Whatever Happened To Sandra Lee?

Sandra Lee, not to be confused with the dermatologist known as Dr. Pimple Popper (who has the same name), has had a remarkable story of success. The chef, author of countless cookbooks, and television personality first came into the spotlight with Food Network's "Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee" which aired in 2003. She quickly rose to fame with her unique cooking concept, as well as a highly publicized relationship with Andrew Cuomo, the former Governor of New York. Lee enjoyed a prosperous career for several years, but unfortunately, she had something of a downfall amid her many health issues and personal tribulations.

During an October 2017 interview, Lee spoke about how she's handled failure in life. "Suck it up, put your pants on and march it forward. Don't wallow in self-pity," she said, per The Arizona Republic. Her no-nonsense outlook toward keeping calm and carrying on has undoubtedly come in handy often, as Lee has endured tragedy several times, many of which led to the chef disappearing from the public eye temporarily. 

In the same interview, Lee also impressed her point of view on work, which may have been part of the reason she practically vanished for a time. "Every day, you want to get up with passion in your heart. Every day you're not doing that is costing you a day of your life," she remarked. Lee eventually made a big return to TV after her hiatus, but only after her fans had been wondering for many years: Whatever happened to Sandra Lee?

"Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee" premiered in 2003 on Food Network, introducing the world to the chef's unique take on preparing dishes at home. The show — which is how a lot of celebrity chefs make their money — led to her Emmy win in 2012, but it ultimately ended after 15 seasons, and Lee seemed to disappear with it.

Over the years, many chefs have raved about how making everything from scratch is so much better, but when they're off the clock, what celebrity chefs cook at home is probably an entirely different story. Honesty in this regard is what set Lee apart, and with her "Semi-Homemade" cooking concept, she created realistic, user-friendly recipes that relied on one simple rule: 70% of your dish can be made up of pre-prepared ingredients, as long as the remaining 30% is fresh. She wanted to give homemakers the ability to put together recipes easily with their very limited time, and have them still taste delicious.

Unfortunately, not everyone has been a fan of Lee's "Semi-Homemade" concept. At one time, the late Anthony Bourdain criticized Lee's Kwanzaa cake recipe, calling it "eye-searing" and "pure evil," per The Observer. However, Lee became a celebrated chef for impressing her at-home cooks with achievable recipes, not for making Michelin star-quality feasts. In October 2011, Lee told Harper's Bazaar, "Why I have had such a huge career and why I have sold over 4 million books is that people can do what I share with them to do."

If there was one massive event that led to Sandra Lee taking a step away from her famed cooking show, it was most likely her breast cancer diagnosis in March 2015. Like anyone who's received the earth-shattering news, the chef was forced to take a step back from her normal life and reevaluate. Ultimately, Lee underwent a double mastectomy which proved to be successful, but she unfortunately had to go back under the knife for a lingering infection that caused further complications.

Lee spoke on "Good Morning America" in October 2018 about how cancer is an awful experience, and not just for those diagnosed. "It's not an easy path for anyone, for yourself or your caregiver, whoever it is," she explained. Thankfully, the chef had her  then-partner Andrew Cuomo by her side throughout the entire ordeal.

Lee also touched on the growing concern of increased diagnoses, adding, "The epidemic is with younger women in their 30s and 40s — 90% of women have absolutely no family history. I did not. Every doctor says it's our environment, they don't know if it's our food, if it's our hairspray, or the combination of the both. And cancer, all it is, is a bad cell going rogue, and you have to be as aggressive with cancer as cancer is gonna be with you at every stage."

Not only was Sandra Lee open about her diagnosis, but she actually filmed her entire cancer journey and had it made into a documentary for HBO. "RX: Early Detection — A Cancer Journey with Sandra Lee" premiered in 2018 at the Sundance Film Festival, following the chef's recovery. As she told the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in January 2017, it's always been important for Lee to be transparent with the public. "My fan base and I have had a strong connected relationship. I take the responsibility of being their friend, advocate and activist to heart," she explained.

Lee had just started her production company when she received the news of her diagnosis, and instead of backing out or putting things on hold, she made this documentary her first project. The chef spoke with Documentary Magazine in January 2019 about her reasons for making the short film, saying, "I wanted to do it because I could not find what I needed for myself ... Going through the process of functioning in your life is as traumatizing as the diagnosis, because all you want to do is scream, 'I have cancer!' and curl into a ball. But what you have to do is walk one foot in front of another every single day to doctor's appointments, and to work, and to do whatever it is you need to do while you're living your life with this disease inside you."

