Lauren Sánchez

Lauren Wendy Sánchez Bezos (; born December 19, 1969) is an American former journalist. She is a licensed pilot and founder of Black Ops Aviation, an aerial film and production company. Sánchez has been a guest host on The View, co-host on KTTV Fox 11's Good Day L.A. and anchor on the Fox 11 News at Ten, and anchor and special correspondent on Extra. She has also been a regular contributor on shows including Larry King Live, The Joy Behar Show and Showbiz Tonight.

In 2024, Sánchez released her debut children's book, The Fly Who Flew to Space, which became a New York Times bestseller. On April 14, 2025, Sánchez flew as a passenger in Blue Origin NS-31, an all-female spaceflight aboard the New Shepard rocket. In June 2025, Sánchez married Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the fourth-richest person in the world.

Early life and education Lauren Wendy Sánchez was born on December 19, 1969, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Ray Sánchez, a flight instructor and mechanic, and Eleanor Sánchez, a former Los Angeles assistant deputy mayor. Sánchez describes herself as "third-generation Mexican-American". She attended Del Norte High School, participating in cheerleading and student assembly, and working at The Beach water park. After graduating from high school in 1987, Sánchez studied acting and speech at the University of New Mexico. She later moved to California and attended El Camino College, where she was diagnosed with dyslexia after a professor identified her learning difficulties. This diagnosis has led her to support the International Dyslexia Association and advocate for more inclusive educational systems. She subsequently studied communications at the University of Southern California. In 1990, she won the international Models World Magazine Cover Girl Competition. where her team won an Emmy Award. In 1999. Sánchez was co-host on KTTV Fox 11's Good Day LA and anchor on the Fox 11 News at Ten. In 2016, after having learned to fly at age 40 and getting her pilot's license, she founded Black Ops Aviation. Sánchez focuses on film and television projects which allow her to use her skills as a licensed pilot. In 2024, she received the Elling Halvorson Vertical Flight Hall of Fame Award at the Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards for her expertise as a helicopter pilot and aviation businesswoman.

In 2024, Sánchez released her first children's book, The Fly Who Flew to Space, a story about a fly named Flynn who doesn't do well in school but is curious about life and accidentally gets stuck in the cockpit of a rocket that heads into space. The story is inspired by Sánchez's life and her struggles with dyslexia. It debuted on the New York Times Bestseller list on September 29, 2024. On February 27, 2025, it was announced that Sánchez would be one of the passengers for Blue Origin's eleventh flight to space under the New Shepard program, along with Katy Perry, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, Kerianne Flynn and fellow journalist Gayle King. Blue Origin NS-31's sub-orbital mission took place on April 14, 2025, making Sánchez and King the first female journalists to fly to space.

Philanthropy

Sánchez is the vice-chairperson of Bezos Earth Fund, and helped promote their Greening America's Cities initiative, a seven-year $400 million commitment to help create and enhance greenspaces in underserved communities. In March 2024, she pledged to donate $60 million to create centers that would focus on biomanufacturing and climate change. In October 2024, Sánchez and Bezos pledged $60 million to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to enable the restoration and improved management of of land across more than a dozen states. Sánchez was also honored by American nonprofit environmental organization Conservation International with its Global Visionary Award for her commitment to supporting pressing nature issues. She also works with the Bezos Day One Fund, which helps homeless families with housing and free preschool education. Sánchez makes trips across the United States–Mexico border with This is About Humanity, an organization dedicated to providing support for separated and reunified families at the border. She was honored by the organization at their annual fundraising event in 2023.

Personal life

Sánchez's first son was born in February 2001. His father is former National Football League player Tony Gonzalez. Their son was born in 2006, and their daughter was born in 2008.

In 2018, Sánchez had an affair with businessman and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, while each was married. In January 2019, Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie Scott, released a joint statement that they would seek a divorce, after 25 years of marriage. In February 2019, Bezos alleged that National Enquirer publisher American Media, Inc. had attempted blackmail and extortion in connection with Bezos's relationship with Sánchez.

In April 2019, Bezos's and Scott's divorce was finalized, and in October 2019, Sánchez's and Whitesell's divorce was finalized. In 2020, the media started referring to Sánchez as Bezos's girlfriend.

The couple became engaged in May 2023 and married in Venice on June 27, 2025. She is now known as Lauren Sánchez Bezos.

Filmography Sánchez has made cameo appearances in films and television series, including in the following:

Film + List of film credits Year Title Role Notes 1999 Fight Club Channel 4 Reporter Credited as W. Lauren Sanchez 2003 Hollywood Homicide Chopper Newscaster 2004 The Day After Tomorrow International Newscaster Cellular News Anchor No. 2 2005 Fantastic Four KCOP / KTTV reporter The Longest Yard Herself 2006 Akeelah and the Bee Reporter Zoom Reporter 2007 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Fox News reporter 2008 College Road Trip News anchor Killer Movie Margo Moorhead 2010 The Big Picture Layla 2011 We Bought a Zoo TV Anchor 2012 Celeste and Jesse Forever News reporter 2013 White House Down Reporter 2015 Ted 2 Boston Newscaster 2017 Girlfriend's Day Newscaster2024 The Trainer Herself

Television

+ List of television credits Year Title Role Notes 1997 Babylon 5 Newsanchor Episode: "Epiphanies" 2001 Girlfriends Anchorwoman Episode: "A Full Court Conspiracy" 2002 The Agency Newsanchor Episode: "Finale" 2005 Eve Aramanda De La Cruz Episode: "Brit Better Have My Money" 2008 Dirt Entertainment Anchor No. 1 Episode: "Dirty, Slutty Whores" Gotham Tonight Lydia Filangeri 3 episodes; web series that served as a prequel to The Dark Knight 2010 NCIS NCIS Agent Sanchez Episode: "Double Identity" Days of Our Lives Cece Chavez 2 episodes 2014 Rake News Anchor No. 1 Episode: "Serial Killer"