Jeff Bezos face-plants rushing to greet fiancée Lauren Sánchez after her spaceflight safely lands

As Sánchez and her crew stepped out of the New Shepard capsule, Bezos was seen circling the vessel before accidentally stepping into a ditch and falling forward. The 61-year-old caught himself with his hands in a push-up position and quickly stood back up, as reported by Page Six.

The moment quickly went viral on social media, with users poking fun at the billionaire’s excitement.

"Bezos was so excited to hug his fiancée post-landing, he tripped and hit the ground. Billionaire moves, grace not included," one user wrote on X. "Jeff Bezos planting face in front baddies, lol Well done @blueorigin," another quipped. "That’s why he sent the women first," a third joked.

Moments later, Bezos embraced Sánchez with a bear hug after her safe landing with the crew. Earlier, he had been spotted in the crowd, watching the launch with enthusiasm.

Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sánchez. Photo courtesy of Bezos's Instagram

In a post-flight interview, Sánchez became emotional while recalling her final moments with Bezos before liftoff, according to news site People.

"Seeing Jeff before I left, I just went, 'Oof,' " she said with a laugh. "Like, you know, I had to come back. I mean, we're getting married. If I didn't come back, that would be a bummer for me."

The interviewer also shared a light-hearted exchange with Sánchez before the flight:

"Only you, by the way, would say this to me. You said, 'Jeff, if you don't want to marry me, you don't have to send me to space,'" prompting her to laugh and repeat, "You don't have to send me to space!"

Sánchez, 55, was part of Blue Origin’s first all-female crew, which launched from West Texas at 9:31 a.m. ET (13:31 GMT) aboard the New Shepard capsule.

The team experienced a brief period of weightlessness before safely returning to Earth in a flight lasting approximately 11 minutes, according to a livestream from Blue Origin, the space company founded by Bezos. She was joined by singer Katy Perry, CBS host Gayle King, NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.

Before takeoff, Bezos shared a heartfelt message with the crew.

"I’m so excited for you. I don’t want to get off. I want to go with you," he said. "When you get back, I can’t wait to hear how it’s changed you. I love all of you. See you soon. Godspeed."

Sánchez is an American journalist, author, and philanthropist who first rose to prominence as an entertainment reporter and news anchor.

She and Bezos announced their engagement in 2023. As of April 1, Bezos’ net worth is estimated at US$206.9 billion, making him the second-richest person in the world, according to Forbes.