Latest news with #NoSpaceforBezos
International Business Times
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- International Business Times
Venice Protests Jeff Bezos' Wedding Amid Buzz Over Bizarre Mannequins
As Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez prepare for their extravagant wedding, Venice has unexpectedly become the backdrop for both celebration and controversy. Tourists are crowding around realistic mannequins of the couple placed across the city. One bizarre statue of Bezos, wrapped in fake dollar bills, has become a viral sensation. A towering sculpture of Bezos, over six feet tall and larger than life, now stands among the Venetian crowds. The statue, comically draped in counterfeit bills with his face printed on them, has sparked curiosity and laughter. Created by sculptors dressed as Amazon staff, the installation mixes art and satire, drawing attention from amused onlookers—and even curious pigeons, as TMZ noted. But these installations are more than quirky photo ops. Many of them, eerily lifelike, are seen as protest symbols. Critics argue the wedding, with its celebrity guest list, could intensify space issues in a city already overcrowded during peak tourist season. Luxury and excess appear central to the festivities, with reports suggesting Sanchez may wear over $30 million worth of jewelry. Meanwhile, celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Tom Brady, and Leonardo DiCaprio are expected to attend, raising concerns among Venetians who say the city is being turned into a private playground for the wealthy. Local activists insist their issue is not with the marriage itself, but with what it represents. They say Venice is slowly being turned into a playground for billionaires, displacing locals and limiting access to public areas. They describe this trend as a form of exploitation and loss of civic space. Activist Alice Bazzoli, from the group "No Space for Bezos," told Sky News that the Amazon founder is treating the entire city like a private event hall. The group is a coalition of local campaigners, environmentalists, and housing advocates. They argue that high-profile events worsen issues like overcrowding, environmental harm, and public exclusion. Their efforts may already be influencing change, with reports that Bezos shifted his wedding venue following public outcry. The group, carrying inflatable crocodiles as symbols of protest, claims this as a small victory in their campaign to preserve Venice's identity.
AsiaOne
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Bezos and Sanchez head to wedding ceremony in star-studded Venice, World News
VENICE - Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez left their luxury hotel on Venice's Grand Canal on Friday (June 27) to head to their wedding ceremony, the centrepiece of a three-day gala featuring dozens of stars but also protests by local activists. Sanchez, 55, waved and blew kisses to onlookers as she boarded a sleek motor boat outside the Aman hotel wearing short-sleeved, cream, fitted skirt suit, with shades and a head scarf to protect her from the blistering summer sun. Around two hours later Bezos, 61, wearing a black tuxedo and bow tie over a white shirt, made the same short trip across the lagoon to the small island of San Giorgio where the couple will exchange rings, accompanied by singing from Matteo Bocelli, son of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. The evening ceremony will have no legal status under Italian law, a senior city hall official told Reuters, suggesting the couple may have already legally wed in the United States, avoiding the bureaucracy associated with an Italian marriage. The festivities, estimated to cost around $50 million (S$63 million), culminate on Saturday with a party in a former medieval shipyard where media outlets say Lady Gaga and Elton John are set to perform. Bill Gates, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, the queen of Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner and Kim and Khloe Kardashian as well as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner and Domenico Dolce from Dolce & Gabbana are among the 200-250 guests. Amid tight security, there have been glimpses of the celebrities moving around town, the women in summer dresses and high heels stepping somewhat gingerly off boats ferrying them around the city's canals. Celebrations began on Thursday evening in the cloisters of Madonna dell'Orto, a medieval church in the central district of Cannaregio that hosts masterpieces by 16th-century painter Tintoretto. "This magical place has gifted us unforgettable memories," the bride and groom said on their wedding invitation, in which they asked for "no gifts" and pledged charity donations for three Venetian institutions. Their donations are worth 3 million euros (S$4.4 million). Protest movement Businesses have welcomed the glitz and glamour but it is opposed by a local protest movement whose members resent what they see as Venice being gift-wrapped for ultra-rich outsiders. Bezos is No 4 on Forbes' global billionaires list. Giulia Cacopardo, a 28-year-old representative of the "No Space for Bezos" movement, complained that the needs of ordinary people were being neglected in a city that is a tourist magnet and fast depopulating largely due to the soaring cost of living. [[nid:719535]] Venice's city centre has less than 50,000 residents, compared to almost 100,000 in the late 1970s. "When you empty a city of its inhabitants, you can turn it into a stage for big events," Cacopardo told Reuters. "(But) the money that Bezos spends on this wedding does not end up in the pockets of Venetians. The owners of luxury hotels are not Venetians." Cacopardo was one of 30-40 activists who staged a protest in St Mark's Square on Thursday, chanting "We are the 99 per cent" as a masked couple posed as bride and groom and one man climbed a pole to unfurl a banner reading "The 1 per cent ruins the world". Police intervened, forcibly removing the protesters. The anti-Bezos front is planning a march on Saturday, and their activities have already led authorities to step up security and move the location of the closing party to a more secluded part of Venice, the Arsenale former shipyard. Charlotte Perkins, an Australian tourist, said she could understand the locals' resentment at their city being treated as a celebrity playground. "I'd probably feel the same if I lived here," she said. But politicians, hoteliers and some other Venice residents are happy about the wedding, saying such events do more to support the local economy than the multitudes of day-trippers who normally overrun the city. "We are happy and honoured to welcome Jeff Bezos and his consort Lauren Sanchez," said Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who sent white roses to the bride and a maxi-bottle of Amarone luxury red wine to the groom. A study by Italy's tourism ministry estimated the overall economic impact of the wedding at 957 million euros, with an 896 million euro boost from "media visibility", and the rest coming from direct or indirect spending related to the event. Bezos, Amazon's executive chair, got engaged to Sanchez in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to MacKenzie Scott.
