Like many other celebrities, Giada De Laurentiis too faced malicious rumors after her untimely split with husband - well-known fashion designer Todd Thompson. These rumors spread like wildfire without an ounce of proof about what really happened.

The dignified celebrity chef did not let this scandal take over her life. She dealt with it in the most honorable way possible. She kept her head high and dealt with the whole scandal privately. Laurentiis made it her goal to walk around with a dazzling smile, never revealing anything. However, there was a lot more to the secret smile than one can imagine.

If you’re curious, go on and give this article a read. It goes through the very private details of celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis’ life. The road to her current success is quite treacherous, but she went through it all using every ounce of courage she had.

A Lineage of Film Stars

Born in Rome, as a child Giada was not unknown to the world of fame. Daughter of Italian actress, Veronica De Laurentiis and director/actor, Alex De Benedetti, Giada had a good idea of this world.

Since both of her parents were successful in their respective careers, it was expected of their daughter to do the same. Additionally, Giada’s family history reveals more family members in the film industry. The visionary of International Italian cinema, Dino De Laurentiis was none other than her Grandfather. As a child, her family expected her to become an actress since she had passion for acting. However, it was not exactly what Giada pursued.

Teenage Aspirations

As a teenager, Giada had her life planned. She did not want to become famous. Her only passion was becoming a chef. This aim did not involve becoming a TV personality at all.

On deciding a career path, Giada’s parents were very supportive. They advised her to distance herself from the family business and think about who she really wanted to be. Therefore, Giada got herself enrolled at UCLA. She graduated in 1996 with a degree in Social Anthropology. However, this did not help at all. After her graduation, Giada felt more confused than ever before about her career.

Bullying and Change

Giada’s parents divorced in the 1970’s and her life completely changed from this. Her mom moved her and the kids to Southern California. This sudden change in lifestyle was quite shocking. They had to leave all their acquaintances back in Italy behind and start a new life in America.
America turned out to very stressful for Giada. She was bullied by her school mates for her Italian accent as well her name. They would call her "Jabba the Hutt”. It was what seemed like a cruel play on her name.
Soon after moving, Giada found a place in America she could call a safe haven - the DDL Foodshow.  it was her grandfather’s restaurant. She overcame her initial anxiety due to bullying and invested all her time with her grandfather at the restaurant.

Uncertainty and College

After a lot of soul searching and investing her time to graduate at college, Giada decided to give the family business a chance. Whilst spending her time at her Grandfather’s restaurant, Giada found her passion for cooking. She realized she loved being around food. However, she was still unsure if it was a hobby or a prospective career path.
Giada was uncertain about Social Anthropology; however, she admirably ended up paying for her degree. Even though, she could not make a career out of it, the journey made her independent to make her own choices.

Relationship with Todd Thompson

ULCA became a major part of Giada’s life despite her not being able to use her degree in Social Anthropology. The institution is where she met Todd Thompson. She was only 19 when she met him. Who knew they were going to be husband and wife.

When Giada met him at ULCA Todd had no interest in fame or cooking. Everything he learn about cooking, he learnt from her. Todd later became a TV personality himself. She was once quoted in an interview for saying how oblivious her husband was to fancy cooking. However, having a celebrity wife for 20 years made him learn a thing or two about the world of food.

Life at La Cordon Bleu

Giada spent quite some time after completing her degree to ponder her options. After careful deliberation, she decided to turn her passion for food into a full time career. Her next step to pursue this passion was culinary school and so she took it. Her parents were very supportive of her choices.

The prestigious culinary school Le Cordon Bleu was more than happy to accept Giada as a candidate. Therefore, Giada packed up and left for Paris. She had no idea what future life had in store for her.

Taxing Journey

The initial excitement of the journey soon wore off. Giada was beyond stressed in the highly competitive school. She kept second guessing her skills. She often wondered if she chose the right career path. She felt like she was a completely different person.

Soon enough, the stress took a toll on her health. As a result she lost 10 pounds. She found herself once again in an environment where she did not know the language and culture. The chef reported in an interview that the nostalgia was so strong that she wanted to leave school every moment of the day. However, it was her love for cooking that made her get through the journey.

