Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ fiancee Lauren Sanchez has been accused of plagiarism by her former yoga instructor, Alanna Zabel.
According to an exclusive report by the Daily Mail, Zabel alleged that Sanchez, an American media personality, copied the premise of her yoga instructor’s self-published children’s book, “Dharma Kitty Goes to Mars” for her own children’s book, “The Fly Who Flew to Space.”
Reports suggest that Zabel, 51, shared details of her book with Sanchez, 54, and Bezos, 60, in 2022 in an attempt to partner with the Bezos Earth Fund and Bezos Academy.
She said that she was “deeply offended” and had sent two cease-and-desist letters to Sanchez regarding the matter.
Zabel worked as a private yoga instructor for Sanchez between 2007 and 2010, often visiting her homes for training sessions.
She revealed that she gave Sanchez copies of her self-published children’s books, discussed them during yoga sessions, and gifted clothing and products from her brand.
Zabel said: “We discussed an idea of me helping her write a children’s book, with her brother Michael involved in the conversations, as he was her manager at that time.”
Zabel ended her yoga services to Sanchez in December 2009, but she said the pair remained cordial.
She said that she had pitched her book to Sanchez and her tech billionaire fiancée on May 30, 2022, and contacted him on June 6 and November 14 that same year.
Two months after sending her last email to Bezos, Sanchez announced he children’s book in January 2023.
“There is no doubt that knowledge of my work, brand and children’s books — coupled with my outreach to both Lauren and Jeff in 2022 — have at least influenced Lauren’s decision to alter her original children’s book premise and to write a children’s book about an animal who travels into space,” Zabel said.
