Wendi's crush on Blair revealed: Rupert Murdoch's ex-wife wrote of 'warm feelings' as it emerges that tycoon banned former PM from summit after he said 'It's me or Tony'



Intimate note by Wendi Deng fuels Murdoch and Blair's feud

Ex-PM banned from summit after tycoon said: 'It's me or Tony'

Blair and Murdoch, once allies, now have a 'terminal' rift, claim sources



A sensational note written by Rupert Murdoch’s ex-wife Wendi Deng that reveals she had a ‘crush’ on Tony Blair has been found, it was revealed last night.

The note was written before media tycoon Mr Murdoch filed for divorce when he discovered Ms Deng had spent weekends with Mr Blair at Mr Murdoch’s homes.

A well-placed source said the document was written in the form of a note by Ms Deng to herself in which she expressed her ‘warm feelings’ for the former Prime Minister.

In further dramatic developments surrounding the feud between the two men – who forged one of the most powerful media and political alliances in British post-war history – The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Mr Blair was forced to stay away from the world’s biggest media conference after Mr Murdoch objected to his presence.

Wendi Deng expressed her 'warm feelings' for former PM Tony Blair, it has been revealed

It has also emerged that Mr Blair, 60, and Ms Deng, 44, met on a superyacht owned by music billionaire David Geffen without Mr Murdoch’s knowledge.

The new revelations follow our expose last week of the ‘terminal’ rift between Mr Murdoch and Mr Blair over Mr Blair’s ‘multiple encounters’ with Ms Deng, including three overnight stays at two of Mr Murdoch’s homes behind his back.

Mr Blair and his office refused to comment, leaving it to unofficial sources to ‘categorically deny’ rumours of an affair with Ms Deng.

The Mail on Sunday made it clear last week that we have no evidence of an affair between them. That remains the case.

Our report last week, which stated Mr Blair and Ms Deng’s stays at Mr Murdoch’s two homes in California had led to the rift between the two men, has not been disputed by either side.

Together: Murdoch with Wendi, now his ex-wife

The Mail on Sunday can now reveal fresh details about the controversy that has rocked Westminster.

A note written by Ms Deng is said to describe in detail her feelings before her break-up with 82-year-old Mr Murdoch, and, crucially, her feelings for Mr Blair.

A well-placed source in London said the note, found earlier this year, suggested Ms Deng ‘had warm feelings’ for Mr Blair, comparable to a ‘crush’.

Furthermore, Mr Blair was humiliated when he was forced to scrap plans to attend the prestigious Sun Valley conference in the U.S. in July, attended by media and political moguls such as Bill Gates and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg.

Mr Blair was given top billing, but at the last minute was told by the organisers not to turn up when fellow guest Mr Murdoch objected.

It has also emerged that Mr Blair, 60, and Ms Deng, 44, met on a superyacht owned by music billionaire David Geffen without Mr Murdoch's knowledge

Rupert Murdoch, with his sons James, right, and Lachlan, left, at the Allen and Co conference in Idaho's Sun Valley Resort in July

The rebuff came less than a month after Mr Murdoch filed for divorce from Chinese-born Ms Deng.

The divorce was finalised late last month.

The snub was a bitter personal blow for Mr Blair, who had been a regular guest at Sun Valley. He attended the 2007 gathering just two weeks after leaving Downing Street.

The fallout between the two men is regarded as ‘terminal’ by Mr Murdoch despite their unwavering alliance during Mr Blair’s ten years in No 10 and the fact that Mr Blair is godfather to one of Mr Murdoch’s children with his ex-wife.

Cherie Blair, right, wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, speaks next to Wendi Deng in 2009

Ms Deng (in pink jacket) tried to protect Mr Murdoch when protester Jonnie Marbles attacked him with a foam pie as he faced questions from the Commons Culture committee on News International's role in the phone hacking scandal

Additional details of the men’s row over Ms Deng include:



* Rupert Murdoch has accused Tony Blair of a ‘shocking betrayal’.

* Mr Murdoch believes Ms Deng lied about two meetings with Mr Blair at Mr Murdoch’s home in Carmel, California.

* A ‘careless’ email by Ms Deng referred to Mr Blair having visited their ranch in Carmel.

* Mr Murdoch launched his own investigation and staff at both homes confirmed the overnight stays.

* The meetings were a factor in his decision to file for divorce weeks later.



