Andrew Cuomo and Sandra Lee: How the couple's 'different directions' turned into a deep friendship
Sandra Lee, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's ex-girlfriend, recently opened up about her relationship with her former boyfriend, calling him "family" and sparking speculation that they still might get back together as neither of them is dating other people.
Lee, 53, and Cuomo, 62, were together for 14 years before they broke up in September. Speaking to the New York Times she said that they stay in touch almost on a regular basis. "He's still my guy," she said. "Neither one of us, well, as far as I know, has had a date."
After Lee became well-known following the success of her show 'Semi-Homemade Cooking With Sandra Lee' in the 2000s and went on to build a cookbook, magazine, and TV empire, she met Cuomo at a party in the Hamptons in 2005.
At the time Cuomo was not in a good place in his life as he had gone through a very public and bitter divorce with Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of Robert F Kennedy, and also lost the race to the office of governor. Lee, on the other hand, had divorced KB Home CEO Bruce Karatz after four years of marriage.
After both of them hit it off and started dating, Cuomo's career rebounded and he was elected New York Attorney General in 2006. Four years later, he became the governor and has held the office ever since.
Both of them have been beside each other in the trying times of their lives. Cuomo was there to support Lee when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy in 2015. She has publicly thanked him for being supportive during her cancer battle and subsequent reconstructive surgeries in 2016. Although Lee was barely in the public eye during Cuomo's first two terms as governor, she emerged as an advocate for cancer screening after her own diagnosis.
She also acted as a stepmother to his three daughters from previous marriage — Michaela, Cara, and Mariah. "They’re my family, and they always will be my family," she said. "We share a home, we share children, we share friendship. I will protect him and be there for him until the day I die."
In May last year, rumors of their split started swirling in the media after the couple put their Westchester County home on the market for $2 million. The popular speculation was that Cuomo was engrossed in his work and spent an increasing amount of time at the governor's office in Albany and Lee divided her time between Manhattan and California and that neither of them had any time for each other.
At the time, the couple denied the rumors and said they were downsizing because Cuomo's daughters had grown up and moved out. However, four months later, the pair announced that they had broken up but were still friends.
"Over the recent past, we have realized that our lives have gone in different directions and our romantic relationship has turned into a deep friendship," their statement said. "We will always be family and are fully supportive of each other and dedicated to the girls. Our personal lives remain personal and there will be no further comment."
Even as Gov. Cuomo and his brother news anchor Chris Cuomo become the face of the fight against the ongoing pandemic, Lee has been doing her bit in supporting her former flame in the battle. Apart from keeping up with Cuomo's daily coronavirus briefings, she is helping to direct shipments of ventilators and other supplies to New York, all the while taking care of her ailing aunt and uncle.
She has also been coordinating with Cuomo's 25-year-old daughter Cara, who has been working with her father on relief coordination by directing donors of personal protective equipment (PPE) and hand sanitizers to the right contacts.
Recently, she took to social media to defend her ex amid speculations that his nipples are pierced after a photo of him in a white polo shirt went viral. Although she never mentioned Cuomo's name in the video, she appeared to slam body shamers.
"Body shaming is not OK. It’s never gonna be OK," she said. "And when people are out in the front lines working so hard for all of our benefits, to then turn around and body shame? Shame on you. Knock it off. Do something to uplift people and make the world a better place. Not take cheap shots that are unnecessary."