Italian-American chef Giada De Laurentiis became famous on the Food Network, quickly amassing a fan base. When she is on camera, the bubbly TV host got her audiences excited to cook with the upbeat personality she has and the bright smile she flashes. Even though other chefs that are on the network like Guy Fieri, Ina Garten, Paula Deen, and Rachael Ray all boosted their profiles but kept their personal life separate, it appears that people simply can’t get enough of Giada and she’s always in the line of fire.
Giada Got Divorced In 2015
In the early 2000’s, when Giada De Laurentiis’ career was on the upswing, she met Todd Thompson, a fashion designer. They fell in love and got married in 2003. Thompson often went with Giada to award shows and events, spending time together between their busy schedules, especially Giadas. In 2014, however, news broke that the happy couple had filed for a divorce. The divorce was finalized on September 3, 2015, and Giada was single again at the age of 45.
Giada Got Divorced In 2015
She Has A Successful Career And A Massive Net Worth
Giada De Laurentiis is a very hard-working woman, putting in the time and work needed to make her career what it is today. As of 2018, her net worth is reportedly around $15 million, though some speculate that the divorce proceedings may have cost her some of her fortune. Sources say she’s paying $9,000 to Thompson for child support for their daughter, Jade, every month.
She Has A Successful Career And A Massive Net Worth
She Always Keeps A Smile
Giada may be petite, but she is a strong woman, as what a chef in the kitchen should be. Similar to other chefs, she also suffers burns from pans, pots and hot ingredients while working in the kitchen. However, unlike most chefs, cameras are filming her while she cooks. Throughout it all, she keeps smiling as she explains what she is doing to make the dish. Producer Irene Wong initially coached Giada on this, making sure audiences wouldn’t notice any discomfort the star chef might be in.
She Always Keeps A Smile
She’s A Proud Recipient Of An Emmy
Her daytime cooking show on the Food Network, Everyday Italian, started in 2003. In 2008, she received a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lifestyle Host and went home a winner. She has since been nominated for an Emmy Award two more times and she won Outstanding Host at the 2012 Gracie Awards for her TV show Giada at Home. Her accolades kept on stacking up and in 2012, Giada De Laurentiis earned a spot in the Culinary Hall of Fame, which officially cemented her place in the world of culinary arts.
She’s A Proud Recipient Of An Emmy
She Continues To Maintain A Private Life
Giada is mostly known for being an Italian-born chef who shares with her viewers her culinary skills and passion for Italian food. People love watching the bubbly chef excitedly describe the ingredients in her dishes, as well as the dishes themselves, which are part of her heritage as well. However, Giada is way more than just the TV personality we see. Food may be a major thing in her life, but she has many other interests as well. Keep reading to find out what other things are going on in star chef’s life.
She Continues To Maintain A Private Life
She Has A Degree In Social Anthropology
From the start, Giada definitely already had a passion for cooking. However, when the time came for her to finish high school and decide on the career path she would take, cooking wasn’t her first choice. Despite her heart telling her to choose her love of cooking, Giada made a decision to get a social anthropology degree instead. She matriculated at the University of California, Los Angeles and in 1996, she earned her bachelor’s degree. She may have her BA, but Giada knew that becoming a chef was actually what she wanted all along.
She Has A Degree In Social Anthropology
She Studied At Le Cordon Bleu
While Giada was studying at UCLA, her mind kept wandering to Italian food. Her love for the cuisine wasn’t only because she loved to eat Italian food, but because she also loved to cook it and was quite good at it too. Once she earned her degree from UCLA, Giada applied to the prestigious, and highly competitive culinary school ‘Le Cordon Bleu’ in Paris. Luckily, she was accepted and her time there allowed her to learn technical methods and helped her master her skills to become a world-famous chef.
She Studied At Le Cordon Bleu
Her First Job Was In LA
Giada’s career took her back to Los Angeles. Soon after she started working, her name set the LA restaurant scene abuzz and in no time, one big name restaurant came calling. Spago, a prominent California cuisine restaurant that was owned by Wolfgang Puck, hired her as a chef. Giada then transitioned into becoming a food magazine stylist, getting her bearings and figuring out her spot in the industry. Giada soon figured it out.
Her First Job Was In LA
A Food Network Executive Spotted Her
Giada worked for ‘Food & Wine Magazine’ back in 2002 and she was happy doing so. It was clear, though, that she hadn’t realized her full potential but fortunately, a Food Network executive spotted her and was more than impressed by the promising star. Her charisma, artistry for Italian cooking as well as authentic background made her perfect for the role of a Food Network television host. After a demo was filmed on camera, the network filmed a show starring Giada and they called it Everyday Italian.
