By Jessica Wedemeyer
10:58am PDT, Jul 21, 2023
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Take a look back at the stars who found love, suffered heartbreak or experienced some other major event in their love lives in late June and early July 2023, starting with this pair…
On June 29, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Chase Carter took to Instagram to announce that she and MLB star Cody Bellinger are engaged: She shared a slideshow of photos showing off her massive diamond engagement ring, which she captioned with a heart emoji. They've been an item since July 2020 and welcomed a daughter in late 2021.
Keep reading for more of the week's biggest celeb love life updates…
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On the July 2 episode of Michael Cohen's "Mea Culpa" podcast, Aubrey O'Day claimed that her alleged affair with Donald Trump Jr. kicked off while she was "hosting a gay club" during their "first time going out together." According to Page Six, the former Danity Kane singer recalled, "He wanted to see me so bad, and I told him, 'Well, I'm gonna be at a gay club tonight.' So Don shows up to the gay club — and I'm talking about this is one of the biggest gay parties in New York. … Everybody was in a G-string or less." According to Aubrey, Don Jr. had no qualms about hanging out at a gay bar and appeared to be at ease there — in spite of the anti-LGBTQIA+ views he's espoused in recent years. "I looked at his Instagram for the first time in years and saw all kinds of jokes of belittling the gay community … and I thought to myself, 'Man, you were super comfortable in that gay club.' In fact, so comfortable that we ended up going to the bathroom and, for the first time, had sex in a gay club bathroom," she claimed.
Aubrey and Don Jr. — who met on the set of "The Celebrity Apprentice" — allegedly had a thing in 2011 and 2012 while he was still married to Vanessa Trump.
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On June 29, "Ted Lasso" star Brendan Hunt took to Instagram to announce that he's engaged to long-term partner Shannon Nelson. "The majestic @snoopshann, so rarely photographed in her natural habitat, captured here in the act of saying 'yes,'" he captioned a photo of the bride-to-be with her new engagement ring on full display. Shannon, meanwhile, captioned a similar shot on her own Instagram account, "We are a family. A beautiful wonderful family and will be for always. Some folks have assumed we had already done this, but truth be told we had other priorities in becoming a family. Now it feels right. I get to marry this beautiful man. I get to call him my husband and to be his wife and I am the luckiest." The duo share a 2-year-old son. It's unclear how long exactly they've been an item.
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Shakira and her former long-term partner, Gerard Piqué, are making headlines again: On July 3, DailyMail.com reported that, according to reports out of Spain, Spanish TV journalist José Antonio Avilés is alleging that the duo were in an open relationship for years before they called it quits in mid-2022 amid rumors he cheated. "There is an agreement where 'you do what you want and I do what I want,' but in the face of the media, we are still a couple," the journalist claimed, adding that the soccer star's camp was "surprised" when the Grammy winner publicly fueled the rumors that he cheated and was "annoyed to find out from the press." A second Spanish TV journalist, Pilar Vidal, added that Gerard "does not want speculation that the reason for the breakup was infidelity" and was surprised by the allegations because "the one who takes the initiative is her."
MORE: Celeb couples with big age gaps
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During a July 2 outing in Paris, Michael Jordan made it clear that he does not approve of son Marcus Jordan's age-mismatched romance with Larsa Pippen — who was previously married to the basketball star's former nemesis Scottie Pippen. After a paparazzo asked, "Hey, Mr. Jordan, what do you think about Marcus and Larsa Pippen together — do you approve of it?" Michael replied with a firm, "No!" (Watch the full exchange here.) Larsa — who's 17 years older than Marcus — previously claimed to be on good terms with her beau's family.
MORE: Celeb splits of 2023
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On July 2, Deux Moi published a blind item alleging that "two married co-stars of a popular and long-running sitcom have quietly separated after the husband cheated on [the wife] in Wales." The post sparked rumors that there's trouble in paradise for "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" co-stars Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney, who've starred on the long-running sitcom since 2005 and tied the knot in 2008. (Rob and Ryan Reynolds, meanwhile, own the Welsh soccer team Wrexham AFC.)
