Lauren Sanchez previously revealed the hardest parts about being in a relationship with billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos amid reports that the couple has gotten engaged after nearly five years of dating.
Sanchez, 53, who has been publicly dating Bezos, 59, since January 2019, opened up about the realities of their high-profile relationship in an interview with WSJ Magazine, which marked her first solo interview since the couple went public.
According to Sanchez, who acknowledged that she is a “very open person,” her relationship with the entrepreneur has meant that she has had to change the way she shares information, and secrets.
“It’s hard. I’m a very open person. I talk a lot. I like to tell all my secrets,” she said, before adding: “I have had to learn that I can’t do that.”
“It’s a good lesson,” Sanchez continued, before she reflected on the past, when she used to “say stuff to people and no one would care”.
The admission prompted the interviewer to ask whether the importance of maintaining the couple’s privacy has been a “burden,” and whether Sanchez has to “catch” herself before she reveals certain things.
In response, Sanchez revealed that prioritising privacy, and keeping information to herself, is something that she has to think about “all the time”.
“I want to tell everyone everything. I want everyone to be my friend!” she said, before noting that she’s learned not to share information such as her location since entering into a relationship with the third-richest man in the world, who has a net worth of $120bn.
“I learned how to not give the location of where I’m at. I can’t Instagram things that I normally would before. I have to be more private, a little more controlled, and that’s fine,” she continued.
According to Sanchez, her relationship with Bezos also means there are often “ridiculous” stories about the couple in the press. When asked about the “most bizarre thing” she’s read about herself, the Emmy-award-winning journalist admitted that “nothing shocks [her] anymore”.
However, Sanchez then reflected on one story that stood out, which reportedly claimed the couple had sent a plane to get their passports after forgetting them somewhere.
“It was such a ridiculous story,” she said.
According to Sanchez, the couple also see frequent inaccurate reports about their whereabouts. “[We’ll also read] that we’re somewhere and we’re not even there. We’ll get a text from our family: ‘I can’t believe you guys are in New York and you didn’t tell us.’ And I have to tell them: ‘We’re not there,’” she said.
Although the helicopter pilot said she has had to learn to keep some things private, she said one thing people may not know about her, because she doesn’t often post about it on social media, is “how important being a mom is to [her]”.
Sanchez has three children: son Nikko, who she shares with former NFL star Tony Gonzalez, and son Evan and daughter Eleanor, who she shares with ex-husband Patrick Whitesell, while Bezos shares three sons and one daughter with ex-wife MacKenzie Scott.
“I think everyone kind of knows everything about me. I’m sort of all out there. I think people don’t realise how important being a mom is to me, because I don’t put it on social media, but it’s my most important job,” she said.
As for something people would be surprised to learn about Bezos, Sanchez told the outlet that the commercial astronaut is “really funny” and can be “goofy”.
Sanchez also praised her partner’s distinct laugh, which she said always makes her “smile”. However, she admitted that that wasn’t always the case, as recalled being taken aback when she first heard Bezos’ laugh.
“When I first heard his laugh, I was like: ‘Whoa! What is that?’ Now I love it. And if I’m at a party and we get separated, all I have to do is wait a second and he laughs and it’s like, he’s over there,” she said, adding: “He’s so happy, he inspires me every day, he makes me a better person every day; he’s the most loving human I know.”
During the interview, Sanchez also shared Bezos’ affinity for weekly pancakes, with the former reporter revealing the tech founder makes the meal for breakfast every Sunday with the help of the Betty Crocker cookbook, and the couple’s dedication to spending time together.
“We love to be together and we love to work together. He’s helping me with the book. He’s getting his pilot’s licence. We fly together. We work out together. We’re together all the time,” Sanchez revealed.
Sanchez was married to Whitesell for 13 years before their divorce in October 2019, while Bezos finalised his divorce from Scott in April 2019, after more than 25 years of marriage.
The couple, who are currently in the South of France for the Cannes Film Festival, are said to have gotten engaged recently, according to People, with Sanchez showing off what appeared to be a diamond engagement ring while aboard Bezos’ new $500m yacht.
