Smackdown by Murdoch's Wife Steals the Show

(Newser) – When a protester launched a pie at Rupert Murdoch today, his wife leaped to his rescue, pushing others aside before bashing the assailant on the head. Where did 42-year-old Wendi Deng get such guts—and such reflexes? Born in China, she grew up at a tough time in the country’s history, when intellectuals and “capitalist roaders” faced persecution, writes Melinda Liu at the Daily Beast. It also probably helped that she’s a 5-foot-10 former volleyball star. "While today's performance could well be seen as the most important 'slam dunk' of her life, Wendi has always been proactive and ambitious," writes Liu in her profile. (Click to read the full piece.)

Her smackdown made her the star of today’s hearings, grabbing headlines like the Telegraph’s: “The Battle Cry of the Tiger Wife: Wendi Deng Saves Frail Husband From Evil Pie-Thrower.” In that paper, Toby Young observes that her effort marks a victory for the Murdochs in the public eye. Rupert is “instantly transformed from villain to victim and anything embarrassing he or James may have said will be knocked off the front pages,” Young writes. What’s more, they’ll now have “an excuse not to appear before House of Commons select committees in future”: poor security.