FOOD NEWS
The Tragic Details Surrounding Giada De Laurentiis
by SOPHIA BLUSH
Bullied
Giada De Laurentiis told Redbook that when her family moved from Italy to the U.S., she "didn't speak a word of English," and was relentlessly bullied by classmates.
"Truly, it was horrifying the names they called me, and the teachers never really did a thing to stop it," she said. She won them over by bringing homemade food to school.
Body Shamed
The chef's classmates mocked her Italian name, her accent, and the food that she ate. De Laurentiis was also ashamed of her body from a very young age.
"I developed breasts when I was 9 years old," De Laurentiis said, "I would literally sit in class hunched over because I was so embarrassed about my body."
Teachers Threw Knives
De Laurentiis moved to Paris to attend Le Cordon Bleu after convincing her parents to let her go, but the cooking school wasn't all that she expected it to be.
The chef told Time that the teachers created a very hostile environment. "They threw stuff at us — sauces, knives," De Laurentiis explained, "It is a different mentality.”
Brother’s Cancer
Tragedy struck the De Laurentiis family when Giada's brother Dino was diagnosed with melanoma at the age of 29 and died at the age of 31 in 2003.
When Dino passed away, her outlook on life changed. "I realized nothing can be taken for granted in this life, and you better make the most of every single day," Giada said.
Cheating
The chef has been accused of cheating on her now ex-husband multiple times, including alleged affairs with John Mayer, Bobby Flay, and Matt Lauer.
De Laurentiis vehemently denies all claims, telling Page Six, "My long-time friendships with my co-workers Matt Lauer and Bobby Flay are exactly that — long-time friendships."