Australian media mogul James Packer announces divorce

Following in the footsteps of another Australian media mogul, Rupert Murdoch, Consolidated Press Holdings third-gen James Packer has announced his divorce from his wife, Erica Baxter.

The couple were married in the French Riviera in 2007, in a ceremony attended by members of the Murdoch family, as well as movie star Tom Cruise, among others.

In a statement released to media on Friday, Packer said the couple remained close friends and that their three children would be their priority moving forward.

Packer is worth a reported AU$6 billion, according to the BRW Rich List, making him the third wealthiest individual in Australia.

The Packer family has traditionally focused its interests in entertainment and media, but since the death of his father, Kerry, in 2005, James has been increasing the family empire’s investment in gaming through his controlling stake in Crown Limited.

Packer’s split comes on the heels on Murdoch’s announcement in June that he was filing from his third wife, Wendi Deng.

Like Murdoch, this will not be Packer’s first divorce – he split from model in Jodhi Meares in 2002 following three years of marriage.