Who is Lauren Sánchez? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Lauren Wendy Sánchez

Age: 54 Years, 54 Year Old Females

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Patrick Whitesell (m. 2005–2019)

father: Ray Sanchez

mother: Eleanor Sanchez

siblings: Elena Sanchez Blair, Michael Sanchez

children: Eleanor Patricia Whitesell, Evan Whitesell, Nikko Gonzalez

Partner: Jeff Bezos

Born Country: United States

TV Anchors Journalists

Height: 5'3" (160 cm), 5'3" Females

U.S. State: New Mexico

Ancestry: Mexican American

City: Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Childhood & Early Life

Lauren Wendy Sanchez was born on December 19, 1969, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. She developed an interest in aviation at a young age. Since her father worked as a flight instructor, she spent her childhood in a hangar which sparked an interest in flying. She also spent a considerable amount of time with her father whose passion was rebuilding planes.

After graduating from high school, Sanchez went to ‘El Camino College’ in California. While studying at ‘El Camino College,’ she contributed to the college newspaper as a writer. She also received a scholarship to study at the ‘University of Southern California’ in Los Angeles.

While attending the ‘University of Southern California,’ she worked as an intern at the ‘KCOP-TV’ television station. Sanchez graduated from the university with a major in communications.

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Career

Sanchez’s career began at the ‘KCOP-TV’ television station where she worked as a desk assistant. She then worked as a reporter and anchor at ‘KTVK’ television station in Phoenix, Arizona.

Sanchez received her big breakthrough in 1997 when she was hired as a reporter for the syndicated television program ‘Extra.’ Eventually, she started working for ‘Fox Sports Net’ as an anchor and correspondent for the newsmagazine series ‘Goin' Deep.’

She received an ‘Emmy’ nomination for her work in ‘Goin' Deep,’ which focused on contentious issues in sports. During her association with ‘Fox Sports Net,’ Sanchez also worked as an entertainment reporter for the sports television show ‘The Best Damn Sports Show Period.’

In 1999, Sanchez returned to ‘KCOP-TV’ to anchor ‘UPN 13 News.’ Subsequently, she started working as an entertainment reporter at ‘KTTV’ television station which is owned and operated by ‘Fox’ network.

In 2005, she was roped in to host the popular reality television show ‘So You Think You Can Dance.’ After hosting a season of the show, Sanchez took a break from her TV career. In 2009, she became a special correspondent and anchor for ‘Extra.’ She continues to appear in ‘Extra’ and other TV shows, such as ‘Good Day L.A.’

In 2016, Sanchez founded an aerial film and production company called ‘Black Ops Aviation.’ The production company has shot footage for well-known companies like ‘Netflix,’ ‘Fox,’ and ‘Amazon.’

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Film & TV Appearances

Lauren Sanchez made her acting debut in 1997 when she appeared in one of the episodes of the action-adventure series ‘Babylon 5.’ In 1999, she appeared as herself in the David Fincher-directed drama film ‘Fight Club.’ Starring Brad Pitt and Meat Loaf in important roles, the film went on to become a cult classic.

From 2001 to 2004, she played news anchor in many projects, such as ‘Girlfriends,’ ‘The Agency,’ ‘Hollywood Homicide,’ ‘The Day After Tomorrow,’ and ‘Cellular.’ In 2005, she appeared as herself in the sports prison comedy film ‘The Longest Yard.’ Starring Adam Sandler in the lead, ‘The Longest Yard’ was a remake of the 1974 classic of the same name.

In 2005, she was also seen in another popular film ‘Fantastic Four.’ Directed by Josh Trank, the superhero film had Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, and Jamie Bell in starring roles. In the same year, Sanchez played Aramanda De La Cruz in one of the episodes of the comedy television series ‘Eve.’

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From 2006 to 2008, she played reporter and news anchor in various projects, such as ‘Akeelah and the Bee,’ ‘Zoom,’ ‘Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer,’ ‘College Road Trip,’ and ‘Dirt.’

In 2008, she played Margo Moonhead in the comedy-horror film ‘Killer Movie.’ Directed by Jeff Fisher, the film was premiered at the 2008 ‘Tribeca Film Festival’ in New York City. In the same year, she played an important role in the sci-fi television mini-series ‘Gotham Tonight.’ In the mini-series, Sanchez played Lydia Filangeri in three episodes, namely ‘Gotham’s White Knight,’ ‘Top Cop,’ and ‘Billionaire Without a Cause.’

In 2010, she played NCIS Agent Sanchez in the action police crime-drama television series ‘NCIS.’ She then played Cece Chavez in a couple of episodes of the long-running romantic-drama television series ‘Days of Our Lives’ (DOOL). In the same year, she was seen as Layla in the Michael Charron-directed comedy film ‘The Big Picture.’

From 2011 to 2017, Sanchez was once again roped in to play news anchor in several projects, such as ‘We Bought a Zoo,’ ‘Celeste & Jesse Forever,’ ‘White House Down,’ ‘Rake,’ ‘Ted 2,’ and ‘Girlfriend’s Day.’ She also played Olivia in the 2011 short film ‘Lesser of the Two.’

Sanchez has also appeared as a guest in popular talk shows, such as ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live,’ ‘That’s So Hollywood,’ and ‘The View.’ In 2005, she made a guest appearance in the documentary television movie ‘Randy Jackson.’

Family & Personal Life

Lauren Sanchez was in a relationship with the former National Football League (NFL) player Tony Gonzalez. In 2001, she gave birth to her son named Nikko from her relationship with Gonzalez.

Sanchez married Jewish American talent agent Patrick Whitesell in August 2005. Whitesell is the co-CEO of an entertainment and media agency called ‘William Morris Endeavor Entertainment’ (WME). Sanchez and Whitesell spent two million dollars on their wedding which was a star-studded event. In 2006, Sanchez and Whitesell were blessed with a son named Evan. In 2008, Sanchez gave birth to their daughter Ella.

Sanchez and Whitesell got separated in 2018. She is currently dating the founder and CEO of ‘Amazon’ Jeff Bezos. Bezos, a friend of Whitesell, was introduced to Sanchez at a party. Subsequently, Sanchez and Bezos started spending time together.

In January 2019, Jeff Bezos made headlines for sending obscene texts and images to Lauren Sanchez. Bezos’ relationship with Sanchez led to his separation with his wife MacKenzie. In January 2019, Bezos and MacKenzie took to their official Twitter page to announce their decision to file for divorce.

Lauren Sanchez is active on Instagram where she has thousands of followers. She continues to pursue her passion through her aerial film and production company ‘Black Ops Aviation.’ She is often seen flying her airplanes and helicopters.

Lauren Sánchez Biography