A Food Network Executive Spotted Her
She Does Not Like To Be Touched
Part of being a celebrity is dealing with rumors, baseless or not, and Giada is one to call out rumors right away if they are blatant fabrications. However, you might be surprised to learn that she confirmed the rumor about her not liking to be touched – her pet peeve is people touching her! Giada’s bubbly and warm personality makes fans want to approach her at events, on set, or even in public. Even though she appreciates her viewers, the TV host and chef once admitted this: “I wish I could say no touchy-touchy.” However, she understands that fame comes with such things and she’s careful not to appear off-put whenever someone does put their arm around her for a photo.
She Does Not Like To Be Touched
She Has Had A Lot Of Hosting Gigs
Just like the intuition the network executive had, the TV show Everyday Italian became a massive hit. Giada found success not just as a chef but also as a host on her TV show, giving her opportunities to be on other shows too. She was extremely busy during the 2000’s, hosting, acting, and appearing on Behind the Bash, Giada’s Weekend Getaways, Pixie Hollow Bake Off, and Handy Mandy. She was proving that she had more to offer and wasn’t only limited to being a host for an Italian cooking show.
She Has Had A Lot Of Hosting Gigs
She Has Published Many Cookbooks
As her television career took off, Giada also ventured into other things and made a career out of them. In 2005, she released her first cookbook ‘Everyday Italian’, with the same title as her show. She released eight more cookbooks with the aid of a ghost writer, and this built up her popularity and net worth even more. People adored her personality and how there were stories behind her dishes, which is probably why her books ‘Weeknights with Giada’ and ‘Giada at Home’ hit number one on the New York Times Best Seller List.
She Has Published Many Cookbooks
She Cooked For Royalty
An Emmy award, the New York Times Best Seller list… what other accomplishments could Giada have? Well, she served her food to royalty, specifically the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. When the Royal couple visited California, Giada was asked to cook for them. However, instead of authentic Italian, the star chef made a true California meal: Frico Cups with avocado and fresh shrimp, served with some slaw and chicken – surely a dream come true for a chef!
She Cooked For Royalty
She Maintains A Healthy Lifestyle
Even though Giada loves food, especially Italian dishes notorious for being carb-loaded, she is clearly not packing on the pounds. As a matter of fact, she’s super fit, so we’re not alone in wondering how the Italian TV host is able to look her best despite her busy schedule which revolves around food! Giada has revealed that she always sets aside time for hitting the mat and practicing yoga, as well as meditating and taking long walks outdoors. We don’t know what her exact regimen is, but whatever it is, it’s definitely working!
She Maintains A Healthy Lifestyle
The Secret To A Fit Bod
Some people may find it odd that exercising isn’t this foodie’s secret to maintaining her fit bod, but rather watching what she eats. This even means that she doesn’t eat the delicious dishes that she makes herself, opting for healthy and fresh food in managed portions instead. Reportedly, while working on set, Giada eats salads and treats herself to some dark chocolate if she craves something sweet. We, however, don’t know how the famous chef can control herself around all the scrumptious food and not give in to temptation.
The Secret To A Fit Bod
Her Grandfather Was a Film Producer
Giada’s mother was born in Rome and is an actress while her father is a producer and an actor. Giada’s grandfather, her mother’s father, is the renowned Italian-American film producer Dino De Laurentiis (Giada used her mother’s maiden name when her parents got divorced). Dino played a big role in exposing the American audience to Italian films and he opened a restaurant as well. Even though Giada didn’t develop an interest in acting, her grandfather’s restaurant inspired the aspiring chef, and by the looks of it, she’s a natural when it comes to being in the camera as well!
Her Grandfather Was a Film Producer
She’s A Proud Mother
Giada’s daughter Jade was born in 2008. Her name is special seeing as Giada is Italian for Jade. The star chef was overjoyed to welcome her daughter into the world and become a mother. However, she also made a decision that she would only have one child since she still wants to accomplish a lot in her career. She felt that she wouldn’t be able to handle everything if she had more children to raise.
She’s A Proud Mother
She Has A Knife Collection
Giada is a lot of things and one of them is a businesswoman. She actually branched out into starting her own product line, choosing to design a knife collection branded with her name. As a chef, this must have felt like a huge accomplishment for Giada knowing that people are cooking and making dishes in their own kitchens using her knives. Her collection includes many specialized knives and is high quality, selling individually for over $125.
