Lauren Sánchez Bezos had romantic interest in Bill Clinton, earning her nickname ‘Monica’: Lawsuit
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Lauren Sánchez Bezos had a romantic interest in former president Bill Clinton, according to a lawsuit filed by her former friend. In the lawsuit, yoga instructor Alanna Zabel stated that she gave Lauren the nickname “Monica” as the former journalist set her sights on Clinton after meeting him in 2009.
The name “Monica” was given in reference to Monica Lewinsky, who was infamously romantically involved with Clinton. The lawsuit, which accuses Jeff Bezos’s wife of stealing Zabel’s idea for a children’s book, stated, “In communications with Sanchez, Zabel sometimes used the name ‘Monica’ to refer to Sanchez.”
Lauren Sánchez Bezos allegedly 'enjoyed' being referred as Monica
At the time, Lauren was married to her first husband, Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell, and “seemed to have enjoyed this nickname,” the plaintiff alleged.
Zabel spoke separately with The New York Post, revealing about the philanthropist, “She said [Clinton] was so s**y and mesmerizing. She really wanted to meet him and get an interview … She couldn’t stop talking about Bill Clinton.”
Lauren’s alleged fascination with Clinton is one of the many allegations Zabel brought against her in the lawsuit filed in California federal court. The defendants named in the suit are Sánchez, publisher The Collective Book Studio, and distributor Simon & Schuster.
Lauren Sánchez Bezos accused of copying 'plot points'
Zabel has accused the 56-year-old of taking key elements such as plot points, story arcs, and subject matter from her 2023 children’s book, ‘Dharma Kitty Goes to Mars,’ for her 2024 title, ‘The Fly Who Flew to Space’.
The plaintiff said, “It’s paralyzing to watch a former client with a vendetta against you who marries the richest guy in the world, then takes your heart's passion and pretends it’s hers.”
Lauren Sánchez Bezos' rep claimed Alanna Zabel's 'jealous' of her
But Lauren’s legal representatives have denied the allegations, calling them “frivolous”.
In a 2025 court filing, they said, “The Works are not similar other than the fact that they are both children’s books that involve a spontaneous trip to space. (Zabel) does not own the concept of a school-age character unexpectedly taking a trip to and from space.”
“(Zabel) attacks Ms.Sanchez with irrelevant allegations that she is jealous of Plaintiff, ‘harbor[s] resentment towards,’ and is out ‘to exact revenge’ or is ‘trolling’ Plaintiff. Those allegations are irrelevant to a copyright infringement analysis, but are clearly intended to color this Court against Ms. Sanchez in the hope that it will think there is no smoke without fire. This Court should disregard them,” the filing added.
