The Truth About Andrew Cuomo And Sandra Lee's Relationship

Andrew Cuomo's ex-girlfriend Sandra Lee recently made headlines for a statement she made on Instagram Story defending the New York governor amid some controversy regarding his (now we know) non-existent nipple rings. As readers may have heard, photos of Cuomo wearing a white polo shirt while speaking to the community went viral because his nipples looked a little... unusual, according to New York Magazine. 

The internet got so caught up in the mystery regarding the 62-year-old governor's nipples and potential piercings that his former lover felt the need to butt in. At the end of March 2020, Lee, 53, took to Instagram to tell "body shamers" to "knock it off" and concentrate on what the politician is doing to fight the coronavirus crisis (his brother, Chris Cuomo, tested positive for COVID-19), rather than on his physical appearance (per Page Six). 

Now, given the extra attention on these exes, people are curious about Lee's close relationship with Cuomo post-split and wondering why the two broke things off in the first place.

Andrew Cuomo and Sandra Lee — a television chef and author — met at a summer party in the Hamptons in 2005 after being introduced by Alexandra Stanton, one of Lee's best friends and Cuomo's former aide, People reported. They dated for 14 years before splitting in September 2019.

In 2011, Cuomo became the governor of New York, which made Lee the state's de facto First Lady. The two blended their lives and shared homes in Chappaqua and Poughkeepsie. One of their most well-known homes was a six-bedroom property nicknamed "Lily Pond," which Lee purchased herself, but Cuomo shared the expenses. They also spent time in Albany, the state capitol, where Cuomo's governor's mansion is located.

In early 2019, the couple listed Lily Pond, prompting breakup rumors. Still, Lee denied they split in May of that year. "Andrew and I are still very much together... We keep our lives as private as possible," she wrote on Facebook at the time. She also said in an interview with the New York Times, that with the politician's three daughters (with ex-wife Kerry Kennedy) all grown up, the large house no longer made sense.

In September 2019, after denying split rumors for months, Andrew Cuomo and Sandra Lee released a joint statement announcing their separation. "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," they said (via People). "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."

As is clear by Lee's supportive Instagram Story statement about her ex's nipple debacle, the two have managed to remain friends. As for their careers, the Democrat is still running the Big Apple and his former leading lady is still focusing on her DIY lifestyle content, Emmy-winning TV shows, and books (of which she's written at least 27). 

Lee really is keeping busy — she recently snagged the cover of Women's World's Easter issue, sharing her best holiday recipes with the magazine and proudly sharing the news on Instagram. But you don't even have to grab a copy to learn her recipes; she's also doing some cooking featuring ingredients you already have in your pantry with The Today Show, which she promoted on Instagram as well.

All in all, these exes are clearly doing just fine.

As of now, the exes show no signs of reuniting in a romantic way. In fact, they're currently getting through the coronavirus pandemic on totally opposite sides of the country. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo continues to practice social distancing in Albany, while helping New York get past the crisis.

On April 9, 2020, Cuomo said in his daily press conference that the state is seeing progress in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as the curve of hospitalizations "is flattening" — meaning the disease is not being transferred as quickly — despite the fact that New York suffered its worst single-day jump in deaths that same day (via the New York Daily News).

Meanwhile, his ex-girlfriend Sandra Lee continues to have his back, but now that they've split, she's reportedly returned to the West Coast. The lifestyle guru is believed to be quarantining at her home in California, though she has apparently kept in touch with the governor by phone amid the crisis, Page Six reported. And as her response to the whole nipple-gate fiasco proves, she'll always be there for him when need be.