Lauren Sanchez pays tribute to her son Nikko Gonzalez on his 23rd birthday with sweet throwback photos of the Kansas City Chiefs fan - including the model with his stepdad-to-be Jeff Bezos and father Tony
- Sanchez, 54, took to Instagram on Monday to celebrate her son's birth
- She posted photos of Nikko when he was a toddler, as well as more recent snaps
- READ MORE: Inside Jeff Bezos' star-studded 60th birthday bash
Lauren Sanchez paid tribute to her son Nikko Gonzalez with a gushing Instagram post on Monday in celebration of his 23rd birthday.
The proud mom, 54, shared throwback photos of her oldest child when he was a toddler, as well as more recent pictures of the model, who made his runway debut last month.
Sanchez co-parents Nikko with her former NFL star ex, Tony Gonzalez, and the first image in the post shows him posing with his father's Kansas City Chiefs helmet.
In another photo from Nikko's childhood, she is smiling brightly while cuddling up to her young son at a restaurant.
![Lauren Sanchez, 54, paid tribute to her son Nikko Gonzalez on Instagram Monday in celebration of his 23rd birthday. They enjoyed a pizza dinner together a few days before](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/12/18/81172587-13075003-image-a-1_1707761887704.jpg)
Lauren Sanchez, 54, paid tribute to her son Nikko Gonzalez on Instagram Monday in celebration of his 23rd birthday. They enjoyed a pizza dinner together a few days before
![The Black Ops Aviation founder co-parents Nikko with her former NFL star ex, Tony Gonzalez, and she shared a picture of him posing with his dad's Kansas City Chiefs helmet as a toddler](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/12/20/81172573-13075003-The_Black_Ops_Aviation_founder_co_parents_Nikko_with_her_former_-a-102_1707768134808.jpg)
The Black Ops Aviation founder co-parents Nikko with her former NFL star ex, Tony Gonzalez, and she shared a picture of him posing with his dad's Kansas City Chiefs helmet as a toddler
![In another photo from Nikko's childhood, she is smiling brightly while cuddling up to her young son at a restaurant](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/12/18/81172575-13075003-image-m-5_1707761914552.jpg)
In another photo from Nikko's childhood, she is smiling brightly while cuddling up to her young son at a restaurant
A more recent snapshot captures Nikko wearing a Kansas City Chiefs T-shirt while standing next to his father, mother, and soon-to-be stepdad, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Sanchez included a picture of herself striking a pose with her oldest son at Bezos' 60th birthday celebration last month.
She is dressed in a custom red Swarovski crystal gown by designer Laura Basci, while Nikko looks dapper in a dark suit.
The former news anchor ended the post with a photo of Nikko with his girlfriend, Ginebra Ferreira.
'Happy birthday Nikko. I love you SO much,' she wrote in the caption.
The birthday boy also got a shout-out from his mother's friend, reality star and momager Kris Jenner, who commented: 'Happy Birthday Nikko!!!!! We love you!'
Sanchez kicked off Nikko's birthday celebrations a few days early with a pizza dinner on February 9.
She shared a photo of herself sitting across from her son at the restaurant, writing: 'Happy early [birthday] @nikkogz. Loved our day together. Eres mi mundo [You're my world].'
![A more recent snapshot captures Nikko wearing a Kansas City Chiefs T-shirt while standing next to his father, mother, and soon-to-be stepdad, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (left to right)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/12/18/81172579-13075003-image-a-6_1707761926353.jpg)
A more recent snapshot captures Nikko wearing a Kansas City Chiefs T-shirt while standing next to his father, mother, and soon-to-be stepdad, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (left to right)
![Sanchez included a picture of herself striking a pose with her oldest son at Bezos' 60th birthday celebration last month](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/12/18/81172581-13075003-image-a-7_1707761930137.jpg)
Sanchez included a picture of herself striking a pose with her oldest son at Bezos' 60th birthday celebration last month
![Sanchez ended her birthday post with a photo of Nikko with his girlfriend, Ginebra Ferreira](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/12/18/81172593-13075003-image-m-13_1707762252532.jpg)
Sanchez ended her birthday post with a photo of Nikko with his girlfriend, Ginebra Ferreira
Sanchez also has a younger son, Evan Whitesell, 17, and a daughter, Eleanor Whitesell, 16, with her ex-husband, Patrick Whitesell.
Whitesell, the executive chairman of the entertainment agency Endeavor, was reportedly the one who introduced her to Bezos, who has three sons and an adopted daughter with his ex-wife, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.
Sanchez and Bezos were both legally married to their former spouses when their affair was exposed by the National Enquirer in January 2019.
Their respective divorces followed soon after, and Scott became one of the richest people in the world when she walked away with $28.9 billion as part of their divorce settlement.
When Sanchez was asked about their blended families in an interview with The Wall Street Journal‘s WSJ magazine last year, she credited their success to learning how to co-parent with her oldest son's father.
'Tony and his wife [October "Tobie" Gonzalez] are my best friends,' she said. 'It wasn’t always that way. There was friction [at the beginning]. But Tony and Tobie were at Thanksgiving with us [this year], and we’re really good friends.'
![Nikko's father, Tony Gonzalez, and stepmother, October 'Tobie' Gonzalez, also celebrated his birthday on Instagram](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/12/18/81172773-13075003-image-a-10_1707761991167.jpg)
Nikko's father, Tony Gonzalez, and stepmother, October 'Tobie' Gonzalez, also celebrated his birthday on Instagram
![Nikko's birthday comes a month after he made his runway debut at Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall/Winter 2024-2025 menswear show in Milan, Italy](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/12/18/80036655-13075003-Nikko_cut_a_chic_figure_as_he_walked_the_catwalk_in_a_sleek_blac-a-11_1707761998710.jpg)
Nikko's birthday comes a month after he made his runway debut at Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall/Winter 2024-2025 menswear show in Milan, Italy
![Sanchez proudly snapped photos of her son on the catwalk. 'It was such a gift to watch my son @nikkogzz walking the runway for @dolcegabbana in Milan,' she later wrote on Instagram](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/12/18/80036681-13075003-Lauren_Sanchez_has_gushed_about_her_22_year_old_son_Nikko_Gonzal-a-12_1707762002789.jpg)
Sanchez proudly snapped photos of her son on the catwalk. 'It was such a gift to watch my son @nikkogzz walking the runway for @dolcegabbana in Milan,' she later wrote on Instagram
The Gonzalezes also celebrated Nikko's birthday on Instagram with their own respective tributes.
'Happy Birthday to my first born! So proud of the person you are! @nikkogzz,' Tony captioned a picture of Nikko with his football helmet, the same one that Sanchez had posted.
Meanwhile, Tobie shared a collage of photos of herself with Nikko on Instagram Stories, writing, 'Love you BIG! @nikkogz Happy Birthday.'
Nikko's birthday celebrations comes a month after he made his runway debut at Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall/Winter 2024-2025 menswear show in Milan, Italy.
He strutted down the runway in a black double-breasted suit paired with a gold brooch that was placed in the center of his shirt.
Sanchez shared a video of Nikko on the catwalk, writing, 'Just a proud mama.'
'It was such a gift to watch my son @nikkogzz walking the runway for @dolcegabbana in Milan,' she added. 'Congrats, my love.'