The Daily Mail
Wendi Deng has been seen frolicking in the tropical waves of St Barts amid claims that she is in a 'serious' relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The 47-year-old showed off her impressive figure in a skimpy red bikini as she splashed about on the Caribbean coast with friends.
Deng has been enjoying a holiday on St Barts aboard the $400 million yacht of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, a close friend of Putin.
The Chinese businesswoman is close to Abramovich's wife Dasha Zhukova, who is not with her on the yacht this week and is instead with friends in South Carolina.
On Thursday Deng was seen standing on the sidewalk in a yellow dress and sandals alongside her daughter Chloe Murdoch and a group of friends.
US Weekly reported that Deng and Putin, 63, were dating after speaking to an insider close to the Russian leader, who said the relationship between the two had become 'serious.'
They are both divorced, with Deng and husband Rupert Murdoch splitting in 2013 and Putin separating a year later from his wife of 30 years Lyudmila Putina.
Deng and her ex have two daughters,Grace, 14, and Chloe, 12, while Putin and his wife also have two daughters, Maria, 30, and Yekaterina, 29.
Putin was linked to Russian gymnast Alina Kabaeva after his split, and there have been claims that he fathered two children with her, but the Kremlin and Kabayeva have strongly denied these accusations.
There were also allegations the two had been together since as early as 2008, but those claims were also strongly denied.
Murdoch filed for divorce from Deng after 14 years of marriage citing irreconcilable differences, with some reports at the time claiming he had grown suspicious of his wife's relationship with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is the godfather of their daughter Grace.
Emails from Deng were uncovered around this time that suggested a close relationship with Blair - which were shown to Mr Murdoch by one of his sons.
In one memo to herself, Deng had written: 'Oh s***, oh s***. Whatever why I'm so so missing Tony. Because he is so charming and his clothes are so good.
'He has such a good body and he had his really, really good legs Butt [sic] . . . and he is slim tall and good skin. Pierce blue eyes which I love. Love his eyes. Also I love his power on the stage . . . and what else what else what else . . .'
Other messages suggested that Blair had met Deng in New York, London and Beijing.
Hours after the divorce was announced, Blair telephoned Murdoch, insisting he was innocent. But, after a brief conversation, the tycoon refused to take any more of his calls.
Deng was also recently linked to 30-year-old violinist Charlie Siem after the two attended the Giambatista Valli show during Paris fashion week earlier this year.
Deng's vacation comes just a few weeks after her ex walked down the aisle for the fourth time, with Murdoch, 85, saying 'I do' to former American model and Mick Jagger ex Jerry Hall, 59, last month in London.
Putin's ex-wife also remarried earlier this year according to reports that claim she wed a man 21 years her junior in January, 37-year-old businessman Arthur Ocheretny.
Deng and Putin meanwhile have never been spotted together and neither has commented on their rumored relationship.
The 47-year-old showed off her impressive figure in a skimpy red bikini as she splashed about on the Caribbean coast with friends.
Deng has been enjoying a holiday on St Barts aboard the $400 million yacht of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, a close friend of Putin.
The Chinese businesswoman is close to Abramovich's wife Dasha Zhukova, who is not with her on the yacht this week and is instead with friends in South Carolina.
On Thursday Deng was seen standing on the sidewalk in a yellow dress and sandals alongside her daughter Chloe Murdoch and a group of friends.
US Weekly reported that Deng and Putin, 63, were dating after speaking to an insider close to the Russian leader, who said the relationship between the two had become 'serious.'
They are both divorced, with Deng and husband Rupert Murdoch splitting in 2013 and Putin separating a year later from his wife of 30 years Lyudmila Putina.
Deng and her ex have two daughters,Grace, 14, and Chloe, 12, while Putin and his wife also have two daughters, Maria, 30, and Yekaterina, 29.
Putin was linked to Russian gymnast Alina Kabaeva after his split, and there have been claims that he fathered two children with her, but the Kremlin and Kabayeva have strongly denied these accusations.
There were also allegations the two had been together since as early as 2008, but those claims were also strongly denied.
Murdoch filed for divorce from Deng after 14 years of marriage citing irreconcilable differences, with some reports at the time claiming he had grown suspicious of his wife's relationship with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is the godfather of their daughter Grace.
Emails from Deng were uncovered around this time that suggested a close relationship with Blair - which were shown to Mr Murdoch by one of his sons.
In one memo to herself, Deng had written: 'Oh s***, oh s***. Whatever why I'm so so missing Tony. Because he is so charming and his clothes are so good.
'He has such a good body and he had his really, really good legs Butt [sic] . . . and he is slim tall and good skin. Pierce blue eyes which I love. Love his eyes. Also I love his power on the stage . . . and what else what else what else . . .'
Other messages suggested that Blair had met Deng in New York, London and Beijing.
Hours after the divorce was announced, Blair telephoned Murdoch, insisting he was innocent. But, after a brief conversation, the tycoon refused to take any more of his calls.
Deng was also recently linked to 30-year-old violinist Charlie Siem after the two attended the Giambatista Valli show during Paris fashion week earlier this year.
Deng's vacation comes just a few weeks after her ex walked down the aisle for the fourth time, with Murdoch, 85, saying 'I do' to former American model and Mick Jagger ex Jerry Hall, 59, last month in London.
Putin's ex-wife also remarried earlier this year according to reports that claim she wed a man 21 years her junior in January, 37-year-old businessman Arthur Ocheretny.
Deng and Putin meanwhile have never been spotted together and neither has commented on their rumored relationship.
