Lauren Sánchez Bezos' Legal Battle With Her Brother Is Getting Messy (& Expensive)

For their lavish Venetian wedding, Lauren Sánchez Bezos husband Jeff Bezos supposedly spent over $50 million. Remarkably, this apparently wasn't enough to keep the ceremony from being low-key boring for their celebrity guests. However, considering Jeff was worth an astounding $200 billion when he stepped away from his role as Amazon CEO in 2021, you'd think money would never be an issue for them.

However, the couple are still requesting that Lauren's estranged brother, Michael Sánchez, fork over $190,000 in legal fees amid their ongoing and increasingly messy legal battle, Page Six reported in August 2025. The demand for the sum could seem punitive or even vindictive, although the details of the feud paint a picture of a deep and painful rift between the siblings. In reality, the contentious legal battle has been going on for over four years, and revolves around allegations that Michael attempted to earn a payday by leaking nude photos of Jeff and his own sister, as well as some scandalous text messages.

In 2019, not long after Jeff divorced his first wife, MacKenzie Scott, The National Enquirer allegedly threatened to publish incriminating photos and personal messages belonging to the tech mogul. Instead, Jeff went public with the alleged blackmail attempt, and later accused Michael of being the source. In February 2020, Michael sued for defamation, and the suit was thrown out the following November. However, the court battle is still playing out and things are looking increasingly worse for Lauren's brother.

When news first broke that Michael Sánchez had filed a defamation lawsuit against Jeff Bezos in February 2020, the former Amazon CEO's then-fiancée slammed her brother's actions in a statement released to The New York Times. "Michael is my older brother. He secretly provided my most personal information to The National Enquirer — a deep and unforgivable betrayal. My family is hurting over this new baseless and untrue lawsuit, and we truly hope my brother finds peace."

However, no peace has been found. In 2021, Jeff was awarded over $218,000 in legal fees, although Michael continued to fight against the fine. According to Michael, he never sent nude photos to The National Enquirer and was simply looking out for his sister and her billionaire boyfriend. "I had nothing to do with [the] leak of the d*** pics," Michael said in an interview with Vanity Fair in February 2019. "I'm not saying I didn't do something ... Until I go under oath, what I can tell you now is that ever since April 20, when I met Jeff, my only goal has been to protect Jeff and Lauren."

In their latest motion, filed in July 2025, Jeff and Lauren are demanding Michael pay $8,182 in court costs, and another $182,000 in attorneys fees, according to Page Six. The couple claim that their lawyers charge between $549 to $1,125 per hour.