She Has A Knife Collection
She Hasn’t Always Felt Comfortable Being On Camera
Her family’s roots may be deep in the entertainment and film industry, but Giada actually doesn’t like being on camera, and doesn’t think it’s very easy to do. “In the beginning, it was very intimidating,” she said to People magazine. Giada admits that there were times she made mistakes on camera as well, like the time she served raw chicken to Al Roker while cameras were rolling. She said, “I just froze, my entire body and mind froze. It’s those terrifying moments [that] end up being the things that can chance your career.”
She Hasn’t Always Felt Comfortable Being On Camera
She Was The Host Of Behind The Bash
In 2006, Giada hosted the TV show Behind the Bash. It was focused on the food preparation and behind-the-scenes action of high-end events, such as the Grammy Awards. The show took the famous chef coast to coast, from the Hamptons in New York to Hollywood in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Although it was shortlived, it proved even further Giada’s remarkable talent and her ability to adapt to various environments while being filmed.
She Was The Host Of Behind The Bash
She Doesn’t Everything She Cooks
We’ve already mentioned that though she’s often seen cooking lavish meals on TV, Giada doesn’t really eat lavishly at home. As a matter of fact, even when she films her cooking shows, Giada brings a healthy salad with her to work and reportedly, goes a step further. According to a source, Giada “Never eats. Never… They have a dump bucket that is brought out the second they cut.” However, a spokesperson for the star chef said that Giada films a lot of shows throughout the day, so it isn’t possible for her to eat everything that she cooks.
She Doesn’t Everything She Cooks
The Dating Scene
Giada’s talent and “it” factor haven’t gone unnoticed by viewers and by her colleagues. When her marriage had ended, she was on many peoples radar. After splitting from Todd, she dated the industry’s big names like John Mayer, Bobby Flay, and Matt Lauer. She and TV producer Shane Farley were photographed together in Mexico spending some time on the beach, was he Giada’s new beau?
The Dating Scene
She Is Only 5’1″
It isn’t surprising that Giada can’t really indulge in all the carb-heavy Italian food that she cooks up seeing as the chef is just 5’1″! Shorter than most people, the petite Italian, however, shows true zest in the kitchen, and takes burns like a champ as well as handles heavy pots and pans. She may just physically stand at a bit over five feet, but her personality in the kitchen is way bigger than her stature. You might not even notice her height unless she stands next to other stars.
She Is Only 5’1″
Her Brother Passed Away
Just like other Italian families, Giada’s family are tight-knit and she grew up with a sister and two brothers. They grew up with their mother in Southern California. Giada’s brother Dino started working in the movie industry, like their parents and grandfather. Dino sadly suffered from melanoma, and passed away in 2003, his life cut tragically short. Needless to say, Giada and her family felt devastated, and in his memory, she now advocates for the prevention of melanoma.
Her Brother Passed Away
She Likes Keeping Her Family Small
Jade is now 10 years old and still remains Giada’s only child. Even though growing up in a large family surrounded by food must have been really nice, Giada prefers to keep a tight knit family. Now divorced and almost 50 years old, Giada is focusing on her only child, Jade, and remains committed to her career that is ever-expanding. It appears as if she doesn’t have regrets in terms of her choice of starting a family and not growing it bigger.
She Likes Keeping Her Family Small
Tradition Of Surnames
There is a tradition in Giada’s family where women take on the last name of their mother. Giada’s mother passed her maiden name along to Giada and Giada’s daughter, Jade, now uses that same name. Jade has a last name which is widely respected in both the culinary world and the film industry. Growing up with a lot of strong role models, Jade can have the world at her fingertips!
Tradition Of Surnames
She Opened Her Own Self-Named Restaurant In Las Vegas
Most chefs dream of opening their own restaurant someday, and Giada is not an exception. She worked in her grandfather’s restaurant and then in some of the world’s top restaurants. The Le Cordon Bleu alum believed she was ready to venture into the restaurant business world. In 2014, Giada opened her own self-named Italian restaurant in Las Vegas, then expanded to another restaurant located in Caesars Palace, and opened a third restaurant near Washington D.C.
She Opened Her Own Self-Named Restaurant In Las Vegas
She Embodies A True Leo
Whether or not you believe what you read in horoscopes, it seems that a lot of people are very similar to the astrological signs that they’re born into, and Giada appears no different. A Leo, the star chef has the personality traits of her sign, such as being energetic and driven. Leos like the spotlight and they are known for speaking out as well. These characteristics have surely played a big role in all of the success Giada has had.
She Embodies A True Leo
She Has Younger Siblings
Giada is the eldest child of Veronica De Laurentiis and Alex De Benedetti, and she has three younger siblings. Even though they were tight knit, all the children under the supervision of their working mother, they didn’t always get along with each other. Eloisa, Giada’s younger sister, said that back when they were kids, Giada would tell her she has something on her eye, but pulled her eyelashes out instead! Needless to say, the sisters have matured and developed a healthy relationship.
