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She married Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos. But who is Emmy Award-winning pilot and journalist Lauren Sánchez, and how did she go from local news to the frontiers of space?
Born in New Mexico in 1969 and raised in California, Sánchez first studied at El Camino College and then at the University of Southern California. According to the university's official website, at the time she was known as Wendy Sánchez.
She began her television career at KTVK-TV in Phoenix, then went on to appear on the show "Extra," as a co-host on "Good Day LA," and as the first host of the dance show "So You Think You Can Dance."
At age 40, Sánchez earned her helicopter pilot’s license, a passion inspired by her father, a flight instructor. In 2016, she founded Black Ops Aviation, the first aerial video production company founded by a woman. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the company consulted on Christopher Nolan’s film “Dunkirk.”
"I had a job, I had a career, but then I found an inner calling," she told the magazine. "I loved the entertainment world and I loved filmmaking, so I was able to combine the two."
The 55-year-old also serves as vice president of the Bezos Earth Fund and is dedicated to "fighting climate change and protecting nature, as well as early childhood education, social programs and housing support," according to the organization's website.
In 2025, Sánchez was one of six women who traveled to the edge of space aboard the Blue Origin NS-31 rocket, on a short 10-minute flight organized by Bezos himself.
According to Blue Origin, she “made this mission possible” and personally selected her spacewalk companions, including journalist Gayle King, singer Katy Perry, and research scientist and activist for survivors of sexual assault, Amanda Nguyen. Sánchez also collaborated with luxury fashion house Monse to design new flight uniforms for the mission.
The view from space, she said, was not what she had imagined. "The Earth was so peaceful," she said. "You look at it and you say to yourself, 'We're all in this together.'"
Sánchez is also the author of a children's book titled "The Fly Who Flew to Space," published in English and Spanish in 2024. The book tells the story of Flynn, a fly who travels to space and returns with a newfound commitment to the planet, a story that Sánchez described to People magazine as "a metaphor for curiosity and pursuing dreams."
She has three children: a son, Nikko, with former American football player Tony Gonzalez; a son, Evan, and a daughter, Ella, with ex-husband Patrick Whitesell, an entertainment executive. In a 2023 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Sánchez said she maintains a close relationship with Gonzalez and his wife, describing them as "my best friends."
Sánchez and Bezos, 61, went public as a couple in 2019, after Bezos announced his divorce from his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie Scott. The couple became engaged in May 2023.
In January, Sánchez accompanied Bezos to the second inauguration of US President Donald Trump. During the ceremony, the couple sat next to Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.
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