Giada De Laurentiis Shares Sweet Sendoff to Daughter Jade: ‘It’s Time to Go to College!’
Giada De Laurentiis Shares Sweet Sendoff to Daughter Jade: ‘It’s Time to Go to College!’
Chiara KimMon, August 10, 2026 at 10:59 PM UTC
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Giada de Laurentiis and Todd Thompson celebrated their daughter Jade going to collegeCredit: Giada de Laurentiis/Instagram -
Giada De Laurentiis celebrated her daughter Jade’s college sendoff with ex-husband Todd Thompson and loved ones at a beach gathering
Jade, 18, is attending New York University, and De Laurentiis has opened up about the emotions she has felt during the transition
The chef has shared several milestones with Jade this year, including her 18th birthday and senior prom
Giada De Laurentiis is sending her daughter off to college!
The former Food Network star, 55, shared a sweet sendoff to her daughter Jade, 18, who is attending New York University, in an Instagram post on Sunday, Aug. 9.
De Laurentiis shared a carousel of images, including shots with her daughter and her ex-husband Todd Thompson, with whom she shares her daughter, on a balcony overlooking the beach.
The trio looked appropriately celebratory, with De Laurentiis and Jade wearing long sundresses and Thompson sporting shorts and a polo shirt.
In a video De Laurentiis shared of the celebrations, she thanked all of her loved ones at the gathering for supporting her and Thompson in getting Jade to this point in her life because “she’s an awesome kid.”
She then gathered Thompson and Jade in a hug, saying, “group hug, group hug.”
Another image showed silver balloons in the shape of Jade’s name, along with a red heart-shaped balloon.
“Celebrating our girl yesterday before we send her off… we are sooo proud of you,” the chef wrote in her caption, tagging her daughter. “It’s time to go to college! 😭❤️.”
The culinary star revealed to PEOPLE in January of this year that her daughter is attending New York University, and she might not be too far.
“She’s going to NYU and 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,” De Laurentiis said.
De Laurentiis has shared the mixed emotions she has felt sending off her daughter to schoolCredit: Giada de Laurentiis/Instagram
The proud mom shared a video of Jade getting her acceptance letter to college in an Instagram Reel on Dec. 14, 2025. De Laurentiis and Jade jumped and screamed in celebration when Jade opened the letter, and De Laurentiis said, “Amazing, you did it, Jade” while wiping away tears.
On another phone, Thompson said, “Jade, this is the biggest accomplishment of your life, congratulations!”
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De Laurentiis has shared several milestones with her daughter on her Instagram in the last year, including celebrating “senior prom for my girl” this spring.
She shared a carousel of images of her daughter, who wore a black strapless dress with a matching black scarf.
The close-knit mother and daughter have celebrated many milestones in the past yearCredit: Giada de Laurentiis/Instagram
Thompson commented on the post, “Love our Jade❤️.”
De Laurentiis also shared a tribute to Jade when she turned 18 in March.
“I blinked and woke up with an 18 year old this morning 😭,” she wrote. “So thankful to spend your last week of being 17 with you Jadey. Your wit, kindness, beauty, laughter, I am forever in awe of who you have become.”
“You are my greatest gift- I love you more than you will ever know! Happy birthday Jadeyy!!!!” she concluded the post, which showed moments of their trip to St. Barts.
In the January interview, De Laurentiis explained that her daughter going to college marked a shift in their relationship.
“That moment of being a mom is sort of done,” she said of the transition. “I’m not done, but she goes to college, so I’m not here day-to-day the way that it has been for 18 years, and so that’s a huge change.”
“It’s really exciting, but I think it’s also incredibly emotional because everything I do with her I feel like is one of the last times I’m going to do it in this way,” she said. “I know people are like, ‘Yeah, but they come home for the holidays.’ But it’s different. They don’t live in your house anymore.”
The chef added, “I only have one kid, so I’m one and done. So I think it’s emotional, exciting, all wrapped up in one, and it’s a lot to navigate through.”
When De Laurentiis and Jade were touring colleges in March 2025, the chef told PEOPLE, “I’m super excited for her to fly and find herself and be who she wants to be, but at the same time, it’s incredibly sad. I’m gonna miss her terribly.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