Making a Name for Herself

As soon as her degree was complete, Giada had decided to move back to Los Angeles. She was confident and ready to show her family and friends that she had made the right decision.

As skilled as she is, Giada got a job at restaurants and worked as hard as she could. She built quite a reputation for herself. As a result, Wolfgang Puck (world famous chef) hired her as a chef in his restaurant Spago. This became the ultimate stepping stone in her career.

Despite all the success, the celebrity chef reports she still had her doubts.

Career at Food Network

As she was working as a chef, Giada realized she needed to change things. She aspired to work as a food stylist for magazines. The inclination landed her a job at Food & Wine Magazine.

She was finally content with what she was doing. However, little did she know her career was far from settled. She was asked by an executive at the food network to film an on-camera demo in 2002. Her impressive demo landed her the role of chef in the series called Everyday Italian.

More Than Just Good Looks

As gorgeous as she is, Giada was overwhelmed by the comments she received. She was appreciated for her looks more than her cooking. However, Giada wanted to prove herself as a chef and worked hard at producing the most sumptuous food on the show.

Thereafter, as the series progressed, Giada became known as one of the top culinary chefs in the world. Her show was a hit all over the world. In 2005, Giada published a cookbook with the help of a ghostwriter. The book became a bestseller soon after its release.

Successful Career and Marriage

Giada’s professional life was a hit. Her career was booming but things were also starting to look up in her personal life. Todd and Giada had been together for a decade and it was time for them to tie the knot.

In 2003, Giada was proposed to by Todd and they eventually tied the knot. The celebrity chef says she used food as a token for love. She often made them beautiful home cooked meals.

An Impasse with Flay

The Italian TV star was having the time of her life. Everyday Italian became one of the top shows in the culinary world. This welcomed Giada to appear on other food shows such as Pixie Hollow bake and Behind the Bash. She even competed alongside Chef Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America.

As Giada and Flay worked side by side on Food Network Star, they soon became really good friends. However, during the competition on Iron Chef America, the two got on each other’s nerves. Losing the competition did not make things any easier. It made them eventually take a break from each other. It took them eight months to finally make up.

Cons of Celebrity Life

Like most celebrities, Giada soon realized the downside of being famous. She preferred to keep her relationships out of the limelight but had little success.

Giada disapproved of people touching her. She felt that fans who gushed and touched her were crossing the line. However, she still remained civil and got through it with smiles and hugs.

Smile at Everything

Giada was quite known for her dazzling camera smile. She realized she felt very uneasy in front of the camera. The whole ordeal felt very intimidating to her.

Irene Wong, who was her producer at the time, insisted she should smile through everything. She was practically smiling through every other emotion on the show. This made the star learn quite quickly how to hide her feelings.

Resourceful Goddess

Giada knows her beauty routine well. One of the secret’s behind Giada’s million-dollar perfect smile is her tooth whitener.

Furthermore, Giada uses a homemade facemask to keep her skin looking fresh. Her mask is a simple mixture of baking soda and olive oil. She is very resourceful and uses all-natural ingredients to make her concoctions.

Dieting and Fitness

Being a chef can be a hassle for someone who watches what they eat. Similarly, Giada made a rule to stay away from fattening food and make fitness a major part of her life.

This is indeed the secret to Giada’s excellent shape. She once said in an interview that dark chocolate came to the rescue when she craved something sweet. The kind of foods she cooks on the show are hardly what she actually eats – not because it isn’t delicious, but purely because of its fat content.

Into the Dump Bucket

A spokesperson from the Food Network once reported they have a dump bucket on the show. They dumped the food right after the final cut.

Furthermore, the spokesperson said even if they did not use the dump bucket they made use of sneaky editing. There was no way the celebrity chef could eat that much during the day.

Alternative Strategies

Giada is very strict about her diet and fitness goals. Even though, she cooks a variety of Italian food throughout the day, she barely eats it. Food such as pasta could ruin her health if eaten in abundance.

