Famous Family
Giada was born in Rome in 1970 to parents Veronica De Laurentiis, who is an actress, and actor/producer Alex De Benedetti. Giada’s maternal grandfather was film producer Dino De Laurentiis, who helped make Italian cinema international. Her maternal great-grandmother was British-Italian actress Silvana Mangano. When Giada was still young, her parents divorced, and that is why she has her mother’s last name.
Famous Family
Difficult Transition
Following her parents’ divorce when she was very young, Giada’s mother moved her and her siblings to California. That’s also when the children took their mother’s last name, De Laurentiis. Moving to a new country was quite the tough transition for young Giada, and it took her some time to learn English and to make new friends.
Difficult Transition
Early Ambition
Even though she came from a long line of actors and film producers, Giada was never interested in pursuing acting herself. In fact, she was always interested in becoming a chef, although she never could have predicted that she would become a TV star. Her parents advised her to explore her options, which is why she actually attended UCLA and studied social anthropology, graduating in 1996.
Early Ambition
Unsure About Her Path
After graduating from college, like many young grads, Giada was unsure about her next step in life. She thought back to her youth, where she spent time at her family’s restaurant, DDL Foodshow, as well as in the kitchen of her home. These memories stayed with her ever since, which is likely what inspired her to pursue cooking as a career.
Unsure About Her Path
Meeting Todd
Her time at UCLA wasn’t for naught, as she learned useful skills and it was also there where she met Todd Thompson, her future husband, when she was 19 years old. She shared that Todd was not so interested in food when they met, saying: “My husband was used to opening cans — Chef Boyardee, frozen food, whatever. He didn’t know much about cooking, bless his soul.”
Meeting Todd
Culinary School
Although she had just graduated from UCLA, Giada decided it was time to take the leap of faith and go to culinary school. She moved to Paris to attend the esteemed Le Cordon Bleu, and for a second time in her life, Giada picked up and moved to a different continent. She began her studies, thinking that she would become a pastry chef.
Culinary School
A Difficult Time
While she was very excited to finally pursue her culinary path, school was tough and she faced pressures that she could have never expected. She shared: “You already know I’m a little person, I lost 10 pounds. I couldn’t eat, sleep, I was so … I didn’t speak French, the classes were in French … I don’t know what I was thinking. The whole time. What was I thinking in this life because I am not that person. I don’t take those kind of risks, but I always wanted to go to culinary school.”
A Difficult Time
Graduating And Moving On
She powered through the difficulties, learning and gaining new skills each day. She finally graduated and she returned to the US, landing a coveted role working at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant Spago in Los Angeles. Afterwards, she began to work as a food stylist, and in 2002 she styled a piece in Food & Wine magazine.
Graduating And Moving On
An Early Demo
Following her work in Food & Wine, the Food Network contacted Giada about her work. She was offered to film a demo for a cooking show, and though she never wanted to join her family business, she decided to go for it, and since the network was impressed, her show Everyday Italian began in 2005.
An Early Demo
Proving The Haters Wrong
Since she didn’t seek out working in TV, Giada was very nervous at first and said she was very uncomfortable in front of the camera. She said: “I think I just wasn’t open enough, I wasn’t secure enough.” Initially, when the show first started, apparently the Food Network received messages accusing them of hiring a model to work on the show instead of a real chef.
Proving The Haters Wrong
Successful Book Release
Despite these accusations, Giada’s show was a huge success, which prompted her to release her very first cookbook in 2005, also called Everyday Italian, featuring 125 recipes promoted as “simple and delicious.” The book was also quite successful, reaching the New York Times bestseller list.
Successful Book Release
Wedding Bells
This was a wonderful time in Giada’s life, as she was working on a hit cooking show, she released a popular cookbook, and her personal life was also going great. She and Todd had been together for nearly 10 years, and in May 2003, they officially got married. It seems like everything was falling into place for her.
Wedding Bells
Some Friction With Flay
Since she was quickly rising star on the Food Network, Giada made guest appearances on other shows like Behind the Bash, Pixie Hollow Bake Off, and also on Iron Chef America, where she competed alongside fellow celebrity chef Bobby Flay. While on the show, the two ended up losing, and while Flay thought that it was funny, Giada took it much harder. This led to some friction, and their friendship hit a low point, with the two not speaking for 8 months. They eventually made up and went back to being “best buddies.”
