Relive Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos' most cringe-worthy moments as extravagant Venice wedding kicks off

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

From accusations of blackmail, an alleged cheating scandal, and a front-page expose, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez 's romance was shrouded in scandal from the start.
But despite the rocky beginning, the pair - who are set to tie the knot in Venice, Italy, this week - have proven that love really can conquer all, even the most sordid of controversies.
They have certainly not been shy about showing off their love, packing on the PDA all across the globe, getting quite intimate in front of cameras, and even participating in sultry photoshoots together.
Just last month, the Amazon founder, 61, was photographed spanking his soon-to-be wife's behind while she was sunbathing on his $500 million superyacht, which notably has a custom wooden figure-head at the front that shares a striking resemblance to Lauren.
And who could forget the time their shocking smooch at the amfAR Cannes Gala went viral?
Or when Lauren, 55, spilled all the details on Jeff's elaborate and romantic proposal and confessed that she nearly 'blacked out' after seeing the massive diamond engagement ring - which is rumored to be worth $2.5 million?
Whether they're getting cozy on the red carpet at star-studded events, jetting off on lavish getaways together, or gushing over one another in interviews, it's fair to say that the couple have embraced a 'go big or go home' lifestyle together, and they're not afraid to show it.
Which is why it comes as no surprise that their wedding is expected to be a massive, multi-day extravaganza attended by a slew of Hollywood A-listers, business moguls, fashion stars, and even political figures.
As we gear up for what some may dub the wedding of the century, FEMAIL has recapped Jeff and Lauren's most over-the-top moments together.
Starting off hot and heavy: A bombshell report in 2019 claimed that Jeff and Lauren had a secret affair... and it included some VERY raunchy text messages
While it's unclear when exactly they started dating, Lauren and Jeff's romance was first exposed by the National Enquirer in January 2019.
At the time, the bombshell report claimed that Lauren and Jeff had been involved in an eight-month affair, which involved him 'whisking his mistress off to exotic destinations on his $65 million private jet, sending her raunchy messages and erotic selfies, and having secret rendezvous at palatial private estates.'
The outlet said that it had tracked them 'across five states and 40,000 miles, tailing them in private jets, swanky limos, helicopter rides, romantic hikes, five-star hotel hideaways, intimate dinner dates and "quality time" in hidden love nests.'
The report also included some pretty raunchy text messages that were allegedly sent from Jeff to Lauren.
In one, he reportedly told the former TV star: 'I love you, alive girl. I will show you with my body, and my lips and my eyes, very soon.'
In another, the magazine claimed he said: 'I want to smell you, I want to breathe you in. I want to hold you tight.… I want to kiss your lips…. I love you. I am in love with you.'
Others were more X-rated including one where he is said to have told Lauren: 'I miss you. I want to kiss you right now and tuck you in slowly and gently.
'And maybe in the morning wake you up and not be quite so gentle with you.'
In another, he allegedly said: 'Your energy and ideas and competence and SPIRIT turn me on. You make me better. You're meant for me.'
One day prior to the report's shocking release, Jeff and his then-wife-of-25-years MacKenzie Scott announced that they were divorcing.
Lauren was married to Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell at the time, and they filed for divorce soon after.
Can't keep their hands (or lips) off each other: The pair constantly pack on the PDA while jetting across the globe, and Jeff was even spotted SPANKING Lauren
The boat, which stretches across 416-feet and comes with its own helipad, has a figurehead that bears a striking resemblance to Lauren on the front of it
Jeff and Lauren didn't wait long after their romance was brought to light to start flaunting their love all over the globe.
They were seen for the first time together publicly in May 2019, when photographers caught them enjoying a romantic date night in New York City, and they made their first official appearance as a couple at Wimbledon that July.
Since then, the couple have enjoyed a ton of lavish getaways together, and have spent much of their time sailing across the globe on his $500 million mega-yacht.
And it seems they could hardly keep their hands - or their lips - off one another as they're often spotted packing on the PDA and sharing in passionate make out sessions in public.
Back in May 2023, the couple raised eyebrows when Jeff was photographed playfully hitting Lauren's behind while they were walking in the South of France.
And two years later in May 2025, the mogul was seen groping and even spanking his fiancée's bottom again while she was sunbathing in a tiny bikini on his enormous water vessel.
A few days later, a video of them sharing an awkward smooch at the amfAR Cannes Gala started circulating online.
The couple was seated together at the event, when Lauren noticed that the cameras were on them, so she leaned in to give her beau a sloppy kiss in the cheek.
Immediately after, she appeared to wipe saliva off Jeff's cheek, who looked completely unamused throughout the whole thing.
After the video was shared online it quickly went viral, with social media users claiming that the Amazon founder seemed 'tired' and 'embarrassed' by her flirty behavior.
Cheesy quotes: The couple are constantly gushing over one another in interviews and online - and they even participated in a Vogue photoshoot together
Lauren and Jeff are constantly gushing over one another in interviews and online - and they even participated in a sultry Vogue photoshoot together.
