Not too long ago, the tabloids went wild over Giada De Laurentiis. Well, the rumors were more about her split from fashion designer Todd Thompson. Still, people created their own malicious theories about the split, of course, without having any idea as to what really went on behind closed doors. But I guess that’s just part of being a celebrity.
Chef superstar Giada De Laurentiis handled the scandal with dignity and grace. And a nice amount of her favorite comfort food – spaghetti and chocolate – didn’t hurt. Above all, she kept smiling. Behind that bright smile, though, lie all sorts of tales and trials. This is everything there is to know about chef Giada and the tumultuous path that led her to where she is today.
She Comes From a Family of Stars
Giada was born in Rome, Italy, to Italian actress Veronica De Laurentiis. Her father, Alex De Benedetti, was an actor, too, as well as a producer. Given the fact that both of her parents had successful careers in the foreign film industry, it doesn’t really come as a surprise that their daughter would find fame, too.
The apple didn’t fall far from the tree in this family, as the acting bug goes even further back – to the previous generation. The family tradition of working in movies goes back to her maternal grandfather Dino De Laurentiis, a producer who helped popularize Italian cinema across the world. It only seemed natural for Giada to have a passion for acting. But she didn’t…
She Wasn’t Interested in Fame
Unlike most high school students, Giada didn’t crave fame. Instead, she focused on being a chef. But she never aimed to become a TV personality. Her parents actually advised her to take some time to think about what she wanted to do with her life rather than jump straight into the family business.
They told her when she was young: “You can’t possibly know what you want to do, so why don’t you buy yourself some time?” Their advice was taken, and Giada enrolled at UCLA, and in 1996, she graduated with a degree in Social Anthropology. Then, like many graduates, by the time she finished, she was even more clueless about her future.
She Came to America Without Speaking a Word of English
In the 1970s, following her parents’ divorce, Giada moved to Southern California. It was a big change for her and her siblings as they had to leave all their friends behind in Italy. When she arrived in the United States, Giada didn’t speak a word of English, and the other kids were quick to pick up on it.
Giada recalls the kids calling her cruel names. They nicknamed her “Jabba the Hutt,” a mean play on her name. She was able to find some solace at her grandfather’s restaurant, DDL Food show. It was her grandfather who helped her overcome the bullies in her life.
Discovering Her Passion for Cooking
It was also at her grandfather’s restaurant that Giada discovered her true passion: cooking. She started to develop a love of food, but she was unsure as to whether it would be a hobby or a career path. Her uncertainty about her future is why her family encouraged her to study before making any big decisions.
Giada actually paid her own way through school, which is admirable. When she graduated, she was unsure about Social Anthropology being the right fit for her. Would it provide her with fulfillment? Maybe it was time for her to try out the family business?
She Met Todd Thompson at UCLA
Even if Social Anthropology wasn’t what she went with as a career path, going to UCLA proved to be the right choice. It was a significant part of her journey because it was there that she met her future husband, Todd Thompson. Giada was only 19 years old when they met.
Todd also went on to become a TV personality, but at the time, he had zero interest in either cooking or fame. In fact, Giada much taught him pretty much everything he knows about cooking. She once said: “My husband was used to opening cans — Chef Boyardee, frozen food, whatever. He didn’t know much about cooking, bless his soul.”
Getting Accepted to Le Cordon Bleu
Being with Giada for two decades, Todd managed to pick up a few tips. But we’ll elaborate on that later. After weighing her options, Giada decided to follow her passion for food. Her parents both agreed that she was on the right path, and she applied to a highly competitive culinary school.
Giada was amazed to hear that she was accepted into the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu school. The recent graduate packed her bags again and prepared to leave America for the romantic city of Paris. She could never have anticipated what lay in store for her there.
She Regretted Her Decision at First
After arriving in Paris, Giada was excited to start her studies at Le Cordon Bleu. However, once school started, she started to doubt whether she had made the right decision or not. “I don’t know what I was thinking—the whole time. What was I thinking in this life because I am not that person,” she said.
Culinary school is a highly stressful environment, and Giada grew very strained. As a result, she lost 10 pounds. She was again living in a foreign country where she didn’t speak the language. She found herself missing home. The only thing that kept her going was her love of cooking.
Earning a Reputation in the Industry
By the time she finished her culinary studies, she was ready to move back to Los Angeles. She was prepared to prove to herself (and her doubters) that she made the right decision. At first, she found work in several restaurants, and slowly but surely, she built a reputation as a talented chef.
