Lauren Sánchez Bezos, wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, carried the nickname “Monica” among friends—a reference to Monica Lewinsky—after allegedly expressing romantic interest in former President Bill Clinton, according to a federal lawsuit filed by a former friend.
Yoga instructor Alanna Zabel, who served as Sánchez’s private instructor from 2007 to 2010, made the claim in a federal copyright infringement lawsuit filed in California.
Zabel states the nickname arose from communications the two women shared after Sánchez met Clinton in 2009.
According to the suit, Sánchez expressed admiration for the former president in terms that led to the Lewinsky-inspired nickname.
“In communications with Sanchez, Zabel sometimes used the name ‘Monica’ to refer to Sanchez,” the lawsuit states.
Zabel separately told the New York Post that Sánchez was captivated by Clinton.
“She said [Clinton] was so sexy and mesmerizing,” Zabel told the outlet.
“She really wanted to meet him and get an interview … She couldn’t stop talking about Bill Clinton.”
The lawsuit further states that Sánchez “seemed to have enjoyed this nickname.”
At the time of the 2009 meeting, Sánchez was married to Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell.
In 2010, Sánchez conducted an interview with Clinton for the television program “Extra.”
Viewers at the time took note of what they described as flirtatious exchanges between the two during the broadcast.
The personal details about Clinton represent just one element within a broader legal complaint.
The lawsuit names Sánchez, publisher The Collective Book Studio, and distributor Simon & Schuster as defendants, and centers primarily on allegations of copyright infringement.
Zabel alleges that Sánchez’s 2024 children’s book, “The Fly Who Flew to Space,” copies key elements from Zabel’s own title, “Dharma Kitty Goes to Mars,” which Zabel published a year earlier.
According to the complaint, the two women discussed creating a children’s book together years before either title was published.
The concept originated when Sánchez described a helicopter trip during which a fly remained stuck to the windshield for the entire flight.
Knowing Zabel was an experienced children’s book author, the two discussed building a story around that moment.
Zabel told the Post the situation has taken an emotional toll.
“It’s paralyzing to watch a former client with a vendetta against you who marries the richest guy in world, then takes your hearts passion and pretends it’s hers,” she said, referencing Sánchez’s 2025 marriage to Bezos.
The falling out between the two women, according to the suit, dates to November 2009—Sánchez’s 40th birthday party—when Zabel’s dancing drew more attention than the birthday guest of honor. Zabel claims Sánchez cut off all contact with her immediately after.
Zabel further told the Post she believes Sánchez pursued the children’s book project partly out of a desire to compete with Bezos’ novelist ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott.
Scott authored the novels “The Testing of Luther Albright” in 2005 and “Traps” in 2013.
Zabel is seeking unspecified damages for copyright infringement.
The case is ongoing in federal court in California.