Some Friction With Flay
Too Much Attention
Of course, being in the public eye comes with a lot of attention from fans, and while it is great to be so accomplished, there are some down sides to fame. She was especially uncomfortable with fans who felt that it was okay to touch her, saying to New York Daily News: “For sure [fans want to get close]. It’s the only place that people expect to see me and sort of be able to touch my brand. I wish I could say no touchy-touchy, but it doesn’t work that way. Since I am a female chef they are a little less intimidated to come up to me, and secondly they just want to thank you for what we do.”
Too Much Attention
Smile Through It
Giada really had a hard time with being in front of the camera at the beginning of her career. She said: “In the beginning it was very intimidating.” She got some advice from her producer Irene Wong who told her to smile through the awkwardness, and eventually she got more comfortable, saying: “I am becoming more comfortable being myself in my own skin, and I think that happens with anybody as we get older.”
Smile Through It
Careful Planning
Of course, something that Giada is constantly asked about is how she can stay so trim while working in the food industry. It does seem like magic, but she has opened up on how she copes with constantly being around good. She said she avoids very fattening food and she has prioritized fitness in her daily routine. She said that she always stashes dark chocolate around the house and in her purses so if she feels a sweet craving coming on, she is always ready. She frequently eats salads and does not often eat the foods that she cooks on her show.
Careful Planning
Does She Eat?
Of course, rumors about her eating habits began to swirl, with people questioning her. A Food Network inside source told The Daily Mail that she “never eats…when she is making drinks and food that she has to drink or eat, they have a dump bucket that is brought out the second they cut.”
Does She Eat?
Professional Tasters?
The source also said that she would sometimes have an assistant “take the bite” of food in her place and that any scenes showing Giada taking a bite were done strategically so that she didn’t actually have to eat the food, explaining that she films so much that it would be too much food for anyone to consume, even if she wasn’t trying to watch her figure. Giada’s spokesperson Stephen Huvane denied these claims, calling them “absurd and completely false.”
Professional Tasters?
Not The Freshest Focaccia
On an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show Giada was featured, demonstrating how to cook some dishes and actress Nicole Kidman joined in on the fun. Things got a little awkward between Giada and Nicole, with Giada teasing Nicole when she said: “Oh my god, the woman who can’t cook made the perfect ball.” Kidman then fired back after tasting the focaccia Giada made and said: “It’s a little tough … I know you’re not meant to criticize, but it’s a little tough,” and then very noticeably spitting out the bite of bread.
Not The Freshest Focaccia
An Awkward Moment
Another awkward TV moment happened when Giada made an appearance on the Today Show with Al Roker. It was her first TV appearance, and a food stylist cooked the food that was on the set. When Al Roker went in to take a bite, luckily he realized before taking the bite that the chicken was still a bit raw. Giada said: “I just froze, my entire body and mind froze. It’s those terrifying moments that end up being the things that can chance your career.”
An Awkward Moment
Cooking For The Royals
In 2008, Giada got an incredible once in a lifetime opportunity to cook for Prince William and Kate Middleton while they were on a trip in California. She decided to make a lasagna for them, after she heard that William once attempted to make lasagna for his wife and it didn’t turn out so well. We’re sure Giada’s turned out great!
Cooking For The Royals
They’re Very Close
Five years after their wedding, Giada and Todd had their daughter, Jade, who was named after her mother, since Giada means Jade in Italian. Although she and Jade are extremely close and she sees the experience of motherhood as very special, she said that she did not want to have any more children as she wants to focus on her career. She shared: “I have so many babies: the show, Todd, and Jade.”
They’re Very Close
Deciding To Split
Eleven years into their marriage, Giada announced on her website that she and Todd had made the decision to divorce. Their divorce was finalized in September 2015. It might not be a coincidence that the year they split up, Giada opened up a restaurant in Las Vegas and spent much of that year away from their California home. Surely all of the time apart did not do their relationship any favors. Giada also implied that he may have felt intimidated by her career, telling Redbook: “I think it can be hard for any man to sometimes be upstaged by his wife.”
Deciding To Split
Todd Moves On
While his marriage to Giada didn’t work out, it seems like he has moved on in his personal life. He frequently posts photos together with his partner, Heather Lacome, an artist from Los Angeles. He and Jade are still very close, and he even shared photos from her middle school graduation where he is pictured with Jade and Giada together.
Todd Moves On
Her New Man
Giada is a very busy woman, but it seems that she still found the time to pursue a new relationship after her divorce from Todd. Since November 2015, she has been linked to TV producer Shane Farley, who is a 4 time Emmy Award winner who has worked on the Rachael Ray show, Steve Harvey’s show Steve, and many more.
Her New Man
What Went Wrong
While it is common for people who have been together for years to eventually get divorced, that doesn’t mean that rumors won’t begin to circulate. People began to wonder if Giada had engaged in an affair. Following her divorce, when asked if she would ever get married again, she said: “I’m never going to say never.”
