The Real Reason Sandra Lee Took A Break From Instagram

Lifestyle guru and celebrity chef Sandra Lee took an unexpected hiatus from social media for just over a month. Her last post on Instagram came on Feb. 27, 2021, and she didn't post again until March 29, 2021. She broke her Instagram silence with a lengthy post that shared she had taken a break "for many many reasons." She then detailed that some of those reasons were "more private and personal," though she did write that she was sure some have been read or heard about by her fans.

For those who aren't in the know, Lee dated New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for almost 15 years. The two started going out in 2005 and quietly split in 2019, per the New York Post. Cuomo has since been embroiled in a series of sexual harassment cases, many of which took place when the two were still dating, as reported a second New York Post article.

Now, according to Lee's Instagram, she has since returned to southern California, where she was born. In fact, a photo of Malibu was her last post on the social media site before it went dark. And although Cuomo's troubles may be one reason she decided to step away from Instagram for a while, she was also dealing with many other situations — mainly, she contracted COVID-19, along with her aunt and uncle.

Those familiar with Sandra Lee's story know how important her uncle and aunt are to her. As reported by People, they took her in when she was young and helped her business when it was just starting out. "My uncle would create all the props in the booth and the displays for my kiosks and for my demonstrations, and my aunt would help me create all of the decorating elements and demonstrative pieces," she told the publication.

So it's not a stretch to believe that Lee went silent on Instagram because of her uncle's contraction of the virus. She wrote he had COVID-19 and was discharged from the hospital, only to come home and fall down multiple times, resulting in more hospital stays. Eventually, they ran tests and found his heart was only operating at 25 percent of what it should be, so he has been moved to a rehab facility.

Additionally, Lee shared she also personally contracted the virus, which she said she didn't want to "bring any attention to" because of "everything Else already going on." However, she shared that she "lost my sense of taste and smell" and wrote "the inside of my body felt like a pinball machine had gone off." Thankfully, she also told her fans that she has fully recovered from the virus and now has the antibodies to protect her.