Watch a live view of Mount Etna after huge volcanic eruption
Watch a live view of Mount Etna's eruption in Sicily, Italy, with a huge column of smoke and ash spewing into the sky above the Italian island on Monday (2 June).
Footage shared on social media shows tourists fleeing down the mountainside following an eruption from Europe 's largest active volcano.
Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said in a widely-reported statement that the volcano was experiencing strong strombolian explosions – a type of eruption – 'of growing intensity'.
The pyroclastic flow — an avalanche of hot rock, ash, and gas — was 'probably produced by a collapse of material from the northern flank of the south-east crater', it added.
According to the Volcanic Discovery website, before the eruption, there were volcanic tremors that began around 10pm local time on Sunday and reached their peak shortly before 1 am.
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) in Toulouse, one of nine such centres worldwide used to monitor aviation risks, warned that a volcanic ash plume had reached an altitude of around 6,400 metres.
VAAC issued a brief 'code red' for aviation due to the eruption, but it was downgraded to orange.
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The Guardian
37 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Record numbers expected at Budapest Pride march despite attempts to ban it
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
From brownies to Biscoff rocky road – 8 simple and delicious one-tin bakes
COFFEE CHEESECAKE BROWNIES These cheesecake brownies strike a fine balance. The coffee manages to give a mocha vibe, with the creamy cheesecake element providing the means of marbling. SERVES 24 260g salted butter, roughly cubed, plus extra for greasing 475g dark chocolate, broken into pieces 2 tbsp instant coffee 4 eggs, beaten 330g soft light brown sugar 70g self-raising flour 1 tsp flaky sea salt For the cheesecake 1 tbsp instant coffee 150g full-fat cream cheese 50g caster sugar 1 egg, beaten 1 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour 1 Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/ gas 5. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm × 30cm baking tray. 2 Melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (if you prefer, you can do this in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between each one). Mix to form a smooth sauce, then add the instant coffee, stir through and set aside to cool. 3 Put the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk until thick and pale in colour (about 3-4 minutes; 8-10 minutes by hand). Pour in the butter and chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined, then sift in the flour and fold through. Stir in the salt, then spoon the batter into the prepared tray. 4 Now prepare the cheesecake mixture. In a separate bowl, add 1½ tablespoons of boiling water to the instant coffee and stir to dissolve. Add the cream cheese, sugar, egg and flour, and use a balloon whisk to gently beat it all together. Using the back of a tablespoon, make dents in the brownie mixture, and spoon the cheesecake mixture into the indents. Swirl through the brownie mixture with a skewer for a marbled effect. 5 Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top has a crust, while only a slight wobble remains in the middle. Leave to cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before slicing and serving. This will ensure very fudgy brownies. VANILLA SPRINKLE CAKE This cake gives you licence to raid the sprinkle drawer (or is it just me who has one?). A simple vanilla sponge with a nice thick coating of icing, this bake will transport you back to the days of school dinners, complete with a soaking of custard. SERVES 12-18 250g salted butter, room temperature, plus extra for greasing 250g caster sugar 5 eggs, beaten 60ml whole milk 2½ tsp vanilla extract 250g self-raising flour 1 tsp fine salt custard, to serve (optional) For the topping 280g icing sugar 50g sprinkles 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm × 30cm baking tray. 2 Put the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk together until light and fluffy. In a jug, mix together the eggs, milk and vanilla extract, then slowly pour this into the butter and sugar mixture, whisking continuously. Once combined, sift in the flour and salt and fold through. 3 Spoon into the prepared baking tray and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool. 4 For the icing, sift the sugar into a bowl and add 2-3 tablespoons of water, a little at a time, to make a pourable consistency. Spread the icing on the sponge, then scatter the sprinkles. Leave to firm up for an hour then serve – with custard, if you like. PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE Full. Retro. Vibes! This sponge was my gateway to cake-baking – the simplest batter, piled on top of syrup, pineapple and (of course) glacé cherries. I love to serve this cake warm, particularly when you get an edge where the syrup has started to caramelise and tastes more like toffee. SERVES 18 300g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing 2 x 432g cans of pineapple rings, drained 230g golden syrup 100g glacé cherries (about 12) 300g golden caster sugar 6 eggs, beaten 300g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp fine salt 3 tbsp whole milk 1 tsp vanilla bean paste cream, to serve (optional) 1 Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm × 30cm baking tray. Arrange the pineapple rings on a plate spread with paper towels and leave them to dry a little. 