Aside from her impressive career as a celebrity chef, Sandra Lee also became known as Andrew Cuomo's significant other. She had been rubbing shoulders with some of New York's elite when she first met the city's governor in 2005 at a cocktail party, having been introduced by Lee's friend. They had both been in the midst of their respective divorces at the time, but their attraction for one another was undeniable. Cuomo and Lee began their relationship, but remained relatively private about their romance. Although they never married, the chef played the part of New York's first lady well, and she grew close to Cuomo's daughters from his previous relationship.

Sadly, their relationship came to an end suddenly in September 2019. The gossip columns became filled with rumors of infidelity on Cuomo's part, and sexual harassment claims came down on the governor. During an interview with The New York Times in April 2020, Lee revealed her feelings about Cuomo following their breakup. "We share a home, we share children, we share friendship. I will protect him and be there for him until the day I die," she remarked, demonstrating her unwavering loyalty, despite the unfortunate rumors.

Years later, Cuomo was ultimately found guilty of sexually harassing 13 women and Lee's outspokenness about her ex ceased. In May 2024, she revealed to Closer Weekly how she's been doing since the split, stating simply, "It's been a journey. The breakup was startling for everybody."

Unless you were a healthcare worker or performed other essential duties during the pandemic, life came to a grinding halt in 2020. The future of entertainment was unknown for a time, so celebrities like Sandra Lee weren't entirely sure what to do with the time they'd normally be spending on sets. As she told The New York Times in April 2020, "You know, nobody has a daily routine right now. I get up and I see what the latest news is."

Undeniably, Lee's life had changed since breaking up with Andrew Cuomo, and with COVID-19 coverage everywhere, it was an uncertain time. However, she still managed to snag a new opportunity that helped bring her back into the spotlight a bit while boosting everyone's spirits during a period of global instability. Lee was announced as the co-host of Lifetime's annual "It's a Wonderful Lifetime" programming, which included DIY video segments from the chef.

In an October 2020 statement (via Variety), Lifetime's head of programming Amy Winter enthused, "For decades, Sandra has helped time-starved homemakers everywhere make delicious meals, give thoughtful gifts, and create beautiful homes ... She's the perfect addition to the Lifetime family and will provide incredible ideas with easy tips ensuring it's a wonderful Lifetime for all our viewers this year."

After surviving breast cancer and going through a tragic break up, you would think that Sandra Lee had gone through enough devastation for one lifetime. However, the celebrity chef again made headlines in 2021 for an unfortunate circumstance that she couldn't have prevented.

In a February 2021 Instagram post, Lee shared that the storage unit she'd been renting had been broken into and many valuable items had been stolen. This included several costumes, including the entire costume collection from a Lincoln Center production of "Cinderella" and another that had been handmade by Bob Mackie, which Cher wore on "The Sonny and Cher Show." In the caption, Lee wrote, "I'd rather have given them away to a charity so they [could] auction them off and raise money for a good cause. Clearly whoever stole them needs them more than me ... I [am] grateful that I got to enjoy [them] ... eyes welling over as I write this and realize now they're just another beautiful memory."

Less than a week after Lee's storage unit was broken into, she was again targeted. But this time, a masked person had tried to gain entrance to her home in Malibu and the entire incident was captured on her camera. Thankfully, the intruder wasn't able to open the lockbox at Lee's home and nothing was taken, but it likely left the celebrity chef rattled. Lee reportedly upped her home's security afterwards and hired personal protection.

It would take anyone quite a while to mourn the end of a 14-year relationship, like Sandra Lee had to do after her split from Andrew Cuomo. However, she's thankfully found love again — this time, in the form of actor and producer Ben Youcef. The two were first spotted together in 2021, and they've been inseparable ever since. Just weeks after they began dating, Lee was seen sporting an engagement ring, and rumors circulated for the next couple years over whether they were planning their wedding, or perhaps had already tied the knot in secret.

Lee gave some insight into her relationship with Youcef back in December 2022 while speaking with E! News, saying, "We're very connected. We have each other's passwords on our phone. We trust each other completely. There's nothing, there's no question that we can't ask each other and the other one won't be completely forthcoming." The couple's chemistry is undeniable, and they've frequently shared photos of their adventures together on social media.

