What To Know
- Giada De Laurentiis marked the 23rd anniversary of her brother Dino’s death with a sweet social media tribute.
- Dino, who worked in film production, died of melanoma at age 31 in November 2003.
- The tribute followed the unexpected death of Giada’s beloved cat, Bella, last month.
Giada De Laurentiis commemorated a heartbreaking anniversary in her latest social media post.
On Tuesday, November 3, the former Food Network star paid tribute to her late brother, Dino De Laurentiis, via Instagram. “23 years today… miss u every day baby bro,” she wrote alongside several throwback snaps of herself with Dino and their sister, Eloisa De Laurentiis.
Fans offered their condolences and shared their own experiences with loss in the post’s comments. “Sending hugs. I’m so sorry. We lost my brother in law last year. He was my husband’s best friend,” one user wrote. Another said, “Hugs, I know how you feel. My oldest brother passed. It’s been 5 years and my little brothers 6 months apart. 42 years it seems like yesterday for all of them. Prayers for you.”
Someone else shared, “I understand. My younger brother passed away, too. It will be 20 years this month. I miss him every day. He was so amazing.” A different person posted, “What a beautiful picture tribute to your brother. I lost my baby brother in 2017 and also think of him every day. Sending love to you and your family.” Another commenter wrote, “I lost mine the same way. Hugs to you.”
Dino died from melanoma at the age of 31 in November 2003. According to an obituary published by Variety at the time, Dino was born in Rome and got his start in Hollywood in the 1990s as an apprentice editor. He went on to work in various producing and assistant roles on projects such as Dragonheart: A New Beginning, Black Dog, Die Hard with a Vengeance, and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, per IMDb.
The anniversary of Dino’s death comes shortly after Giada and her family suffered a devastating loss. Last month, Giada announced via Instagram that her cat, Bella, “unexpectedly” passed away.
“She was the greatest cat ever. She greeted everyone who came through the door, and knew when you needed some love or a pick me up,” the TV personality wrote. “She was my very first pet as an adult, and was an endless source of peace for me, even on my hardest days. I see her everywhere and will miss her always. Love you Bella.”
Giada’s upload featured several snaps of herself, her daughter, Jade, and her boyfriend, Shane Farley, with their beloved pet over the years. (Giada shares her only child with her ex-husband, Todd Thompson.)
“I’m sorry, but happy you had her and all those memories. Sending y’all love and good memories,” Food Network’s Sunny Anderson commented underneath the tribute. Jenna Dewan wrote, “Sending love.” Valerie Bertinelli added, “I’m so sorry. Sending big hugs.”
On October 22, Giada shared a throwback video of herself laughing as Jade played with Bella while lying underneath a glass coffee table. “One of my favorite videos ever,” she wrote alongside the funny Instagram clip. “Missing Bella.”
