Bobby Flay's Alleged Cheating Scandals Explained
If you are an avid viewer of the Food Network and the Cooking Channel, you are more than familiar with chef Bobby Flay. Flay has appeared on shows such as Iron Chef, Brunch at Bobby's, Boy Meets Grill, and BBQ with Bobby Flay. He currently stars on Beat Bobby Flay, Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction, and Worst Cooks in America. If you had not guessed by now, Flay really loves his meat and barbecue.
However, Flay's personal life has become just as spicy as his barbecue. The celebrity chef has been married three times, most recently to former Law & Order: SVU actress Stephanie March, whom he wed in February 2005. But things between the two hit a significant bump in the road when Flay reportedly attended the South Beach Wine & Food Fest in February 2015 with his assistant, which, per Page Six, just happened to coincide with March and Flay's wedding anniversary. Find out why Bobby Flay ended up on the chopping block below.
The knives came out during Bobby Flay's split from Stephanie March
In the spring of 2015, Stephanie March dropped Bobby Flay like a hot potato when she filed for divorce after discovering he was allegedly cheating on her with his assistant, Page Six reported. Flay had reportedly been involved with 28-year-old singer and actress Elyse Tirrell for three years. Tirrell worked at one of Flay's New York City restaurants — Bar American — in 2008, before he ultimately hired her as his assistant.
At the time the news broke, a spokesperson for the celebrity chef defended Flay, telling the outlet, "We will continue to refrain from responding to the continued efforts by certain parties to spread rumors and innuendo. This specific allegation was in a letter sent from one attorney in this case to the other. It was written and then leaked specifically to try to insert this story into the press, and that's unfortunate," they added. "Even more unfortunate is that all of this is being done in order to renegotiate a prenuptial agreement that was agreed to over a decade ago and never amended during the marriage."
The couple's prenup allotted $5,000 a month in alimony, which March's lawyers were reportedly contesting, per Page Six. While Bobby Flay and Stephanie March's divorce got off to a sloppy start, things got even messier quickly. Keep reading for what both sides had to say.
Bobby Flay and Stephanie March's divorce got (over)heated
According to Bobby Flay's business partner, Laurence Kretchmer, he would have known about Flay's affair if there was one. Kretchmer implied that there was more to the story, telling Page Six, "As ugly as Stephanie is going to look [when this news comes out], she will look uglier when other things come out." TMZ reported that the couple's marriage had been in trouble for quite some time and, in March 2014, Flay's wife had reached her limit when her appendix burst, and Flay did not visit her in the hospital until the following day. Once he finally arrived, he skedaddled out of town before she was even discharged, blaming his early exit on a work commitment.
One reason March contested her prenup with Flay was due to her medical issues, which included an appendectomy, endometriosis, and failed breast augmentation surgery. Because of complications from her medical problems, she was unable to continue acting, per TMZ. As a result of not being able to work, the existing prenup would not be able to cover her financial needs.
But, just when you thought Stephanie March and Bobby Flay's divorce could not get any messier, the name of a former Mad Men actress popped up in the couple's divorce filing. Keep scrolling for all the details.
Bobby Flay's ex-wife claims he had an affair with January Jones
In divorce papers filed by Stephanie March concerning her divorce from Bobby Flay, the actress alleged that Flay had an affair with Mad Men star January Jones in early 2010. A source told In Touch Weekly, "She [March] says they had sex many times and in different places," including The London Hotel in Los Angeles.
Rumors about Flay and Jones had been floating around Hollywood ever since Jones crashed her Range Rover into three parked cars in June 2010. Following the accident, instead of calling the police, she rang celebrity chef Bobby Flay, per TMZ. Flay claimed that he had only met Jones once before, and she only had his number because she wanted him to connect with the interior designer working on her kitchen remodel. Despite Flay reportedly not knowing Jones very well, he drove to the scene of the accident. Totally normal.
The New York Daily News reported that, after the crash occurred, March did confront Flay about Jones, asking him if they had slept with one another, which he denied. What complicates March's accusation of the alleged affair between Flay and Jones is that, per Inquisitr, March also suspects Flay is the father of Jones' baby Xander, born in September 2011. Jones has never divulged the identity of her son's father. While Bobby Flay has never acknowledged or admitted he cheated during his marriage to Stephanie March, someone wanted to make sure he was branded a cheater. More on that below.
Bobby Flay was publicly branded a cheater
Two months after Stephanie March filed for divorce from chef Bobby Flay, accusing him of having affairs with multiple women, Flay was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — a day that every recipient surely remembers and cherishes. However, Flay might remember his day for slightly different reasons.
Flay might have been the first celebrity to chef to receive a star on the Walk of Fame, but the ceremony most likely left a bad taste in his mouth. As Flay was giving his speech, a plane flew overhead pulling a banner that read "cheater." Ouch! That burn had to hurt. According to Entertainment Tonight, neither Flay nor his family drew any attention to the banner during the ceremony. During his nasty divorce battle from Stephanie March, however, many assumed that March was behind the plane banner stunt. In a statement to Us Weekly, March's attorney, Deborah Lans, said, "Stephanie is absolutely not behind [this]."
In July 2015, Flay and March came to a divorce settlement, with TMZ noting that the actress ended up with a much better deal than the previously signed prenup. Sources told TMZ that Flay wanted to avoid a public trial, so March ended up having the upper hand during negotiations. Since their split was finalized, Stephanie March married tech investor Dan Barton in 2017, while Flay remains single. At this point, another marriage might be too hot for Bobby Flay to handle.