Report: Jeff Bezos' Salacious Texts Were Leaked by Mistress' Brother2019条短信显示正在进行的事件the billionaire and his now-girlfriend Lauren Sanchez.
ByEmily Rella•
The highly unsettling and borderline disturbing texts that nearly broke the internet in the wake of the Jeff Bezos cheating scandal apparently came at an exceptionally high cost.
A new report by theWall Street Journalclaims that the infamous texts between the Amazon founder and then-mistress, now-girlfriend Lauren Sanchez were in fact leaked to theNational Enquirerby Sanchez' brother Michael Sanchez for $200,000.
The salacious texts and sexual photos between the two were leaked in 2019 and ultimately led to Bezos' divorce from former wife MacKenzie Scott.
TheWSJ's report claims that Michael Sanchez sold the photos to American Media LLC (TheEnquirer's parent company), and that he had previously served as a source for the magazine through his work in television media as a talent agent.
The report also states that the media company was struggling with debt when Sanchez was paid off, a deal that required the money be given upfront in the event that a story did not eventually run.
The news comes following Bezos' insistent claims earlier this year that the Saudi Arabian government somehow hacked his phone and was behind the leak of the 2019 texts
TheWSJdid not specify exactly how Michael Sanchez obtained the text messages and images in the first place, but a report earlier this year from theNew York Postsays that Lauren Sanchez would often forward texts from Bezos to her brother in what was described as an "unusual" relationship between siblings.
There's long been speculation that Michael Sanchez was behind the leak, leading him to file adefamation lawsuitagainst Bezos and his security officer Gavin de Becker in February 2020.
The texts were originally leaked in a January 2019 cover story by theEnquirer, which ranged in tone from "I am in love with you" to the still-puzzling "I love you, alive girl."
Bezos has not yet publicly responded to the new report.
As of Thursday afternoon, the former Amazon CEO was worth anestimated$198.4 billion.
Related:Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Go on a Romantic Trip After Blue Origin's Historic Flight
