Giada De Laurentiis Celebrates Daughter Jade’s 18th Birthday: ‘In Awe of Who You Have Become’

Erin ClementsMon, March 30, 2026 at 3:43 PM UTC

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Giada De Laurentiis and daughter JadeCredit: Giada DeLaurentiis/Instagram -

Giada De Laurentiis celebrated her daughter Jade's 18th birthday with a heartfelt Instagram tribute and a trip to St. Barts

Jade, whom Giada shares with ex-husband Todd Thompson, is heading to New York University in the fall

The chef recently reflected on the emotional transition of Jade leaving for college, calling it a "huge change" in her life

Giada De Laurentiis’ daughter is growing up.

The celebrity chef shared a heartfelt birthday tribute to Jade, whom she shares with ex-husband Todd Thompson, on Sunday, March 29.

“I blinked and woke up with an 18 year old this morning 😭,” she began the Instagram post.

“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,” De Laurentiis continued.

She concluded the message, “You are my greatest gift- I love you more than you will ever know! Happy birthday Jadeyy!!!!

The proud mom also shared a carousel of images and videos documenting a celebratory trip to St. Barts, showing the pair enjoying fine dining and beach time.

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“We have an Amazing Girl/Young Women❤️,” Thompson commented on the post.

Jade is heading to New York University in the fall, and the Super-Italian cookbook author told PEOPLE in January that college will be “a whole new chapter.”

Giada De Laurentiis's daughter JadeCredit: Giada DeLaurentiis/Instagram

“That moment of being a mom is sort of done,” she explained. “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 Food Network alum added that it felt “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 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.”

“She may never live in my house again,” she added. “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.”

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”