A clever tactic introduced by Giada herself during the show was having to have a staff member stand by. She made sure that when it was time for tasting she would call them in to try her food. These shots were done in such a way that the audience wouldn’t know who actually tasted the food. When this wasn’t possible, she simply made use of the dump bucket.

Disaster on Ellen’s Show

During her time of peak success, Giada was invited to appear on an episode of the hit show hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. She was asked to teach Nicole Kidman how to make Focaccia.

Unfortunately, the Focaccia prepared by Giada had been sitting a long time before the show. When it was time for Ellen and Nicole to try the dish on the show, it had gone bad. The two ladies spat out the food despite trying another bite of the food. It all ended up in extreme laughter on set and no offense was taken.

Mortification and Second Chances

Giada narrated an absolutely mortifying almost career changing story. She reported being invited to the Today Show to cook for Al Roker. Being a food stylist Giada used her skills to make the food look camera ready. This meant keeping the chicken a little raw. Apparently she had no idea that Al Roker was going to taste her dish.

When he came by the station to try the food, Giada recalls being at the brink of a panic attack. Fortunately, Al played along and saved her from the shame and gave her another chance to redeem herself.

Royal Lasagna

After spending a good amount of her professional career in front of the camera, Giada got used to it. She realized she had no reason be nervous in front of the camera. As an excellent host, she won an award for Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lifestyle Host in 2008. This is one of the highlights of her career.

The celebrity chef had the opportunity to cook for Prince William and Kate Middleton when they visited California. The Prince was once known to have attempted to cook terrible lasagna for his wife. Therefore, Giada chose to make that for the couple.

The Birth of Her Daughter

In 2008, Todd and Giada had a beautiful baby daughter and called her Jade. Giada itself means Jade in Italian; therefore, it became an inspiration for her daughter’s name.

Giada is happy with having an only daughter. She loves spending time with her child. It is difficult to manage being a mom and celebrity chef. She schedules everything very precisely in order to spend as much time as she can with her daughter. She considers her daughter as the best gift she ever received from her husband.

Divorce

In 2014, only 6 years after Jade was born, the couple decided to separate. They decided to keep it private until they revealed it publically on Facebook.

According to the chef, it was a mutual decision. They separated for their family’s happiness yet kept their paths connected. Overall, the whole ordeal ended on good terms.

Job Search

During the course of their relationship, Todd had technically been working with Giada. He appeared on 62 episodes of her show and even designed the chef coats for her restaurant.

After their separation, Todd needed a new job. He was passionate about fashion and so he applied for a career in the fashion industry. He now works for big fashion brands such as Anthropologie. After separation and the newfound job, Todd’s net worth stands at $8 million. Giada’s is around $15 million.

Never Give Up Hope

After the news of the separation went viral, people began to speculate. Numerous vicious rumors of her affairs started to surface. Giada denied each one of them with utmost civility. Shane Farley, one of her producers at the time was also going through a divorce. They became great companions providing solace to each other during this mutual tough time in their life.

Giada had to struggle through this period of gloom. However, the celebrity chef did not give up on love. She was reported saying, “I am never going to say never.” It was her hearty attitude that made her go through this rough journey.

Relationship with Matt Lauer

In 2011, another rumor surfaced. She was heard to be dating a former host at the Today Show. Matt Lauer and Giada were seen in Barbados together. This made people suspect if there was more to this than just friendship.

Giada and Lauer both denied these rumors. She assured the public that they were nothing more than friends. Barbados was just a friendly hangout and a little vacation.

Reason for Separation

Giada, as compared to Todd’s silent attitude about the separation, had something to say. She reported that the reason for the separation can partly be blamed on her inability to give her relationship with Todd the time it deserved. Once when she had a moment with Todd, she had said in an interview that she tries really hard to be wife and a mom at home. She constantly tried to keep her work life separate.

According to the chef, she tried to be a normal person at home. The same person her husband fell in love with at the age of 20. She thought that men want to be treated as kings in a relationship and due to her career she was unable to provide that for her husband.

Priorities and Family

The separation with Todd led Giada to realize that family comes first. She wanted to do everything in her power to keep her daughter happy. She shifted her focus from cooking to take care of her family. She became pickier about how she wanted to work and what hours she wanted to spend with her daughter.