Soon enough, she was hired as a chef at Spago, a restaurant owned by the world-famous celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. It was at Spago that Giada proved herself to be a fully capable chef. Nonetheless, Giada was still doubting her career choice.
Getting Scouted by the Food Network
Giada was successful, but she still craved a change of scenery. She transitioned from being a chef to working as a food stylist for food magazines. Eventually, she landed a gig working for Food & Wine magazine. She was happy enough at that point, but her career was far from settled.
In 2002, an executive from the Food Network spotted Giada and insisted that she tape an on-camera demo tape. The demo was impressive, and soon enough, a series called Everyday Italian was launched by the network. Giada recalled her anxiety: “I think I just wasn’t open enough; I wasn’t secure enough.”
Proving the Nay-Sayers Wrong
Once Everyday Italian debuted, the comments started flooding in. Critics wrote that the network had brought in a model or actress instead of an authentic and qualified chef. But Giada saw it as an opportunity to prove them all wrong.
As the show progressed, Giada became a top chef in the culinary world. Everyday Italian was a major hit for the Food Network, and in 2005, a ghostwriter helped Giada release a cookbook. Like the show, the book was also a hit and quickly reached the top of the best-seller lists.
Cooking Was Her Way of Saying “I Love You”
Not only was Giada an instant hit, but things also started to blossom in her personal life too. By that point, she and Todd had already been together for about a decade. And they weren’t even married! So, they decided that it was about time to walk down the aisle and make it official.
Todd proposed, Giada said yes, and, in 2003, the couple wed. During their marriage, Giada admitted she showed him how much she cared by cooking for him. She made him home-cooked meals often as her way of saying, “I love you.”
Feeling the Friction With Bobby Flay
Giada’s career blossomed, and Everyday Italian was on everyone’s radar. She also made appearances on other food shows like Behind the Bash, Pixie Hollow Bake Off and even competed on Iron Chef America with fellow network chef Bobby Flay.
Giada and Flay were friends and co-hosted Food Network Star. But their time on Iron Chef America led to some serious friction between the two chefs. A passionate chef, Giada was disappointed in their loss, whereas Flay “thought it was funny.” The tension led to an eight-month hiatus from their friendship. Eventually, though, they reconciled.
No Touchy-Touchy
Most celebrities learn at one point that being famous isn’t always fun and games. There is a real downside to being a celebrity. Both Todd and Giada tried to keep their relationship out of the public eye, but they weren’t so good at it.
Giada found herself getting harassed by fans who felt like they actually knew her. People would rush up to her and gush over her. For some, it may be flattering, but Giada didn’t like all the attention. She once said: “I wish I could say no touchy-touchy.” Nevertheless, she put on a smile…
It’s All About the Smile
Giada’s bright smile is one of her trademarks, but the truth is that it doesn’t actually come naturally to her. She started out feeling uneasy in front of the camera. “In the beginning, it was very intimidating,” she admitted. Her producer, Irene Wong, kept insisting that Giada smile through everything, even if she didn’t feel like it.
She took it to heart and started implementing it into her life. If she lifted something heavy, she smiled. If she accidentally burned herself, she grinned. Whatever happens, Giada has to smile. In other words, she was learning how to hide her feelings.
The Secret Behind Her Smile
There’s a secret behind Giada’s award-winning smile: tooth whitener. Giada says that she stores it in her fridge. It’s her secret to keeping that smile picture-perfect. In addition to tooth whitener, Giada also keeps something else in her kitchen – something that also has nothing to do with cooking.
She keeps a homemade face mask in her kitchen. The trick is mixing baking soda and olive oil, which moisturizes her skin and fights blemishes. In fact, most of her concoctions are made of ordinary foods that can be found in any kitchen. Talk about resourceful!
She Doesn’t Eat the Food She Cooks on the Show
Giada may be an excellent chef, but she also watches what she eats. She makes sure to avoid fattening foods and made fitness a huge part of her life. It’s clearly the reason why she’s been able to stay in excellent shape, despite being surrounded by food all the time.
Giada confessed that she keeps dark chocolate in her fridge (next to her teeth whitener) as well as in her handbags so that she can easily ease her cravings for something sweet. On the set of her show, she eats salads. Ironically, she rarely eats the type of food she cooks on her show.
