- At age 18, Lauren utilized to be a flight attendant however was advised she was ‘too large’
- She then pursued a profession in journalism however was turned down from The View
- FEMAIL broke down her journey from struggling reporter to Hollywood starlet
Lauren Sanchez was as soon as a budding TV star who was determined to interrupt into the trade after affected by an undiagnosed studying incapacity for years and being turned away from her dream job at The View.
Now, she’s one of the crucial well-known faces on the planet, usually mingling with Hollywood’s largest A-listers and attending essentially the most unique occasions alongside her billionaire Amazon founder fiancé, Jeff Bezos, 59, who’s value roughly $167 billion.
Simply this week, the journalist, 53, landed the quilt of one of the crucial coveted magazines on the earth of vogue – Vogue – and was noticed celebrating her engagement to Jeff amongst her huge group of superstar friends, together with Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Jessica Alba, and Robert Pattinson.
So how did go from a struggling reporter to a starlet who mingles with Tinseltown’s most elite? Whereas her romance with Jeff actually cemented her standing, Lauren’s rise to the highest really began lengthy earlier than they met.
New Mexico-based Lauren longed to be a profitable newscaster from early on, however due to her wrestle with dyslexia, she determined to surrender on that dream and as an alternative pursue a profession in aviation after ending highschool.
She moved to LA to use for a job as a stewardess – however was left heartbroken when she was turned away and advised she was ‘too large’ to be a flight attendant, regardless of solely weighing 121 kilos.
However a decided Lauren used her devastation as gasoline, and when she turned her focus again to journalism after that, she shortly rose via the ranks. She began at a small information outlet in Phoenix, Arizona, earlier than shifting to Further, adopted by Fox Sports activities Web and Good Day LA.
Because of her vivacious persona and flourishing job within the media, Lauren started slowly integrating herself into the superstar world.
Earlier than assembly Jeff, she was romantically linked to a slew of different stars, together with an actor, two well-known athletes, and a prime CEO of a significant expertise company – nevertheless it was when her whirlwind affair with Jeff got here to gentle in 2019 that she actually turned the topic of the general public’s curiosity.
It’s only natural that the world became fiercely fascinated with the woman who stole the heart of one of the richest men on the globe, especially since the couple was ultimately able to overcome the explosive cheating scandal and the accusations of blackmail and extortion that shrouded the start of their romance.
After four years of lavish getaways, private jet rides, dinner dates at the most sought-after restaurants in the world, designer shopping trips, yacht rides, and invites to parties amongst the top stars, Jeff and Lauren became engaged back in May.
As the couple gear up to walk down the aisle together and Lauren continues to make waves in the media, FEMAIL went ahead and recapped her journey from start to finish – from her roller-coaster quest to find love, which included multiple failed marriages and engagements, to her impressive takeover of Hollywood.
Lauren’s rise to the spotlight: After being told she was ‘too big’ to be a stewardess at age 18, she set out on becoming a journalist – but was left ‘devastated’ when she was turned down from The View
Lauren grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and dreamed of being a journalist from a young age – but because she suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia throughout her childhood, she began to believe that she couldn’t do it.
Instead, she decided she wanted to become a flight attendant, and at age 18, after finishing high school, she moved to Los Angeles, California, where she applied for a job as a Southwest Airlines stewardess.
However, the then-teenager, who weighed just over 120 pounds, told Wall Street Journal earlier this 12 months that she was compelled to face on a scale through the interview course of – an ordinary follow for flight attendants on the time – and she or he in the end did not get the job as a result of she was advised she was too large.
‘Again then, they weighed you, and I weighed 121 kilos. They stated, “You have to be 115,”‘ she recalled.
Not sure of the place to show, a heartbroken Lauren determined to go to again to highschool, and enrolled at El Camino Faculty in Torrance, California.
It was there that she rediscovered her love for journalism after a trainer inspired her to get examined for a studying incapacity and she or he lastly realized that she was affected by dyslexia.
‘[The teacher said], “You are not dumb. You are simply dyslexic. Let me offer you instruments on the right way to write,”‘ she defined, including that the professor gifted her a pocket dictionary to maintain along with her always.
‘It modified my life. I went from barely a 2.0 scholar to the dean’s checklist and received a scholarship to USC.’
Lauren transferred to College of Southern California in 1992, which she attended for 2 years whereas working as a desk assistant on the LA-based information firm KCOP-TV.
In 1994, she left to highschool to pursue her profession as a reporter full time after she was supplied a job at KTVK in Phoenix, Arizona.
Within the years that adopted, she moved round fairly a bit – working briefly for Further earlier than heading to Fox Sports activities Web.
Round that point, she additionally auditioned for a seat on The View – and when she did not get the half, she admitted it was one of many ‘most devastating days of her life.’
