Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco took center stage at the Cannes Lions 2025 event with a stand-up routine that had everyone laughing and some groaning. During his performance, he joked about Jeff Bezos’ physical transformation from ‘complete nerd’ to ‘shredded’ as the Amazon founder prepares for his upcoming wedding to fiancée Lauren Sánchez. Maniscalco humorously contrasted Bezos’ appearance from 30 years ago with his current physique, which he attributed to his immense wealth and success. While the jokes were clearly in good fun, they also served as a subtle nod to Bezos’ achievements in business, with Maniscalco calling him a ‘genius.’
The humor was accompanied by a star-studded audience, which included prominent personalities such as Patrick Schwarzenegger, Paris Hilton, ‘Queer Eye’ star Antoni Porowski, and Ludacris. The event took place on the French Riviera, where the celebrity guests were able to enjoy the scenic beauty as they laughed at the jokes being told. The stand-up segment also provided a brief glimpse into Bezos’ personal life, especially as he prepares for the wedding, which is expected to be one of the most lavish events of the year.
In the days leading up to the wedding, Bezos and Sánchez continued to make headlines for their high-profile appearances. The couple has been seen enjoying the sun and sea on Bezos’ $500 million sailing yacht, which was anchored off the coast of Cannes. The yacht, named Koru, is not only a symbol of Bezos’ wealth but also a testament to his love for luxury. The couple has been spotted engaging in playful interactions, including Bezos’ hands-on approach with Sánchez, which has been captured in several photographs. According to reports, the couple’s wedding plans have been accompanied by a significant amount of preparation, including the selection of a venue and the invitation of a guest list that seems to include some of the most notable names in entertainment and business.
However, not all reactions to the wedding have been positive. Locals in Venice, the city where the couple is set to tie the knot, have raised concerns about the potential impact of the event on their city. Venice, already a hub for mass tourism, may face additional strain with the influx of guests expected for the wedding. Some citizens have taken to the streets to protest the event, fearing that it will further inconvenience residents and damage the city’s delicate ecosystem. These protests highlight the tension between private luxury and public welfare, a theme that has been gaining attention in recent years.
The Bezos-Sánchez wedding is expected to draw a crowd of international celebrities, including names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Ivanka Trump, and Oprah Winfrey, as per recent reports. The couple’s relationship has been a topic of much discussion since they first met in the mid-2010s, with their high-profile romance becoming public once Sánchez separated from her then-husband, Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell, and Bezos divorced Mackenzie Scott. Bezos proposed to Sánchez on his yacht in May 2023, and she recently shared the news in a feature in Vogue. The couple’s engagement has also been marked by opulence, with reports suggesting that Sánchez’s engagement ring is worth an estimated $3 million to $5 million, and that she hosted two engagement parties, one in Beverly Hills and another in Positano, Italy.