All The Men Lauren Sanchez Dated Before Finding Love With Billionaire Jeff Bezos
Even though Lauren Sánchez was launched into new layers of stardom after finding love with billionaire and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, she had previously been romantically linked to several influential men with prominent careers. From professional athletes to sports anchors, Sánchez seems to have had a penchant for the sports industry despite ultimately going for the world's wealthiest tech magnate.
Sánchez and Bezos stirred up romance rumors while Bezos was still married to his ex-wife of 25 years, Mackenzie Scott. Sánchez was also married at the time, to Hollywood talent agent Patrick Whitesell. According to the New York Post, Sánchez and Bezos were in a relationship for an undisclosed amount of time before their respective divorces in 2019. However, they only went public with their romance after officially announcing splits from Scott and Whitesell.
Barry Diller, a close friend of the couple, described Sánchez as a beacon of light in Bezos' life, telling Vogue, "They're very in love with each other — they're demonstrably in love." Notably, Bezos popped the question in 2023, taking his relationship with Sánchez to another level. As she eagerly anticipates becoming Mrs. Bezos, Sánchez's noteworthy dating history continues to capture the public's attention. Here's all we know about her past romances with notable figures.
Lauren Sánchez got engaged while she was still in college
Before becoming Jeff Bezos' fiancée, Lauren Sánchez was already dating within the pool of high-profile men. Her first known relationship was with Rory Markas, a sports journalist who later found fame as the radio broadcaster for the Los Angeles Angels.
The exact timeline of Markas and Sánchez's relationship remains unclear, but according to a source who spoke to Page Six, their relationship started during Sánchez's internship at KCOP-TV in Los Angeles. As reported by the Daily Mail, Sánchez was a desk assistant at the television station for two years (likely from 1992, when she enrolled at the University of Southern California, to 1994, when she secured her first job at Phoenix KTVK).
Markas and Sánchez became engaged sometime during their relationship, but they never married. According to the insider cited by Page Six, Sánchez left Markas after transitioning to a new job, likely the one at KTVK. Unfortunately, Markas passed away in 2010 at the age of 54, reportedly due to a heart attack.
She was engaged to NFL star Anthony Miller
After splitting from Rory Markas, Lauren Sánchez struck up a relationship with the retired NFL star Anthony Miller, to whom she was also engaged. The pair met in 1996 at the Super Bowl, where Sánchez worked as a TV reporter and Miller played for the Denver Broncos, according to a Daily Mail report.
Out of the four years they were together, Miller and Sánchez were engaged for about a year and a half, ultimately ending their romance on a sour note in 2000. "I couldn't really trust her," Miller told the outlet, explaining, "She gets around. She was cheating on me with other guys." However, Sánchez has a slightly different recollection of the events, with insiders claiming that Miller was the one who had an affair. "[Miller] cheated on [Sánchez] with a stripper, and the woman actually called her and told her," said the source.
However, Miller continued to publicly criticize Sánchez, telling The Sun UK that she was a cheapskate who forced him into proposing to her. The footballer shared, "I kind of gave her [an engagement ring] because she bugged me about getting married," and noted that he never got the ring back.
Lauren Sánchez welcomed a child with another NFL player
After parting ways with Anthony Miller in 2000, Lauren Sánchez found love with another NFL figure, Tony Gonzalez. Although their relationship was mostly kept private, HollywoodZam reported that they welcomed a son named Nikko Gonzalez in February 2001. The couple reportedly separated shortly after, and the reasons for their breakup remain unknown.
While not much is known about their romance, Sánchez and the NFL star have remained on great terms. They were photographed having lunch in 2021, along with Jeff Bezos and Tony's wife, October Gonzalez, as reported by the New York Post. Additionally, in 2022, Sánchez gave Tony a subtle shoutout on her Instagram page while sharing behind-the-scenes snaps of filming an interview. After explaining she was feeling anxious about being in front of the camera again, Sánchez quoted Tony, writing, "But as @tonygonzalez88 tells our son all the time, life takes off on the other side of fear."
According to Sánchez's Vogue profile, the former news anchor considers Tony one of her best friends, so it's safe to say the former couple have mastered the art of co-parenting. Notably, Sánchez has also built a tight-knit relationship with October, Tony's current wife. October took to her Instagram to share a photo of herself and Sánchez, captioning it, "When you share kids with your friends."
She dated Derek Fisher and got engaged to Henry Simmons
In the same year Lauren Sánchez ended her relationship with Tony Gonzalez, there were reports of her involvement with Derek Fisher, an LA Lakers basketball player at the time. According to an insider who shared details with Page Six, Sánchez and the NBA star dated casually for approximately a year. While the details of their time together and the reasons for their eventual separation remain unclear, Sánchez was romantically associated with another famous face in 2002.
Following her split from Fisher, Sánchez struck up a relationship with actor Henry Simmons, best known for his roles in ABC's "NYPD Blue" and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." According to the source cited by Page Six, Simmons and Sánchez lived together and became engaged during the course of their year-long romance. Allegedly, Sánchez left Simmons when she met Patrick Whitesell, her first husband. However, the timeline of these events is not clearly defined, as it is unknown when exactly Whitesell and Sánchez started dating.
The former anchor was married to Patrick Whitesell for 13 years
After three failed engagements, Lauren Sánchez started dating Patrick Whitesell, the executive chairman of the Endeavor Talent Agency, which represents some of Hollywood's biggest stars. The details of how and when Whitesell and Sánchez met are unclear, but they married in 2005. Over their 13-year marriage, the couple welcomed two children — a son, Evan Whitesell, born in 2006, and a daughter, Eleanor Whitesell, born in 2008.
Interestingly, Whitesell played a pivotal role in introducing his wife to Jeff Bezos, according to a People report, which reportedly took place at a party in 2016. Although Sánchez and Bezos were initially just family friends, according to a Page Six source, their relationship evolved after Sánchez and Whitesell decided to separate. Notably, this coincided with the period when Bezos hired Sánchez as a helicopter pilot for "Blue Origin," Bezos' space venture.
Despite media speculation, Bezos denied any involvement in a cheating scandal, claiming that his then-estranged wife was aware of his relationship with Sánchez, as reported by the New York Post. Similar statements were made on behalf of Whitesell, with an insider telling People, "Patrick and Lauren have been on and off for a while and have been separated. [Patrick] knew [Sánchez and Bezos] were seeing each other." Whitesell and Sánchez's divorce was finalized in 2019.