Giada De Laurentiis Gets Emotional as She Drops Her Lookalike Daughter Jade Off at College – AOL
The Gist
Giada De Laurentiis recently moved her daughter Jade into her college dorm.
The Food Network star gave her only child a bittersweet send-off in a new Instagram post.
“It takes a village,” De Laurentiis wrote.
Giada De Laurentiis’s daughter Jade is all grown up. On August 28, the Food Network star gave her only child, 18, a bittersweet send-off as she moved into her college dorm.
“It takes a village…my heart,” De Laurentiis captioned her latest Instagram post, which saw Jade settle into her room at New York University. The chef helped her daughter unpack her clothes in one slide, while in a separate snapshot, Jade posed for a photo with her mom and dad.
Giada De Laurentiis and her daughter Jade on January 20, 2026.Credit: Getty Images
De Laurentiis shares Jade with her ex-husband Todd Thompson, to whom she was married from 2003 to 2015. Her current partner, Shane Farley, also appeared alongside Jade and Thompson in the aforementioned portrait.
Thompson and De Laurentiis, 56, reunited earlier this month to celebrate Jade’s move. The three of them were joined by family and friends as they enjoyed lunch by the beach, as depicted in De Laurentiis’s Instagram carousel.
Giada De Laurentiis and Todd Thompson in 2014.Credit: Getty
“Celebrating our girl yesterday before we send her off,” she wrote. “We are sooo proud of you @jademarie_dlt—it’s time to go to college!”
For the occasion, De Laurentiis sported a breezy white sundress and a wide-brimmed straw hat, while her lookalike daughter opted for a yellow floral maxi, pairing it with gold hoops and a dainty necklace.
Speaking to Us Weekly in July, De Laurentiis opened up about her daughter moving out of the house.
Giada De Laurentiis in 2025.Credit: Getty
“To be honest, I have really sad days, and then I have really happy days. I’ve spent most of my summer hanging out with her because I’m trying to hold on. I think there’s part of me that’s like, ‘This is an exciting new chapter for her and for me,’ but it’s also sad that a 20-year span of being a mother is over,” she said.
De Laurentiis is based in California, meaning that her daughter will be across the country. “I don’t think people talk about how it affects you, especially as a mother,” she explained. “It’s almost like your purpose is done. It’s weird.”
Read the original article on InStyle