Inside Giada De Laurentiis And Shane Farley's Relationship
Giada De Laurentiis was lucky enough to find love again in the wake of her divorce from Todd Thompson after more than a decade of marriage. The two went their separate ways in late 2014, with the Food Network star sharing the not-so-sweet news on Facebook.
"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," she told fans at the time (via Digital Spy). The since-deleted social media post also acknowledged their July 2014 separation, which she described as "amicable." De Laurentiis added, "Todd and I share a beautiful daughter and a lifetime of great memories that we both treasure more than anything. We are so thankful for our friends and family, and really appreciate the support in this time of change."
Fast-forward to the next summer, though, and the foodie had everyone talking after she was spotted with a new man, big-time TV producer Shane Farley. So sit back and grab your favorite snack (one that's De Laurentiis-approved, preferably) as we take a look inside this sugary sweet romance.
Giada De Laurentiis and Shane Farley's show never aired
Giada De Laurentiis and Shane Farley met on the set of a TV show that you'll have never heard of — because it never even made it to air. In a very sweet twist of fate, the love story of De Laurentiis and Farley began when the latter was working on a talk show the former was doing with Bobby Flay in 2013 (via People).
The show didn't come to fruition, but that actually worked in De Laurentiis' best interest. She later explained to People that she used the downtime to "rest and reset," before reconnecting with Farley again two years later. De Laurentiis clearly made an impression on her boyfriend-to-be. He told People, "I just thought she was really smart and funny and I thought, 'God, she would be a great host for a show.'"
As for how this romance blossomed from friendship into more, the two stayed in touch and started seeing each other around when Farley made the big move from New York to Los Angeles for work. He became a producer on the since-canceled talk show "FABLife," which starred Tyra Banks, Chrissy Teigen, Joe Zee, Lauren Makk, and Leah Ashley. We're sure De Laurentiis played a part in him sticking around Hollywood after the show left the airwaves, while he went on to produce Steve Harvey's "Steve."
Giada De Laurentiis and Shane Farley were married to other people when they first met
Giada De Laurentiis and Shane Farley were both married to other people the first time they met, and the latter explained that their relationship was purely platonic after their initial meeting. Farley was married to Jennifer Giamo at the time, while De Laurentiis was, of course, famously wed to Todd Thompson.
De Laurentiis officially divorced Thompson in September 2015, but she announced their separation in December 2014. Official documents revealed that De Laurentiis — who's cooked up an impressive estimated fortune of $30 million — was ordered to pay her ex child support in the form of some serious dough, and we don't mean the bread kind. E! News claimed the documents ordered that Thompson be paid $9,000 a month for their daughter, Jade.
Speaking with Page Six in November 2015, a rep for De Laurentiis claimed that the chef started dating Farley in August 2015, a month before her divorce was final, while also quieting whispers that their romance may have begun before Farley's marriage to Giamo was over. As for when Farley split with his ex-wife? Page Six claimed it was Farley who filed for divorce in March 2015.
Shane Farley gets intimidated cooking for his girlfriend
One thing you may not be so keen to do when you're dating someone who's built a very lucrative career around food? Cook! And that's certainly the case for Shane Farley, as he's admitted that although he does like to cook for his girlfriend, Giada De Laurentiis, hitting the kitchen comes with its fair share of nervousness.
"Shane does cook for me but he needs a heads-up. He has to plan, it's like a week-long planning session if he's going to cook for me," she told People in 2018, to which Farley chimed in, "It's intimidating but it's like she's rooting for me. She's not trying to show that she knows more than me or she's teaching me."
But while Farley might take on the cooking duties every now and then, De Laurentiis is still very much the boss in the kitchen. In November, the famous foodie admitted to People that she's very meticulous when it comes to cooking for the holidays, so much so that she assigns everyone in the family a specific dish.
She revealed that Farley makes mashed potatoes because he doesn't like the way her family makes them with peas, a food he has an actual legitimate fear of — De Laurentiis revealed that Farley is "terrified of peas." "I just said to him, 'If you don't want the peas like we do in my family, then you're going to have to make mashed potatoes.'"
Giada De Laurentiis didn't date for a year before Shane Farley
Giada De Laurentiis wasn't swiping right on dating apps before finding love with Shane Farley — not that there's anything wrong with that, of course! But it turns out that the Food Network star actually took a break from love and the dating scene before reconnecting with Farley. She was totally single for several months in the wake of her 2015 divorce from Todd Thompson, whom she married in 2003.
"After I got divorced, I spent about a year and a half alone, not dating, just figuring things out," she told People in February 2018. "I had been with [my daughter] Jade's dad for 25 years. I didn't know what it meant to not be married. Once I got settled, [Shane and I] reconnected and I felt like a kid again." Aww!
It sounds like there's no sour grapes between Thompson and De Laurentiis. "Getting along with my ex-husband really helps as well. We're supportive of each other and, in turn, supportive of Jade," she explained.
It sounds like Farley wasn't necessarily looking for love, either, after his move from the East Coast to the West. "We would bump into each other, we would grab a drink," he explained to People in 2018. "We were just friends and then eventually we started dating."
Giada De Laurentiis and Shane Farley aren't Instagram-obsessed
Despite being together for several years, Giada De Laurentiis and Shane Farley don't regularly share shots of one another on Instagram. She doesn't appear to have shared a photo to her grid with him in since August 2020, when she posted a family shot — including her daughter, Jade — to promote the season finale of Food Network's "Giada At Home." "Can't believe it! So grateful for the opportunity to create something special from my home & share with you!" she wrote in the caption, tagging her man in the post.
