KEY POINTS

  • Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez were photographed kissing and holding hands in New York City
  • The couple had lunch with some friends at Cipriani in downtown Manhattan
  • The outing came just days after Blue Origin's historic launch, which made William Shatner the oldest person to travel to space

Jeff Bezos and girlfriend Lauren Sánchez packed on PDA during a recent outing in New York City.

Bezos, 57, and Sánchez, 51, were spotted leaving Cipriani in downtown Manhattan Friday after having lunch with some pals.

The couple was photographed locking lips and holding hands as they strolled down the sidewalk with their group, People reported

The Amazon billionaire dressed casually for the outing in a snug black polo shirt, which he partially tucked into belted jeans. He also wore a pair of black shoes and round silver-framed sunglasses.

Meanwhile, Sánchez put on a white peacoat over an orange minidress and a pair of white sneakers. She matched her outfit with chunky black square sunglasses and an orange Hermès Birkin bag.

The outing came just days after Blue Origin's historic launch Wednesday, which made 90-year-old "Star Trek" actor William Shatner the oldest person to travel to space.

Ahead of the launch, Sánchez posted a sweet tribute to her boyfriend on social media.

"Good luck on the launch, my love," the Emmy Award-winning journalist wrote alongside a photo of Bezos riding a horse. "This morning, you and your @blueorigin team will be launching 4 incredible people into space, just yards away from where we were riding horses yesterday. Truly incredible! You never cease to amaze me."

In a subsequent post, Sánchez shared a photo of her and Bezos watching the launch of the New Shepard rocket at Blue Origin's private facility in west Texas with the family members of the four crew members: Shatner, Blue Origin VP of mission and flight operations Audrey Powers, Planet Labs co-founder Chris Boshuizen and Medidata co-founder Glen de Vries.

Sánchez wrote on Instagram that she and her partner got to bond with the crew members' families. "It was a powerful moment in itself to just hold their hands and feel all the love. This is how it starts," she added.

The journalist also took to the platform Friday to share photos of her and Bezos having some fun together during the launch. Bezos can be seen carrying Sánchez on his shoulder in one picture, while another showed him giving his girlfriend a high-five.

Sánchez had been keeping her followers updated days before Blue Origin's historic launch. Prior to liftoff, she shared a snap of her and Bezos holding hands after they arrived in Texas for the launch.

"Boots on the ground in Texas for @blueorigin launch. Can't wait!" she wrote.

Bezos and Sánchez went public with their relationship in January 2019. Their announcement came just hours after Bezos and his then-wife MacKenzie issued a joint statement that they were getting a divorce.

Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez pose for pictures as they arrive to attend an event in Mumbai on January 16, 2020
Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez pose for pictures as they arrive to attend an event in Mumbai on January 16, 2020 AFP / Sujit Jaiswal