Jeff Bezos' affair with Lauren Sanchez was revealed this week after the former Fox and Extra host bragged to friends about it and sent them the explicit text messages and selfies he had sent her, it has been claimed.

According to Page Six, Sanchez sent a friend a photograph of Bezos' genitalia which he had sent her along with other messages which included him telling her he loved her and that he wanted to 'breathe her in'.

The friend slipped the messages to The National Enquirer and that it was triggered its exhaustive, four month investigation into the pair's romance, according to the source.

One source who claimed to have seen the photograph of Bezos' genitalia that he sent Sanchez told Page Six: 'He's big.'

Scroll down for video

Lauren Sanchez sent a friend the explicit text messages and picture of his genitalia that Jeff Bezos sent her and that is what led to their affair being exposed, according to new reports

Sanchez did not respond to DailyMail.com's attempts to reach her on Friday morning.

She and her estranged 53-year-old husband are said to have hired celebrity attorney Laura Wasser who has handled divorces for stars including Angelina Jolie and Kim Kardashian.

The pair are determined to settle their divorce amicably without going to court.

'Lauren and Patrick consulted Laura Wasser to mediate their divorce. They want to do it very privately and amicably,' a source told Radar Online.

Sanchez has not commented since her affair with Bezos, the richest man in the world with a personal wealth of $140billion, became public on Wednesday hours after he announced his divorce from his wife MacKenzie.

Bezos, 54, sent Sanchez, 49, shirtless selfies, a photograph of his genitals and gushing, sexual text messages while the pair carried on an eight month affair which involved private jet rendezvous, intimate dinners and sleepovers at each other's marital homes, according to The National Enquirer.

The Amazon billionaire and his mistress also stayed in hotels together - including one in Boston hours after the rest of the Bezos family had left.

The magazine, which followed the pair for four months after snapping Sanchez and her sister getting off Bezos' private jet in October, claims that at one stage, Bezos' wife of 25 years MacKenzie uncovered their affair when she looked at his plane's flight manifest and found Sanchez's name was the only one on the passenger list.

According to the Enquirer's sources, Bezos is 'in love' with Sanchez and has told her, in less explicit language than his other texts: 'We don't have to worry about the parachute opening because we are jumping together.

'We are sharing the parachute and it will land safely. We have chosen each other.'

Sanchez (far left) was spotted alongside Bezos at Amazon's Golden Globes party on Sunday (above). They have been having an relationship for months and had exchanged text messages as far back as last April where he told her he wanted to 'breathe her in'

In addition to going to each other's homes, he once booked a private bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel for them to spend the night in just five blocks from his marital mansion.

Bezos sent the text messages as far back as April last year (recreation)

The Enquirer claims that Bezos only announced his divorce on Wednesday morning because he knew it was about to expose his affair with Sanchez.

The magazine also alleges that he tried desperately to stop it from running its series of photographs which document their affair, apparently asking one friend: 'Can't I buy the story from them?'

The 54-year-old, who is worth $140billion, has not commented on the story but a source insisted to DailyMail.com that he and Sanchez began seeing each other after he and MacKenzie had parted ways.

In their divorce statement on Wednesday, the couple said they had been under a trial separation and 'loving exploration' for some time.

His allegedly raunchy text messages to Sanchez, who is married to Hollywood mega agent Patrick Whitesell and has three children (two with him and one from a previous relationship with an NFL star), date back to April.

In one, he reportedly told the 49-year-old: 'I love you, alive girl. I will show you with my body, and my lips and my eyes, very soon.'

BEZOS' SEXTS TO SANCHEZ 'I love you, alive girl. I will show you with my body, and my lips and my eyes, very soon.' 'I want to smell you, I want to breathe you in. I want to hold you tight.… I want to kiss your lips…. I love you. I am in love with you.' 'I miss you. I want to kiss you right now and tuck you in slowly and gently. And maybe in the morning wake you up and not be quite so gentle with you.' 'Your energy and ideas and competence and SPIRIT turn me on. You make me better. You're meant for me.' 'I am so full of love for you. My heart is growing just so it can have room for you. It's bigger than it's ever been and still swelling.' 'I want to hold you tight.… I want to kiss your lips…. I love you. I am in love with you.' 'You know what I want? I want to get a little drunk with you tonight. Not falling down. Just a little drunk. I want to talk to you and plan with you. Listen and laugh … I basically WANT TO BE WITH YOU!!! Then I want to fall asleep with you and wake up tomorrow and read the paper with you and have coffee with you Advertisement

In another, the magazine claims he said: 'I want to smell you, I want to breathe you in.