She stated she had bonded with creator Barbara through the audition course of, who personally referred to as her up herself to ship the unhappy information herself, which resulted in her crying ‘for days.’ The place was in the end given to Lisa Ling.
However in keeping with Lauren, the recommendation that Barbara gave her all through the method was one thing that caught along with her for years.
‘She actually helped me with my profession. Not solely as somebody I seemed as much as, however actually guided me after I was up for The View,’ she revealed to WSJ.
‘Producers have been attempting to make me gown additional conservative and she or he noticed me and stated, “What occurred?”
‘She stated, “They are going to attempt to make you peculiar. Do not allow them to. Then, when you fail, at the very least you fail as your self.” I by no means forgot that.’
Lauren then went on to host Good Day LA for six years earlier than beginning her personal aerial movie and manufacturing firm referred to as Black Ops Aviation.
She additionally served because the host on the primary season of So You Suppose You Can Dance, and contributed to Larry King Dwell, The Pleasure Behar Present, and Showbiz Tonight over time.
As for what she does now, she focuses a lot of her time on philanthropy, and serves because the vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund – a corporation began by her beau which is devoted to ‘preventing local weather change and defending nature.’
She’s additionally engaged on writing her first kids’s ebook referred to as Flynn, The Fly Who Flew; lately launched one other manufacturing firm referred to as Journey & Fellowship; and is within the midst of planning an all-female mission to outer house on Bezos’ aerospace producer firm Blue Origin for early 2024.
As well as, she received her helicopter pilot’s license in 2016, and has a fierce ardour for flying – one thing she as soon as known as her ‘calling.’
Her roller-coaster journey to discovering love: Lauren went via a number of failed marriages and engagements earlier than assembly Jeff – and her checklist of exes consists of an actor, well-known athlete, and CEO
Earlier than assembly Jeff, Lauren had a roller-coaster quest to search out love, crammed with a number of failed marriages and engagements – and her checklist of exes embrace a slew of star-studded names, together with an actor, well-known athlete, and the pinnacle of an enormous expertise company.
Her first boyfriend was sports activities broadcaster Rory Markas, who she met when she landed an internship at a Los Angeles TV station throughout school.
The 2 even received engaged, however in keeping with Page Six, she in the end dumped Rory after she switched jobs.
She then began courting NFL star Anthony Miller, after the 2 met on the 1996 Tremendous Bowl when he was enjoying for the Denver Broncos and she or he was a rising TV reporter.
The pair have been collectively for 4 years and engaged for one and a half earlier than Anthony claimed that Lauren broke issues off.
He spoke about their romance – in addition to their cut up – solely to DailyMail.com again in January 2019, and he alleged that Lauren cheated on him.
‘I could not actually belief her,’ he claimed.
‘She will get round. She was dishonest on me with different guys.
‘I discovered after I seemed in her diary, and I discovered extra after I broke up along with her.’
He additionally referred to as Lauren ‘frugal’ and ‘actually low-cost,’ including: ‘She needed me to pay for every part.
‘She was making good a refund then, reporting for Further and on Fox Sports activities Information, however she did not like paying.’
Nevertheless, sources near Lauren disputed Anthony’s claims, insisting to DailyMail.com that it was him who was untrue.
These insiders additionally referred to as the athlete an ‘opportunist’ for talking out in regards to the relationship 20 years later, proper after Lauren’s affair with Jeff was revealed.
After she and Anthony went their separate methods, Lauren began a relationship with footballer Tony Gonzalez.
They welcomed a son, named Nikko Gonzalez, collectively in 2002 earlier than splitting.
After that, she was reportedly linked to actor Henry Simmons, however little or no is thought about their romance.
Lauren then entered right into a relationship with Hollywood agent and Endeavor expertise company cofounder Patrick Whitesell.
The 2 walked down the aisle collectively in 2005, and collectively, that they had a son, named Evan Whitesell, in 2006 and a daughter, named Eleanor Whitesell, in 2008.
They have been collectively for greater than a decade up till her affair with Jeff was delivered to gentle in early 2019.
Lauren and Jeff’s whirlwind affair: The couple’s romance was delivered to gentle in 2019 and was shrouded in accusations of blackmail and extortion at first
Whereas it is unclear when precisely they began courting, Lauren and Jeff’s romance was first uncovered by the National Enquirer in January 2019, whereas they have been each married to their now-exes.
Quickly after it was revealed, the billionaire businessman divorced his spouse of greater than 25 years and the mom of his 4 kids, Mackenzie Scott, whereas Lauren left her husband, Patrick.
On the time, the bombshell report from the Enquirer claimed that Lauren and Jeff had been concerned in an eight-month affair, which concerned him ‘whisking his mistress off to unique locations on his $65 million non-public jet, sending her raunchy messages and erotic selfies, and having secret rendezvous at palatial non-public estates.’
