Love Letter: I’m unhappily single. Do I have to attend my friend’s wedding?
Plus, the many love lives of Ted Turner.
Love Letter
May 8, 2026

The media mogul Ted Turner died this week at 87. He was known for creating CNN and the 24-hour news cycle. He was also a playboy and may have been polyamorous before polyamory hit the mainstream, our Styles desk reports.

Click on the links below to find out more about the many love lives of Turner. You’ll also find advice on whether it is OK to skip a wedding because you’re unhappily single, guidance on how to double date when you don’t like your friend’s partner and this week’s edition of Tiny Love Stories.

P.S. Know people who need a Love Letter? Forward today’s newsletter their way.

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Marta Monteiro

Wedding Bells (or Blues)

I’m unhappily single. Do I have to attend my friend’s wedding?

Jane Fonda, with shoulder-length hair and wearing a black jacket, standing next to Ted Turner, in a tuxedo.

Ron Galella Collection, via Getty Images

Lots of Love

The many love lives of Ted Turner.

The bride, left, in a simple short-sleeve white fitted wedding gown, holds hands with the groom, in a dark suit, as they walk down an aisle. Guests stand on either side and the Golden Gate Bridge can be seen in the distance behind them.

Teri B Photography

Friends to Lovers

By the end of a hiking trip, their relationship was elevated.

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Matt Chase

Making the Best of It

Your friend married a dud. Double dating can still be fun.

A black-and-white photo of a woman with short hair, eyes closed, resting her chin on her hand at a table.

Ahmed Gaber for The New York Times

A Literary Marriage

Siri Hustvedt had never published a book without her husband, the novelist Paul Auster, reading it first. Until now.

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A Hue Helper

Having trouble choosing the right white for your wedding? The “Color Countess” can help.

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On Broadway

How a Hollywood tough guy found sexual liberation in fishnets.

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At Home

They redesigned their new home in just four months. Then they planned their wedding there.

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Tiny Love Stories

“He was first to fall and first to leave, and I haven’t drunk since.”

Warm your heart with our best stories on love, sex and relationships. Some will make you cry. Some might make you blush.

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Warm your heart with our best stories on love, sex and relationships. Some will make you cry. Some might make you blush.

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This newsletter was written by Matt Yan and edited by Jessica Anderson.

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