The Food Network’s Giada De Laurentiis may want to pitch a new show idea to the network: cooking for singles or the newly divorced. De Laurentiis announced on her Facebook page yesterday that she and her husband, fashion designer Todd Thompson, are filing for divorce after 11 years of marriage.
“After an amicable separation since July, Todd and I have decided to end our marriage. 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. 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.”
While the holidays bring couples together with diamond rings and engagements, such as Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello , it seems this year’s Christmas got Scrooged for Giada and Todd. Apparently the couple had been separated since last July, but had kept the news under wraps until Giada’s statement on December 29. While the holidays can be lonely, the couple do still have their daughter, Jade, to turn to for comfort.
De Laurentiis trained professionally at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris before returning to Los Angeles to build her culinary career at the Ritz-Carlton Fine Dining Room and Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in Beverly Hills. She later formed her own catering company, GDL Foods. In 2002, she was discovered by The Food Network, who made her the celebrity chef and household name she is today.
Despite the “never trust a skinny cook” adage, the petite De Laurentiis has enjoyed great success and popularity on The Food Network, not only hosting her own cooking shows, Giada at Home , Giada’s Weekend Getaways and Everyday Italian , but serving as co-host for Food Network Star with Alton Brown. She’s also authored multiple cookbooks, including Giada’s Kitchen , Giada’s Family Dinners , and Feel Good Food , the latter of which may come in handy during this difficult time.
On the plus side, if Giada De Laurentiis wants to drown her sorrows with food — and specifically chocolate — she’s posted the perfect antidote on her Facebook page in a recipe for a Chocolate Mascarpone Pound Cake. I guess we know what Giada brought to the table in the marriage, quite literally. Why would anyone let her go with looks and mad kitchen skills like that?
[Photo via The Food Network , from Everyday Italian ]
