Mike Coppola/Getty Images for TriscuitGiada de Laurentiis admits to struggling a bit throughout her divorce, but now she's revealing how she got through it and the exciting new path her life is leading.
The Food Network star chatted exclusively with E! News at the Triscuit Maker Fund breakfast, opening up about her split from her husband of 12 years, Todd Thompson, and how she's moving forward in a positive direction—which includes her new relationship!
"I had a rough year and a half, no question," she explained. "But I think that all of us go through stuff. I checked out for a little bit. I tried to stay under the radar to protect my family and my daughter, mostly. But now I feel like I've turned the corner."
"I think that the pain was so raw for so long that I just felt like I couldn't [even talk about it]," she said. "I think that everybody takes their time to get over whatever it is they need to get over."
Now, Giada says she's finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, telling us, "Life is fun and great and I have so much fun with my daughter and I have someone new!"
That "someone new" is boyfriend Shane Farley, who Giada has been linked to since November.
Thus, she has a bit of advice for anyone who finds themselves struggling, be it in love or anything else: "Life is a big adventure and yes, there are curveballs that come your way. Take a minute. Breathe deeply. But if you're healthy, you can get through anything in this life. You just can."
So what's next for the famous chef? She will start shooting her "Giada in Italy" series for a month in Italy, which she believes will continue her quest in moving forward.
"I think when you go back to your roots it just reboots you no matter what and gives you more inspiration to move forward and to do more creative thing," she explained.
She's also started working with Triscuit, which sort of exemplifies how she's hoping to simplify things not only in cooking but also in life.
"My entire brand is based on the philosophy that simple ingredients make such a difference," she explained. "And for me, what makes sense with Triscuit is because of their heritage and because it was started by an entrepreneur 100 years ago, and it's still here today. It's still the same cracker, and it's still very basic with three ingredients and when you think about it, it's so simple."
She added, "Sometimes I think we over-complicate things in this life, and it goes in everything that we do—it's not just our food. We over-complicate everything that we do. We overthink it. But if we just go to the core of what things are. The core is the same for everything."
—Reporting by Beth Sobol