Lauren Sanchez, girlfriend of Jeff Bezos, says Southwest rejected her as a flight attendant because of her weight

Jeff Bezos Girlfriend Lauren Sanchez RShe explains that she was once rejected for a flight attendant job because of her weight.

The 53-year-old journalist and helicopter pilot recalled that she aspired to become a flight attendant when she was 18 but lost a position with Southwest Airlines in 1989 after failing to get a mandatory weigh-in.

“At the time, they were weighing you, and I weighed 121 pounds,” the Emmy winner recalled during an interview with The Wall Street Journal. They said: You have to be 115.

Sanchez told the outlet that she would have responded differently if this situation had happened now.

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The presenter said she would tell the airline, “I don’t want to be a stewardess. I want to be a pilot!”

Until the 1990s, many airlines had strict height and weight requirements for flight attendants and mandatory weight.

to me Southwest Airlines’ the job page, “Food flight attendant applicants must be of a weight proportionate to height such that presentable appearance is maintained and the physical ability to perform all functions of the position is not impeded.”

In addition, “Job seekers must be able to lift items weighing up to 50 pounds from ground level to shoulder level as required.”

A representative for Southwest Airlines did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Sanchez went on to become a reporter and anchor at KTVK in Phoenix, Arizona, and later worked for Fox Sports Net, Fox 11 in Los Angeles, and Extra.

The 53-year-old journalist and helicopter pilot recalled that she aspired to become a flight attendant when she was 18 but lost the position in 1989 after failing the mandatory weigh-in. (Daniel Jack Lyons for The Wall Street Journal / Fox News)

The New Mexico native, whose parents are pilots, earned her helicopter pilot’s license in 2016. She later launched Black Ops Aviation, a female-owned aerial film production and production company.

Sanchez said she makes an effort to fly at least three times a week to stay up to date, and often climbs into the cockpit to fly the Bezos, 59, and their families around the world.

“I don’t know why more women don’t do it,” she told the Wall Street Journal.

the Former “Show” host She explains that she founded Black Ops Aviation when she noticed that there were no other female-owned airlines.

“Less than nine percent of pilots are women,” she said. “That’s it! From this percentage, there are fewer helicopter pilots. How many pilots do you see in each movie? What do you see? You see male pilots. And so on [women] You don’t realize they can do that.”

Sanchez said other women are surprised and moved to learn she is a pilot.

“They are shocked!” She said. They’re like, ‘What? You are badass! And I want to say it’s not really that hard. I want more women to get into it.”

Sanchez told WSJ that she’s very excited about her plans to lead an all-female mission into outer space on Blue Origin, which will take place by 2024.

“It’s going to be the women who are making a difference in the world and having an impact and having a message to send,” she said.

Five women will join Sanchez on the mission, but their names won’t be announced until closer to the launch date.

The former broadcaster said that working with Bezos on the Blue Origin mission and other projects is “the greatest experience I’ve ever had.” (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images)

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Although Sanchez said Bezos is getting a pilot’s license, she said the Amazon founder would not be joining her in the task.

“As much as he wants to go on this trip, I’m going to have to hold him back,” Sanchez said. “He will cheer us all on from the sidelines.”

Sanchez and Bezos went public with their relationship in 2019 while they were divorcing their ex-wives, Patrick Whitesell and Mackenzie Scott.

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The former broadcaster said that working with Bezos on the Blue Origin mission and other projects is “the greatest experience I’ve ever had.”

“I’ve always had a very separate career from my partner,” she said. “I think now I can work with my partner, be with him all the time….we love being together and we love working together.”