Jade is grateful to her mom for prioritizing her above her work. She adores her mother and she might even follow her amazing mom’s footsteps. Just like her mom followed her grandfather and grandmother’s footsteps.

How to Handle Criticism

Jade and her mom have a deep love for food. Jade loves to spend time at her mother’s restaurant. It is very similar to how Giada spent her teenage years in her Grandfather’s restaurant. Giada became a true role model to her daughter and other female chefs as she was one the first woman to open up a restaurant in Las Vegas.

Giada also taught her daughter how to take criticism. She admits that when she was criticized for opening her self-named restaurant, she spent two days crying her feelings out. However, after the initial discontent, her courage and experience enabled her to let go of the negativity around her.

An Inspiring Role Model

The star celebrity chef is not only a role model for her daughter but also for her fans. She reminds them to be confident in their own abilities. She says that she gets a good night’s sleep every night knowing she did her very best. She spent all that time and energy to serve her customers and provide them with great service. Therefore, she does not need assurance from anybody else.

This inspiring attitude made Giada shed off negativity that came with criticism. As a celebrity, this is something she had to get used to. She was often made fun of for pronouncing those Italian words right. Yes, sadly it was the audience that didn’t know the correct pronunciation.

On the Right Track

The word ‘Spaghetti’ often became the word where people mocked her for her pronunciation. Apparently people think she over-pronounces the middle syllables. The celebrity reported being quite fed up for pronouncing the word properly.

However, Giada did not change her pronunciation. Any self-doubt she had, was vanished by her successful career. She got another boost when she received the recognition and was inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame. One cannot get more reassurance than that.

An Unexpected Choice

Giada is conscious about her diet, but she does not deny herself good food. She makes sure to indulge in some of her favorite childhood foods from time to time.  She is known to have been talented for cooking some of the best Italian recipes around America. However, her very unique personal favorite comfort food is spaghetti with chocolate.

She likes to indulge in a drizzle of melted chocolate over boiled spaghetti. She confessed in an interview that she sometimes likes to have it. It sounds a little bizarre but Giada knows her food. She has a successful career to support her taste.

Truffles Are Not Gourmet

Giada is very opinionated when it comes to food and so she should be. She is a chef after all. She hates the current trends related to food and she avoids it at her restaurant at all costs. One specific trend is the use of truffles in every dish possible.

In an interview she reported, “Just because you use truffle in everything, it does not make you a gourmet chef.” She further reported, “Truffles are specific to season. You cannot use them all year round.”  She expressed her annoyance at restaurants serving everything infused with truffle oil, truffle butter or truffle anything else.

Pizza is Traditional

Although pizza is an Italian trademark, Giada invented a few special toppings of her own. Being a world-famous chef and all, she has an exquisite palate.

She is not a very big fan or pineapple and ham though. She loves arugula, pancetta and prosciutto on her pizzas. Giada knows her Italian heritage well and she stays true to her culture with what she produces in the kitchen.

Traveling Habits

Giada loves to carry snacks when she is travelling. According to her it is one of the most useful tips when traveling. She says that she never eats food served on the plane. Thus, she takes lots of nuts such as almonds, walnuts and Marcona Almonds. She also takes cranberries and chocolate chips as snacks with her.

A loving mom, Giada also likes to carry a photograph of her daughter with her wherever she goes. Furthermore, she keeps a travelling pillow with her. She inherited it from her grandmother, the great Silvana Mangano.

Snacking Habits

Giada is a snack addict, she loves her snacks. She thinks it’s the best way to maintain a healthy lifestyle. According to her, skipping snacks and cravings only makes following your diet more difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to keep your mind and body satisfied.

She says managing snacking is a huge part of successfully following a meal plan. It means you are making good food choices. Going too long without food means indulging in hefty meals which does not promote health. She says popcorn is one of the best low-calorie snacks, it also adds fiber to your diet.

Vacations in Capri

In an interview by Forbes, Giada was asked about her favorite holiday destination. She said it was Capri. Furthermore, she said she goes to Rome and loves spending her time with her mother as well. A house in the Hamptons for the summer is also one of her favorite destinations.

