Giada De Laurentiis Reveals Where Daughter Jade Will Go to College: How They Plan to Stay Close (Exclusive)
- - Giada De Laurentiis Reveals Where Daughter Jade Will Go to College: How They Plan to Stay Close (Exclusive)
Erin ClementsJanuary 28, 2026 at 10:15 PM
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Jade De Laurentiis and Giada De Laurentiis attend the World Premiere of "Infinite Icon: A Visual Memoir" at AMC The Grove 14 on January 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Giada DeLaurentiis' daughter Jade is heading to college in the fall
The proud mom reflected on the "huge change" the next chapter will bring
“It's really exciting, but I think it's also incredibly emotional," she says
Giada De Laurentiis is looking at 2026 as a “new adventure.”
“I think it's going to be a whole new chapter in my life,” the celebrity chef told PEOPLE while chatting about her latest collaboration with Peroni.
That’s because the Food Network alum’s teenage daughter, Jade, is heading to college in the fall.
“That moment of being a mom is sort of done,” she explains. “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.”
The Giadzy founder says it feels “really weird” to be the mother of a soon-to-be college student.
“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 says. “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.”
“She may never live in my house again,” she adds of Jade, 17. “And even if she does, she'll be in her 20s. It'll be a totally different experience. And 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 Jade starts her freshman year at New York University, her proud mom may not be far away.
“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.”
Giada De Laurentiis and Jade
Credit: Giada De Laurentiis/Instagram
In the meantime, the close-knit pair are spending time together and talking about what the future holds.
“She's all grown up now, so I feel like she's almost like a buddy more than my child,” De Laurentiis says of Jade, whose dad is her ex-husband, Todd Thompson.
Some of their mother-daughter time is spent filming a new YouTube series, Everyday Giada.
“To be honest, I only do it because of her,” De Laurentiis says. “She really inspires me to take more risks. I'm not a big risk-taker, I will tell you. I'm very comfortable in my regular life, and I don't love a lot of attention. She loves attention.”
“She makes me see the fun side of things,” she adds. “Sometimes we get jaded in our lives, and so she really helps me to see the fun side of life.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