They were featured in the acclaimed publication's December 2023 issue, but were mercilessly roasted over the photoshoot.
Some branded it as 'cringe' and 'uncomfortable' and others accused the magazine of photoshopping the Amazon founder's muscles in it.
One image showed Jeff sitting in the front seat of a truck while Lauren leaned over from the passenger side and draped her arms around her fiancé.
She donned a white tank top while he opted for a black T-shirt, jeans, and a cowboy hat. They pressed their faces together and starred seriously at the camera.
While speaking to the outlet, Lauren gushed about her future husband and entrepreneur's shining personality.
'He's the life of the party,' she said. 'He's just extremely enthusiastic, and extremely funny. He can be really goofy. I mean, you've heard him laugh, right?'
Jeff had similarly kind and loving words for his partner.
'Lauren has amazing intuition, almost witchy powers in that regard,' he said. 'She sees things that other people don't see.
'She's really very sensitive to other people and what they're thinking.'
The over-the-top proposal: Jeff popped the question on his $500 million super yacht and Lauren said she 'blacked out' when she saw the ring
When the couple got engaged in May 2023, it came as no surprise that the billionaire pulled out all the stops for his proposal.
Lauren opened up about the moment he got down on one knee to Vogue during her and Jeff's joint interview, revealing that she 'blacked out' when she first saw the huge diamond ring.
She told the publication that Jeff had concealed the piece of jewelry under her pillow, which she discovered at the end of the evening just before they went to bed.
'When he opened the box, I think I blacked out a bit,' she said.
Mike Fried, CEO of The Diamond Pro, estimated that the rock is likely worth $2 million.
He told DailyMail.com: 'A ring of this caliber is no small feat or expense. Based on the photos, the ring appears to accentuate the colossal center stone with a thin band and fine detailing.
'Lauren's gargantuan diamond appears to be between 15 and 20 carats. I'd estimate the value at a whopping two million dollars, if not more.
'To find a natural diamond in that carat weight is exceptionally rare. It was likely months of preparation to make this ring a reality.'
THAT controversial Blue Origin trip: Lauren faced immense scrutiny for her 11-minute journey to space - and Jeff hilariously tripped when she returned
Lauren made headlines in April when she embarked on an 11-minute trip to space on Jeff's Blue Origin rocket with an all-female flight crew.
She was joined by Katy Perry and Gayle King on the trip, amongst others.
The women crossed the Karman Line, often used as the boundary of space, and were treated to roughly three minutes of weightlessness before they headed back down to the ground.
Their journey was powered by a reusable rocket which pushed the capsule into space before detaching and gently guiding itself back to Earth.
But many celebrities - including Olivia Munn, Emily Ratajkowski, and Kesha - slammed the endeavor.
To make matters worse, after the ladies landed back on Earth Jeff awkwardly tripped and fell to the ground as he walked over to the capsule to greet his fiancée and the rest of the crew.
Though he recovered quickly, the moment made its way to social media, where the public mocked him.
Their multi-day wedding extravaganza: The couple have pulled out all the stops for their nuptials, reportedly renting out an entire island for six days
Jeff and Lauren are said to have invited 200 people to their multi-day Italian wedding.
Suspected celebrity guests include Ivanka Trump, Orlando Bloom, Kris Jenner, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kim Kardashian.
The couple have allegedly rented out the entire San Georgio Maggiore island for six days for their glamorous wedding.
An insider told the Daily Mail that the island is 'off-limits to visitors' from June 24 to June 29.
The original plan was for a huge party at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia on Saturday night but it has now been moved to another venue in the Arsenale area of the city, according to local media.
Around 60 of Venice's water taxis are reserved for the week, with some of the 400 gondolas on the island out of commission as well.
Attendees - who will be treated to lavish gifts including hand-blown glassware by local glassmaker Laguna B - will allegedly be split between five-star hotels Hotel Cipriani and Aman Venice.
A wedding expert previously estimated that Jeff and Lauren's wedding will cost the couple $15 million to $20 million, not shocking considering Jeff's $224.6 billion net worth.
But locals in Venice are outraged by the wedding disrupting their daily lives and have been protesting, with posters popping up all over the city that read, 'No space for Bezos.'
'From the outset, instructions from our client and our own guiding principles were abundantly clear: the minimizing of any disruption to the city, the respect for its residents and institutions and the overwhelming employment of locals in the crafting of the events,' Jeff and Lauren's wedding planning company Lanza & Baucina said in a statement to Page Six.
'Before the recent news of protests arose, we had worked for there to be minimal negative impact or disruption to the lives of Venetians and the city's visitors,' the wedding planners continued.
'We have always acknowledged the wider debate and critical issues surrounding the city's future, and from the outset our client has been honored to support the city and its all-important lagoon through non-profit organizations and associated projects.
'Rumors of "taking over" the city are entirely false and diametrically opposed to our goals and to reality,' they insisted.
'No exaggerated quantity of water taxis or gondolas have ever been booked, the number of taxis reserved being proportionate for the number of guests.'