She loves buying sandals from Capri because it reminds her of childhood. This habit has caused her to bring home about 15-20 pairs of sandals! The last time she went, she bought a matching one for her daughter.

Detoxing

Detoxing is a part of Giada’s lifestyle. She cleanses her diet completely a few times a year. She does not necessarily go on a liquid diet but she like to opt for wholesome foods instead. These food items include fish, whole grains and a whole lot of vegetables.

She thinks it’s necessary to feel a bit lighter and relieved. She also thinks it promotes energy to do more. She does not believe in really strict and nearly impossible diet plans. Something that feels like punishment is not on her radar.

Tragic Turn of Events

Giada has been through quite tragic times as well. Dino, her bother, passed away in 2003 at the age of 31 due to skin cancer. Losing a brother felt like her whole world had torn apart. It came as a huge shock to her.

He was one of her closest and favorite people in the world. Whenever she was stuck in something she would always turn to him. The ordeal made her really cautious and so she visits a dermatologist quite often to get herself checked as she believes if her brother had been diagnosed earlier, he would’ve been alive today.

Career as a Voice Actor

Giada had also had her go as a voice artist. She got quite popular for voicing a character called Paulette from the cartoon Handy Manny in 2009. Although, she played as a guest star, it was her first time working off camera. She had to do all the work with her voice.

She was adored for her performance by everyone including her own daughter. Giada has previously worked in children’s entertainment.

Talent for Writing

Giada has numerous talents. Apart from her successful career as a chef, she has also written a few children’s books.

Her children’s book series was known as ‘Recipes for Adventure’. The series was set in different cities around the world. It involved a young female character named Zia who goes on adventures involving food.  Based on many locations such as New Orleans, Philadelphia, Naples and more, the series has eight books in total. The books even contain amazing illustrations making them a popular best-seller.

Another Vicious Rumor

In 2010, Giada was rumored to have an affair with John Mayer. The rumor really got so out of hand. The tabloids and magazines exploited her reputation with this rumor. Many people still believe the story despite multiple denials from her side.

According to her, she has never been romantically involved with John Mayer. She recalls meeting him twice in public events. There was also a time when she spent timed with him with hundreds of people around her for an event. She has not been in contact with him ever since. The fabricated story still remains intact despite the celebrity clearing it up.

Money in Her Name

Giada is a very successful and talented celebrity chef and entrepreneur. She has books and several cooking products in her name as well which are available at Target. It is not a surprise that she has quite a lot of money in her name.

Giada’s net worth is estimated to be around $15 to $20 million. She had to pay quite a price for her divorce, especially considering child support. It came down to $9000 a month; however, she seems to be doing fine.

Stalker Alert

Being a celebrity, she once went through a strenuous time due to an obsessed fan. She had to get a restraining order for it. It all began when she received emails from somebody using the name AA. This person kept claiming he was the father to her child. He kept asking to meet up with Jade.  He said he just wanted to meet up and talk to her.

He confronted her for leaving him out of his child’s life etc. Obviously, he was crazy. Giada reports being terrified after the incident. The whole mess made her fear for her family’s safety. It caused her a lot of emotional distress and so she filed for a restraining order against the man. She also says, it was one of the most draining times in her life.

New Beginnings

After the incident with the stalker, Giada was terrified to travel alone for a while. She had to constantly look over her shoulder for fear of being followed. However, after her budding relationship with Shane Farley, things have changed.

Giada and Farley met back in 2013 when she was working for the Food Network. Now they have been dating for 3 years. They are head over heels in love with each other and have connected in a way she never expected to happen.

Good Times Ahead

As it seems Giada has finally moved on from her divorce. She is doing a good job as a mother and a role model. She had countless fans that are in awe of who she is as a person. Her strength of character is admirable. Her future with Shame Farley looks bright and has promises of good times ahead of her.

The couple seems totally smitten on camera. Once in an interview, Shane described her as ‘warm and beautiful’. Giada still has a good relationship with Todd for the sake of her daughter and family. She wants her daughter to have the love and support of both her parents. She is open to remarrying because according to her,” Never say Never.”