Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez will soon arrive at a pivotal point in their relationship, as they’re set to say “I do” in front of their loved ones and officially tie the knot.
Jeff, 60, and Lauren, 55, have been teasing their pending nuptials for nearly a year now, and while there has been recent talk of a holiday wedding, they’ve effectively debunked those reports.
Read on to learn more about Jeff and Lauren’s relationship, from the controversial way it started in 2018 to their blended family life now…
The first days
Lauren and Jeff’s initial romance got off to a rocky start. Both were already married at the time, Jeff to MacKenzie Scott and Lauren to Patrick Whitesell. They met through mutual friends, most notably Patrick, and ran in the same social circles for years.
However, in 2018, they began an extramarital affair which reportedly lasted for months, although reports conflict on whether the couples were already separated at the time. The affair became public soon after Jeff and MacKenzie filed for divorce in January 2019.
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© Getty ImagesIn February, Jeff wrote a blog post accusing the National Enquirer’s publisher American Media, Inc. was trying to extort him over explicit photos with Lauren. In April of that year, she filed for divorce from Patrick as well.
Going public
By mid-July, the couple made their relationship official, making their first public appearance at Wimbledon 2019, seen cozying up to each other and giggling while attending the games.
© Getty ImagesIn January 2020, they made their red carpet debut as a couple at an Amazon Prime Video event in Mumbai, even twinning in their floral outfits, with Jeff opting for a floral blazer and Lauren wearing a full-length red and black semi-sheer gown.
Weathering storms
Over the next year, the couple remained more low-key, owing to the 2020-21 Covid-19 mandated lockdowns. However, developments in their personal life continued.
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In February 2020, Lauren’s brother Michael Sánchez filed a lawsuit against Jeff and a consultant of his for claiming to the press that he’d provided the explicit images of their conversations to the National Enquirer.
© Getty ImagesMichael claimed in his lawsuit that the allegations had served in “alienating him from his family and professional colleagues” and he was trying to help his sister instead.
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Lauren, however, responded through a statement of her own that sided with Jeff, saying: “”He secretly provided my most personal information to the National Enquirer — a deep and unforgivable betrayal. My family is hurting over this new baseless and untrue lawsuit, and we truly hope my brother finds peace.”
Continued support
Over the next two years, the couple remained steadfast, pivoting their work to philanthropy, most notably after Jeff stepped down as the CEO of Amazon in 2021. Lauren was named the Vice President of the Bezos Earth Fund as well.
© Getty ImagesThey made red carpet appearances several times together, becoming a blended family as well. Lauren is a mom-of-three, through her former partners Patrick and NFL star Tony Gonzalez. Jeff welcomed four children with his ex-wife MacKenzie.
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Lauren was also on-hand to support her boyfriend when he launched in the Blue Origin NS-16 in July 2021, being present to hug him as soon as he returned after their 10 minute suborbital flight.
Engagement
© Getty ImagesIn May 2023, after nearly five years together, it was reported that Jeff had popped the question to Lauren, and the couple were engaged.
While they’ve never explicitly confirmed the news, they held an engagement party that September on Jeff’s $500 million superyacht, hosting friends like Bill Gates and his girlfriend Paula Hurd.
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Pending marriage
© Getty ImagesThe couple have fondly spoken about planning for their upcoming wedding, although days before Christmas, reports emerged that they were planning a secret holiday ceremony worth over $600 million in Aspen.
However, both quickly shot down the claims, with Jeff tweeting: “This whole thing is completely false — none of this is happening. The old adage ‘don’t believe everything you read’ is even more true today than it ever has been.”
© InstagramThe couple did host a dinner party for some of their friends at the sushi restaurant Matsuhisa in Aspen, where the pre-wedding party was reported to take place, attended by the likes of Ivanka Trump and Kevin Costner.