The Dump Bucket
A spokesperson for the Food Network stated that Giada “Never eats. Never… They have a dump bucket that is brought out the second they cut.” It may seem as though the star chef has an eating disorder, but that’s not the case.
The spokesperson explained that the designated dump bucket is there because Giada is making multiple meals throughout the day. There is simply no way she could eat all those meals, even if she wasn’t someone who was watching what she ate. Reportedly, the shots we see of her taking a bite of her food are actually thanks to sneaky editing.
She Gets Staff Members to Do All the Tasting
When it comes to food, too much of anything can become a problem. Being an Italian chef, Giada naturally cooks a lot of pasta. She can’t realistically indulge in all those taste tests if she wants to stick to her health and fitness goals.
So, she has staff that stands in whenever a taste test is due. A cool job, right? These shots are always shot as close-ups so that no one watching the show can really tell that a different woman is tasting the pasta. Other times, as we now know, the food will go straight into the dump bucket.
The Time Nicole Kidman Spit Out Giada’s Food on Ellen
Giada made an appearance on an episode of Ellen DeGeneres. The other guest was Nicole Kidman, who asked Giada to teach her and Ellen how to make focaccia. Both Ellen and Nicole took a bite out of Giada’s pre-made focaccia, but Kidman spat out her bite every time.
Why? Well, apparently, it was because the focaccia had been sitting out for hours. Giada said she wasn’t offended. On the contrary, the three women had a big laugh over the whole thing. Giada is a celebrity chef, after all, and has experienced her food being spat out before. Heck, she herself spits it out!
The Time She “Just Froze” on the Today Show
Back in her early career days, Giada was asked to cook for Al Roker on the Today Show. Since she had experience as a food stylist, she knows how to make a dish look good on screen. But this time around, making the dish look the best it could meant the chicken had to be a little raw. For some reason, no one warned Roker that this was the plan.
When the host went in to take a bite, Giada said she “just froze.” Her “entire body and mind froze. It’s those terrifying moments that end up being the things that can change your career.” Luckily for her, Roker was understanding, and Giada was able to redeem herself.
The Time She Cooked for the Prince and Duchess
After years in the food business, Giada had no reason to be nervous on camera. In 2008, she earned herself a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lifestyle Host. It’s definitely an admirable win, but for the chef, there was another moment that stood out as a career highlight.
When Prince William and Kate Middleton came to L.A., Giada had the honor of cooking for them. She heard a humbling story about the prince having once tried to make lasagna for his wife, only to fail at it. So, it inspired Giada to make lasagna for the couple, and it went down smoothly.
Her One and Only Jade
Five years after they tied the knot, Todd and Giada had their first and only daughter, a girl they named Jade. The name “Giada” actually means “jade” in Italian, which is where the inspiration came from. Giada cherishes every moment she spends with her daughter.
She said she’s content with having just one child. Being a mom is hard work and having Jade means she can schedule her work and travels carefully so she can spend time with her daughter. Being a mom comes easily to her, but marriage is another story…
It Came Time to Go Their Separate Ways
Six years after Jade came into their lives, the couple decided that splitting up was the right thing for them to do. They kept their separation to themselves, but eventually, the cat was out of the bag. They announced their split on Facebook in 2014.
Giada stated that the separation was amicable, and her focus was on keeping her family happy. She explained the reason for their decision to break up, citing “the overwhelming desire for their family’s happiness has given them the strength to move forward on separate, yet always connected paths.”
Todd’s Passion for Fashion
Between 2008 and 2014, Todd appeared in a total of 62 episodes of Giada’s TV series, Giada at Home. He also designed the chef coats at her restaurant in Las Vegas. When the two separated, Todd was naturally in need of a new job.
He had a passion for fashion, so he pursued his career in the fashion industry. He now works for Anthropologie and other big brands. With his new job and high-profile celebrity divorce, he’s made a name for himself, as well as an estimated net worth of $8 million.
She Never Says Never
Once the separation hit the media, rumors started circulating. People were quick to assume that Giada had had an affair. Giada adamantly denied the lies. One of her producers at the time, Shane Farley, was going through a divorce as well.
The two of them were able to support one another through such hard times. Eventually, their friendship blossomed into something more. While Giada was struggling with her separation, she couldn’t give up on love. She told a number of publications that she’s open to the idea of love and repeated the phrase: “I’m never going to say never.”
