Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos face local resistance as Venice citizens protest wedding plans

Fox News

6 hours ago

It may be the most extravagant wedding of the year, but not everyone is looking forward to Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos' upcoming nuptials in Venice, Italy.
Last week, Venetians gathered together to protest the couple's upcoming wedding festivities over fears of disruptions in a city that is already impacted by mass tourism.
"No space for Bezos," one sign read.
Though most of the details surrounding the wedding are unknown, one Venice citizen said, "we have our moles," per The New York Times.
Federica Toninello, a protest organizer, said that one of the venues could be The Misericordia, a famed event hall.
"Bezos will never get to the Misericordia," she said during a protest. "We will line the streets with our bodies, block the canals with lifesavers, dinghies and our boats."
"We have to block Bezos, we have to block this idea of this city as a tourist haven that has driven up housing costs so that most ordinary Venetians can no longer afford to live here," she said, according to the NYT.
Despite the backlash, Mayor Luigi Brugnaro told the Associated Press that the city is "very proud."
"We are very proud,'' Brugnaro said. "I don't know if I will have time [to meet Bezos and Sánchez], or if he will, to meet and shake hands, but it's an honor that they chose Venice. Venice once again reveals itself to be a global stage.''
According to NBC, Venice - home to about 50,000 people - receives around 20 million visitors yearly, mostly day-trippers from cruise ships or other cities.
Officials told NBC that about 30 of the 280 water taxis have been reserved for the wedding festivities, and only three or four hotels will be used for the event.
"The city is fully accustomed to hosting high-profile events of this nature and scale, including other celebrity weddings, international summits such as the G7 and G20, as well as traditional events like the Festa del Redentore and the Venice Biennale," city hall officials said in a statement to NBC.
"The celebrations, attended by 250 guests, will blend into the daily rhythm of a city that, with dignity and respect, welcomes thousands of visitors from around the world while safeguarding the quality of life for its residents, workers, and students."
"Protest initiatives are in no way representative of the majority of citizens, who are proud that Venice has been chosen as the wedding location," the statement added.
According to the AP, Bezos and Sánchez are sourcing 80% of their wedding vendors locally.
In March, the city reassured locals that the wedding would not disturb the day-to-day of its citizens.
"We are mutually working and supporting the organizers, to ensure that the event will be absolutely respectful of the fragility and uniqueness of the city," Mayor Brugnaro said in a statement to People at the time.
"The many speculations and fake news circulating about Jeff Bezos' wedding are completely unfounded," the city added in a statement, noting that it "is their utmost priority to make sure the city functions as normal, for all, with no abnormal disruption to anyone."
The Bezos-Sánchez wedding is reportedly being held later this month. There is expected to be a star-studded guest list, with friends of the couple making appearances. Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Ivanka Trump and Oprah Winfrey are said to be attending, per Page Six.
Bezos and Sánchez reportedly met in the mid-2010s but didn't go public with their relationship until 2019 – once Sanchez separated from her then-husband, Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell, and Bezos divorced Mackenzie Scott.
Bezos proposed to Sánchez while aboard his $500 million yacht, Koru, in May 2023, she told Vogue in November of that year.
W Magazine reported that Sanchez's 30-carat engagement ring is estimated to be worth between $3 million and $5 million. The outlet reported that Sanchez had two engagement parties, one in Beverly Hills and another in Positano, Italy.