Lauren Sánchez's first husband: Who is Patrick Whitesell?
Billionaire and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is set to tie the knot with Lauren Sánchez this week during an extravagant, Italian wedding of which details have been reserved.
Prior to her engagement with Bezos, Sánchez was married to media giant Patrick Whitesell. The former couple, who share two children, were married from 2005 to 2019. Whitesell has since remarried.
Bezos and Sánchez, who have been engaged since 2019, are expected to tie the knot in Venice, Italy between June 26 and 28, Reuters and The New York Times have reported.
As the highly-anticipated wedding gets underway, here's a look back at Sánchez's former partner.
Everything we know so far: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding
Who is Patrick Whitesell?
Whitesell is a businessman that has worked in the media industry for more than three decades. He made a name for himself in the early 2000s when he teamed up with former WWE owner Ari Emanuel to take over Endeavor, an international sports and entertainment company.
However, in March, Whitesell took a $25 billion deal from international tech investor Silver Lake to leave Endeavor. Following the sale, Whitesell has begun running Win Sports Group, an NFL sports management company, and a "sports, media and entertainment" investment platform backed by Silver Lake, according to a news release.
Prior to Endeavor, Whitesell worked at InterTalent, United Talent Agency and Creative Artists Agency. Over the years, he has worked with celebrities like Ben Affleck, Christian Bale, Whoopi Goldberg, Hugh Jackman and Joaquin Phoenix.
How old is Patrick Whitesell?
Whitesell is 60 years old.
When did Lauren Sánchez and Patrick Whitesell get divorced?
Sánchez and Whitesell divorced in 2019.
How many children do Lauren Sánchez, Patrick Whitesell share?
Sánchez and Whitesell have two children together: Ella Whitesell and Evan Whitesell. Evan was born in 2006 and Ella was born in 2008, People reported.
Who is Patrick Whitesell married to now?
Whitesell married actress and model Pia Miller in 2021. The 41-year-old, hailing from Chile, gained prominence after winning an annual modeling competition for Australian beauty magazine Dolly in 1998. She also competed on the Australian reality television series, "Search for a Supermodel" in 2001.
Contributing: Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
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USA Today
21 minutes ago
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Jeff Bezos' Venice wedding creates travel chaos for tourists in the floating city
As Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez celebrate their lavish three-day wedding (June 24–28) this week in Venice, tourists are finding the city's charm a bit crowded and commodified. Protesters in Venice claimed a significant win after Jeff Bezos and his wedding party relocated their main celebration from the city center to the Arsenale. While the original venue of Scuola Grande della Misericordia was never officially confirmed, the BBC reported that local officials say the last-minute change was prompted by growing pressure from activists opposed to the billionaire's high-profile festivities. Situated in the eastern Castello district of the city, the reported new venue is said to be more isolated, surrounded by water and only land-accessible via bridges that can be raised. Three luxury hotels are officially booked and some water taxis reserved for the wedding, the local press is swarming the event with paparazzi and mega‑yachts crowding canals. Tourists report unexpected closures, rerouted traffic, and a paparazzi-heavy ambiance. Wedding festivities are anticipated to take place around some of the city's most central locations, with Venice City Hall mandating the closure of the area surrounding the medieval church Madonna dell'Orto on Wednesday for a Thursday night open-air gathering of guests. Officials said the Police Headquarters of Venice is handling the city's security operations for the wedding. The police department did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. Nevertheless, some residents and vendors welcome the influx – pointing out 80% of wedding provisions are sourced from Venetian artisans, according to The Associated Press – while others condemn it as a multimillion-dollar 'city rental' at the expense of ordinary life. "Those who bring investment, create jobs, and bolster Venice's global standing will always be welcome here," Deputy Mayor of Tourism Department Simone Venturini said in a statement to USA TODAY. "We will continue to strive for a city that balances hospitality with the protection of its unique heritage, guided by both vision and equilibrium." What this means for tourists Contributing: Reuters
USA Today
21 minutes ago
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How the massive cost of Bezos-Sánchez wedding compares to average US nuptials
As the world waits for the upcoming extravagant wedding in Venice of Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos and his fiancee, Lauren Sánchez, brides and grooms in the U.S. are figuring out ways to stretch their more modest wedding budgets amid tariff increases. The Bezos-Sánchez wedding has been estimated to cost between $23 million to $34 million, as previously reported by USA TODAY and according to Venice regional governor Luca Zaia. That's a far cry from the average U.S. wedding in 2024, which cost $33,000, down slightly from $35,000 for 2023, according to The Knot's Real Weddings 2025 Study. Sánchez also shared with Vogue that her pink engagement ring was worth $2.5 million. On average, an engagement ring in the U.S. cost $5,200 in 2024, according to The Knot's study. That's down from $5,500 in 2023, $5,800 in 2022 and $6,000 in 2021. Tariffs are an unwelcomed wedding guest As a florist, Allison Krivachek is doing her best to navigate tariff increases to imported flowers to keep costs for her brides and grooms down. As a bride-to-be, Krivachek is also trying to make choices to keep her July wedding budget from increasing. Brides, grooms and wedding vendors are in similar boats as prices for imported goods and tariffs add costs to an already expensive life event. Many aspects of the wedding day will be affected by tariffs, including alcohol, flowers, the wedding dress and goods such as centerpiece decorations if they are imported, according to The Knot, a wedding website. As much as 80% of cut flowers are imported from other countries and 90% of wedding gowns sold in the U.S. are imported, according to The Knot, which could hike wedding costs. Financial costs weigh heavy on minds of brides and grooms In a survey of 741 engaged brides and grooms users of The Knot, shared exclusively with USA TODAY, 73% of couples said keeping costs within their budget were the top concern, and 46% said economic factors such as inflation were a major concern. Thirty-four percent were concerned about the rising costs of goods that could affect weddings though price changes specifically because of tariffs were less of a concern with 15% of couples mentioning it. More than half of engaged couples (58%) said they hadn't seen tariffs affect their weddings yet, but 36% said they were making changes to their plans because of economic stress. Of those couples, 22% were adjusting their budgets while 68% said they were increasing their budgets. Rather than cutting back, many couples responded to the concerns of looming tariffs by taking the proactive steps like booking early and consulting pros. 