Who is Patrick Whitesell? Lauren Sánchez’s ex-husband and executive chairman of Hollywood's top talent agency representing Ben Affleck

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding is one of the most anticipated events of the year. The Amazon billionaire and the TV journalist are hosting an extravagant wedding celebration in Venice, the City of Canals. The multi-day celebration features a ceremony held on Bezos's $500 million yacht, Koru, and is being coordinated by elite event planning firm Lanza & Baucina. Amid the hype around the event, the attention has turned towards Lauren Sánchez’s ex-husband, Patrick Whitesell.

According to The Telegraph, the wedding plans have not gone that smoothly, and the venue has been forced to move its Venice wedding celebrations after residents threatened to fill the city's canals with inflatable crocodiles to stop guests from arriving. The activists have been planning to shut down the city with protests.

Despite this, the wedding has a star-studded wedding list, which includes Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Ivanka Trump, and even Oprah Winfrey. Amid this, one name is likely to be absent from the guest list: Lauren Sánchez’s ex-husband, Patrick Whitesell.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez I Credits: X/@mode_cafe_

Who is Patrick Whitesell?

Patrick Whitesell is the executive chairman of Endeavour, an entertainment and media company. He is also the ex-husband of Lauren Sánchez.

In 2019, it was reported that Patrick and Lauren were filing for divorce; the couple were married for 14 years and have two children, Evan and Ella Whitesell, together.

Evan was born in 2006, and Ella was born in 2008, according to National World. According to SCMP, Whitesell has made his fortune as the executive chairman of Endeavour, which is a leading talent agency in Hollywood with a star-studded roster. He has represented major stars like Amy Adams, Ben Affleck, Steve Carell, and Matt Damon, according to Variety (April 2024). Whitesell is also said to be planning the launch of his own media venture.

Credit: X | @AndisMom4

Where and when is Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding taking place?

Bezos, 61, and Sánchez are beginning their lavish wedding festivities in Venice this Thursday, with the ceremony set for Saturday at a private, undisclosed venue.

This will be Bezos’s second marriage, following his 2019 divorce from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

How much will the Bezos-Sanchez wedding cost?

According to The Globe and Mail, the three-day wedding event of Bezos-Sanchez could cost between $64 million and $76 million.

While about 80 per cent of the wedding provisions will be sourced from Venetian vendors, reported the Associated Press. According to sources close to the couple, the gift items include locally crafted pastries and hand-blown glass from Murano, the famed island renowned for its centuries-old glassmaking tradition.