'I want to hold you tight.… I want to kiss your lips…. I love you. I am in love with you.'

Others are more X-rated including one where he is said to have told the former Extra and Fox host: 'I miss you.

'I want to kiss you right now and tuck you in slowly and gently.

'And maybe in the morning wake you up and not be quite so gentle with you.'

In another, he allegedly said: 'Your energy and ideas and competence and SPIRIT turn me on.

'You make me better. You're meant for me.'

Another is said to have read: 'I am so full of love for you.

'My heart is growing just so it can have room for you.

'It's bigger than it's ever been and still swelling.'

Other reported remarks include; 'I want to hold you tight.… I want to kiss your lips…. I love you. I am in love with you,' and 'You know what I want? I want to get a little drunk with you tonight. Not falling down. Just a little drunk. I want to talk to you and plan with you. Listen and laugh … I basically WANT TO BE WITH YOU!!! Then I want to fall asleep with you and wake up tomorrow and read the paper with you and have coffee with you.'

In addition to shirtless photographs he took standing in front of mirrors, including one in a steamy room where the magazine claims he was wearing just a towel, he also sent Sanchez an 'unsparing' photograph of his genitals which it said was too graphic to publish.

It was previously reported that the pair had been dating since June, months before she separated from her husband, Hollywood mega-agent Patrick Whitesell, and nine months before Bezos announced his split from his wife, MacKenzie, on Twitter.

According to the Enquirer, the pair met several times for illicit trysts as often as six times in two weeks.

Its investigation began after Sanchez was seen getting off his private jet on October 18. She was wearing a WME hat which represents her husband's talent agency.

Bezos (right) is seen with Sanchez and her husband Patrick Whitesell at a party for the Amazon release Manchester by the Sea in December 2016. The couple were said to be friends with Bezos and his wife before Bezos began seeing her on the side

Jeff and MacKenzie were most-recently seen attending Senator John McCain's funeral in early September in Washington, DC. He was still wearing his wedding ring which he also had on on Sunday

It was through her husband that Sanchez is believed to have met the richest man in the world.

Over the last several years, both couples have been photographed at glitzy events including the Vanity Fair Oscars party. Bezos reportedly propositioned Sanchez behind her husband's back while they honored the Oscar-winning film Manchester By The Sea.

The National Enquirer will publish photos of Bezos and Sanchez in this edition set to hit the stands on Thursday. Bezos announced his divorce in anticipation of the photos' release

He, according to the magazine, whispered to her: 'You can't fight chemistry'.

On October 30, the pair met again for an intimate dinner at Capo, an upscale restaurant in Beverly Hills, where they were joined by two other people witnesses say were largely ignored.

After the dinner, Sanchez went back to Bezos' home and was seen leaving the next day, the magazine said.

They also spent time in her Santa Monica marital home where, according to the enquirers' reporters, they drew the blinds on an area of the yard where she keeps a hot tub one evening.

The next day, she sent a team of landscapers who had shown up for work away. Bezos emerged from the house hours later, according to the magazine's timeline.

There were also several meeting on his private jet which is what piqued MacKenzie's suspicion, according to the magazine.

She reportedly once found a flight manifest for the $65million gulf stream which listed Sanchez as the only other passenger.

Bezos, according to the magazine's source, passed it off as a business-related encounter, a not entirely implausible explanation given Amazon's Hollywood connections through its film studio, Sanchez's husband's talent agency and the fact that she herself owns an aerial footage production company.

'We don't have to worry about the parachute opening because we are jumping together. 'We are sharing the parachute and it will land safely. We have chosen each other.' Bezos to Sanchez

The TV personality put her flying skills on show by whisking Bezos away in her chopper so the pair could enjoy a private romantic hike.

In November, the pair retreated one evening to a private bungalow in the Beverly Hills Hotel - five blocks from Bezos' house - after an intimate dinner.

They also stayed together at the Intercontinental Hotel in Boston hours after MacKenzie and the rest of the Bezos family had left, according to the magazine.

The family was in town to attend Bezos' son's graduation from MIT. While they were at the ceremony, Sanchez, it is claimed, was put in a room in the same hotel where they were occupying a private suite.

Once the family left, Bezos is reported to have stayed and loved-in with Sanchez until the following day.

Sources tell The Enquirer that the affair has 'blindsided' Sanchez's husband Patrick.

Sanchez, shown above on a vacation in 2012, has three children from two relationships. They are aged between 10 and 17

Sanchez, shown above during the same trip to Cabo San Lucas in 2012, has not commented on her romance with Bezos

Bezos released a statement revealing the split on his Twitter account yesterday in a bid to present the news in a favorable light.