On July 3, Kaitlin took to Twitter to make light of breakup rumors, tweeting, "It was me who had the affair. But it was not with someone from Wales. It was with a whale. I've always loved whales. They're the bosses of the ocean and I'm attracted to power. We ask for privacy as we navigate this difficult time." Rob then tweeted, "Sad to admit that the rumor is true. However some of the details are… incorrect." The following day, a source told People magazine of the pair, "It's a ridiculous rumor, and so they decided to have fun with it."
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On July 3, People magazine reported that, according to a source, Kyle Richards and her husband of nearly three decades, Mauricio Umansky, have been "separated for a while now." According to the source, they're "still living under the same roof" and "remain amicable as they figure out what's next for them and their family."
As the split news sent shockwaves through the Bravoverse, the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" stars took to Instagram, to release a joint statement insisting that "any claims regarding divorcing are untrue." Wrote the couple, "Yes, we have had a rough year. The most challenging one of our marriage. But we both love and respect each other tremendously. There has been no wrongdoing on anyone's part." (Mauricio also took to Instagram to share a slideshow of photos of himself and Kyle celebrating the Fourth of July with their family in Aspen, Colorado.)
Amid the breakup buzz, fans began to speculate about Kyle's relationship with country music singer Morgan Wade — who's 28 and six years younger than the reality star's oldest child from a previous relationship, daughter Farrah Aldjufrie. Among the evidence the two women — who've grown increasingly inseparable since they first met in early 2022 — may be more than friends? They appear to have matching heart tattoos and rings.
MORE: Notorious celeb cheating scandals
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On July 6, People magazine broke the news that Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef are going their separate ways following six years of marriage. "We have decided to end our marriage with love, respect and dignity for our children and honoring what we have experienced as a couple all these wonderful years. Our greatest desire now is to continue having a healthy family dynamic and a relationship centered on peace and friendship to continue the joint upbringing of our children, preserving the respect and love we have for each other," the Grammy winner and the artist said in a joint statement.
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On July 5, Us Weekly reported that, according to a source, Avril Lavigne and Tyga are "back together" after briefly parting ways earlier this year following a few months of coupledom. "They split, started talking again and decided to give things another shot. They aren't jumping back in fast, they're keeping things casual for now," the source said after the duo were seen together several times in early July.
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Are they or aren't they?! On July 5, The Sun reported that Taylor Swift and Matty Healy are giving it another go after briefly splitting in early June following a few weeks of highly publicized coupledom: "There is just something electric between them and they seem to have overcome it all quite quickly and decided they definitely want to make it work at all costs. They're arranging time together in between tour dates and talking all the time. He's utterly smitten and it seems to be mutual. It sounds as though there may have been some issues behind the scenes but he's made changes to fix them. One thing is for sure, he isn't letting anything come between his chances of making it work with Taylor," a source said.
But just hours later, a source close to the Grammy-winning pop star told People magazine that she and Matty are "absolutely not together" and "aren't even in contact anymore." Said the source, "She is enjoying being single and has been spending time in the studio and hanging out with friends in New York City. This is all [bull]."
A source close to the 1975 frontman, meanwhile, called the reconciliation rumors "complete nonsense" and "not true at all."
MORE: Celeb weddings of 2023
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On July 5, People magazine broke the news that Billy Porter and his husband of six years, Adam Smith, are going their separate ways. "[They] have made the sad decision to end their marriage after six years. The decision was an amicable and mutual one and was made after much consideration. They continue to love and support each other as they embark on this next chapter," said a rep for the history-making "Pose" actor.
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On July 6, Ashley Benson and Brandon Davis took to Instagram to announce that they're engaged just six months after they were first romantically linked. "Love of my life," the oil heir captioned a photo of the "Pretty Little Liars" alum's massive diamond engagement ring on his Instagram Story. The actress reposted the photo, adding, "My best friend. I love you."
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Cardi B and Offset are doing just fine after he recently accused her of cheating on him: On July 5, the duo were photographed packing on the PDA while out and about in Paris for a Balenciaga fashion show. A few days earlier, a People magazine source said of the rappers' recent drama, "They're just having a little quarrel. They're very intense so go back and forth quite a bit. They'll hash it out like they always do." … Consider it hashed out!
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On July 3, Robert Irwin and Rorie Buckley made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Australian premiere of "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" in Sydney. The zookeeper, conservationist and wildlife photographer — who's the son of late "Crocodile Hunter" star Steve Irwin and his widow, Terri Irwin — was first linked to the blonde beauty in late 2022. Rorie also has ties to Hollywood: Late Oscar winner Heath Ledger was her uncle.