The outlet stated that it had tracked them ‘throughout 5 states and 40,000 miles, tailing them in non-public jets, swanky limos, helicopter rides, romantic hikes, five-star lodge hideaways, intimate dinner dates and “high quality time” in hidden love nests.’
Following the Enquirer’s accusations, Jeff fired again by writing a prolonged essay to the publication’s CEO, David Pecker, by which the mogul accused the corporate of blackmailing him.
‘Somewhat than capitulate to extortion and blackmail, I’ve determined to publish precisely what they despatched me, regardless of the private price and embarrassment they threaten,’ he wrote.
‘[After] intimate texts messages from me have been printed within the Nationwide Enquirer, I engaged investigators to learn the way these texts have been obtained, and to find out the motives for the numerous uncommon actions taken by the Enquirer.
‘We have been then approached with a suggestion. They stated that they had extra of my textual content messages and pictures that they might publish if we did not cease our investigation.’
He shared alleged emails despatched to him by Enquirer staffers, by which they described the racy pictures that they had ‘obtained throughout their newsgathering’ intimately.
‘If in my place I can not stand as much as this sort of extortion, how many individuals can?’ Jeff continued.
‘After all I do not need private pictures printed, however I additionally will not take part of their well-known follow of blackmail, political favors, political assaults, and corruption. I want to face up, roll this log over, and see what crawls out.’
As for the way Jeff and Lauren met, it was stated that it was Lauren’s husband Patrick who was the primary to introduce the 2 at an Amazon studios occasion for the film Manchester By the Sea in 2016.
Her manufacturing crew was then employed to movie footage for Jeff’s rocket firm, Blue Origin, in 2018.
‘Patrick and Lauren have socialized with Jeff Bezos and his spouse for a number of years, as a result of each [former] {couples} have homes in Seattle,’ a supply advised Page Six after their affair was delivered to gentle.
‘Then Lauren was employed to work on one in all Jeff’s tasks, Blue Origin, a space-launch firm. She has been capturing aerial photographs for Jeff.’
Cementing herself as a Hollywood star: Since she began courting one of many richest males on the earth, Lauren has jetted off on a slew of lavish getaways and racked up tons of A-list mates
Regardless of the beginning of their romance being shrouded in accusations of blackmail and extortion, dishonest allegations, and an explosive affair, the couple didn’t let it defer them.
In truth, after splitting from their respective companions, Jeff and Lauren did not wait lengthy to begin flaunting their love all around the globe.
They have been seen for the primary time collectively publicly in Could 2019, when photographers caught them having fun with a romantic date night time in New York Metropolis, they usually made their first official look as a pair at Wimbledon that July.
Since then, the couple has not tried to cover their romance, and for the final 4 years, they’ve constantly jetted off on a slew of lavish getaways collectively, shared tons of lovely, PDA-filled pictures collectively on social media, gushed over each other nonstop in interviews, and attended a slew of star-studded occasions aspect by aspect.
And courting one of many richest males on the earth actually comes with a slew of perks – like eating in prime eating places, hanging out with A-listers, getting VIP therapy wherever they go, and vacationing in a few of the most wanted spots on the globe.
Lauren has additionally been increasing her wardrobe since her romance with Jeff started, and the TV persona is now usually seen toting round designer purses and donning beautiful jewellery items which might be value a whole bunch of hundreds of {dollars}.
As well as, she’s racked up tons of superstar mates over the course of her and Jeff’s four-year romance – lots of who got here out to have a good time the pair’s upcoming union over the weekend
On Sunday, the couple was noticed exiting their star-studded engagement occasion, which was held Diane von Furstenberg and her businessman husband Barry Diller’s Beverly Hills mansion.
It was attended by the likes of Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Kris, Robert, Jessica, Suki Waterhouse, Miranda Kerr, and Salma Hayek, amongst others.
Jeff popped the query to Lauren again in Could this 12 months after a romantic dinner beneath the celebrities on his mega-yacht.
Lauren opened up about his proposal to Vogue throughout her and Jeff’s joint interview this week, revealing that she ‘blacked out’ when she first noticed the large diamond ring.
She advised the publication that Jeff had hid the piece of jewellery beneath her pillow, which she found on the finish of the night simply earlier than they went to mattress.
When requested about their upcoming marriage ceremony, Lauren admitted that they have been nonetheless within the early levels of planning, in order that they did not have rather a lot found out simply but.
‘We’re nonetheless occupied with the marriage and what it will be. Is it going to be large? Is it going to be abroad? We do not know but,’ she dished.
As for whether or not or not Lauren might be taking her husband-to-be’s final title, she admitted: ‘Uh, sure, 100%. I’m trying ahead to being Mrs. Bezos.’
