Giada De Laurentiis moved her 18-year-old daughter Jade into a New York University dorm on August 28, turning a family milestone into a public send-off. She wrote on Instagram, "It takes a village...my heart," after helping Jade settle into her room.
Jade at New York University
Jade settled into her room at New York University, where she is starting college across the country from De Laurentiis, who is based in California. That distance gives the move a clear practical edge: the everyday parent-child routine changes immediately, not gradually, once classes begin and home is no longer nearby.
De Laurentiis also shared the moment with Todd Thompson, her ex-husband and Jade’s father. The two were married from 2003 to 2015, and Shane Farley appeared in a photo with Jade, Thompson, and De Laurentiis during the send-off.
July feelings, August reality
In July, De Laurentiis told Us Weekly she was already bracing for the change, saying, "To be honest, I have really sad days, and then I have really happy days." She added, "I’ve spent most of my summer hanging out with her because I’m trying to hold on," which reads less like a farewell speech than a parent trying to slow down a deadline she cannot move.
She said, "This is an exciting new chapter for her and for me," and in the same thought admitted, "it’s also sad that a 20-year span of being a mother is over," while adding, "I don’t think people talk about how it affects you, especially as a mother," and, "It’s almost like your purpose is done. It’s weird." Those lines give the move its real weight: the story is not just that Jade left for college, but that De Laurentiis is confronting what comes after a 20-year stretch of hands-on parenting.
What the August 28 move means
Earlier in August, De Laurentiis and Thompson reunited to celebrate Jade’s move, and on August 28 the transition became official when she was moved into the dorm. For readers watching from a distance, the useful takeaway is simple: Jade is now at New York University, and the family has already crossed into the phase where the college routine replaces the old one.
De Laurentiis put the emotional summary in one line: "We are sooo proud of you @jademarie_dlt—it’s time to go to college!" That is the cleaner read on the day. Jade has started college, her parents showed up together for the handoff, and De Laurentiis is no longer talking about preparation but about adaptation.
