What Hurt Giada De Laurentiis The Most In Her Divorce
Giada De Laurentiis has become one of the most beloved figures in the Food Network family. The Italian chef has become so popular that her TV series, "Everyday Italian," has landed several spinoffs, including: "Giada's Holiday Handbook," "Giada In Italy," "Giada Entertains," and more.
As is typical of TV personalities, our fascination with De Laurentiis has extended beyond her cooking and into her personal life. The chef transformed from a rambunctious toddler to a restaurateur in her own right and amassed a considerable net worth in the process. She tied the knot with Todd Thompson, a fashion designer, in May 2003, and the two later welcomed a daughter, Jade Marie. However, the couple called it quits in 2015. "After an amicable separation since July, Todd and I have decided to end our marriage," De Laurentiis wrote on Facebook at the time (via People). "Although our decision to separate comes with a great deal of sadness, our focus on the future and overwhelming desire for our family's happiness has given us the strength to move forward on separate, yet always connected paths." The divorce was hard on De Laurentiis, but you might be surprised to find out what hurt her the most.
Giada De Laurentiis had to learn to be alone after 25 years
Giada De Laurentiis met Todd Thompson when she was 19 years old and in college. She spoke about how their careers evolved, especially hers. "In the beginning, I was there to help him in his career," De Laurentiis told Redbook in 2009. "Now he's where he wants to be, and he helps me in mine. I think it's such a wonderful evolution of a relationship. And it's so cool how we can kind of divvy it up. You know, most men want to be in the limelight and have the woman take care of them. You have to balance that." Not only did they balance their careers, but they also balanced parenting after the birth of their daughter, Jade Marie De Laurentiis Thompson.
While their balancing act worked for a while, something eventually went wrong, and the two separated in 2015. The biggest hurdle for De Laurentiis? Learning to be alone after being in a relationship with Thompson since age 19. "After I divorced, I spent about a year and a half alone, not dating, just figuring things out," she told People in 2018. "I had been with Jade's dad for 25 years. I didn't know what it meant not to be married." It was a huge learning curve for De Laurentiis, but after she took a pause, the Food Network star began dating producer Shane Farley.
Celebrity took a toll on the couple
Giada De Laurentiis and then-husband Todd Thompson faced struggles with their fame prior to their divorce. This struggle showed up in one particular way: cheating allegations. Rumors spread that De Laurentiis had an affair with musician John Mayer while she was still with Thompson. The baseless rumors were shocking to De Laurentiis. "The John Mayer incident was completely unexpected," she told Redbook in 2011. "I was shocked."
De Laurentiis was more embarrassed for her husband and his relatives. "My family is used to that sort of thing," she went on. "But my husband's family is not. Todd was embarrassed that his family in Michigan would see it and think, What is going on over there in Hollywood?" The Food Network star joked that she had spoken to Mayer at most for five minutes in her life. While there was no substance to the Mayer allegations, De Laurentiis found love again after her divorce from Shane Farley. She told People that the relationship was invigorating for her. "I felt like a kid again," she said.