Jeff Bezos’ partner Lauren Sanchez, 53, reveals she was told she was ‘too HEAVY’ to be a flight attendant at 121lbs – as she opens up about her roller coaster career and ‘devastating’ failed audition for The View
- Sanchez, 53, reflected on her journey as a journalist to Wall Street Journal
- She said she tried to become a stewardess at age 18 but was turned away
- The reporter revealed she was also rejected from The View in 1999
Lauren Sanchez revealed she was once told she was ‘too heavy’ to be a flight attendant at 121 pounds – while revealing that her failed audition for The View was one of the most ‘devastating’ moments of her career.
The entertainment reporter and news anchor, 53, who has gained media attention for her romance with former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, 59, recently reflected on her journey to become an on-air journalist during an interview with the Wall Street Journal – and she admitted that it wasn’t an easy road for her.
Lauren explained that she first started her career off aspiring to be an airline stewardess – but was turned away at age 18 because she was told she weighed too much.
Another blow came years later, when she tried out for a seat on The View in 1999 – and was rejected again, something she said left her in tears ‘for days.’
Lauren Sanchez (seen with boyfriend, Jeff Bezos, in August 2022) said she was once told she was ‘too heavy’ to be a flight attendant at 121 pounds
The entertainment reporter, 53, recently reflected on her journey to become an award-winning journalist to the Wall Street Journal (seen) – and she admitted it wasn’t an easy road
Two years later, Sanchez welcomed her first child, a baby boy named Nikko, with her then-partner, NFL star Tony Gonzalez, and she told the outlet that despite being ‘devastated’ over not getting the job on The View at first, she now believes ‘everything happens for a reason.’
The TV personality explained that she first started her career off aspiring to be an airline stewardess – but was turned away at age 18 because she was told she weighed too much. She is seen in the late 80s
‘It turned out to be a good thing because I wouldn’t have had Nikko [if I was working on The View],’ she said.
Lauren, who grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, explained that she always dreamed of being a journalist, but because she suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia throughout her childhood, she began to believe that she couldn’t do it.
Instead, she decided she wanted to become a flight attendant, and at age 18, she moved to Los Angeles, California, where she applied for a job as a Southwest Airlines stewardess.
However, the then-teenager, who weighed just over 120 pounds, was forced to stand on a scale during the process – a standard practice for stewardesses at the time – and she ultimately didn’t get the job because she was told she was too big.
‘Back then, they weighed you, and I weighed 121 pounds. They said, “You need to be 115,”‘ she recalled.
Unsure of where to turn, a devastated Sanchez decided to go to back to school, and enrolled at El Camino College in Torrance, California.
It was there that she rediscovered her love for journalism, after a teacher encouraged her to get tested for a learning disability and she finally realized that she was suffering from dyslexia.
‘[The teacher said], “You’re not dumb. You’re just dyslexic. Let me give you tools on how to write,”‘ she explained, adding that the professor gifted her a pocket dictionary to keep with her at all times.
‘It changed my life. I went from barely a 2.0 student to the dean’s list and got a scholarship to USC.’
Sanchez transferred to University of Southern California in 1992, where she attended for two years while working as a desk assistant at the LA-based news company KCOP-TV.
‘Back then, they weighed you, and I weighed 121 pounds. They said, “You need to be 115,”‘ she recalled. She is seen in 1987, at age 18
After spending a few years focusing on school, Lauren landed her first job at KTVK in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1994. She is seen in 1999
In the years that followed, Sanchez moved around quite a bit – working briefly for Extra (seen) before heading to Fox Sports Net
In 1994, she left to school to pursue her career as a journalist, after she was offered a job at KTVK in Phoenix, Arizona.
READ MORE: Lauren Sanchez gushes about life with Jeff Bezos in first solo interview since their romance went public
In the years that followed, Sanchez moved around quite a bit – working briefly for Extra before heading to Fox Sports Net.
Around that time, she also auditioned for a seat on The View – and when she didn’t get the part, she admitted it was one of the ‘most devastating day of her life.’
She said she had bonded with creator Barbara Walters during the audition process, who personally called her up herself to deliver the sad news, which resulted in her crying ‘for days.’ The position was ultimately given to Lisa Ling.
And according to Sanchez, the advice that Walters gave her throughout the process was something that stuck with her for years.
‘She really helped me with my career. Not only as someone I looked up to, but really guided me when I was up for The View,’ she revealed.
‘Producers were trying to make me dress extra conservative and she saw me and said, “What happened?”
‘She said, “They will try and make you ordinary. Don’t let them. Then, if you fail, at least you fail as yourself.” I never forgot that.’
Sanchez went on to host Good Day LA for six years, before starting her own aerial film and production company, called Black Ops Aviation.
Around that time, she also auditioned for a seat on The View – and when she didn’t get the part, she admitted it was one of the ‘most devastating day of her life.’ She is seen in 1999
Two years later, Sanchez welcomed her a baby boy named Nikko (seen in 2003), with her then-partner, Tony Gonzalez, and she said she believes ‘everything happens for a reason’
Sanchez went on to host Good Day LA for six years, before starting her own aerial film and production company, called Black Ops Aviation. She is seen on Good Day LA in 2011
She also served as the host on the first season of So You Think You Can Dance, and contributed to Larry King Live, The Joy Behar Show, and Showbiz Tonight over the years.
Sanchez got her helicopter pilot’s license in 2016, and has a fierce passion for flying – something she once referred to as her ‘calling’
In addition, Sanchez got her helicopter pilot’s license in 2016, and has a fierce passion for flying – something she once referred to as her ‘calling.’
And according to the journalist, her and Bezos’ romance blossomed, in part, because of their shared love of being in the air. He is currently in the process of getting his own pilot’s license.
While it’s unclear when exactly they started dating, Sanchez and Bezos’ romance was exposed by the National Enquirer in January 2019, while they were both married to other people.
Soon after, the billionaire businessman divorced his wife-of-over-25-years and the mother of his four children, Mackenzie Scott.
Sanchez and Bezos’ (seen in 2019) romance was exposed by the National Enquirer in January 2019, while they were both married to other people
Soon after, the former Amazon CEO divorced his wife-of-over-25-years, Mackenzie Scott (left), and Sanchez split from her husband, WME co-CEO, Patrick Whitesell (right)
Sanchez now focuses much of her time on philanthropy – as well as her recently formed production company, Adventure & Fellowship. She is seen in the Wall Street Journal
Sanchez split from her husband – co-CEO of Hollywood powerhouse agency WME, Patrick Whitesell, who was reportedly the one to introduce her to Bezos – around the same time.
Bezos – who is the third richest man in the world and has a reported net worth of $165 billion – and Sanchez then made their first public appearance together in May of that year, and have been happily in love ever since.
Sanchez now focuses much of her time on philanthropy – as well as her recently formed production company, Adventure & Fellowship, which she shared for the first time during the interview with WSJ.
She’s also gearing up to release her first children’s book, called Flynn, The Fly Who Flew, and is in the midst of planning an all-female mission to outer space on Bezos’ aerospace manufacturer company Blue Origin for early 2024.
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