The signs were there. Lauren Sánchez’s marriage to Patrick Whitesell “hasn’t been truly solid for a while,” a source tells Us Weekly exclusively after news broke of Sánchez’s affair with Jeff Bezos.
“In the past year or two, it has gotten worse and they’ve been up and down,” the source reveals of the former Extra host, 49, and the talent agent, 53. “Patrick is so committed to his work and Lauren hasn’t seemed committed to their relationship.”
Sánchez and Whitesell tied the knot in August 2005. They share a son and and daughter together. The former So You Think You Can Dance host is also the mother of a 17-year-old son with ex Tony Gonzalez.
Bezos, 54, announced on Wednesday, January 9, that he and wife MacKenzie Bezos planned to divorce after 25 years of marriage. “We feel incredibly lucky to have found each other and deeply grateful for every one of the years we have been married to each other,” the estranged couple said in a joint statement. “If we had known we would separate after 25 years, we would do it all again.”
Hours later, the National Enquirer broke the news that the Amazon CEO has been cheating on MacKenzie, 48, with Sánchez for eight months. According to the magazine, Jeff and the Emmy winner were spotted together in five states. The Enquirer also obtained explicit text messages that Jeff sent.
“Patrick was totally blindsided,” another insider told Us. “He had no idea how serious the affair was or how long it was going on for.”
The businessman and Sánchez, for their part, are smitten with each other. “They’re serious,” a third source revealed. “This wasn’t a one-off fling. This is a relationship that’s been going on for months.”
Jeff and MacKenzie, who wed in September 1993, share four children. They reportedly did not have a prenuptial agreement, meaning she could be entitled to half of his estimated $144 billion net worth.
Us Weekly has reached out to Sánchez and Whitesell for comment.
