Lauren Sanchez’s ‘secret’ $2m indie movie featuring Jeff Bezos’ daughter ‘descended into chaos’ after director ‘exited the project’ and production staff quit – while ‘Lauren repeatedly landed chopper ON SET’
- Debut film of Jeff Bezos’s girlfriend Lauren Sanchez has been mired in chaos as several production members quit
- Sanchez, 53, is accused of enjoying a lavish trailer and asking to land her helicopter on set while crew members sweltered in the California heat
- But sources known to Sanchez have hit back at the criticism, claiming she is the victim of sexism
The debut film project of Jeff Bezos’s girlfriend Lauren Sanchez has been mired in chaos amid reports she enjoyed a ‘lavish’ trailer and asked to land her helicopter on set while several crew members quit.
Sanchez, 53, self-financed the $2million psychological thriller ‘The Golden Door’ which was shot last summer and will feature a cameo from Bezos’s teenage daughter – whom he adopted with ex-wife Mackenzie Scott.
But sources say the filming of the movie – details of which have been kept under tight wraps until now – was ‘chaotic’ and filled with drama.
Those close to Sanchez have since hit back claiming she is the victim of ‘sexism.’
The director of photography and the assistant director both left the project within the first three weeks, citing creative differences, Page Six reports.
Jeff Bezos’s girlfriend Lauren Sanchez has been accused of presiding over a ‘chaotic’ film set for her debut movie The Golden Door
Sanchez is a former journalist who now owns her own aerial filming company Black Ops Aviation
Meanwhile director Kellie Madison reportedly exited after handing in her final cut in November.
A source told Puck News that Sanchez and Bezos showed up on set frequently, adding she was an ‘unwelcome’ presence due to her diva-esque demands.
‘Suffice to say Sanchez didn’t make many friends by maintaining a relatively lavish trailer while others were sweltering,’ reads the Puck report.
‘And by asking if she could land her private helicopter on the set while the cast and crew were worried about basic safety protocols and the craft services was apparently inedible.’
The Puck reporter also said he interviewed Sanchez in 2017, calling her ‘a piece of work in the over-the-top Beverly Hills striver sense of the phrase.’
Other crew members called Sanchez – a former journalist who now owns her own aerial filming company Black Ops Aviation – ‘inexperienced.’
But last night sources known to the star hit back at the criticism.
One told Page Six: ‘Lauren’s worked with Christopher Nolan and Catherine Hardwicke, she’s hardly inexperienced.
Jeff Bezos has largely kept his children out of the public eye but sources say his teenage daughter interned on the set of Sanchez’s film and will make a small appearance on-screen. He is pictured with his children and ex-wife in 2016
‘Of course, Lauren was going to ask to use her helicopter to film aerial shots. She was involved – she even brought her own jewelry for the actors to wear on film.
‘As for the lavish trailer, it was a 30 ft. Star Waggon, one-room trailer she shared with all producers.
‘It’s just sexist; Lauren has been producing for a long time, just not in feature films. She’s a Latin woman who funded a movie with all females, which is no mean feat.’
The source did however admit there were ‘issues’ on set, adding it was ‘a little chaotic.’
‘It’s a $2 million budget movie and there were a bunch of newbies on set, new producers and semi-new directors. There was definitely more drama on set than Lauren is used to,’ they said.
The film was shot in Topanga, California, over a 20-day shoot and was produced by Sanchez’s company Adventure & Fellowship.
It stars Chris Rock’s ex-girlfriend Megalyn Echikunwoke and Daniella Kertesz, famed for her role in World War Z.
A production insider told Page Six that the director of photographer was forced to leave in their first week of production due to a disagreement with then-director Madison.
The insider said he ‘wasn’t feeling the creative vibe of the director.’
In week three the assistant director also left and both were replaced.
After Madison handed in her director’s cut in November but has since exited the project.
It means Sanchez has been left to find a new director to finish and recut the film, Page Six reports.
Puck News claims Bezos’s teenage daughter was an intern on the film and was even given a small role.
Bezos, 59, shares three sons with his ex-wife MacKenzie Scott and the couple adopted a daughter from China.
They have managed to keep their lives mostly private, with the young girl’s name still unknown.
The Amazon CEO announced his split from Scott in April 2019 after 25 years of marriage, with many outlets dubbing it the ‘world’s biggest divorce.’
In the settlement, Scott was handed a four percent stake in Amazon worth $35.8 billion.
At the time Bezos shared a statement calling MacKenzie as an ‘extraordinary partner, ally, and mother.’
But shortly after the announcement he was rocked by allegations he had enjoyed an eight-month affair with Sanchez, who was then married to her talent manager Patrick Whitesell.
Director Kellie Madison reportedly left the project after she handed in her director’s cut in November
The film stars Megalyn Echikunwoke, left, and Daniella Kertesz, right. I was shot in Topanga, California, over a 20-day shoot and was produced by Sanchez’s company Adventure & Fellowship
Insiders said Sanchez asked to land her helicopter on set and enjoyed a ‘lavish trailer’
Dailymail.com reached out to representatives for Sanchez, Bezos and Madison.
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