2 Pour the golden syrup into the prepared baking tray, then put it in the oven for 2 minutes so it starts to melt and spreads out evenly. 3 Remove from the oven and arrange as many of the pineapple rings as possible in the base of the baking tray (you should be able to fit 4 along and 3 down). Break up a couple of the leftover rings to fill any gaps; you might end up with a couple spare. Place a glacé cherry in the middle of each complete pineapple ring. Set aside. 4 Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk together until light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs, whisking continuously. Once incorporated, sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and fold in, then add the milk and vanilla bean paste and mix to combine. 5 Spoon the batter over the top of the pineapples in the tray and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. 6 Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack. Delicious eaten warm or cold – with a drizzle of cream, if you like. PEACH MELBA CAKE This cake is as beautiful as it is delicious. Fresh, juicy peaches (or nectarines) and plump, seasonal raspberries come together to create a sponge that tastes exactly like summer. SERVES 18 300g salted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing 300g golden caster sugar 6 eggs, beaten 250g self-raising flour 75g ground almonds 3 peaches, 2 stoned and chopped into 1cm dice, 1 stoned and sliced 200g raspberries For the glaze 3 tbsp peach or apricot conserve 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm × 30cm baking tray. 2 Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk until light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs, sifting in 2 tablespoons of the flour if the mixture starts to split. Once combined, sift in the remaining flour and add the ground almonds, then fold through until incorporated. Carefully fold in the chopped peaches. 3 Spoon half the batter into the prepared baking tray, then scatter half the raspberries on top, pushing them down gently into the mixture. Top with the remaining cake batter, followed by the rest of the raspberries, again pushing them gently into the mixture. Arrange the peach slices on top, pushing them gently into the mixture. 4 Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool to room temperature. 5 For the glaze, put the conserve in a small saucepan over a low heat and add 2 teaspoons of water, stirring until combined (this may be done in a bowl in the microwave). You can pass the glaze through a sieve to get rid of any chunks, if you like. Brush the glaze over the cake. Leave to cool completely before serving. BISCOFF ROCKY ROAD I truly think Biscoff is one of the best things since sliced bread. Combined with white chocolate it's utterly magical – and this is a really worthwhile upgrade on traditional rocky road. It also lasts up to a week stored in an airtight container in the fridge. SERVES 24 75g salted butter, plus extra for greasing 500g white chocolate, broken into pieces 400g speculoos biscuits such as Biscoff, broken up into pieces 600g smooth biscuit spread, such as Biscoff, melted 100g dried cherries, roughly chopped 125g mini marshmallows 1 Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm × 30cm baking tray. 2 Melt the white chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until it has all melted together and is smooth (if you prefer, you can do this in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between each one). 3 Meanwhile, put the Biscoff biscuits into a large bowl and use the end of a rolling pin to break into different-shaped pieces so that you have some that are coin-sized and others that are smaller and more crumb-like. 4 Stir 150g of the melted Biscoff spread into the white chocolate mixture, then stir again to combine. Pour this mixture over the crushed biscuits and stir to combine completely. Add the dried cherries and marshmallows and stir again. Transfer this mixture to the prepared tray, spreading it out with the back of a spoon. Spread the remaining melted Biscoff over the top in a thin layer. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving. STRAWBERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CAKE This gorgeous summery cake tastes absolutely amazing with sweet and ripe strawberries in season. The melted white chocolate gives a slight fudginess, a bit like a blondie. You're welcome. SERVES 18 250g salted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing 200g white chocolate, broken into pieces 200g caster sugar 2 egg whites 3 eggs 150g soured cream 2 tsp vanilla-bean paste 250g self-raising flour 400g strawberries, hulled and diced into rough 1cm chunks For the topping 200g white chocolate, broken into pieces 140g cream cheese 70g salted butter, at room temperature 300g icing sugar 5 strawberries, sliced 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20 × 30cm baking tray. 2 Melt the chocolate in short bursts in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (you can also do this in short bursts in the microwave, if you prefer, stirring between each one). Once melted, set aside to cool slightly. 