Daily Mirror
16 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Jeff Bezos marries blushing bride Lauren Sanchez in £48milion Venice wedding
The world's second richest man Jeff Bezos has tied the knot with his longterm love, Lauren Sanchez. The couple are now officially husband and wife after they said their 'I do's' in a lavish £48million ceremony surrounded by their famous friends and family. The couple exchanged vows in a ceremony lasting about 25 minutes, with family and friends gathered at the event. They were heard cheering, clapping and whistling for the pair after they said 'I do'. While the couple have celebrated their wedding today in Venice, it was reported that the pair had actually tied the knot weeks ago. According to a well-placed insider involved in the event planning, they said: '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.' Though this week's festivities have been widely billed as their wedding, the source revealed it's purely ceremonial. 'When they were planning the wedding, they were clear about the fact that they were already secretly married,' the insider said. Because the legal marriage has already occurred, there was no need for a license in Italy. 'There is no application for a wedding licence 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," they told Mail Online. The same source added that Bezos himself confirmed the legal union and noted the pair had arranged a prenuptial agreement to safeguard his $244 billion fortune. Bezos and Sánchez reportedly married privately in the U.S., well before the high-profile Venetian celebration began. The couple arrived in Venice this week ahead of their lavish wedding celebrations, which will take place over the next few days. A helicopter picked Bezos and his bride-to-be up from his superyacht Koru's support ship, the Albeona. They were docked just off the coast of Croatia, with the yacht taking 61-year-old Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, 55, to the city of Venice. It landed in the Venice Lido, which is where the annual Venice Film Festival takes place. To kicked proceedings off on Thursday night, a casual welcome dinner will be held at the 14th Century Madonna dell'Orto church. Local sources claimed security is ultra-tight, turning the stunning city into a "fortress-like operation". The ceremony was expected to take place at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, an historic 16th-century building in the city centre. But the No Space for Bezos campaign group claim the couple scrambled to change their plans, after activists threatened to block the canals with inflatable crocodiles to stop their guests from attending. Instead, it's been moved to Arsenale, a shipyard complex which will be near-impossible for protestors to get to. Lauren Sanchez and her new husband arrived, with Lauren wearing oversized black sunglasses and a simple black halterneck dress. Meanwhile, their high-profile guests started to descend on the city earlier this week. Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka arrived with her husband Jared Kushner. She wore a green dress and canvas sunhat as she arrived by boat after a day of sightseeing. The couple's three children, Arabella Rose, Joseph Frederick and Theodore James, joined them. Other guests to arrive early include Jeff's adoptive father Miguel Bezos, as well as Orlando Bloom, Katy Perry, Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian. Just 11 people live on the island and its only dwelling is a modest five-bedroom home, previously the guesthouse to a convent which was part of a long-destroyed monastery complex. .
