When it comes to dating, Lauren Sanchez really aims high. Before saying ‘yes’ to Jeff Bezos, the former news presenter had already dated a roster of high-profile men; from A-list Hollywood names to former pro athletes.
The mother of three is a native of New Mexico. Lauren and her ex-boyfriend, Tony Gonzalez, even have a kid named Nikko Gonzales. A former NFL player, Tony is a fan favorite to this day.
Lauren also has two children with her ex-husband, Patrick Whitesell, Executive Chairman of WME Endeavor: Evan Whitesell and Ella Whitesell.
But Lauren’s relationship with Jeff helped make her a global celebrity. In May 2023, the creator of Black Ops Aviation received a proposal from the second-richest man in the world. Now, let’s examine Lauren’s entire dating history.
Favorite Lauren Sanchez boyfriends:
1) Tony Gonzales
2) Patrick Whitesell
3) J-Bo pic.twitter.com/H1HqB57aR1— David Cranmer Underdown (@DavidCranmerUn1) August 25, 2022
Rory Markas
Lauren supposedly got engaged to Los Angeles sportscaster Rory Markas when she was still a student at the University of Southern California. The couple dissolved when she graduated. At the age of 54, Rory passed away in 2010 following what appeared to be a heart attack.
Anthony Miller
When the Denver Broncos were playing in the Super Bowl in 1996, the then-up-and-coming TV journalist met Anthony Miller. After a nearly two-year engagement that ended in 2000, Lauren and Anthony spent a total of four years together.
Tony Gonzalez
After her breakup with Anthony, Lauren went on to date Tony Gonzalez, a standout for the Kansas City Chiefs. In Feb 2001, the couple had a son, Nikko Gonzales, but separated the next year. Despite their allegedly acrimonious breakup, the two eventually became “friends” via coparenting their son.
Lauren made a rare comment about Tony during a 2023 interview with The Wall Street Journal. “I learned how to coparent with him, so I have more experience than Jeff might have. Tony and his wife, Tobie, are my best friends,” she told the outlet. “It wasn’t always that way. There was friction [at the beginning]. But Tony and Tobie were at Thanksgiving with us [this year], and we’re really good friends.”
Lauren acknowledged that it took her “about five years” to feel at ease around Tony and his 2007 wife, Tobie.
“I’m not saying that being best friends with your ex is the end-all be-all. But you do need to be able to communicate,” she said of Tony. “I’m so proud of it. My son looks at me, and he’s like, ‘I’m the luckiest boy in the world because I can have Thanksgiving with both my parents and they don’t have to be married.’”
Tony’s employment as a Thursday Night Football NFL analyst for Jeff’s Amazon Prime Video since 2022 demonstrates how things have really come full circle.
TRENDING: Lauren Sánchez, Jeff Bezos’s fiancée, is #NFL legend Tony Gonzalez’s ex-girlfriend.
Sánchez and Gonzalez had a child together.
Gonzalez now works for Bezos on the Thursday Night Football broadcast. pic.twitter.com/GSlrA1W1j4
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 22, 2025
Henry Simmons
Beginning in 2002, Lauren and actor Henry Simmons began attending red carpet events together. She even went with the TV personality to the celebration of his ABC program NYPD Blue’s 200th episode.
Although it’s unclear exactly when they parted up, the couple’s final public appearance together was at a Los Angeles Lakers game in April 2003.
Lauren Sanchez truly shoots for the stars when it comes to dating. https://t.co/S6jfr94txe
— Life & Style (@Life_and_Style) April 16, 2025
Patrick Whitesell
Following a year of courtship, Lauren wed Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell in a lavish ceremony in Santa Barbara, California, in August 2005.
Hugh Jackman, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and other A-list celebrities were among those there.
“Matt and Ben don’t get to see each other often, so we sat them together,” Lauren told People at the time. She and Patrick welcomed a son, Evan, in June 2006, followed by daughter Ella in January 2008.
Because both guys were influential figures in Hollywood, Lauren met Jeff Bezos through Patrick. The men worked closely while marketing 2016’s Manchester by the Sea, which starred Patrick’s client Michelle Williams, while the picture was distributed by Amazon.
Jeff and Lauren eventually fell in love. In January 2019, he and his ex-wife, Mackenzie Scott Bezos, declared their intention to end their 25-year marriage peacefully. Lauren filed for divorce from Patrick on April 4, 2019, the day after Jeff and Mackenzie finalized their divorce. In October 2019, the ex-couple concluded their divorce.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez to tie the knot this summer in Italy after a two-year engagement pic.twitter.com/iRUJwUSaUY
— Naija (@Naija_PR) March 23, 2025
Jeff Bezos
Over time, it became evident that Lauren and Jeff Bezos were really in love, even though their romance may have begun in the midst of scandal when they were married to other people.
“Lauren is the most generous, most big-hearted person that you would ever meet. So, she is an inspiration in that way. She never misses a birthday. The network of people that she gives birthday presents to is gigantic. And that’s just a small example,” Jeff gushed to CNN about his then-girlfriend in November 2022.
When asked what made their relationship work, Lauren replied, “We’re really great teammates, and we also have a lot of fun together. And we love each other … We always look at each other and we’re the team.”
Jeff added, “It’s easy. We bring each other energy, we respect each other. So, it’s fun to work together.”
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The billionaire proposed to Lauren in May 2023 aboard his superyacht, Koru, which was anchored in the South of France at the time.
Lauren responded, “Uh, yes, 100 percent,” when asked in a November 2023 profile by Vogue if she intended to adopt her fiancé’s name after they were married. I am excited to become Mrs. Bezos. Jeff gave the publication a number of reasons why he believed his fiancée improved him as a guy.
“She has really helped me put more energy into my relationships,” he explained. “She’s always encouraging me: ‘Call your kids. Call your dad. Call your mom.’ And she’s also just a very good role model. She keeps in touch with people. I’ve never seen her put makeup on without calling somebody. Usually her sister.”
The couple reportedly plan to marry in Venice, Italy, in the summer of 2025.
