{"id":7879,"date":"2026-09-22T23:30:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T23:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/7879\/"},"modified":"2026-09-22T23:30:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T23:30:11","slug":"all-about-giada-de-laurentiis-daughter-jade-who-inspired-the-chef-to-compete-on-dwts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/7879\/","title":{"rendered":"All About Giada De Laurentiis\u2019 Daughter Jade, Who Inspired the Chef to Compete on \u201cDWTS\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEED TO KNOW<\/p>\n

Giada De Laurentiis shares daughter Jade with ex-husband Todd Thompson<\/p>\n

Jade is a college student at New York University<\/p>\n

She encouraged her mother to compete on season 35 of Dancing with the Stars<\/p>\n

Giada De Laurentiis is endlessly proud to be the mom of her daughter Jade Marie De Laurentiis Thompson.<\/p>\n

The former Food Network star’s daughter is the reason she chose to compete on season 35 of Dancing with the Stars, which premiered on Sept. 15.<\/p>\n

“I think [Jade] just wanted me to step outside the box and do something that I’m very afraid of doing and try something at my age that I think a lot of us give up on in our 50s, that we’re done, and I think that’s why she wanted me to do it. And I did it,” De Laurentiis told co-host Julianne Hough, after her first performance on Sept. 16, of why her daughter wanted her to do the show.<\/p>\n

De Laurentiis and her ex-husband, clothing designer Todd Thompson, welcomed their only child together in 2008. Since De Laurentiis and Thompson divorced in 2014, they have worked hard to co-parent and ensure that Jade always feels secure.<\/p>\n

“We live a stone’s throw away from each other, like five minutes, which has really helped keep Jade stable and just keep her environment as similar as possible at both places,” she told PEOPLE in 2018.<\/p>\n

De Laurentiis and Thompson have gotten together to witness their daughter’s milestones through the years, including seeing her off to college in August.<\/p>\n

Here’s everything to know about Giada De Laurentiis’ daughter, Jade De Laurentiis Thompson.<\/p>\n

She was born in 2008\"Giada<\/p>\n

Giada De Laurentiis, Jade Marie De Laurentiis Thompson and Todd Thompson
Credit: Giada De Laurentiis\/Instagram<\/p>\n

De Laurentiis and Thompson welcomed their daughter, Jade, on March 29, 2008.<\/p>\n

After announcing her pregnancy in November 2007, the chef told Redbook magazine that when she found out they were expecting, it was “a complete surprise” and “not planned at all.”<\/p>\n

At the time, De Laurentiis and Thompson had been together for 18 years, and having a family wasn’t top of mind for them. “It was never that we didn’t want children; it was more like, ‘If we have them someday, great. If not, that’s fine too,’ ” she added.<\/p>\n

According to De Laurentiis, her brother’s death contributed to this mindset “because I was afraid that we could have a child and lose him or her too.” He died at the age of 29 from skin cancer in 2003.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, though, she made peace with one day becoming a mother when she realized that missing out on the experience “might be the saddest thing” for her.<\/p>\n

Over the years, she has also touched on the decision not to have more children as she has enjoyed her one-on-one adventures with Jade. “I do think that the greatest luxury for me in life is time with my daughter,” De Laurentiis told Haute Living in 2023. “Also, I feel like my time is fleeting with her \u2014 and also, for myself.”<\/p>\n

She loves to cook with De Laurentiis\"Giada<\/p>\n

Giada DeLaurentiis and her daughter, Jade Marie De Laurentiis Thompson, eating.
Credit: Giada DeLaurentiis Instagram<\/p>\n

De Laurentiis began sharing her passion for food with Jade as a toddler. In 2010, when she was 2 years old, the cookbook author told PEOPLE that Jade was already “cooking” with her.<\/p>\n

“She has a kitchen in her playroom with little baby pots and pans and we simultaneously cook,” De Laurentiis explained.<\/p>\n

Jade’s interest in the kitchen continued for a few years, but as she grew older, she began exploring other hobbies for an important reason. In an interview with PEOPLE, De Laurentiis revealed that her daughter wants to make her own path.<\/p>\n

“There’s not one single part of her that’s like, ‘I’m going to be a cook like my mom.’ No, it’s like, ‘That’s my mom and I am my own person,’ ” she said in 2017.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to 2022, De Laurentiis shared that Jade was back in the kitchen \u2014 but to bake, not cook. De Laurentiis told E! News that she hoped food would intrigue her daughter once more in the future.<\/p>\n