Did She Go Out With Matt Lauer?
Another rumor started going around that Giada was dating former Today host Matt Lauer back in 2011. Evidently, the two TV personalities were spotted together in Barbados. So, it’s only natural that people assumed the two were more than just friends.
However, Giada denied these rumors as well. Although she and Lauer are friends, she assured her fans that they were just hanging out and that no further speculation was necessary. Lauer also denied the rumors. And really, who said men and women can’t be just friends, after all?
She Basically Upstaged Todd
Todd had been very quiet about the couple’s separation, but Giada claimed that part of the relationship’s demise was her not being able to give him the kind of attention she had once showered him with. In 2011, she said, “I think it can be hard for any man to sometimes be upstaged by his wife. So, when I’m home, I work very hard to be Todd’s wife and Jade’s mother.”
She added that she tried to be “the young girl that he met 20 years ago and fell in love with. All men want to be treated like kings in a relationship, and I think if women don’t indulge that sometimes, their men are likely to stray and look for someone who can give that to them.”
Family Will Always Come First
Ultimately, the whole experience of going through a divorce reminded Giada that nothing’s more important than family. She has always been passionate about food and her career, but she is more focused on her daughter and her happiness than ever before.
“I still work a lot, but I’m a lot pickier than I used to be. And simply because I want to be with Jade.” Obviously, the more Jade gets to be with mommy, the happier she is. Who knows – maybe Jade will follow in her mother, grandmother and great-grandfather’s footsteps, too?
The First Female Restaurant Owner on the Strip
Something Jade and her mom have in common is a love of food. Jade, now in her early teens, spends her free time in Giada’s restaurant, just as Giada herself spent her teen years in her grandfather’s restaurant. Giada was actually the first woman to open a restaurant on the Las Vegas strip.
With that, Giada has learned to take criticism well. When the opening of her restaurant sparked criticism, Giada admitted, “I spent two days bawling my eyes out.” Following that disappointment, her strength and experience meant she was able to overcome the negativity of those around her.
The Art of Handling Criticism
Giada likes to remind her fans that it’s important to be confident in their abilities. “We open ourselves up to those critics,” she said. “I feel like I have my iconic dishes, my restaurant does really well, I do my best to deliver great service and great food, and that is the job that I have.”
As a result of her positive attitude, Giada found herself rising above the criticism. As a TV personality, it’s just something she has to get used to. If Giada ever finds herself filled with self-doubt, she just needs to glance at her culinary successes. She was inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame in 2012, for one, and you can’t really get more reassurance than that!
It’s “Spi-GHE-tee”
She also has something to say to anyone who makes fun of her accent: She’s pronouncing those Italian words correctly. WE pronounce them wrongly. People have mocked Giada over the years for the way she pronounces the word “spaghetti,” for instance.
She enunciates on the middle syllable, so it sounds like “spi-GHE-tee.” As it turns out, pretty much, everyone else has been saying it wrong all this time. And Giada is fed up with those who make fun of her for pronouncing it properly.
Spaghetti With What?!
Giada may take pride in the way she nurtures her body, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t eat junk food now and then. The star chef occasionally likes to indulge in comfort food and has a particular soft spot for one of her favorite childhood dishes.
Her favorite food is spaghetti with… melted chocolate! She confessed: “Once in a blue moon, I’ll still have it.” Oh my. But before you turn your nose up at this strange-sounding dish, just remember that Giada is indeed an award-winning chef. In other words: She knows what she’s doing.
You Won’t Find This on Her Menu
There’s one food trend that Giada is sick of, and it’s something you will certainly not find on her menu. And that’s truffles. She told Bravo’s The Feast that “truffles – truffle oil, truffle butter – truffles are something that should only be used when in season.”
She explained that since they are a specific flavor, they should be used delicately. “I don’t think they should be added to everything under the sun. It doesn’t make you more of a gourmet cook to use truffle in everything.” You hear that, folks?
Traveling and Snacking
Here’s a fun fact about Giada: She always travels with snacks. She was asked once for her best travel tip, to which she told Forbes: “I travel with snacks, always. I don’t eat on planes. Trail mix. Walnuts, almonds, Marcona almonds, chocolate chips, cranberries. I take little bags of that with me. It really helps.”
Snacks aren’t the only thing Giada brings with her on the plane. She also takes a photo of her daughter when she travels, along with a pillow that once belonged to her grandmother, Silvana Mangano. Yes, THE Silvana Mangano.