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"When they first came out, it was like, oh my gosh, this is going to be really devastating. We were seeing anywhere from 10% to 25%, and when you're talking about a wedding in flowers, when it's $5,000 plus, that 10% to 25% ... really adds up quickly," said Krivachek, referring to the average floral budget for weddings. Some suppliers have also used the tariff news to unfairly raise prices as much as double, Krivachek said. A lot of florists and couples have been panicking on how to offset tariff increases and checking contract language, which may allow vendors to raise prices because of market fluctuations, she said. Krivachek said she and other wedding vendors learned during the COVID-19 pandemic that they had to include a clause in their contracts to allow for unexpected market pricing fluctuations. She added she has communicated with consumers about other options, rather than pass tariff-related prices to prospective brides and grooms. 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Vendors are good about helping couples figure out ways to make changes to suit their budget or plan for increases, said Lauren Kay, executive editor of The Knot. "They want to help you have the best wedding ever and they want to help you pull that off, whether that's avoiding a tariff or making a trade off so your budget isn't terribly impacted," Kay told USA TODAY. Couples do not seem to be panicking, Kay said, as they deal with another moment in wedding planning. "It's not so much of a concern about the tariffs, itself, but just thinking about how we are going to plan our weddings and stay within budget with all of the economic factors that we're facing today," she said. The average U.S. wedding in 2024 costs $33,000, down slightly from $35,000 for 2023, according to The Knot's Real Weddings 2025 Study. Some vendors, like Krivachek, are already starting to see those increases. "When they first came out, it was like, oh my gosh, this is going to be really devastating. We were seeing anywhere from 10% to 25%, and when you're talking about a wedding in flowers, when it's $5,000 plus, that 10% to 25% ... really adds up quickly," said Krivachek, referring to the average floral budget for weddings. Some suppliers have also used the tariff news to unfairly raise prices as much as double, Krivachek said. A lot of florists and couples have been panicking on how to offset tariff increases and checking contract language, which may allow vendors to raise prices because of market fluctuations, she said. Krivachek said she and other wedding vendors learned during the COVID-19 pandemic that they had to include a clause in their contracts to allow for unexpected market pricing fluctuations. She added she has communicated with consumers about other options, rather than pass tariff-related prices to prospective brides and grooms. "They can either up their budget to keep everything the same or we can sub with local varieties, which I've been loving, and it's really been a positive thing for local growers," Krivachek said. She has told some brides, especially those with winter weddings, that if their heart is set on a particular type of flower that cannot be grown domestically in the winter, they will have to increase their budget. Krivachek also is getting married in July. Her floral budget is the largest portion of her budget at a hefty $36,000, partially because she feels she needs to make a statement as a florist. She has made some adjustments to keep her budget the same, including using a lot of landscaping plants and bushes. "I'm excited about that because I want to make that a trend where you use these flowers and bushes that you get to take home and plant and remember your wedding and have it be sustainable," she said. She has also reduced the number of imported cut flowers she is getting to stay within her budget. She has not seen any tariff-related increases on other parts of her wedding budget, she said. Uncomfortable Conversations: Being a bridesmaid is expensive. Can or should you say no? A lot of the components to design and make a gown come from various countries, so between the materials and the execution of the product being made and transported, tariffs affect the price, said Nayri Kalayjian, owner of Lovella Bridal in Los Angeles. "Price increases are everywhere, so the wedding industry is no different, no matter where the gown is being manufactured," she said. Some designers are doing a straight price increase while others have added a percentage for the tariffs, she said. Kalayjian said she has seen some tariff surcharges anywhere from 10% to 35%. But typically bridal boutiques see price increases multiple times a year, regardless of tariffs, Kalayjian said. Kalayjian said she often tells brides if they see a dress they absolutely love, don't wait too long or it could be discontinued or increase in price. Bridal gowns are also taking longer to make because they are all custom-ordered, she said. The turnaround time is typically six to eight months. Kalayjian added, however, there are dresses at every price point for every budget, even with price increases. Brides can often get sample dresses at steep discounts, she said. (This story has been updated to correct an error.) Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at blinfisher@ or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher and @ on Bluesky. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include consumer news on Fridays, here. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How cost of the Bezos-Sánchez wedding compares to the US average