Hindustan Times
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Jeff Bezos' mannequin covered in faux money goes viral amid wedding protests
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have become an unexpected attraction in Venice as their highly anticipated wedding approaches. Lifelike statues of the couple have appeared throughout the city, drawing crowds of tourists eager to pose with the replicas of the Amazon founder. Among the various creepy mannequin's one that has caught tourists' attention is of Bezos covered in fake dollar bills. Lifelike statues of Jeff Bezos, especially one covered in fake dollar bills, have become tourist attractions in Venice. Click News/Handout via REUTERS (via REUTERS) Also Read: Lauren Sanchez to sparkle in '$30 plus million' worth of Jewels during wedding festivities: Report A larger-than-life statue of Bezos has drawn both fascination and amusement in Venice ahead of his wedding to Sanchez. Standing at six feet tall, the sculpture towers over Bezos's actual 5'7" frame and is humorously adorned with faux dollar bills bearing his likeness. The statue is created by a team of sculptors dressed as Amazon workers, and the installation has become a talking point among both tourists and locals. Interestingly, it has also attracted the attention of Venice's ever-present pigeons, who have swarmed around the mannequin, as reported by TMZ. Several creepy mannequins have popped up across Venice as signs of protests against Sanchez and Bezos' wedding. The protests have emerged as several activists, locals fear that the flock of A-list celebrity guests will increase the issue of space, especially during the tourist season. Also Read: Bezos-Sanchez wedding guests: Kim Kardashian, Ivanka Trump, Kylie Jenner, Tom Brady, Leonardo DiCaprio and more | Photos Why are there protests in Venice against Bezos and Sanchez? Protesters have clarified that their opposition is not directed at the wedding itself, but at what they describe as the growing 'privatisation' and 'exploitation' of Venice. They argue that high-profile events like this symbolize the city's shift toward catering to the ultra-wealthy, often at the expense of local residents and public spaces. Alice Bazzoli, an activist with No Space for Bezos, said, 'He is basically going to treat the whole city as a private ballroom, as a private event area, as if the citizens are not there," as reported by Sky News. The protest group, a coalition of about a dozen Venetian organizations, including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship activists, and university groups, has voiced concerns over the disruption caused by the high-profile wedding. They claim the event will restrict access to parts of the city, hinder daily life for residents, and raise environmental issues due to yacht traffic in the canals.
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Lauren Sánchez career path: How this student from a California College become an Emmy-winning journalist, pilot, and space traveler
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Lauren Sánchez educational qualification: From dyslexic student to Emmy-winning journalist and space explorer Lauren Sánchez career trajectory: How a former news anchor became a pilot, author, and Bezos Earth Fund leader Lauren Sánchez educational qualification: How this dyslexic student rose from New Mexico to become an Emmy-winning journalist, pilot, and space traveler Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are marrying today—with the ceremony relocated to the historic Arsenale hall in Venice's Castello district amid protests. As protests erupt across Venice over Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's star-studded wedding, the journalist and pilot continues to dominate global headlines. The couple, engaged since 2023, was forced to relocate their wedding venue due to anti-Bezos demonstrations, with banners like "No Space for Bezos" unfurled across the city. Activists from the "No Space for Bezos" collective claimed victory after the ceremony was shifted to the historic Arsenale hall in the Castello district for security reasons. While the lavish wedding has drawn the ire of locals and overtourism campaigners, Sánchez's personal journey—from a dyslexic student in Albuquerque to a spacefaring media entrepreneur—paints a compelling portrait of resilience, ambition, and reinvention. A dyslexia diagnosis changed her academic outlook Born on December 19, 1969, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Lauren Wendy Sánchez was raised by her father, Ray Sánchez, an aviation businessman, and her mother, Eleanor Sánchez, a former Los Angeles assistant deputy mayor. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trending in in 2025: Local network access control [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo As a "third-generation Mexican-American," Sánchez grew up participating in student government and cheerleading at Del Norte High School before graduating in 1987. After enrolling at the University of New Mexico to study acting and speech, Sánchez transferred to El Camino College in California. It was there that a professor noticed her learning differences and helped identify her dyslexia. "It changed everything," she later said, as reported by People magazine . The diagnosis empowered Sánchez to pursue advocacy work with the International Dyslexia Association, supporting educational equity and neurodiversity. Following community college, she completed a degree in communications at the University of Southern California. Sánchez also briefly dabbled in modeling, winning the international Models World Magazine Cover Girl Competition in 1990. From local newsrooms to Emmy wins and FOX primetime Sánchez's career began humbly as a desk assistant at KCOP-TV in Los Angeles. She worked her way up the ladder, taking on anchor roles in Phoenix at KTVK-TV before joining Extra as a correspondent. At Fox Sports Net, she earned an Emmy nomination and later joined Fox 11 News at Ten and Good Day L.A.. Her team at UPN News 13 won an Emmy, as reported by KTTV. She was the original host of So You Think You Can Dance in 2005 and has frequently appeared on shows like Larry King Live and The View. From aerial filmmaker to space traveler After earning her pilot's license at 40, Sánchez founded Black Ops Aviation, the first female-owned aerial film company. In April 2025, she became one of the first female journalists to travel to space aboard Blue Origin's NS-31, alongside Gayle King and others. "It's something I never imagined possible," Sánchez said of the flight, as quoted by CBS Mornings . In 2024, she authored a bestselling children's book, The Fly Who Flew to Space , inspired by her struggle with dyslexia. She was also honored with the Elling Halvorson Vertical Flight Hall of Fame Award for her aviation work. Driving climate impact and social change As vice-chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, Sánchez has spearheaded over $400 million in climate-focused philanthropy, including restoring 1.6 million acres of US land. She's also involved in the Bezos Day One Fund and border-relief group This Is About Humanity , supporting migrant families. Despite the glittering spectacle in Venice, Sánchez's own story is one of grit, ambition, and transformation—from a struggling student to a pioneering voice in media, aviation, and space exploration. Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
