Lauren Sanchez was born on December 19, 1969, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is an American journalist, author, philanthropist, and licensed pilot. Her high-profile roles in Los Angeles have made her particularly prominent as a news anchor and entertainment reporter. Sanchez has had a multifaceted media career in which she has left an impact on both news and entertainment reporting.
Early life and education
Sanchez grew up in a multi-cultural family. Her mother was of Mexican-American background, and her father’s heritage was from French-Canadian and German-Italian roots. She had first-hand exposure to flying as an adventure sport, her father being a flight instructor, and it just caught on her, big-time.
After high school graduation from Del Norte High School in Albuquerque, Sanchez moved to California for college. She attended El Camino College before transferring to the University of Southern California, where she majored in communications. While at the University of Southern California, she was a member of the college newspaper and an active sorority sister of Delta Delta Delta.
Career highlights
Sanchez began her career as a desk assistant at KCOP-TV in Los Angeles. She was quickly promoted and became an anchor and reporter at KTVK-TV in Phoenix. Her big break came when she became part of the entertainment news show Extra, which made her a familiar face in the industry.
Her career continued to rise when she moved to Fox Sports Net, where she was nominated for an Emmy for her work on the sports magazine Going Deep. In 1999, she returned to KCOP-TV to anchor UPN News 13 where her team won an Emmy Award.
Sanchez also co-hosted KTTV Fox 11’s Good Day LA and was anchor of Fox 11 News at Ten. She then appeared in the popular dance competition show So You Think You Can Dance as one of its original hosts in the year 2005. She was there for a season and left when she had her second child. It wasn’t long before she was back in media circles again as she came back to Extra as a weekend anchor and special correspondent.
Apart from her television career, Sanchez also founded Black Ops Aviation, a company that specializes in aerial filming for movies and television. Her versatility has given her a remarkable presence in both journalism and aviation.
Details on her personal life
Much of the attention surrounding Lauren Sanchez’s personal life has focused on her relationship with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Before they got involved, Sanchez was married to Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell, with whom she shares two children. The couple divorced in October 2019.
At the beginning of 2019, she was reported to have been in an affair with Bezos while both were married after Bezos announced that he would be divorcing his wife, MacKenzie Scott, after 25 years. The news put the couple at the tail of the media and a lot of speculators.
On May 22, 2023, Sanchez and Bezos announced their engagement. Since then, the pair has been noted for their public appearances at various high-profile events and social gatherings.
Attention at Trump’s inauguration
Lauren Sanchez drew major media attention at the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20, 2025. Her bold fashion choice, a striking all-white ensemble, brought debates online regarding its appropriateness for such a formal occasion. Critics labeled the outfit as “inappropriate,” while others praised her for making a statement.
A photo of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appearing to stare at Sanchez during the swearing-in has given the ceremony more notoriety. The moment quickly went viral across all social media platforms, with unlimited memes and jokes about the apparent distraction by Zuckerberg.
Adding fuel to the fire was Zuckerberg’s subsequent “like” on one of Sanchez’s Instagram posts from that evening, further igniting speculation about his interest in her. The incident showed how one moment captured on camera can invite widespread comment and speculation about public figures.
Public perception and advocacy
But despite the backlash she has received for her fashion choices at high-profile events like Trump’s inauguration, Lauren Sanchez is not one to get ruffled by criticism. She has been engaging with followers on social media and often likes supportive comments about her style choices.
Aside from her work in the media and public life, Sanchez has also been an activist for education systems that can address the different learning needs of students, as she herself has dyslexia. She has been an active campaigner in organizations like the International Dyslexia Association to create awareness of learning disabilities.
