Lauren Sánchez Bezos, the helicopter pilot and media personality, was allegedly nicknamed 'Monica' by a friend after revealing she had a romantic interest in former US PresidentBill Clinton, according to a lawsuit filed by yoga instructor Alanna Zabel.
The lawsuit,filed in federal court in California, claims that Sánchez once expressed a desire to meet Clinton after encountering him in 2009. Zabel says she began referring to Sánchez as 'Monica' as a cheeky nod toMonica Lewinsky, the former White House intern involved in Clinton's highly publicised affair.
'In communications with Sanchez, Zabel sometimes used the name 'Monica' to refer to Sanchez,' the lawsuit states. Zabel alleges that Sánchez 'seemed to have enjoyed this nickname,' highlighting her fascination with Clinton at the time.
'She said [Clinton] was so sexy and mesmerizing,' Zabel told The Post.
Sánchez later interviewed Clinton for the television showExtrain 2010, during which some viewers noticed flirty exchanges.
The nickname 'Monica' carries a specific historical and cultural reference.Monica Lewinskywas a White House intern in the mid-1990s who became central to a scandal involving President Clinton. The affair and subsequent investigation led to Clinton's impeachment by the House of Representatives in 1998 on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, though he was later acquitted by the Senate.
The scandal received extensive media coverage and has since become one of the most recognisable political controversies in US history. For younger readers unfamiliar with the context, Lewinsky's name is often referenced in popular culture as shorthand for presidential scandal or a politically charged romantic entanglement.
Monica Lewinsky, born in 1973, was a White House intern during Clinton's second term. The affair between Lewinsky and Clinton, and the ensuing investigation led by independent counsel Kenneth Starr, dominated headlines for months. It contributed to a national debate about ethics, privacy, and power in politics, cementing the scandal as a defining moment in 1990s US political history.
Beyond the nickname, Zabel's lawsuit also involves allegations that Sánchez copied elements of her 2023 children's book,Dharma Kitty Goes to Mars, for Sánchez's 2024 title,The Fly Who Flew to Space. According to the complaint, the two women initially discussed the concept together after a helicopter flight incident involving a fly stuck to the windscreen. Zabel alleges Sánchez appropriated plot points, story arcs, and subject matter for her own book.
Sánchez, who married Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2025, has declined to comment publicly on the lawsuit. The case is ongoing, and no findings have been made in court.
Source: International Business Times UK
