Celebrity chef Bobby Flay is best known for his Food Network TV shows like "Boy Meets Grill," "Beat Bobby Flay," "Iron Chef America," "Brunch @ Bobby's," and others. He's also a successful restaurateur in establishments like Bar Americain and Bobby's Burger Palace. Bobby will soon open a burger joint in Charlotte, NC, and has written 14 cookbooks, like "Grilling For Life" and "Bobby at Home." He's got a 2024 cookbook coming out, with "a collection of 100 of my most important recipes," according to Tasting Table.
Videos by Wide Open Country
In addition to having a net worth of $60 million (according to Parade Magazine in 2024), Bobby Flay's personal life has always been a popular topic for fans. Has Bobby Flay ever been married? How many times? You might wonder who his daughter Sophie Flay's mom is or who his significant other is in 2024.
Let's examine Bobby Flay's relationships one by one to uncover some details about the non-professional parts of his life. Along the way, we'll discuss his marriage(s) and who his main partners have been. Once you know more about Bobby Flay personally, you're bound to have a deeper understanding of who he is. Then you can more fully enjoy an episode of "Beat Bobby Flay" on Food Network or a recipe from "Brunch at Bobby's."
Is Bobby Flay Currently Married?
As of 2024, Bobby Flay is not currently married. Over his life, he's been married a total of three times. Since his last marriage ended in 2015, Bobby dated Canadian actress Heléne Yorke from 2016 through 2019. Further back, Bobby Flay was linked to actress January Jones and fellow chef Giada De Laurentiis. He is currently in a relationship with freelance writer Christina Pérez, which went public in 2021.
Who Are Bobby Flay's Ex-Wives?
Bobby Flay has been married a total of three times and is the father to one daughter, Sophie, born in 1996. Let's take a look at Bobby's three marriages to find out more about what made each one special.
Ex-Wife Debra Ponzek (1991-1993)
Instagram/debraponzek_
Bobby Flay's first wife was American chef Debra Ponzek, who graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in upstate New York in 1982. They were "engaged over lunch at An American Place, a restaurant that was located in the Murray Hill neighborhood of New York City, after just a few weeks of meeting each other in 1990," Mashed reported. At the time, Bobby was just 26 years old and soon after started as the executive chef at Mesa Grill in NYC. Debra beat out Bobby to win a 1992 James Beard Award for Best Rising Chef. He won the very next year and Debra presented Bobby's award to him herself. Bobby Flay and Debra Ponzek were married from 1991 to 1993 when they divorced. She currently runs Aux Délices, a specialty grocery store in Connecticut that makes gourmet food to go.
Ex-Wife Kate Connelly (1995-1998)
Not long after Bobby's first divorce, he met Kate Connelly, a former model and TV host. In 1994, Kate was a co-host on Robin Leach Talking Food when Bobby Flay appeared as a guest. Bobby Flay and Kate Connelly married in 1995 and had their wedding reception at Bobby Flay's Bolo Bar and Restaurant in New York. In 1996, the pair had a daughter, Sophie Flay, who is Bobby's only child to date. Kate also had a son named Jonathan from a previous relationship. While married, Bobby and Kate co-owned restaurants in New York City, and Kate authored a cookbook called "Simple Cooking." Bobby and Kate separated in 1998, roughly two years after their daughter was born.
Sophie Flay is now 27 years old and works as a news journalist for ABC7 in Los Angeles.
Ex-Wife Stephanie March (2005-2015)
Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images
Bobby Flay got married a third time to actress Stephanie March in February 2005. She is known for playing the character Alexandra Cabot on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (SVU) from 2000 to 2018. Bobby and Stephanie met on a blind date and ended up staying married for 10 years. While they were married, Stephanie was a guest judge on many of Bobby's Food Network shows. She made appearances on "Boy Meets Grill," "Grill It! with Bobby Flay," "Iron Chef America," and "Throwdown with Bobby Flay." Bobby Flay and Stephanie March separated and then divorced in 2015. Though in two long-term relationships since then, Bobby has not been married since 2015.
Ex-Girlfriend Heléne Yorke (2016-2019)
Monica Schipper/Getty Images for EPIX
About a year after Bobby's third divorce from Stephanie March, he began dating a Canadian actress named Heléne Yorke. Heléne appeared on the Showtime series "Masters of Sex," in addition to various theatrical productions. She is currently known for "The Other Two," originally a Comedy Central series that ran from 2019 to 2023.
During their three-year relationship, Heléne had an Instagram account that focused on the "cooking adventures" she shared with Bobby. Sadly, the account disappeared after they broke up.
Christina Pérez and Bobby Flay's Romance
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Churchill Downs
Since 2021, Bobby Flay has been in a relationship with Christina Pérez. However, People Magazine reported that the pair were "quietly dating for a year" by then. Christina Pérez was formerly the senior content and creative director at Miss Grass, a company selling premium THC and CBD products. Pérez was also both an editor and writer at publications from Glamour and Vogue to Lucky. She's responsible for writing articles that appeared in Architectural Digest, Condé Nast Traveler, GQ, and Harper's Bazaar.
According to People Magazine in 2024, Bobby Flay and Christina Pérez are still going strong. Bobby's recent Instagram read, "Happy birthday to the absolute loveliest and most genuine person in my life. Love you CP." He shared this romantic message to Christina in honor of her 43rd birthday in January 2024.
After all is said and done, it may be tough for any romantic partner to compete with Bobby's love for his cats. Bobby's beloved cat Nacho passed away in 2023, but he has two other felines to keep him and his significant other company.