Shane Farley has also been discrete with his Instagram posting. The producer made pasta in June 2021 and showcased his effort on the gram; it appears that De Laurentiis and her daughter are enjoying the dish in the blurred background. In September 2020, Farley shared a gorgeous shot of De Laurentiis and their dog looking out toward the mountains on a trip to Palm Springs, California. He tagged the star in the snap, but kept the photo captionless.
Though keeping their relationship a little more on the down-low is certainly not a sign of trouble in paradise, the couple used to share photos of one another on their pages a little more regularly. For example, in September 2019, Farley shared a stunning snap of himself and his girlfriend all dressed up and looking glamorous. His caption read, "I'm just lucky." He was looking dapper in a tuxedo, while De Laurentiis flashed her signature big smile in a black cut-out dress to match her man.
Giada De Laurentiis kept her romance a secret
Giada De Laurentiis initially kept her romance with Shane Farley a secret, even after her mystery man was outed in the media. De Laurentiis played very coy in November 2015 during an appearance on "The Wendy Williams Show" where she showed off her cooking skills after Williams tried hard to get all the gossip.
"Are you dating? Do you have a boyfriend?" Williams asked, following her guest's September 2014 divorce from Todd Thompson. De Laurentiis wouldn't give a straight answer, though, instead responding, "You know what I love? I love how she just dropped that in the middle of it. That's what makes you good at what you do, Wendy! Catch me off-guard!" Proving why she's a gossip pro, Williams wasn't about to take deflection as an answer and continued to probe the Food Network star, so De Laurentiis finally relented, "I'm gonna say kind of, and I will tell you, this is the first time I've actually said that!"
Rumors had already been circulating about the star having a new romance post-divorce though, while Page Six and E! News both reported shortly after her appearance on "The Wendy Williams Show" that the new man De Laurentiis was referring to on the talk show was, in fact, Farley.
Shane Farley and Giada De Laurentiis faced cheating rumors
Shane Farley was hit with rumors that he may have had an "affair" with Giada De Laurentiis while still technically married to his former wife, personal trainer Jennifer Giamo (per Page Six). Reps for De Laurentiis "insisted she only began dating Farley months after he'd filed for divorce" and said things only turned romantic between them in August 2015 (several months after Page Six reported Farley filed for divorce).
However, a source for the outlet suggested that there may have been an overlap between the end of Farley's marriage and the start of his romance with De Laurentiis; his ex-wife was supposedly "devastated" over the "hurtful" split (according to her lawyer). De Laurentiis' rep denied the claims, however, telling Page Six, "Check your sources. This is all made-up information."
Giamo's camp appeared to paint a slightly different picture regarding the timeline, claiming she only learned about Farley's romance with the famous foodie via the media and had allegedly been asking around and "trying to see if Shane started dating Giada while she was still with him." Giamo's lawyer shared a similar story with Radar Online in December 2015: "[Giamo] learned about the relationship through the tabloids. The divorce is still pending."
In another quote shared with Page Six in November 2015, De Laurentiis' rep claimed any speculation that the two dated while Farley was with Giamo was "outright false."
Did Giada De Laurentiis turn down Shane Farley's proposal?
Let's be honest. With her years of cooking skills and great connections in the food world, Giada De Laurentiis would be sure to have a seriously yummy spread for her wedding. But maybe fans shouldn't get their hopes up for a big spread or a second walk down the aisle.
It was rumored in April 2018 that De Laurentiis' boyfriend Shane Farley may have proposed to her, but she said no, according to a Radar Online source. The source alleged at the time that the star "loves" Farley "and they have a lot in common," but De Laurentiis turned down his proposal because "she's committed to concentrating on her career and her daughter, Jade." The source added, "Giada may change her mind in the future. But for the time being, marriage is out of the question. She likes things the way they are."
The two never officially confirmed the claims, though the chef has seemed a little more open to the idea of heading down the aisle again. She told Us Weekly in fall 2018 that she wouldn't say "never" to getting married again before joking, "It depends who the proposal is from!"
As of December 2021, it looks like De Laurentiis is still yet to have a ring on that special finger.
Shane Farley's interesting approach to tabloid attention
While a lot of stars tend to ignore the less-than-favorable attention some gossip columns can bring, Giada De Laurentiis' boyfriend, Shane Farley, had a pretty interesting approach to quieting speculation about their relationship.
He went the opposite route of ignoring the claims, even taking to Instagram to call out Star in November 2019 after it published a story in print stating that De Laurentiis didn't want to get married. Farley took a picture of the magazine article and joked in the caption of his upload, "This year my holiday wish is that Star Magazine can find a slightly more flattering photo of me."
As for what the report said? Well, it claimed the Food Network star was "not ready for marriage" and was "wary of" remarrying in the wake of her divorce from Todd Thompson. Farley has shared snippets from newspapers and magazines on his Instagram account before this incident, including a press cutting celebrating the launch of the show "FABlife," for which he served as a producer after moving to Los Angeles.
Giada De Laurentiis and Shane Farley's quarantine made them 'stronger'
While some couples split amid the coronavirus pandemic after all those extra hours at home in close quarters, that's not how things went down for Giada De Laurentiis and Shane Farley. In fact, she admitted that being together 24/7 while the world was on pause actually strengthened their relationship.
"We've been spending every second of every day together, and well, that's never happened for me because I've always been traveling and working," she confessed to People in October 2020. The star continued to highlight their extended periods of time together, saying, "I think it's made us stronger. Truly. I think that's what happens sometimes in these things. You either become stronger or you start to say like, 'Ah, I can't do this.' So it's been fun."
As for how the couple spent their time cooped up, they still managed to pack a lot into their quarantine. De Laurentiis kept her family pretty busy, as she took the name of her cooking show, "Giada at Home," literally by filming new episodes from, you guessed it, home. She gave fans insight into how her daughter and boyfriend both helped her with the show with a behind-the-scenes video on Instagram in June 2020, calling it a "family project." Adorable!