She Has Younger Siblings
She Helps Others
Giada strongly believes in the importance of raising awareness about melanoma and since her brother’s death, she has been actively supporting causes that share her belief. She has donated her money and time to charitable causes, and is involved with various organizations, such as Stand Up to Cancer and the American Heart Association. In addition, she’s been attending fundraisers for ovarian cancer and breast cancer. She wants to show that donating money and time is as important as raising awareness to prevent others from suffering.
She Helps Others
Her Skin Care Secret
Even now that she is in her late forties, Giada still has stunning skin, which has everybody wondering what her secret is. According to the website Celebrity Toob, Giada uses her own home remedy in order to keep her skin looking flawless. The website claims that she combines olive oil and baking soda to make a face mask which fights blemishes, and softens and keeps the skin moisturized. Although we’re sure she’s always on top of her routine for skin care, let’s not forget about her good genes!
Her Skin Care Secret
She Seems To Have Moved On
In July of 2014, Giada and her husband of more than 10 years, Todd Thompson, separated. The following year, their divorce was finalized, specifically on September 3, 2015. Just months later, Giada was seen with TV producer Shane Farley, her new beau, in November 2015. She and Farley were previously photographed canoodling together on a beach in Mexico, and now it seemed that they had actually been dating longer than what people were previously made to believe. In addition, Farley and his wife of 15 years also separated in 2015, but he told People magazine, “We would bump into each other, we would grab a drink. We were just friends and then eventually we started dating.”
She Seems To Have Moved On
She Has a New Show
Not one to stay still, Giada has begun a new project, the TV show Giada Entertains. In this show, she invites friends over and gives the audience tips on hosting guests in their own homes. Episodes include how to do a party theme and the recipes she likes to cook up while she entertains some guests. However, these tips aren’t for bougie-type parties — she even shows how to host a kids slumber party and yes, Jade made a cameo!
She Has a New Show
Her Circle Is Pretty Cool
Giada is one busy woman, who is also business savvy, and this energy has allowed her to connect with other stars who also have achieved fame and fortune. What’s more, they’ve cooked up some interesting projects together! One of the stars that she has partnered with is fashion designer and artist Gwen Stefani. Together they collaborated with Williams Sonoma and did a live Christmas episode showing the audience how to make an apple pie. TV host Maria Menounos is another one of Giada’s gal pals.
Her Circle Is Pretty Cool
She Collaborated With Target
Aside from her knife collection, Giada also rolled out a range of products at Target with her name. Her fans can find her products at the store, including stainless steel pans and pots, utensils and a selection of Italian sauces and pastas. She’s once again shown that her talents and skills are not limited, and she makes smart business choices in order to support her career’s longevity.
She Collaborated With Target
She Loves Animals
In addition to cooking food, Giada is passionate about caring for animals as well. She may often be on the road, but she loves coming home since she’s got her furry friends waiting for her, a cat named Bella and her two dogs. Giada often uploads their photos on her Instagram, showing that they’re an important part of her family. Just look at those adorable bright blue eyes.
She Loves Animals
Her Latest Venture
Giada is definitely not slowing down — several shows, nine books, and three restaurants later, she continues to look for more. She’s currently focused on her third restaurant and its success. Opening in May 2018, Giada’s latest venture, GDL Italian by Giada, is located in Baltimore’s Horseshoe Casino. Now, east coast fans of Italian food can enjoy the ambiance and menu created by Giada herself.
Her Latest Venture
Setting The Fact Straight
Celebrity chef Bobby Flay and Giada have always been good friends. They work in similar circles, so it only makes sense. Andy Cohen interviewed Giada and asked about their relationship, to which she answered, “We’re very good friends. We’ve worked for many years together, uh, but I don’t think that’s ever going to happen… Because I’m smarter than that.”
Setting The Fact Straight
Who Is Shane Farley?
Giada’s and Shane Farley’s marriages both ended around the same time. Both were never unfaithful in their marriages though, they only got together after the divorce papers were final. Farley admitted they grabbed drinks together when they bumped into each other while still married, but it was just two friends grabbing a drink.
Who Is Shane Farley?
Toward The Future
Ending a marriage is often very messy and never pain-free since two people unravel the life that they’ve built together. But we think Giada is dealing wonderfully, always putting her daughter and her career first. Although, she and Shane Farley do seem very happy and very much in love, so we wish them only the best!
Toward The Future