Popular media personality Lauren Sánchez has been the town’s talk ever since she started dating Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos. From the visible differences in her appearance due to undergoing alleged plastic surgery to reports of manipulation from sources close to her towards creating a perfect social media narrative for herself, the tabloids can’t get enough of her. After all, she’s now Jeff Bezos’ wife!
Yet, did you know that Sánchez was still married to Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell when she met Jeff Bezos in 2019, and their high-profile romance sparked immense controversy? Bezos and Whitesell were reportedly friendly then, but the betrayal added more drama to the already sensational story. When the divorce occurred, Sánchez retained ownership of the couple’s $10 million Mercer Island mansion, conveniently located just a short drive from Bezos’ residence.
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As per The List, Patrick Whitesell handled the divorce with utmost grace and dignity. There have been no shady comments or bitter feuds over assets that come with defaming one another. Whitesell gave away the house to Lauren Sánchez to avoid living so close to the Amazon founder. In addition to securing the luxury home, Sánchez also obtained joint custody of their children.
Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, ended her marriage with a more substantial outcome: a $38.3 billion stake in Amazon in 2019 after being married for 25 years. Meanwhile, before she tied the knot with Bezos in Italy, she was reportedly quite a magnet for men. Her dating history and series of marriages include Ian Wade, her lesser-known high school boyfriend, followed by Gavin Maloof, a businessman and member of the Las Vegas Maloof family.
Patrick Whitesell, a Hollywood agent and founding partner of Endeavor talent agency.
In 2018, Lauren Sánchez had an extramarital affair with businessman and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos while they were both married, leading to his divorce from his wife MacKenzie to whom he had been pic.twitter.com/UEoWhgrYgK
— David Cranmer Underdown (@DavidCranmerUn1) January 8, 2024
She was engaged to sports broadcaster Rory Markas, but the engagement was called off. Next, she was linked with NFL player Anthony Miller, but the relationship ended amid cheating allegations. Moreover, Lauren Sánchez also had a long relationship with Tony Gonzalves in the early 2000s, and welcomed son Nikko in 2001. They split in 2002 and remained on good terms.
Sánchez once remarked that their son considers himself “the luckiest boy in the world because I can have Thanksgiving with both my parents, and they don’t have to be married.” Besides Gonzalves, in 2002, Sánchez got engaged to actor Henry Simmons of NYPD Blue fame. The two moved in together and frequently appeared affectionate in public, but their engagement ended in 2004, reportedly as Sánchez’s attention shifted elsewhere.
Now that we know Sánchez has been quite a swindler in attracting men and making the most out of it, rumors of trouble between Bezos and Sánchez began almost immediately after their extravagant wedding. Speculation intensified when reports emerged that actress Sydney Sweeney’s presence at the event allegedly stirred tension between the newlyweds.
The lavish wedding, which saw many high-profile celebrities, was a massive public event. Still, according to journalist Rob Shuter on his Substack, Bezos reportedly invested heavily in Sweeney’s upcoming lingerie line to secure her attendance at the wedding. Of course, his better half wasn’t happy about it.
Vogue Magazine shares behind the scenes photos of Lauren Sanchez from her wedding to billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. pic.twitter.com/yaDpAqgWqR
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) June 28, 2025
“There’s definitely some tension,” one insider claimed. “Lauren didn’t realize just how involved Jeff was in this. It’s… awkward,” a source told Page Six. Moreover, Sweeney, who has been in the limelight owing to her controversial American Eagle advert, is reportedly rumored to be starring in the next James Bond film, which is being produced by Amazon MGM Studios, a company owned by Jeff Bezos himself.
Sydney Sweeney at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding. pic.twitter.com/l2Ce1DGBmD
— 𝓐𝓻𝓽 𝓲𝓼 𝓪 𝔀𝓪𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓼𝓾𝓻𝓿𝓲𝓿𝓪𝓵 (@yourfavnook) June 27, 2025
Hence, Sydney Sweeney’s presence at the wedding seems more like a strategic move than a personal interest. However, after calling off her engagement with Jonathan Davino, Sydney has been single despite the cheating rumors surrounding her and co-actor Glen Powell.
As Bezos and Sweeney continue to collaborate professionally, time will tell whether Lauren Sánchez remains the center of his attention, after all, even the best things in life come at a cost and price tag.