He and his wife described each other as 'cherished friends' and gave the impression it was amicable.

'If we had known we would separate after 25 years, we would do it all again,' they said in a joint statement that he published on Twitter.

The Enquirer says it trailed Bezos and Sanchez in what it calls the 'largest investigation' in the magazine's history, with its photographer catching the lovebirds 'doing the dirty on their spouses'.

They say they followed Bezos and Sanchez 'across five states and 40,000 miles, tailed them in private jets, swanky limos, helicopter rides, romantic hikes, five-star hotel hideaways, intimate dinner dates and 'quality time' in hidden love nests.'

A source told the magazine that Sanchez and her husband had been officially separated since fall.

'Patrick and Lauren Sanchez have been separated for a while.

'Their marriage has been off and on for a while, and they tried hard to fix things, but in the fall they officially separated,' a source told the magazine.

Sanchez and her husband attended the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscars party (above where they posed with Best Actor winner Casey Affleck). The Bezos also attended the event

Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos are seen together at the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscaes party. A source close to the couple tells DailyMail.com that they had separated before he began seeing Sanchez

The pair have two children together, a 12-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter.

Sanchez has another child from her romance with former NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez. Their son was born in 2001.

She had worked as a TV reporter for years before transitioning into the film industry.

Now, she combines her passion for flying helicopters with film production with her business, Black Ops Aviation, which films aerial footage.

Patrick was totally blindsided...had no idea she was having an affair with Jeff

The two couples are said to have known each other for years, and grown close because they both have homes in Seattle.

In their statement on Wednesday, Jeff and MacKenzie said they had been going through a 'trial separation' in recent months.

'As our family and close friends know, after a long period of loving exploration and trial separation, we have decided to divorce and continue our shared lives as friends,' the statement read.

'Blindisded': Sanchez's husband Patrick had 'no idea' she was having an affair with the Amazon founder. They are pictured at a Lakers game in 2010

There was no sign of Sanchez at her Beverly Hills home on Wednesday as Bezos' divorce was announced

Another view of Sanchez's palatial family home is shown above

'If we had known we would separate after 25 years, we would do it all again.'

According to sources cited by both the Enquirer and US Weekly, Sanchez's husband Brian was stunned by the revelation.

'Patrick was totally blindsided. He had no idea how serious the affair was or how long it was going on for.

'Patrick had no idea she was having an affair with Jeff,' the source told US Weekly, adding it was Patrick who introduced his wife to the Amazon founder.

From morning news anchor and reality TV show host to girlfriend of the world's richest man: How Lauren Sanchez climbed the ranks

Sanchez, 49, is a third-generation Mexican American who was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

She headed to California after graduation, attending El Camino community college before receiving a scholarship to the University of Southern California.

'We can from nothing,' Sanchez told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017. 'I used to sleep in the back of my grandmother's car when she would go clean houses.'

Sanchez was voted 'Biggest Flirt' by her classmates at Del Norte High School (Sanchez in left in 1987)

Sanchez is shown left in 2003 and right the following year. She has always maintained a glamorous lifestyle and mingled with celebrities

It seemed like a dream come true for Sanchez, who had previously been engaged to NYPD Blue actor Henry Simmons (right in 2003) and dated Tony Gonzalez, a former tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs (left in 2002)

Sanchez became a single mom after giving birth to son Nico with former NFL player Tony Gonzalez in 2001. She is pictured here with Nico in 2003

While at USC, Sanchez landed an internship as a desk assistant at KCOP-TV in Los Angeles.

She moved to Phoenix after graduation to work as an anchor and reporter at KTVK-TV before moving onto national gigs at Extra and Fox Sports Net.

'When I first became a reporter, I did it because there was no one else I thought that looked like me,' Sanchez told Extra in 2018.

Sanchez returned to KCOP in 1999 and was named the 11pm anchor, making her the first Hispanic female to ever hold the honor.

'I was just trying to make my way. I was just trying to get through,' Sanchez told the Reporter.

'I never really thought about it until people started saying, "Wow, this is kind of a big deal."'

