In addition to avoiding protests at their Venetian wedding venues and ignoring critiques over their “obscene” extravagance amid a Middle East war and other global crises, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez must also deal with a more common challenge for couples trying to stage their dream nuptials.
The personal drama of one of their guests threatens to take attention away from what Bezos and Sanchez clearly think is their amazing love story. Orlando Bloom turned up in Venice, arriving solo without Katy Perry, amid the stunning news this week that the celebrity super couple have broken up after nine years together.
The “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor was photographed by paparazzi Wednesday, looking a bit sweaty in a black tank top, as he greeted other guests — reality TV stars Kim and Khloe Kardashian and Kris Jenner — on the terrace at the lavish hotel, the Gritti Palace.
Amazon Founder and Executive Chair Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez attend the Vanity Fair 95th Oscars Party at the The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California on March 12, 2023. (Photo by Michael TRAN / AFP) (Photo by MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images)
But Bloom, 48, also looked cheerful and muscled, amid a Daily Mail report that he’s set to make his high-society debut as a “single man” at Sanchez and Bezos’s star-studded ceremony Friday. Perry, 40, isn’t expected to attend the wedding, as she’s busy in Australia with her Lifetimes Tour, TMZ reported earlier this month.
But Bloom and Perry’s reported breakup, after a six-year engagement, raises a number of questions, including those that reflect on their friendship with Bezos and Sanchez.
First, it’s natural to wonder whether each will individually stay in the billionaire couple’s good graces once they are no longer a unit, or if one of them will eventually fall by the wayside. It would seem that Perry might have a better chance of remaining in their inner circle, given that she was part of Sanchez’s “Bride Tribe” — the former TV personality’s group of high-powered gal pals who celebrated her impending nuptials with a getaway in Paris last month.
But Perry also is associated with one of Bezos and Sanchez’s biggest P.R. disasters — the “feminist” space ride that she, Sanchez, Gayle King and several other women went on in April, aboard one of Bezos’s Blue Origin space rockets.
In fact, Perry helped make the space trip seem even more frivolous, self-indulgent and “cringeworthy” than it already was, with some of her antics before, during and after the ride. And Bloom reportedly called her out for her behavior, the Daily mail reported.
Sources told the Daily Mail that Bloom was in the crowd when the rocket took off but he kept a low-profile and was not seen by Perry’s side when she returned.
Sources told the Daily Mail he was “embarrassed” after Perry became the “internet’s punching bag” because she hogged the camera during what was essentially an 11-minute “space tourism” ride. During the crew’s brief time in zero gravity, Perry promoted her upcoming tour and held up a daisy in a nod to their 4-year-old daughter, Daisy.
Once the rocket touched down, Perry bizarrely exited the vehicle, dropped to her knees and kissed the ground as if she had been away for weeks on a perilous but important mission.
“He told her the whole thing looked ridiculous,” a source close to Perry told the Daily Mail. “He said it was cringeworthy. Embarrassing. This was in the middle of a fight, and it hurt her feelings.”
“Of course she was hurt,” the source continued. “Imagine going to space — (expletive) space — and your partner isn’t impressed. She hoped he’d be more supportive.”
The space ride is reportedly one of the issues that have created tensions between the couple over the past several months. A source also told People that the relationship became strained following the poor reception to Perry’s latest album, “143.”
“Katy was deeply frustrated following the reception of her new album,” a source told People. “It made her very stressed. Orlando was understanding, but it did cause some tension.”
Perry also was “disappointed” by some of the negative reviews of her tour, a second source said. “It’s put stress on their relationship,” the source said.
But if Bloom was especially irked by Perry’s Blue Origin space ride, it’s ironic that he would still be invited to the wedding without her, said Daily Mail columnist Maureen Callahan. By insulting Perry’s participation in the ride, he also was, by extension, insulting Bezos and Sanchez, Callahan noted.
Then again, Callahan said it also may benefit Perry’s public profile to not be seen at the Bezos and Sanchez wedding, “because the scale and scope of this thing is beyond obscene.”
The wedding bash has indeed become a lightning rod for overtourism protesters, eco-activists and left-wing demonstrators who are hosting a network of events against what they see as the growing power of “oligarchs” like Bezos and Sanchez, as the Washington Post said.
A protest slogan, “No Space for Bezos,” has been emblazoned on signs and banners that have popped up on street corners or even across the legendary Rialto Bridge. On Monday, activists from Greenpeace and the Britain-based group Everyone Hates Elon unfurled a giant image of a laughing Bezos in St. Mark’s Square under the words: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax.”
Bezos and Sanchez have had to make some last-minute changes due to the protests, according to People. The wedding ceremony, for example, was originally planned to take place Friday at Scuola Grande della Misericordia, a majestic 14th century building on the northern side of the ancient city. But the service has since been moved to a new location due to protests and safety concerns.
Meanwhile, a source told People that Perry is in Australia, focused on her tour and on spending time with her daughter, Daisy.
“She’s happy and just focused on her tour,” the source said. “Her daughter is with her and they’re sightseeing and having fun.”