If you’ve scrolled through headlines about Lauren Sánchez, Emmy-winning journalist, pilot, and fiancée of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, you’ve likely seen her soaring in helicopters or dazzling on red carpets. But there’s someone who helped shape that ambition and polish: her mother, Eleanor Sánchez.

Though she rarely steps into the spotlight, Eleanor’s story is one of understated influence. And it just might explain where Lauren gets her drive.

© WireImage (L-R) Suzie Friedkin, Bradley Thomas and Eleanor Sanchez attend The Horsemen Flight Team Event Hosted By Dan Friedkin And Lauren Sanchez Whitesell, sponsored by Casamigos Tequila and Caliche Rum and sponsored by Casamigos Tequila and Caliche Rum on May 3, 2014 in Chino, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/WireImage)

A California Girl Finds Her Way to Albuquerque

Eleanor grew up in Los Angeles, but life eventually brought her to Albuquerque, New Mexico. There, she became clerk of the city council — a woman with both brains and presence, remembered for her poise and effortless style.

She married Ray Sánchez, a pilot and mechanic with an entrepreneurial streak who eventually owned his own aviation business. Together, they had three children: Michael, Paul, and the youngest, Wendy Lorraine Sánchez, whom we now know as Lauren.

When Lauren was seven, Eleanor and Ray divorced. Lauren went to live with her mom, staying in Albuquerque, while Ray remarried and had another daughter, Elena.

© GettyImages Lauren and Elena

In those years, Eleanor’s influence was huge. Though they lived modestly in a middle-class neighborhood, Eleanor carried herself with grace and a touch of glamor. Even Lauren’s childhood best friends remember Eleanor’s flair: the sunglasses, the polished looks, the makeup, and dinners that introduced friends to artichokes for the first time.

According to The Times, Michelle Montaño-Espinoza, one of Sánchez’s best friends, said, “I remember going to the department store, and her mom bought her makeup from Shiseido.” She added, “I just thought, oh wow! I was buying makeup at Walgreens.” Per Michelle, having dinner at Lauren’s was also stylish. “It was the first time I ever ate an artichoke,” she told the publication.

© The Grosby Group Lauren Sanchez was spotted leaving a meeting in Studio City.

Eleanor balanced that style with hustle. She owned multiple small properties around Albuquerque and remains a landlord to this day — occasionally arriving to check in on tenants, sunglasses in tow, and rent checks mailed to none other than a Beverly Hills address. Yes, 90210.

A Mother’s Resilience vs. Family Myths

While Lauren has described her childhood as one where she “came from nothing,” even recalling nights spent sleeping in her grandmother’s car while she worked cleaning houses, her brother Michael paints a more comfortable picture. He recalls their parents as “successful and wealthy,” their grandmother as a legendary bookie and racehorse owner, and their family homes in one of Albuquerque’s wealthiest neighborhoods.

© Getty Images Lauren Sanchez on ‘Good Day New York’

What’s clear is that Eleanor raised her kids with both style and substance. She knew how to project success and taught Lauren how to dream beyond their surroundings, whether they were struggling or thriving.

Fast-forward to today, Eleanor remains involved in Lauren’s life. Sources say she’ll attend Lauren and Jeff Bezos’ much-anticipated wedding in late June of 2025, alongside Lauren’s father Ray, brother Paul, and half-sister Elena.