{"id":83271,"date":"2026-04-24T07:35:51","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T07:35:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/sandra-lee-speaks-out-about-split-from-fiance-ben-youcef\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T07:35:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T07:35:51","slug":"sandra-lee-speaks-out-about-split-from-fiance-ben-youcef","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/sandra-lee-speaks-out-about-split-from-fiance-ben-youcef\/","title":{"rendered":"Sandra Lee Speaks Out About Split From Fiance Ben Youcef"},"content":{"rendered":"


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UPDATE \u2014 4\/23\/26, 6:45 p.m. ET:<\/strong> Sandra Lee<\/strong> broke her silence after ending her engagement and splitting up from fianc\u00e9 Ben Youcef<\/strong>, saying that being single is \u201cscary and exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter a great deal of reflection, I\u2019ve made the decision to end my engagement,\u201d Lee, 59, confirmed via Instagram on Thursday, April 23. \u201cThis hasn\u2019t been an easy or quick decision. Life has a way of bringing both extraordinary joy and unimaginable challenges. Over time, those experiences shape you in ways you don\u2019t always see until you pause long enough to listen to yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

She went on, \u201cI\u2019ve spent much of my life deeply committed to relationships, to family, and to the responsibilities that come with both. I\u2019m incredibly grateful for all of it. But this moment has asked me to look at my life differently and to move forward with a deeper sense of clarity, intention, and honesty with myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lee\u2019s publicist, Jennifer Abel<\/strong>, confirmed to Us Weekly<\/em> on Tuesday, April 22, that the Food Network star had ended her relationship with Youcef, 47, after five years together.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen is a kind wonderful man. I have nothing but respect for him and for what we shared. I truly want him to move forward into a life that brings him happiness, just as I am committed to doing the same,\u201d she wrote. \u201cFor me, this next chapter is about growth, healing, and creating a life that feels fully aligned with my values, my work, and what matters most to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Semi-Homemade Cooking<\/em> host shared her excitement over getting to be \u201csingle and unencumbered\u201d for the \u201cfirst time, in my entire adult life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is scary and exciting all at once. I\u2019m stepping into it with gratitude, grace, and an open heart,\u201d she concluded. \u201cI want to thank you all for your love and thoughtfulness, and for supporting me through the decisions that I make as I move through this extraordinary life.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Original story:<\/em><\/p>\n

Sandra Lee<\/strong> and her fianc\u00e9, Ben Youcef<\/strong>, have called it quits. <\/p>\n

Jennifer Abel<\/strong>, publicist for Lee, confirms to Us Weekly<\/em> that the chef has ended her engagement with Youcef after five years together.<\/p>\n

Lee and Youcef started dating in 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cMeeting Ben was incredible. It was the perfect intersection of timing and chemistry,\u201d Lee exclusively told Us <\/i>in a 2024 cover story, revealing Youcef asked her to take a walk together after meeting by chance at a restaurant. \u201cI hadn\u2019t been intimate in years and years.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Related: <\/span>Sandra Lee Was ‘Terrified’ to Start New Romance After Andrew Cuomo Split<\/span>
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\n\t\t\tSandra Lee wasn\u2019t looking for love when boyfriend Ben Youcef came along. In fact, she was \u201cterrified\u201d of starting a new relationship after her split from Andrew Cuomo in 2019. \u201cMeeting Ben was incredible,\u201d Lee, 58, exclusively shares in her Us Weekly cover story . \u201cIt was the perfect intersection of timing and chemistry.\u201d The [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Lee further revealed that she wanted to take her romance with Youcef slowly \u2014 even waiting to share a kiss until they had been together for two months.<\/p>\n

\u201cI literally felt like a virgin at 55, and I just didn\u2019t want to get involved again,\u201d she told Us.\u00a0 <\/i>\u201cHe finally kissed me, and I stood there stone-still. He kept his lips on mine, and my mind just went blank. I still didn\u2019t kiss him back.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added at the time, \u201cHe waited and persisted, and here we are. My chemistry with Ben is something that I\u2019ve never had before. It\u2019s mental, it\u2019s emotional, and it\u2019s a connection that I can\u2019t even describe. When he kisses me, my mind goes blank. It\u2019s the only time I can meditate, which is why I love kissing him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Youcef was Lee\u2019s first relationship after splitting from former New York governor Andrew Cuomo<\/strong>. Lee and Cuomo, 67, were together for a decade before they called it quits in 2019.<\/p>\n

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Related: <\/span>Celebrity Splits of 2025: Benito Skinner and More Stars Who Called It Quits<\/span>
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\n\t\t\tA slew of breakups rocked the celebrity world throughout 2025. In January, two months after first sparking split rumors, Jessica Simpson announced that she and Eric Johnson had called it quits after 10 years of marriage. \u201cEric and I have been living separately navigating a painful situation in our marriage,\u201d she told Us Weekly in [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI was in my kitchen and he said something, and the minute he said it, I knew what he\u2019d just said,\u201d Lee recalled to Us <\/i>of her decision to break up with Cuomo. \u201cEvery window and door closed. And that was it. He knows what it is; I know what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neither Lee nor Cuomo have gone into specifics of what went wrong, though the politician stressed to Us <\/i>in a statement that he remains \u201csupportive\u201d of Lee.<\/p>\n

\u201cGovernor Cuomo has always been totally supportive of Sandra through good times and bad. She partnered with him, spent time with [his] girls, and handled functions as first lady very well,\u201d a rep for Cuomo told Us <\/i>last year. \u201cSandra and the Governor had separate and busy lives and grew apart over time. Breakups are always difficult and there are always two sides of the story, but the Governor chooses to focus on the positive and he wishes her nothing but success and happiness in the years ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Related: <\/span>Most Shocking Celebrity Splits<\/span>
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\n\t\t\tMany celebrity splits have rocked Hollywood over the years, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin as well as\u00a0Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan. Tatum and Dewan\u2019s love story began on the set of 2006\u2019s Step Up, where they costarred as onscreen love interests. The duo tied the knot in 2009 and welcomed daughter Everly in 2013. [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

While Lee did not elaborate on her past with Cuomo in her Us <\/i>cover story, she said Youcef was a very different partner.<\/p>\n

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