“Under Fire: Jeff Bezos’ Fiancée Fires Back at Celebrity Critics of Blue Origin’s Bold Space Mission”

Blue Origin’s latest space mission has certainly sparked some cosmic chatter, especially among a group of A-listers who seem less than enchanted with their skyward jaunt. On April 14, pop sensation Katy Perry, CBS’s Gayle King, and other notable women rocketed off into space, leaving behind an eye-watering price tag of $150,000 for a mere 11 minutes in zero gravity. While the ladies embraced the thrill of weightlessness—Perry even kissed the ground on return—others in the celebrity realm, like Olivia Munn and Emily Ratajkowski, took to social media to voice their bemusement. Munn mused, “Why all the hoopla? Just enjoy the ride!” and Ratajkowski couldn’t help but highlight the environmental consequences of such extravagant ventures. It seems like while some are over the moon about this space tourism trend, others are grounded in reality, questioning the ethics of spending so much when many can barely afford a dozen eggs! Does the allure of the stars outweigh the mounting concerns on Earth? LEARN MORE.

The circumstances surrounding Blue Origin have seemingly left a bitter taste in a few celebrities’ mouths.

On April 14, pop star Katy Perry, CBS journalist Gayle King, rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, activist Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and American journalist (as well as Jeff Bezos’ fiancée) Lauren Sánchez blasted off from Texas into space.

After parting ways with an eye-watering price tag of $150,000 (£114,000), the six women enjoyed just a few minutes without gravity before returning to Earth, with Perry even kissing the desert dirt when they touched back down.

Bezos even did the same, although perhaps by accident, such was his excitement to see his wife-to-be back home after what was no doubt a terrifying (checks watch) 11 minutes without her.

Several celebrities including Olivia Munn and Emily Ratajkowski have been speaking about the space mission, with the former comparing it to a Disneyland ride.

Munn said (via Daily Mail): “I just was like, why do you guys need to tell us about it? It’s like just go up there, have a good time, come on down.

“Also, you know, I just think about – I know that this is probably obnoxious – but like, it’s so much money to go to space. You know, there’s a lot of people that can’t even afford eggs.”

Ratajkowski focused more on the environmental impact than the financial one, arguing on her TikTok that it was ‘disgusting’.

Sanchez and Bezos got engaged last year (Emma McIntyre/WireImage)

She said: “That space mission this morning? That’s end time s**t. Like, this is beyond parody.

“That you care about Mother Earth and it’s about Mother Earth, and you’re going up in a spaceship that is built and paid for by a company that’s singlehandedly destroying the planet?

“Look at the state of the world and think about how many resources went into putting these women into space. For what? What was the marketing there?

“And then to try to make it like… I’m disgusted, literally I’m disgusted.”

Those on board have now clapped back with their own thoughts on the space mission, with Lauren Sánchez particularly vocal in defending the actions of Blue Origin, which was of course founded by her betrothed.

She said: “I get really fired up. I would love to have them come to Blue Origin and see the thousands of employees that don’t just work here but they put their heart and soul into this vehicle. They love their work and they love the mission and it’s a big deal for them.

“So when we hear comments like that, I just say, ‘Trust me. Come with me. I’ll show you what this is about’, and it’s, it’s really eye-opening.”

The Blue Origin rocket (Justin Hamel/Getty Images)

The 55-year-old may have ever-so-slightly missed the point of people’s criticism, as there would probably be no issue if those hard-working scientists at Blue Origin were the ones who were sent up into space, rather than the A-listers who bought their seat on the rocket.

But with the likes of Bezos and Elon Musk aiming to make space tourism the new norm, perhaps it’s only a matter of time before you or I are floating up above the Earth as well.

LADbible group has approached Blue Origin for comment.