“Money Does Not Buy One Class”: The Sharpest Attack on Lauren Sánchez Bezos’ State Dinner Gown

29 Sep 2026, 14:09 · Thought Catalog

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images

Updated 16 minutes ago, September 29, 2026

Lauren Sánchez Bezos wore a figure-hugging black off-the-shoulder gown with a plunging neckline to the White House state dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 24, and the neckline is what X users seized on.

The 56-year-old former journalist, there with her husband, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, paired the dress with diamond drop earrings and a large statement diamond necklace.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos make their way through the East Room of the White House during the state dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 24, 2026. Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images.

Critics called the look too revealing for the occasion. “Money does not buy one class. She dresses terribly. So inappropriate,” one wrote.

Lauren Sánchez Bezos, wearing a statement diamond necklace and black off-the-shoulder gown, arrives hand-in-hand with Jeff Bezos at the White House for the Trump-hosted Xi Jinping state dinner on September 24, 2026. Photo by Kylie Cooper / Reuters.

Another said, “Have some dignity for goodness sake. This is a state dinner and you are 56 years old.” Some questioned why the couple was invited at all.

A closer look at Lauren Sánchez Bezos’ plunging neckline and large diamond pendant as she and Jeff Bezos arrive at the White House for the September 24, 2026 state dinner. Photo by Kylie Cooper / Reuters.

Others told her to wear what she wants. “She looks great, and Jeff is very lucky to be her husband,” one wrote. A third added, “She’s come a long way from being the entertainment reporter on the local LA news station. Good for her.”

The couple walks a red carpet into the North Portico of the White House, flanked by Marine guards holding open the door, for the state dinner on September 24, 2026. Photo by Kylie Cooper / Reuters.

It’s not the first time her wardrobe has drawn heat. At President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, she wore a white Alexander McQueen pantsuit with a low-cut V-neck blazer and a white lace bustier visible underneath, prompting a similar round of comments telling her to “put them away for one day.”

Like what you read? Follow Thought Catalog on Facebook, and check out more on our website.