In a July 2024 Instagram post, Lee shared several sweet snaps of herself and Youcef kissing, alongside the caption, "Best birthday gift ever was Ben! Thank you for chasing me up the street and not taking NO NO NO for an answer! You were right! Thank you God for such [a] wonderful man to get to kiss."

Sandra Lee has overcome adversity time and again, and while her fans would have loved to see more of the chef on television like they used to, her health took priority over her career again in 2022. Seven years after her ordeal with breast cancer, double mastectomy, and post-op issues, she again went under the knife. According to Lee, she had a total hysterectomy after her doctor noticed a change in her cells. Having already gone through the devastating effects of cancer, she decided that the best solution would be to have a preventative operation, which would eliminate her chance of developing cervical or ovarian cancer.

In a March 2022 Instagram post, Lee updated her followers on her healing and demonstrated her gratitude for their support. "... THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for the outpouring of love and well wishes," she wrote. "Regarding the surgery — honestly it was a bit rough, but I am resting (hard for me you know I like to work), I am sleeping a lot and I have set my alarm to stay ahead of the pain relief medication, Lordy this is painful I have to say."

Sandra Lee obviously spent many years either being treated or recovering from health issues, so by December 2023, she set off on an adventure with Ben Youcef. The couple spent the holiday season traveling around Europe, going from Budapest to Vienna and Prague. Of course, Lee documented their travels and her Instagram was filled with sweet snaps of their romantic trip abroad. It seems the two have made traveling something of a habit, as they embarked on more cities around the world together the following year.

Lee shared a June 2024 Instagram post containing an adorable picture of herself and Youcef in Paris, as well as several of the mouthwatering dishes they tried. "PARIS! The Food! Amazing — ate everything in site!" she wrote. "Drank champagne. Dessert! Chocolate. Divine! I wish you were here we would eat and drink and critique all the wonderful rich deep flavors — I love analyzing what I think is in each dish based on the flavors that hit my palette."

The following week, Lee shared another Instagram snap of herself, still in France, in which she shared her adoration for St. Tropez. "I've been almost everywhere in the world, Japan still on my bucket list, but very few places can compete [with] St Tropez — for me. Even the Mornings are Magical and I wish I could bring you and show you," the chef wrote in the caption.

Sandra Lee hadn't appeared onscreen in three years when she finally made her long-awaited comeback to our televisions in 2024. She hosts her latest show, "Dinner Budget Showdown," alongside chef Jordan Andino. The concept is slightly different from her past programs, as it still centers around making great food while stretching your dollars as much as possible, but this time there's a competition element in the mix.

Lee spoke with The Hollywood Reporter in May 2024 about the inspiration behind the show, saying, "This is 'Semi-Homemade' meets 'Money Saving Meals,' which were my two huge shows, with a hybrid of competition ... I based what I want to do around my growing-up television icon, which was Samantha Stevens in 'Bewitched.' I'm like, 'How would Samantha get this on the table?' Four dishes, a cocktail, a tablescape, two wardrobe changes, and you change the kitchen in 30 minutes."

With Lee finally exiting her hiatus, Closer Weekly asked the chef why she'd decided to come back to television after all this time. "We all had a tremendous amount of time off during COVID. It gave me a lot of time to think about content ... I just really love making content for people that will make a difference in their lives and is not just food, but food for thought and food for their soul," she explained.

In recent years, people have been putting more of a focus on their health, whether that's their physical or mental wellbeing. Sandra Lee has spoken about her fitness goals a handful of times over the years, as she documented her weight loss back in 2021, which included a cleanse and an increase in her steps per day. Then in April 2024, the chef was candid when she revealed that she'd tried to use weight loss drugs in speaking with Fox News Digital at a fashion event. "I tried them recently ... I lost 10 pounds, but I was sick as sick could be," Lee said.

It seems like the television chef has now put her efforts into several healthy lifestyle changes, which she spoke about with Closer Weekly in May 2024. Lee explained, "I've always been a meat-and-potatoes girl, but I really like salads and vegetables and smoothies now. I lean into sleep, and I try to be self-aware about when I need time off. Before, I was just running to get everything done. And I'm a bit clearer about what other people's agendas are."