How 4 tech CEOs navigated relationship scandals: 'Roll this log over, and see what crawls out'NEWS | 10 November 2026Jeff Bezos went on offense
Bezos had a feisty response when faced with the possibility of his intimate photos leaking.
Bezos had a feisty response when faced with the possibility of his intimate photos leaking. Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images
In 2019, the National Enquirer published a series of text messages detailing Jeff Bezos's relationship with former TV host Lauren Sánchez. The report showed Bezos sent the texts while still married to MacKenzie Scott.
Bezos dealt with the situation by going direct.
In a lengthy post on Medium, Bezos accused the publication's parent company of "extortion and blackmail" and published emails in which the company threatened to release intimate photos of the Amazon founder if he didn't agree to say that their reporting wasn't politically motivated.
"I prefer to stand up, roll this log over, and see what crawls out," Bezos wrote.
American Media Inc., the company that owned the Enquirer, has said that it acted lawfully.
Amazon itself never became a protagonist in the fight, and Bezos remained CEO for roughly two more years. Still, the episode ignited broader conversations over privacy, tabloid media, and Bezos's split with Scott.
Scott and Bezos filed for divorce in 2019 after a "long period of loving exploration and trial separation," per a joint statement. Bezos married Sánchez in 2025.Author: Ben Shimkus. Source
