According to British media, Murdoch got divorce quietly. He instructed his legal team to settle the case "quickly and quietly". Rupert Murdoch's wife Wendi Deng was totally blindsided by his decision to sue for divorce, her friends claimed.

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Recently, A spokesperson for former UK prime minister Tony Blair has denied rumors that Blair is having an affair with Wendi Deng at the start of divorce proceedings. The spokesperson said: "If you are asking if they are having an affair, the answer is no." In fact, Blair was godfather to one of Deng's daughters.

According to some reports, Wendi Deng was accused of spending an inordinate amount of time "social climbing" with her celebrity pals; include Demi Moore, Nicole Kidman, Bono and Tony and Cherie Blair. Murdoch's biographer Michael Wolff wrote last year in the Guardian: "Blair becomes one of Wendi's first official social conquests, in her developing role both as Murdoch social emissary and social power player."

An acquaintance of the couple says that during Tuesday afternoon Mr. Murdoch gave the first clue that "something was up" when he abruptly cancelled his meeting to honor one of his oldest friends, Fox film studio chairman Jim Gianopulos. Two days later a document was filed at the New York State Supreme Court stating the couple's 14-year marriage had "broken down".

According to an acquaintance's recall: "Everyone was gossiping, wondering if Murdoch had been taken ill. Now it makes sense. He was probably with his lawyers putting the finishing touches to the divorce papers."

3,000 miles away, Ms Deng was at another of the couple's magnificent apartment near Manhattan's Central Park. A woman picked up the phone and said Ms Deng was unavailable.

But a friend said: "She was totally blindsided by this. She says she had no idea it was coming. She's not pretending that they didn't have some pretty big problems. But she never thought Rupert would want to go public and admit the marriage was a big mistake."

According to Murdoch's biographer Michael Wolff, Murdoch once told his son that his marriage with Wendi Deng was a fault and that he regretted to marry Wendi Deng. An acquaintance of the couple said: "Murdoch doesn't like her harsh words. He can't accept to be criticized in public."