“Maybe [someday] when she’s older she might come around again \u2014 but for right now, no,” she said. “But she does like to eat, so that is helpful.”<\/p>\n

Since then, Jade has joined her mom to create dishes together, including baked bolognese.<\/p>\n

She’s close with her mom\"Jade<\/p>\n

Jade Marie De Laurentiis Thompson and Giada De Laurentiis attend the World Premiere of ‘Infinite Icon: A Visual Memoir’ on Jan. 20, 2026
Credit: Axelle\/Bauer-Griffin\/FilmMagic<\/p>\n

De Laurentiis and Jade have shared a special bond since day one.<\/p>\n

In an interview with Parade in 2013, De Laurentiis called her daughter her “best friend.” She added, “We have so much fun together. … We laugh so much, and she’s so inquisitive.”<\/p>\n

Although Jade’s interest in cooking has ebbed and flowed, creating delicious meals has always been central to their relationship.<\/p>\n

In June 2026, the pair held a belated birthday celebration for Jade. De Laurentiis said her daughter’s belated birthday wish was for her to cook dinner for Jade’s friends.<\/p>\n

“She curated the vibe, and we set the table together,” De Laurentiis shared on an Instagram post featuring a video of how they set the table for the occasion.<\/p>\n

She attends New York University\"Jade<\/p>\n

Jade Marie De Laurentiis Thompson in August 2026
Credit: Giada De Laurentiis\/Instagram<\/p>\n

Jade kicked off her first year of college at New York University in 2026.<\/p>\n

In August, De Laurentiis flew out to New York to help Jade settle into her dorm. De Laurentiis’ boyfriend Shane Farley and Thompson also accompanied the pair, as seen in snapshots De Laurentiis shared on Instagram of the move-in process.<\/p>\n

Earlier in the year, the California-based chef spoke with PEOPLE about how she plans to stay close with Jade.<\/p>\n

“I have an apartment in New York and I’m thinking of buying a house somewhere outside the city, maybe in the Hamptons, just so it doesn’t look like I’m going to hang out with her, looking to hang out with her, but I’m there in case she needs anything,” she said.<\/p>\n

She encouraged her mom to be on Dancing with the Stars\"Jade<\/p>\n

Jade Marie De Laurentiis Thompson, Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten in September 2026
Credit: Giada De Laurentiis\/Instagram<\/p>\n

De Laurentiis is competing on Dancing with the Stars season 35 with her professional dancer Alan Bersten \u2014 and she owes it all to her daughter.<\/p>\n

In September 2026, De Laurentiis told PEOPLE Jade inspired her to join the dance competition series.<\/p>\n

“I’ve been asked several times over the years, and I think that this time I said yes because my daughter basically forced me to say yes,” she said. “And also because I just dropped her off at college, and I think that she felt and I felt that I needed to push myself out of my comfort zone and do something totally different.”<\/p>\n

“The way that she is going on a new journey, it’s time for mom to also do the same,” she added.<\/p>\n

After making her DWTS debut on Sept. 16, De Laurentiis spoke with PEOPLE about the lesson she wants her daughter to take away from her decision to be on the show.<\/p>\n

“It’s never too late to face your fears, no matter how old you are,” she said. “I think, especially for us ladies, we get to a certain age and we’re like, okay, ‘I’m gonna hang my hat,’ we’re done. And I think I want her to see that no, it’s never too late.”<\/p>\n

Read the original article on People<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEED TO KNOW Giada De Laurentiis shares daughter Jade with ex-husband Todd Thompson Jade is a college student at New York University She encouraged her mother to compete on season 35 of Dancing with the Stars Giada De Laurentiis is endlessly proud to be the mom of her daughter Jade Marie De Laurentiis Thompson. The<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7880,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[5,5719,7466,7464,8461,8459,8458,8460,6839],"class_list":["post-7879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-chefs","tag-chef","tag-dancing-with-the-stars","tag-de-laurentiis","tag-giada-de-laurentiis","tag-jade","tag-jade-de-laurentiis","tag-jade-marie-de-laurentiis-thompson","tag-new-york-university","tag-todd-thompson"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@dnc\/117317299308215595","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7879"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7879\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7880"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}