Sanchez has been married to Hollywood mega agent Patrick Whitesell (left) since 2005. She was previously engaged to the actor Henry Simmons and she has a child with former NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez

Sanchez nabbed hosting gigs at local Los Angeles news stations and Extra and became the first host of Fox's hit reality show So You Think You Can Dance (pictured)

Sanchez is pictured performing at the Pussycat Dolls Burlesque Lounge in 2012

Sanchez takes center stage during the dance performance at the PussyCat Dolls Burlesque Lounge

Sanchez, left, is shown after the performance with Pussycat Dolls creator Robin Antin

Sanchez became the first host of Fox's reality show So You Think You Can Dance, but was replaced after the first season by English model and TV host Cat Deeley.

Four years later, Sanchez considered taking legal action against the network when So You Think You Can Dance judge Nigel Lythgoe joked she was let go from the show because she had been pregnant at the time.

'I always wanted you for the show,' he told Sanchez during an Extra interview in 2010.

'It was [Fox president of alternative programming] Mike Darnell who said, "No, she's pregnant we've got to let her go". I mean, that should be illegal.'

Sanchez later told RumorFix that finding out she was fired because of her pregnancy was 'devastating'.

She retained famous attorney Gloria Allred, but learned the statue of limitations had expired. Fox maintained that Lythoe's comments had been made in jest.

Sanchez was the host of Fox's Good Day LA (she is seen left on the show in 2012) and she is now a helicopter pilot (right)

Sanchez took a break from her career for several years as she built a family with Patrick Whitesell, one of the most powerful agents in Hollywood.

Sanchez is shown during a recent vacation with her sister

The pair tied the knot in 2005 at a star-studded wedding in Santa Barbara that was packed with many of Whitesell's biggest clients.

'Matt and Ben don't get to see each other often, so we sat them together,' Sanchez told People at the time, referring to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

Also on the guest list was Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba, and Hugh Jackman.

The pair did a 'sexy rumba' for their first dance, choreographed by So You Think You Can Dance's Mary Murphy, and shared a passionate kiss at the altar.

'The kiss was long. You could tell they're in love,' wedding planner Marianne Weiman-Nelson recalled.

It seemed like a dream come true for Sanchez, who had previously been engaged to NYPD Blue actor Henry Simmons and shares son Nico, now 17, with ex-boyfriend Tony Gonzalez, a former tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs.

After giving birth to Evan, now 12, and Ella, 10, Sanchez returned to Extra as a weekend anchor and special correspondent and began co-hosting Good Day La from 2011 to 2017.

She also made a number of appearances on the big screen, portraying a news anchor for movies including White House Down, Ted 2, and We Bought A Zoo.

But even as her hosting career flourished, Sanchez was finding out she was happiest behind the camera - and above the ground.

Sanchez also began co-hosting Good Day La from 2011 to 2017. She is pictured here on Good Day LA with Hugh Jackman, a former guest at her wedding, in 2011

She started flying planes in 2011 and by 2016 Sanchez had launched Black Ops Aviation, her own film aerial production company.

'I had my job, I had a career, and then I found a calling,' she said. 'I loved entertainment and I loved filming, and so I got to combine all of it.'

'Only six percent of pilots are women, and there's even less in the film industry. So I was like, I want to film movies, that's what I want to do.'

Sanchez served as a consultant for Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, and most recently worked as an aerial producer for the upcoming Miss Bala starring Gina Rodriguez.

'I'm living my dream,' she told Extra last year. 'Everyone says, follow your passion. I loved being on camera and now I still have a camera, it's just 3,000 feet in the air.'

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and novelist MacKenzie Bezos announced they are divorcing, through a joint statement on Wednesday, after 25 years of marriage. They are shown at left in 2003, and are pictured at right the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, California in March

'As our family and close friends know, after a long period of loving exploration and trial separation, we have decided to divorce and continue our shared lives as friends,' the statement posted to Jeff's Twitter account on Wednesday read. 'If we had known we would separate after 25 years, we would do it again'

Much of that dollar amount comes from his 16 percent ownership stake in Amazon, which briefly became the second US-based company to reach a $1 trillion valuation in September, behind Apple in August.

Bezos was still wearing his wedding ring at the Golden Globes on Sunday

Amazon's stock edged up $2.84 on Wednesday to close at $1,659.42.

That left Amazon with a market value of $811 billion, more than any other publicly traded company in the US. The company passed Microsoft this week to become the world's biggest publicly traded company by market capitalization.

The divorce should have no material impact on the company and its shares, said Thomas Forte, an analyst at DA Davidson & Co.

Amazon Vice President of Corporate Communications Drew Herdener told DailyMail.com in a statement: 'Jeff remains focused on and engaged in all aspects of Amazon.'

Two-time author MacKenzie Bezos, 48, who won an American Book Award in 2006, was one of the first employees of Amazon at its founding, doing accounting for the start-up.