* Mr Blair was accompanied to the Carmel meetings by British police guards who are paid for by UK taxpayers.

* Mr Blair’s allies claim that Mr Murdoch’s sons, James and Lachlan, fuelled ‘false rumours’ out of ‘jealousy’ of Ms Deng.

Intriguingly, the media conference that Mr Blair was banned from took place in Sun Valley, Idaho, on July 9, almost exactly a month after Mr Murdoch filed for divorce on June 13.

When the guest list was published on July 2, ‘the Rt Hon Tony Blair’ was named on it, along with Mr Gates, Mr Zuckerberg, then New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other media and political luminaries.

'Rupert has supported Tony politically and personally through thick and thin. 'He thought he could trust him, but he was wrong'

- Unnamed media executive





But as a smiling Mr Murdoch and his two sons, who both work for his giant News Corp media company, arrived for the week-long event, Mr Blair was nowhere to be seen.



Mr Murdoch had told the organisers, Allen and Co, a New York-based private investment bank, that he would refuse to go if Mr Blair turned up.

Mr Murdoch is a long-standing business associate and personal friend of Herb Allen, the chairman of Allen and Co.



Mr Allen’s right-hand man Stan Shuman sat on the News Corp board for more than decade.

Mr Blair was asked to withdraw and he agreed.

A source close to Mr Blair confirmed he did not go to Sun Valley as planned in July, but claimed: ‘He cancelled all U.S. engagements that week because of Middle East business.’

Mr Murdoch could not conceal his glee when he reached Sun Valley. A photograph of him arriving, flanked by James and Lachlan, shows all three beaming. Mr Murdoch’s demeanour was attributed to his resolving his marriage problems.

He attended the Sun Valley event in 2012 with Ms Deng but this year both she and Mr Blair were conspicuously absent.



BLAIR'S LONG TRIPS AWAY FROM CHERIE

Friends of Tony Blair are worried about the effect of reports of his meetings with Wendi Deng on loyal wife Cherie. His successful and lucrative post-Downing Street career as a globetrotting adviser to governments, business and charities means they spend a considerable time apart. While Mrs Blair enjoys playing the role of ‘homemaker’ – the family’s anchor – Ms Deng has spent her life fighting perceptions of her as a ‘gold-digger’ or a ‘tiger wife’. She met Mr Murdoch when she was given an internship at Star Television, a Hong Kong satellite station which is part of Mr Murdoch’s vast media empire, and the couple were married two years later.

Last night, a friend of the Blairs said: ‘When Wendi is socialising with men, she looks as though she could eat them alive. Cherie has always trusted Tony, and accepts his new career because she knows it’s important to him and has provided them with permanent security.’ They were recently seen happy together at son Euan’s wedding.

With hindsight, it is now clear he had two reasons to smile, not one.

His ‘betrayal’ allegation against Mr Blair has been greeted with a mixture of anger and alarm by the former Prime Minister’s allies.

Several of Mr Blair’s close friends have asked him directly if he had an affair with Ms Deng. He has vehemently denied it to all of them.

One of those who challenged him said: ‘I believe Tony. He would never do such a thing and he is not a liar.’

Another said: ‘Wendi was going through a very difficult time with Rupert and Tony was a shoulder to cry on. There is nothing more to it than that. Rupert is old and confused and has imagined all this.’

A long-standing friend of Mr Blair said: ‘Wendi was in a hateful marriage. Tony is a sympathetic guy and helped her through a bad time.’



Friends of Mr Murdoch insist that he ‘did not act lightly’ before ending his 14-year marriage to Ms Deng and a political and personal bond with Mr Blair forged nearly 20 years ago.

A media executive who has known Mr Murdoch for 40 years said: ‘Rupert has supported Tony politically and personally through thick and thin.



‘He thought he could trust him, but he was wrong.’



Another friend commented: ‘What really hurt was finding out that Tony had been in his homes without telling him.’

A clue to Mr Blair and Ms Deng’s get-togethers emerged when an email from Ms Deng, which referred to arrangements for Mr Blair’s visit to Carmel, inadvertently went to the wrong person and reached Mr Murdoch.

A source said: ‘Wendi got careless. After that, it all poured out.’

Mr Murdoch went to his ranch in Carmel and asked the household staff, many of whom have worked for him for years, if it was true.