3 Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk until fluffy and pale, then add the egg whites and continue to whisk for a few more minutes, until fully incorporated. 4 In a separate bowl or jug, combine the 3 eggs with the soured cream and vanilla-bean paste. Add this to the mixture in the bowl or stand mixer, scraping down the sides of the bowl, and whisk to combine. Don't worry if it curdles slightly. Whisking continuously, pour in the melted chocolate. Once incorporated, sift in the flour and fold it through, then fold through the strawberries. Transfer the batter into the prepared baking tray and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool completely. 5 Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Melt the chocolate as before, then set aside to cool slightly. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, then sift in the icing sugar and whisk until smooth. Slowly pour in the chocolate and give it a final whisk. Spread the topping over the cooled cake and scatter the sliced strawberries to decorate. RHUBARB AND GINGER CAKE Using three different types of ginger, this bake has layers of warmth, all of which complement the tartness of the rhubarb. I summer use regular rhubarb, but in the winter months, use the more tender forced rhubarb for wonderful pops of pink. SERVES 18 250g salted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing 250g soft light brown sugar 5 eggs, beaten 250g self-raising flour 1 tsp ground ginger 400g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into rough 1cm chunks 6 stem ginger balls in syrup, finely chopped, plus 5 tbsp of the syrup 40g crystallised ginger, roughly chopped cream, to serve (optional) 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20 × 30cm baking tray. 2 Put the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk together until light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated. Sift in the flour, then add the ground ginger, rhubarb and chopped stem ginger, along with 2 tablespoons of the syrup, and fold through. Spoon into the prepared baking tray. 3 Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool, then brush with the remaining 3 tablespoons of ginger syrup. Scatter with the crystallised ginger before slicing and serving with cream, if you like. SALTED CARAMEL AND ALMOND CHEESECAKE The crushed amaretti dotted in the digestive base make this almondy from the bottom up. With a portion of the salted caramel running through the cream cheese filling, and the rest drizzled on top, it's so simple but so decadent. SERVES 20-24 For the base 200g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing 200g digestive biscuits 300g amaretti biscuits For the filling 400ml double cream 560g full-fat cream cheese 200g caster sugar ½ tsp almond extract 260g jarred salted caramel 1 Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm × 30cm baking tray. 2 To make the base, place the biscuits into a sealable plastic food bag and bash with a rolling pin until finely crushed. (Alternatively, blitz the digestive biscuits in a food processor to form a crumb.) Add the amaretti biscuits and continue to bash or pulse until they are broken down, but don't overmix or they will start to become greasy. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the melted butter, then transfer the mixture to the prepared tray, pushing it down with the back of a spoon to create a nice compact base. Refrigerate while you make the filling. 3 In a mixing bowl, whisk the cream to soft peaks using a handheld mixer. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, almond extract and half of the salted caramel, and mix well with the handheld mixer. Fold through the cream, then smooth the mixture on to the biscuit base. 4 Gently melt the remaining salted caramel in a saucepan over a low heat, then spoon it on to the cream cheese base. Drag a skewer through the caramel to make a swirly pattern, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving. NOW BUY THE BOOK Our recipes are from Foolproof Traybakes by Katie Marshall, with photographs by Rita Platts (Quadrille, £14). To order a copy for £11.90 until 13 July, go to or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos' A-list guests run for cover as pre-wedding party is hit by huge freak thunderstorm
Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos' A-list guests like Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner were forced to take cover on Thursday as the couple's pre-wedding party was hit by a huge freak thunderstorm. The lavish event held at the Madonna dell Orto cloisters marked the start of the billionaire couple's lavish three-day wedding in Venice, Italy, which will come to a close on Saturday. However, Thursday night's star-studded soiree was brought to an early end due to the intense downpour. Guests dived for cover under the vaulted cloisters as lightening bolts flashed across the sky and thunder rumbled overhead at the end of what was a torridly humid day with temperatures nudging 96.8° Fahrenheit. Torrential downpours and a strong wind left guests soaked as they then dashed for water taxis which had been scrambled a good 45 minutes ahead of the midnight finish time. The strong gusts of winds whipped table cloths away and sent waiters scurrying for umbrellas to protect the VIP attendees. Thursday night's star-studded soiree was brought to an early end due to the intense downpour; Sanchez and Bezos pictured leaving the party Torrential downpours and a strong wind left guests like Kim and Khloe Kardashian (pictured) soaked as they then dashed for water taxis which had been scrambled a good 45 minutes ahead of the midnight finish time One onlooker said: 'It just goes to show you can have all the money in the world but you cant control the weather - although an Italian saying says a wet bride is a happy and lucky bride.' Kim, 44, and her younger sister Khloe, 40, struggled to stay dry in their couture gowns as their security team guided them to their designated water taxi. Kylie, who is the younger half-sister of Kim and Khloe, reacted to the weather by sharing a photo of her rain-soaked water taxi to her Instagram Story. Bride-to-be Lauren was surrounded by tuxedo-clad gentleman carrying blue umbrellas over her as she carefully stepped on to her awaiting boat. The TV personality, 55, had on a striking off-the-shoulder dress with a dramatic gold corset cinching in her already tiny waist. Bezos, 61 — who popped the question in 2023 with a $3 million engagement ring — was seen following closely behind Lauren with an umbrella over his head. In footage obtained by Lauren appeared to be in high spirits despite the rain ending their soiree early. Once inside the water taxi, she was seen sharing a laugh with Bezos as the downpour intensified. Singer Ellie Goulding was also spotted standing out in the rain as she and a fellow guest waited patiently for their boat. Bezos and Sanchez are set to tie the knot on Friday, June 27 in Venice, Italy after a two-year engagement. The Amazon billionaire and his bride-to-be are said to have invited 200 people to their three-day Italian wedding. Along with Kim Kardashian, Ellie Goulding, Khloe Kardashian and Ivanka Trump, the star-studded guest list includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom and Tom Brady. Earlier this week, a copy of the couple's invite was leaked with one very specific request made on behalf of the couple. They've asked guests not to buy them any presents and told them they'll be making donations to multiple charities working to stop Venice from sinking on attendees' behalf instead. Bezos is thought to be spending roughly $15 to $20 million on his and Sanchez's Italian nuptials. On Thursday, a source closely connected to the organization of the week's events revealed to exclusively that Bezos and Sanchez are already legally married. The lavish event held at the Madonna dell Orto cloisters marked the start of the billionaire couple's lavish three-day wedding in Venice, Italy, which will come to a close on Saturday 'They have been married for at least a month, more than a month. The marriage is fully legal and took place in America under American law,' the insider revealed. They added: 'When they were planning the wedding, they were clear about the fact that they were already secretly married. 'There is no application for a wedding license from the couple because it was not required. 'Whatever happens at the wedding on Friday, it will not be a wedding. Under Italian law, it will not be a wedding celebration, any vows said or rings exchanged will have no legal meaning.' The source also claimed that Jeff had personally confirmed that he and Lauren are already legally married, and that they had also signed a pre-nuptial agreement to protect his $244 billion fortune. Greenpeace and the UK-based collective Everyone Hates Elon have joined protests in Venice attempting to disrupt, or even prevent, the planned wedding celebrations of Amazon founder Bezos this week. ' Jeff Bezos is the second-richest man in the world yet is reported to pay a 1.1 percent true tax rate,' the two groups said in a joint statement. 'The multi-million-dollar wedding is reportedly happening over three days, with the wedding ring alone worth as much as $5million.' Guests dived for cover under the vaulted cloisters as lightening bolts flashed across the sky and thunder rumbled overhead A spokesperson from Everyone Hates Elon said: 'As governments talk about hard choices and struggle to fund public services, Jeff Bezos can afford to shut down half a city for days on end just to get married.' 'If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax,' one gigantic banner read in St. Mark's Square. Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro and regional governor Luca Zaia have spoken out in favor of the nuptials, which have been dubbed, 'the wedding of the century,' pointing out that the celebrations are expected to bring $23-34million to local businesses. 'This is a city that handles 150,000 people a day,' Zaia told Italian daily Corriere della Sera. 'George Clooney, François-Henri Pinault and Salma Hayek, Alexandre Arnault, Elton John and many others got married here.' Bezos has also pledged to make sizable charity donations, including $1.16million to Corila - an academic consortium dedicated to studying Venice's lagoon ecosystem - according to Corriere della Sera and Italy's ANSA news agency. Earlier this month, anti-Bezos banners were hung in Venice from St. Mark's Tower with 'Bezos' in blue capital letters and a red X over it as part of a 'No Space for Bezos' campaign, a play on Bezos' Blue Origin spaceflight venture. More outrage was sparked Thursday as Bezos and Sanchez's wedding guests descended upon the Madonna dell Orto for the rain-soaked pre-party. The chaos caused by the star-studded event reportedly forced canals to shut down and tourists to cancel reservations in Venice. Her tweed Oscar de la Rente dress looked dangerously close to bridal white in the dim lighting The dress' skirt was a darker shade of pink that gradually lightened up the bodice until it was nearly white According to one business owner who runs a kayak renting service in the area, the bridges were 'closed off' to make way for Lauren, Jeff, and their guests, leaving customers unable to reach them. 'We had a party of clients booked for Thursday night. But they were unable to get through to us because the bridges were all closed off,' they shared. 'Despite them having booking, the police wouldn't let them pass. It was party of five Americans, and they had booked an hour and a half for $100 each and so we had to cancel. 'The party involved was on a tight schedule and couldn't rebook so we will have to refund them and so we have lost money.' In addition to the bridges, the Venice local claimed that the canals were also shut gown and that police on jet skis turned them around when they tried to get through. They added that there was 'no real notification from the council that the canal would be closed.' 'I don't begrudge [Jeff and Lauren] for getting married, but this has cost us money and of all the places in Venice they had to choose the one by us,' they added. Photos also showed police presence all over the Italian city, including officers on jet skis in the canals, as water taxis went back and forth taking Lauren and Jeff's guests from their hotels to the event. The newly-minted bachelor, 47, was spotted leaving the Madonna dell Orto cloisters with a mystery woman after guests were forced to end early following a freak thunderstorm in Venice The newly-minted bachelor, 47, was spotted leaving the Madonna dell Orto cloisters with a mystery woman after guests were forced to end early following a freak thunderstorm in Venice Once inside the boat, Bloom was caught wrapping his arm around the brunette For the soiree, which was also attended by Kim Kardashian, Bloom rocked a chic beige suit and white button-up The star looked to be in high spirits despite the recent news of his and Perry's split Lauren was seen being sheltered as she exited the venue amid the rainy and stormy weather She appeared to be in good weather despite the weather woes as she exited the venue Bezos is thought to be spending roughly $15 to $20 million on his and Sanchez's Italian nuptials The chaos caused by Thursday's starry pre-wedding party reportedly forced canals to shut down and tourists to cancel reservations in Venice Around 20 activists were seen protesting hours before the pre-wedding party in St Mark's Square, the iconic heart of Venice. Protesters held signs that read, 'We are the 99 percent we have the power,' 'the planet burns,' while someone even waved an extinction rebellion flag. Sanchez and Bezos arrived in Venice for their wedding on Wednesday. Read More Awkward! Kim Kardashian poses for photo taken by sister Khloe... but there is a hilarious catch They were photographed outside the luxurious five-star Aman Hotel — where some suites cost nearly $14,000 a night — after being dropped off by a water taxi along with 50 of their 200-something guests. They hosted a drinks reception with a playlist of romantic music, blasting More Than A Woman by the Bee Gees. They then continued to play tunes like Nina Simone's I'm Feeling Good, Lovely Day by Bill Withers and Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison. Earlier that day, in the private garden of the hotel, which is surrounded by a 10ft brick wall, staff could be heard working to erect marquees, ready for a weekend of celebrations. They also put a VIP jetty up outside the Aman Hotel for guests to use when they arrived. Days before their Venice arrival, Sanchez and Bezos kicked off their wedding-week by throwing a rowdy foam party on board his $500million superyacht Koru on Sunday. Kim and sister Khloe Kardashian seen en route to the wedding party Their mother Kris Jenner, 69, was also invited Kendall and Kylie Jenner