Who Is Lauren Sanchez? Details About The Woman In The Middle Of Jeff Bezos' $137 Billion Divorce And AMI Nude Pics Scandal
Bezos is currently worth over $100 billion, though that may change.
extra Just one day after news broke that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and wife Mackenzie are getting divorced, rumors about Bezos' girlfriend Lauren Sanchez surfaced in the National Enquirer.
Forbes designated Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, as the world’s wealthiest person in March 2018. In July 2018, Quartz valued his net worth at $150 billion. He is considered the wealthiest person in modern history.
His marriage, however, is not so happy — he and his wife MacKenzie Bezos posted a joint statement on his Twitter account announcing their divorce.
The two have been married for 25 years; they wed while working at the same hedge fund in the early 90s. Soon after, the two moved to Seattle to launch Bezos’s online bookstore, Amazon.
Given that Bezos’s net worth is equal to that of over 2.3 million Americans, and according to TMZ, didn't have a prenup.
Even worse, another woman may have contributed to the divorce. And on February 7th, Bezos posted a letter to Medium saying that David Pecker's American Media Inc. (AMI) threatened to publish personal photos and texts of Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend which include a dick pic and initimate selfies.
So who is Lauren Sanchez? Here's what we know.
1. Sanchez and Bezos have known each other for years.
Sources told TMZ that Sanchez and her soon-to-be-ex-husband Patrick Whitesell have been friends with the Bezos family for over 10 years. “Patrick [Whitesell] and Lauren have socialized with Jeff Bezos and his wife for a few years, because both [now former] couples have houses in Seattle,” another source told Page Six.
However, sources also claimed that Bezos and Sanchez did not start a relationship until after Bezos and his wife were separated and that both Mackenzie and Whitesell were aware of their relationship.
“Jeff and Mackenzie tried very hard to work things out. They separated last year, then Jeff and Lauren started dating," a source revealed to Page Six. "Mackenzie knew they were dating; the news today was not a surprise to her. Lauren was with Jeff at the Golden Globes because they are dating.”
2. She was a reporter and TV anchor on the news, as well as in movies and television shows.
Sanchez reported news as a co-host on Fox 11’s “Good Day LA.” Sanchez also guest hosted on The View and Extra.
Her credits list on IMDB is quite long as well for various roles as a reporter, anchor, and newscaster. She was also in films including Fight Club, The Day After Tomorrow, Fantastic Four, and others.
2. She was a host on “So You Think You Can Dance.”
The dance competition show on Fox has been running since 2005, with Sanchez as a host. She was on the show for one season and reportedly left to have her second child. Cat Deely took over in 2006, and has been hosting ever since.
3. She is in the midst of a divorce.
Sanchez may have a thing for CEOs — Whitesell is a co-CEO of WME, a powerful Hollywood agency. He represents some big-name clients including Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale.
Sanchez and Whitesell wed in 2005 but had reportedly separated in the fall of 2018. “Patrick and Lauren have been on and off for a while and have been separated," a source told People.
Sources told Page Six that after she and Whitehall separated, Sanchez and Bezos became closer.
4. Sanchez worked for Bezos.
Sanchez is a licensed plane and helicopter pilot and puts her knowledge to work. In 2016, she founded an aerial filming company called Black Ops Aviation. One of her clients was Amazon. Bezos hired Sanchez for ‘Blue Origin,’ a space launch company.
"She has been shooting aerial shots for Bezos,” a source explained to Page Six.
"The two of them are sort of thick as thieves right now,” a source told People about Bezos and Sanchez.
Alison Cerri is an editorial intern at YourTango. When she's not writing, she can be found on a run or at rugby practice. Follow her on Instagram.