Matt Lauer's relationship with women is... complicated. Due to the assortment of allegations that he's faced during the peak of the #MeToo Movement, every relationship the former Today Show host has had is up for dissection. This includes the one he had with the extremely successful celebrity chef, Giada De Laurentiis, who has amassed a net worth of $30 million.
Matt and Giada's friendship has been well-documented over the years and there's just no denying their on-screen chemistry. Giada would frequently come on The Today Show to do their cooking segments and as soon as the two locked eyes on each other, sparks flew. At least, that's how the audience and producers seem to feel. But what about the now-disgraced star and the insanely fit chef?
Here's the truth about Giada De Laurentiis' relationship with Matt Lauer.
Updated November 2024: This article has been updated to reflect the most recent information regarding the truth about Giada De Laurentis' relationship with Matt Lauer.
Matt Lauer And Giada De Laurentiis Had Undeniable Chemistry
Matt Lauer And Giada De Laurentiis Had Palpable Chemistry From Day One
Matt Lauer earned a pretty decent amount from hosting The Today Show. That's a good thing for him as he's unlikely to ever have a major career in Hollywood again. In fact, the former host has been living a quiet life after his scandal made headlines.
However, after Ronan Farrow unearthed the alleged activities behind the scenes at The Today Show, Matt finalized his divorce from the mother of his kids, Annette Roque, and started dating someone completely new. Someone who he has known for quite a few years...
No, it's not Giada De Laurentiis. According to both of them, the two were just friends. But that doesn't mean that they're being truthful. In fact, according to Closer Weekly, there have been multiple rumors about an alleged romance between the two of them over the years. To date, the rumors about something going on between Matt and Giada have never been able to be proven. But there are some important and juicy things to know about the connection the two of them shared.
First of all, Matt and Giada were rumored to have a connection from the first appearance Giada had on The Today Show. Subsequent appearances showed that the two had good on-screen chemistry together. So much so, that many wondered if there was more going on behind the scenes.
In 2011, the two were spotted getting cozy on a beach in Barbados. However, The Food Network star and the acclaimed TV news host were actually filming another segment for The Today Show. Even still, the photos of the two of them holding one another while exiting the ocean like James Bond in Casino Royale was highly suspect and caused fans to look closer at the nature of their relationship.
Less than two years later, the pair had an intimate dinner at Craig Koketsu's Park Avenue Autumn, according to Page Six. While Matt and Giada stressed that it was a business dinner, they once again were spotted getting quite cozy with one another at the exceedingly fancy restaurant.
Giada De Laurentiis' Divorce Sparked Even More Speculations
Giada De Laurentiis And Todd Thompson Were Separated The Year Before They Announced They Were Divorcing
Between the fancy restaurants, the trip to Barbados, and all of those cooking segments, rumors started to fly about Matt and Giada's true relationship. So much so that there was even notable speculation about Giada having an affair with Matt which contributed to her divorce from Todd Thompson. However, it wasn't just Matt whom viewers suspected her having an affair with. Fellow Food Network star and iconic chef Bobby Flay was also thought to have a relationship with Giada due to their somewhat flirtatious and notable chemistry on-air.
When these rumors about her divorce started flying around, Giada explained her relationship to Page Six.
"My long-time friendships with my co-workers Matt Lauer and Bobby Flay are exactly that — long-time friendships."
In 2015, Matt backed Giada's comments by telling TMZ, "From the horse’s mouth we have been friends for 10 years and more importantly I feel bad for what she has been going through."
Given the rumors of Giada having an affair with Matt, Bobby, and even singer and lothario John Mayer, as well as the timing of her divorce, there's no wonder fans have raised eyebrows about it all.
Matt Lauer May Have Almost Gotten Giada De Laurentiis Fired
Giada De Laurentiis Had To Fight To Keep Her Cooking Segment On Today
Aside from contributing to the turmoil of her very public divorce, the rumors of the true nature of Giada's connection with Matt also caused fans to wonder if she would be fired from The Today Show.
According to Fox News, the Food Network star's career was momentarily comprised due to the fact that the producers at The Today Show wanted to create distance between their show and Matt after the allegations of his sexual misconduct surfaced. This included axing everyone who had a close and personal connection with Matt and could have been aware of what he was doing behind the scenes.
Giada's team vehemently denied these rumors and stated that her guest spot on The Today Show was not comprised. With time, it appears as though Giada's representation was correct as she's kept her role on the show. However, what's still not clear is whether or not she and Matt were more than friends.