What Went Wrong
Prioritizing Time Together
While her relationship with Todd might not have worked out, she has always prioritized spending time with her daughter, Jade. She says: “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.”
Prioritizing Time Together
Opening Her Own Place
Giada made history when she became the first woman to open up a restaurant on the Las Vegas strip. Of course, with any such accomplishment, amongst the praise is also criticism, and Giada took those pretty hard. She said: “I spent two days bawling my eyes out.”
Opening Her Own Place
Handling The Critics
However, she decided to hold her head high and enjoy her success without letting anyone bring her down. She said: “We open ourselves up to those critics. 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.”
Handling The Critics
So How Do You Say It?
Something that Giada is frequently criticized for is her pronunciation of Italian names of foods and dishes. Many feel that it is pretentious and annoying. What does she say about that? Well, Giada tells the haters that they’re the ones who are mispronouncing these Italian words, and that she is the one who is in the right!
So How Do You Say It?
Chocolate Spaghetti?
When asked about what her favorite food, Giada’s response was a surprising one. She said that her comfort food is a childhood favorite: spaghetti with melted chocolate. That’s right! She said that: “Once in a blue moon, I’ll still have it.”
Chocolate Spaghetti?
Her Favorite Place
When Forbes asked her what her favorite vacation spot is, she quickly responded that it is Capri. We certainly don’t blame her, since the island is absolutely gorgeous. She said she also enjoys visiting her mother in Rome and she also spends a lot of time in the Hamptons during the summer.
Her Favorite Place
What She Does
Giada has also opened up about her cleanse that she does when she feels like she’s overindulged, perhaps while she’s on all of those vacations to those fabulous locations. She says that she spends the cleanse eating only “healthy, whole foods,” and “After just a few days on a cleanse, I feel and look lighter and find I have more energy during the day. But I don’t believe it should feel like punishment, or come with a lot of impossible-to-stick-to rules.”
What She Does
Losing Her Brother
In 2003, Giada experienced a loss that would shape the rest of her life. Her beloved brother Dino had passed away due to skin cancer when he was just 31 years old. She said: “He was the person I turned to for everything. When something great happened in my life, when something bad happened — I would talk to him 2-3 times per day.”
Losing Her Brother
Children’s Books
In 2013, Giada released the first food-themed children’s chapter book in her series, Recipe for Adventure. The first book focused on the foods of Naples, Italy and included 2 recipe cards. Over the year, she released 7 more books, with locations including Paris, Hong Kong, New Orleans, Rio de Janiero, Hawaii, Miami, and Philadelphia.
Children’s Books
Addressing The Rumors
Another rumor that went around about Giada was that she dated John Mayer. She decided to release a statement about this rumor, saying: “I have never ever been romantically involved with John Mayer,” she explained. “I met him twice at least 5 or 6 years ago at public events along with hundreds of other people. The small amount of face time with John was in rooms filled with other attendees at these events. I have not seen or even heard from him since. The allegation of an affair was a fabrication back in 2010 and remains so today.”
Addressing The Rumors
Target Line
In 2010, Giada collaborate with Target to release a line of cookware and specialty food products. Giada was thrilled about this accomplishment, saying “It is so exciting to pass along my family’s cooking traditions to America’s home chefs. The products I’ve designed for this line are essential in my own kitchen, and now, through my partnership with Target, at-home cooks will be able to make effortless meals affordably.”
Target Line
Second Restaurant
Due to the huge success of her first Las Vegas restaurant named Giada in the Cromwell hotel, she decided that she would open up a second restaurant. In 2018, she opened up Pronto by Giada in Caesar’s Palace. This restaurant is more of a fast casual style restaurant.
Second Restaurant
Giadzy Line
In 2023, Giada released a new line of produced in a range called Giadzy, which is a multi-faceted business that includes an e-commerce website selling high end products, a recipe blog, and more. She said: “For me, creating Giadzy was a necessity because being on the Food Network for over 20 years, they had all my recipes and content from my shows. I felt like when fans couldn’t find a certain recipe or get certain answers, it fell back on me. Which is always the case. My cookbooks aren’t in a store for whatever reason, and it’s my fault. It’s always the cook’s fault.”
Giadzy Line
Impressive Net Worth
Thanks to all of her hard work and her many projects, Giada has amassed quite an impressive net worth over the years. It is estimated that her net worth is somewhere around $30 million. Though her divorce was likely quite costly and she has monthly child support payments, it’s still very impressive nonetheless.
Impressive Net Worth