followed closely behind their mom and famous sisters as guests made their way to the boats, which were headed to the party venue Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, waved at photographers while aboard a water taxi with husband Jared Kushner Billionaire Oprah Winfrey carefully boarded a water taxi with BFF Gayle King R&B superstar Usher was also on hand for the invite-only festivities in Venice Eligible bachelors Tom Brady and Orlando Bloom looked ready to party in white button-up shirts Kim Kardashian has also recently sparked surgery speculation as she continues to flashy her very tiny waistline As she arrived to Venice on Thursday, the TV personality showcased her sculpted midriff in a Balenciaga outfit Her slim waist was further put on display as she later also stopped by the star-studded bash in a snakeskin Versace dress that clung to her curves and had small cutouts on the front She once again gave a glimpse at her smaller frame as she attended a party later on Thursday while sporting a purple and white-colored ensemble with small cutouts on the sides Winfrey - who has lost nearly 50 pounds with the aid of one of the newly popular weight-loss drugs - was seen arriving to Venice on Thursday wearing a white sweatshirt and matching sweatpants Pictures obtained by of the lavish celebration show the loved-up couple covered in little more than soap suds as they relished in the summer sunshine. Bezos proposed to Sanchez on the same superyacht more than two years ago in 2023. While it's unclear when exactly they started dating, Lauren and Jeff's romance was first exposed by the National Enquirer in January 2019, while they were both married to their now-exes. Read More Bezos' best men! Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Brady and newly-single Orlando Bloom lead chic male guests Soon after it was revealed, the billionaire businessman divorced his wife of more than 25 years and the mother of his four children, Mackenzie Scott, while Lauren left her husband, Patrick. At the time, the bombshell report from the Enquirer 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.' Following the Enquirer's accusations, Jeff fired back by writing a lengthy essay to the publication's CEO, David Pecker, in which the mogul accused the company of blackmailing him. 'Rather than capitulate to extortion and blackmail, I've decided to publish exactly what they sent me, despite the personal cost and embarrassment they threaten,' he wrote. While Jeff and Lauren are set to say 'I do' in front of guests on Friday, a source revealed to this week that the couple are already married; seen in 2021 The A-list couple got engaged more than two years ago in 2023 '[After] intimate texts messages from me were published in the National Enquirer, I engaged investigators to learn how those texts were obtained, and to determine the motives for the many unusual actions taken by the Enquirer. 'We were then approached with an offer. They said they had more of my text messages and photos that they would publish if we didn't stop our investigation.' He shared alleged emails sent to him by Enquirer staffers, in which they described the racy images they had 'obtained during their newsgathering' in detail. Read More Slim Leonardo DiCaprio, 50, brings Vittoria Ceretti, 27, to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding 'If in my position I can't stand up to this kind of extortion, how many people can?' Jeff continued. 'Of course I don't want personal photos published, but I also won't participate in their well-known practice of blackmail, political favors, political attacks, and corruption. I prefer to stand up, roll this log over, and see what crawls out.' As for how Jeff and Lauren met, it was said that it was Lauren's husband Patrick who was the first to introduce the two at an Amazon studios party for the movie Manchester By the Sea in 2016. Her production team was then hired to film footage for Jeff's rocket company, Blue Origin, in 2018. 'Patrick and Lauren have socialized with Jeff Bezos and his wife for a few years, because both [former] couples have houses in Seattle,' a source told Page Six after their affair was brought to light. As for how Jeff and Lauren met, it was said that it was Lauren's husband Patrick introduced the two at an Amazon studios party for the movie Manchester By The Sea in 2016 (seen) 'Then Lauren was hired to work on one of Jeff's projects, Blue Origin, a space-launch company. She has been shooting aerial shots for Jeff.' Despite the start of their romance being shrouded in accusations of blackmail and extortion, cheating allegations, and an explosive affair, the couple did not let it defer them. In fact, after splitting from their respective partners, Jeff and Lauren didn't wait long 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 has not tried to hide their romance, and for the last five years, they have continuously jetted off on a slew of lavish getaways together, shared tons of adorable, PDA-filled photos together on social media, gushed over one another nonstop in interviews, and attended a slew of star-studded events side by side.
