brother of the former Mrs Anna Murdoch and she's the cousin of James, Lachlan, Prudence and Elisabeth Murdoch. Anna is named after her famous aunt.

John Noble

Not that Anna has much contact with her famous media family cousins. She's been estranged from her father Hans since the age of eight when he and her mother parted company but she does maintain contact with the former Mrs Rupert Murdoch and regularly visits her aunt in New York.
Anna Murdoch  married New Yorker financier William Mann and as our exclusive picture shows is extremely close to her brother Hans and his present wife Kia. Anna Mann is also a co-owner of the Queensland radio network run by Hans.
Anna Torv has been signed for another series of Fringe along with the star of the show, Australian actor John Noble who The Beast reckons should also be up for an Emmy.

Locking up a Murdoch

Catherine Overington of the Media Diary on Rupert Murdoch's personal favourite publication, The Australian newspaper reports on a  happening today at the Surry Hills News Ltd headquarters :

A rather cute thing just happened in the foyer ...

A dapper young man approached the glass security doors. He was already inside; and wanted to get out.

He didn’t have one of those electronic passes you need, to make the doors open.

He motioned to one of News Ltd’s famously happy and extremely strict security guards, saying: ``I’m sorry, I want to get out. I don’t have a pass.’’

To which the security guard said: ``Well, how did you get in?’’

To which the dapper young man replied: ``I came in with my Dad?’’

It was, of course, James Murdoch.

Rupert Murdoch is in town and the word from the Surry Hill's bunker is that fear and loathing are spreading as sackings are expected. There is one rumour sweeping the building that the much feared New York Post editor Col Allan is to return and take the helm.

In fact rumours are sweeping ahead of him wherever he goes. He visited both PM Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott in Canberra a few days ago over talks about new media laws that are predicted to give free-to-air TV stations much more sport's content. Rupert only owns shares in the cable TV network Foxtel under laws that prevent owners having both newspaper and broadcast coverage in any one city. News Corp publishes the main dailies of every state capital except for the Fairfax's Canberra Times.

One person Murdoch won't be visiting is Bruce Guthrie who has just published his book Man Bites Murdoch about his 40 years in publishing.

Amongst a host of newspapers and magazines Guthrie edited was Murdoch's top Victorian tabloid  the Herald Sun before he had a spectacular fallout with his boss.

2 weeks ago Guthrie was spotted meeting with Julia Gillard in Melbourne. Priming her for her first meeting with Murdoch or a mere co-incidence ?

Also in town and spotted at this week's christening of Sarah & Lachlan Murdoch's baby Aerin Elisabeth Murdoch-Rupert's ex-wife Anna Murdoch Mann and her husband William Mann. Anna attended the christening with her brother Hans Torv, the Gold Coast disc jockey and radio station owner.