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On July 1, Paula Patton and actor-director Elijah Allan-Blitz — who previously romanced Brie Larson — sparked rumors they're a couple when they visited a Los Angeles grocery store together. (See photos here.) It's unclear how the twosome are acquainted with one another.
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On June 28, Anwar Hadid and Sophia Piccirilli were caught on camera holding hands while out and about in New York City. Page Six, which published photos of the PDA-packed outing, later reported that the models have been dating for "several months" now and things are already serious: In June, Sophia reportedly celebrated Anwar's birthday with his famous family at the Hadids' home in Pennsylvania. (His mother is model and reality star Yolanda Hadid, and his sisters are Bella Hadid and Gigi Hadid.)
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According to Us Weekly, which published exclusive wedding photos, Bachelor Nation's Juelia Kinney — who competed for Chris Soules' heart on season 19 of "The Bachelor" in 2015 — married Aaron Bass at the Dreams Natura resort in Cancun, Mexico, on June 30. The duo first connected in 2017 when Aaron's brother, Bachelor Nation star Evan Bass, married another "The Bachelor" season 19 alum: Juelia's friend Carly Waddell. They got engaged in 2018 and postponed their original plans to tie the knot in mid-2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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On June 30 — two months after Jamie Thompson and fellow "Married at First Sight" season 9 alum Elizabeth Bice separated following four years of marriage — the self-proclaimed "tech guru" took to Instagram to announce that he filed for divorce a week earlier. "Last Friday was a really tough day for me. I did something I thought I would never have to do. … After months of deliberation with Beth, we were just unable to find common ground. I had really hoped to resolve this, but it feels like we have reached the point of no return. So, I made the decision to go ahead and file for divorce for the sake of my own mental health and wellbeing. It was one of the hardest things I've had to do in a very long time. It saddens me a lot to be at this point. I was never sure if I would get married. But, I sure didn't want to get divorced either (even if it was an arranged marriage courtesy of Hollywood)," he captioned a photo of himself.
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During an interview with People magazine that debuted online on July 3, former "Today" show correspondent Jenna Wolfe revealed that she and fellow TV news journalist Stephanie Gosk quietly separated in September 2021 following nearly a decade of marriage. The pandemic put a strain on their relationship, she said, noting that "COVID was really tough" because both she and Stephanie suddenly started working from home. "There's a lot of beautiful ego that comes with one person being on television. But when there's two people on television, plus both kids trying to do Zoom school in a Manhattan apartment, there's just no space anywhere. … We decided after that, in order to preserve the relationship, it was better that Steph moved out," Jenna said, adding that she and her ex (they're pictured together on the "Today" show in 2013) are "still great friends" and "still loving parents" to their two children.
"We were just waiting for the right time to tell people because often, this is looked at as a failure. Like, 'Oh, your marriage failed.' But I'm like, 'Or, maybe we figured out a way to save the family unit.' … We still have each other and we always will," Jenna concluded.
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During an interview with The New York Times that debuted online on July 5, former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife of nearly three decades, Chirlane McCray, announced that they're calling it quits — though they have no plans to legally end their marriage and will continue living together in their townhouse in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood, even as they begin dating other people. The politician and his estranged missus — who came out as a lesbian in the '70s — began considering ending their unconventional union two months earlier, they noted. "You can feel when things are off, and you don't want to live that way," he explained.
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On July 2, Rod Stewart's son, professional hockey player Liam Stewart, and his partner of more than a decade, Nicole Artukovich, took to Instagram to share a joint post announcing that they're engaged: "Forever," they captioned a photo of themselves with the bride-to-be's new engagement ring on full display. The couple welcomed their first child, a son, earlier this year.
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JAY-Z's mom, Gloria Carter, married her long-term partner, Roxanne Wiltshire, in New York City on July 2. The rap superstar, wife Beyonce and their oldest child, daughter Blue Ivy Carter, were on hand for the star-studded nuptials. Kelly Rowland, Tyler Perry and Robin Roberts also made the guest-list. Gloria publicly came out as a lesbian in her son's 2017 track "Smile."