It’s All About the Right Snacks
Giada is known for her small frame, and she advocates adopting a healthy lifestyle. Part of it is indulging in snacks when she gets hungry. She warns dieters not to skip snacks because it will only make you hungrier in the long run.
“Managing hunger is so important to making good food choices,” she stated. If you go too long between meals, then you’re suddenly ready to eat a loaf of bread with a pound of pasta for dinner. “Popcorn is a fantastic low-calorie snack option – it even adds some much-needed fiber – and can be dressed up with so many delicious flavors.”
Her Vacation Tradition
Forbes asked Giada about her favorite holiday destination, and she answered: Capri. She also loves visiting her mother in Rome and renting a house in the Hamptons with her daughter every summer. Giada has a tradition that she carries out…
When she’s in Capri, Giada buys sandals. It’s actually a tradition that began when she was a little girl. Over the years, she said she acquired at least 15-20 pairs. Her last pair were gold and white slip-ons, and she bought a matching pair for her daughter, too.
When Tragedy Strikes
In 2003, Giada received some tragic news. Her brother Dino died of skin cancer, and he was only 31. The death came as a shock to her and tore her world apart. She told ET: “He was the person I turned to for everything.”
Whenever something great happened in her life, or when something bad happened, she would talk to him “two to three times per day.” The loss of her brother inspired her to encourage people to get their skin checked regularly by a dermatologist. If they had caught it earlier, her brother “would still be alive today.”
Have You Ever Seen Handy Manny?
Did you know that Giada was once on a popular kid’s TV show? Back in 2009, she voiced a character named Paulette in the series Handy Manny. She was only a guest star, but the experience was her first in acting off-camera. Without that signature smile, she had to rely on her voice alone.
Everyone loved her appearance, including her daughter. But that wasn’t the only time she got involved with children’s entertainment, though. In addition to her own cookbooks, Giada also wrote a series of children’s books. Recipe for Adventure was published in cities around the world, telling the story of a girl named Zia who has adventures in different foodie locations.
No, She Didn’t Have a Fling With John Mayer
When people hear the name Giada De Laurentiis, their minds might quickly scan to the scandalous news that made the tabloids several years ago. In 2010, Giada was accused of having an affair with musician John Mayer.
And even though she denied it, many still think she did. “I have never ever been romantically involved with John Mayer,” she stated. “I met him twice at least 5 or 6 years ago at public events along with hundreds of other people… I have not seen or even heard from him since.”
Her Net Worth
Given that she is a talented TV chef as well as a writer and entrepreneur, it’s no surprise that Giada has amassed a significant amount of money. In addition to the cookbooks and TV appearances, she has a range of cooking products that people can buy at Target.
Thus, her net worth is estimated to sit somewhere between $15 and $20 million. Her divorce cost her a pretty penny, along with $9,000 per month in child support, but she’s clearly doing pretty well for herself. I think it’s safe to say that finances aren’t her concern.
Filing a Restraining Order on a Fan
Giada had to file for a restraining order once after being harassed by a fan. She received emails from a mysterious “AA” who had claimed to be the father of her child. He would send her messages saying: “It would mean a lot to me to see her again, and I think she feels the same way. So, if you want to make G happy, let us see each other and talk…”
It came to the point where he confronted her, and Giada admitted to being terrified. “His statements placed me in fear for myself and my family and caused me to suffer substantial emotional distress.” Of course, the restraining order was the only option.
Giada and Shane
Giada may be looking over her shoulder ever since her stalker made contact, but now she’s got Shane Farley on her side. The couple has been dating since November of 2015, even though they met back in 2013 when they worked on the talk show with Bobby Flay.
Farley said of her: “I just thought she was really smart and funny, and I thought, ‘God, she would be a great host for a show.’” The show never came to fruition, but after spending half a year single, Giada and Shane connected. As she said, she never says never.
The Future Is Bright
Giada seems to be doing a wonderful job being a mother and making a living doing what she loves. Her relationship with Farley seems to be going well, too, and her future looks bright. In interviews, the couple seems smitten with one another.
Shane described Giada as “warm and absolutely beautiful.” As for Todd and Giada, the exes have managed to remain amicable, which means Jade gets the support of both her loving parents. And as for remarriage? “I’m never going to say never,” Giada said.