6 things you need to know about Lauren Sanchez, the former TV anchor and pilot reportedly dating Jeff Bezos

Lauren Sanchez

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced on Wednesday that he and his wife, MacKenzie, were divorcing.
Hours later, reports surfaced in the tabloid press that Bezos had been dating the former TV anchor Lauren Sanchez.
Sanchez has a pretty cool life.
Besides her TV career, she is a licensed helicopter pilot, founded her own aerial filming company, and has starred in movies including "Fight Club."

Hours after Jeff Bezos announced he and his wife, MacKenzie, were divorcing, the tabloid press was buzzing with stories about the Amazon CEO's new romance.

According to TMZ, the National Enquirer, and the New York's Post's Page Six, among others, Bezos is dating the former TV news anchor Lauren Sanchez.

The Enquirer said it had trailed Bezos and Sanchez for some time, and on Thursday it published images of the pair together. In one photo on the Enquirer's front page, the duo appear to be holding hands.

Sanchez, who has been in the public eye for much of her career, seems to lead a pretty cool life. Here are six fast facts about the TV star turned pilot:

1. She had a long career as a reporter and news anchor

Sanchez started her journalistic career as an intern on the Los Angeles station Channel 13 while on scholarship at the University of Southern California, according to an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

She went on to be a host at various news channels, becoming a longtime coanchor on Fox 11's "Good Day LA," and appeared as a host and correspondent on "Extra."

2. She's a licensed plane and helicopter pilot

Sanchez learned how to fly while working as a news anchor, and she started flying planes in 2011 before going on to get her helicopter pilot's license in 2016.

Her interest in aviation seems to have been sparked at an early age, as her father was a flight instructor and mechanic who rebuilt planes.

"I was always in the hangar growing up but knew nothing about flying," she told The Hollywood Reporter.

3. She founded her own aerial filming company

Sanchez founded Black Ops Aviation in 2016, a "female owned and operated" aerial filming company, which has shot footage for Amazon, Netflix, and Fox, among others.

You can watch the company's demo reel here:

Sanchez also lent her aerial-filming knowledge to Christopher Nolan as a consultant on "Dunkirk."

4. She's played a news anchor in a bunch of movies and TV shows

As well as being an anchor in real life, Sanchez has starred as a news anchor in movies including "Fight Club," "The Day After Tomorrow," and "The Fantastic Four," according to IMDB.

5. She used to host a dancing reality show, 'So You Think You Can Dance'

Sanchez was a host on the first series of Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," but she reportedly left the show after the first season to have her second child.

6. While she is still married to a Hollywood agent, Patrick Whitesell, the pair are reportedly separated

Whitesell is co-CEO of the Hollywood agency WME, and his clients include Matt Damon, Christian Bale, and Hugh Jackman. Whitesell and Sanchez married in 2005, and sources told the New York Post that they separated in the fall.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos is worth over $100 billion — here's how the world's richest man makes and spends his money