They told him Mr Blair had stayed there with Ms Deng on two weekends in October 2012 and April this year. They said he came with his UK police protection team which accompanies him all round the world.



Sources at Mr Murdoch’s offices in London say the staff’s account came as a shock, not least because Ms Deng had told him that she had gone to Carmel to visit friends on one occasion and on the other that she was going alone. In fact, she was there with Mr Blair on both occasions, said the source.

Friends of Tony Blair are worried about the effect of reports of his meetings with Wendi Deng on loyal wife Cherie

Mr Murdoch went to his home in Los Angeles and put the same question to staff there. They too told him Mr Blair had stayed there overnight with Ms Deng.

The pair also met without Mr Murdoch’s knowledge at his London home and at New York’s Carlyle Hotel, where Mr Blair often stays. Neither were overnight stays.

British sources close to Mr Murdoch, who owns The Sun and The Times newspapers, say his discovery of Mr Blair’s ‘multiple encounters’ with Ms Deng was a factor in his decision to file for divorce.



‘It was not the only factor, but it was certainly one,’ said one.

The sources deny that the Murdoch sons fanned the flames of their father’s feud with Mr Blair because they are ‘jealous’ and saw Ms Deng as a threat to inheriting their father’s empire.

‘They are loyal sons who want their dad to be happy, but that is natural,’ said one.

Ms Deng and Mr Murdoch were unavailable for comment.

TIMETABLE: THEIR WEEKENDS AND A 'TERMINAL SPLIT'

2012

June: New York Times says Murdochs living ‘separate lives’ after Deng issues ‘declaration of independence’. October: Deng and Blair have weekend at Murdoch ranch in Carmel, California.

2013 February: More reports (denied) of Murdoch marriage trouble after Deng is ‘snippy’ with Murdoch at Oscars ceremony. April: Deng and Blair have another weekend at Carmel. May: ‘Careless’ Deng email alerts Murdoch to Blair’s Carmel weekend visit. May: Staff at Murdoch’s homes in Carmel and Los Angeles confirm Blair stays. June 13: Murdoch files for divorce... BBC’s Robert Peston tweet on ‘jaw-dropping’ cause of divorce sparks affair rumours – denied by Blair. July 2: Murdoch and Blair on guest list for Sun Valley media conference in US.

July: Blair told to stay away from Sun Valley. July 9: Beaming Murdoch arrives at Sun Valley. Nov 20: Murdochs’ divorce finalised. Nov 24: The Mail on Sunday reveals Murdoch feud with Blair over meetings with Deng.

As he sweats on Chilcot, question of trust is last thing Blair needs

Trust is the key to deciding how Tony Blair’s decade in Downing Street will be judged in the history books.

As the only Labour leader to have won three successive elections, by rights he should be remembered as the greatest Labour Prime Minister of all time.

Tony Blair playing Cricket with volunteers and young people yesterday. Friends of Mr Blair say he is under great strain over the Chilcot Inquiry into the war which is widely expected to fiercely criticise his handling of the conflict.

But ten years after he led the nation into the Iraq War, his legacy is still clouded by doubts that he told the truth about Saddam Hussein’s supposed weapons of mass destruction.

Friends of Mr Blair say he is under great strain over the Chilcot Inquiry into the war which is widely expected to fiercely criticise his handling of the conflict.

Publication of Sir John Chilcot’s report has been delayed by a row over whether he can reveal secret correspondence between Mr Blair and President George Bush in the run-up to the war.

Insiders believe the exchanges show Mr Blair misled Parliament and British voters by privately guaranteeing Mr Bush well ahead of the conflict that he could rely on UK military support, while giving a different version publicly.

If such reports are correct, and if Chilcot publishes them in full, Mr Blair’s political reputation will suffer a hammer blow.

Mr Blair has argued against revealing his secret messages to Mr Bush, arguing disclosure would upset Anglo-US relations by preventing prime ministers and presidents talking candidly in future.

So far, he has been backed by Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood, who will make the final decision, and by David Cameron.

When Mr Blair’s integrity was questioned early on in his Prime Ministership, he famously told the BBC’s John Humphrys: ‘I’m a pretty straight kind of guy.’

At the time, no one supported him more than Rupert Murdoch, who used The Sun and The Times newspapers to defend Mr Blair’s trustworthiness whenever he was in trouble.

Question marks over Mr Blair’s trustworthiness in his private life are the last thing he needs.