Five years after a romantic proposal in Paris, former Food Network star Sandra Lee and Ben Youcef could soon be calling off their engagement.
The pair haven’t been photographed together in several months, and have reportedly been living apart, with their lives said to be heading in different directions.
‘They have been living separately for over a year,’ a source told the Daily Mail. ‘They have not been photographed together and Sandra has been attending events solo.
‘There has been trouble for a while and Sandra has been really focused on her career for the past year.’
Lee, 59, and Algerian actor Youcef, 47, met at a restaurant in Santa Monica, California, in March 2021 after she moved out west from New York City. They were engaged five months later in August during a romantic European getaway.
Lee went Instagram official with the romance in February 2022, when she shared a gushing post in honor of Valentine’s Day.
Five years after a romantic proposal in Paris, former Food Network star Sandra Lee and Ben Youcef could soon be calling off their engagement, an insider has told the Daily Mail
The pair haven’t been photographed together in several months, and have reportedly been living apart, with their lives said to be heading in different directions
In it, she admitted that she was almost ‘certain’ she would never find love again, and that she was ‘shocked’ when she did.
‘So this happened, Ben happened, love happened, happiness happened,’ she captioned a series of photos that showed her and Youcef cozying up.
‘I was certain it never would again. I was shocked when it did. I swore I would never fall again, trust again, love again, or open myself up again.
‘My wish for you is that no matter where you are, how old you are or what has happened, you can welcome hope back into your life again.
‘Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you – and to My Sweet Ben, thank you for making my heart feel whole again, alive again, and in love again.’
The couple, affectionately known as ‘Bendra’ to friends, continued to turn up the heat, being papped sharing passionate kisses in a hot tub and packing on the PDA in St Tropez, where Lee was pictured with a ring on her wedding finger, sparking rumors they had secretly tied the knot. These were later quashed.
The lifestyle expert, who was married to businessman Bruce Karatz from 2001 – 2005, has openly credited her latest relationship for helping her find happiness again.
‘I hadn’t been intimate in years and years,’ Lee told Us Weekly in 2024, noting the two hadn’t kissed until they dated for two months. ‘I literally felt like a virgin at 55, and I just didn’t want to get involved again.’
‘They have been living separately for over a year,’ a source told the Daily Mail. ‘They have not been photographed together and Sandra has been attending events solo’
Their relationship came after Lee’s difficult break-up with former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2019 (pictured together in 2012)
‘He waited and persisted, and here we are,’ Lee continued. ‘My chemistry with Ben is something that I’ve never had before. It’s mental, it’s emotional, and it’s a connection that I can’t even describe.’
Their relationship came after Lee’s difficult break-up with former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2019, which had been her first relationship in 14 years.
‘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 in a joint statement at the time.
‘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.’
Youcef was previously married to real estate broker Apryl Stephenson, but they filed for divorced in 2020. They are parents to twins Harris and Hannah.
The Emmy winner and former First Lady of New York has had her fair share of struggles.
In 2015 while dating Cuomo, she was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy. She documented her complicated journey for HBO documentary Rx: Early Detection in hopes of raising awareness for early cancer detection. Lee has been in remission since 2015.
A variety of reasons led to the split with Youcef, including Lee’s tumultuous year dealing with the aftermath of the Malibu fires where she almost lost her home. After being displaced for months, Lee was able to recently return, but the situation was nothing short of stressful for her.
‘I was able to go to Malibu late yesterday,’ Lee told her Instagram followers in January 2025 after believing her home had burned down. ‘It is with a heavy heart for my local community, yet the most shocked and grateful heart I share my home, Avalon, still stands. I could not believe my eyes to be one of 10 in my neighborhood of homes still there. I do not know how. I can only assume it was the quick action of our firefighters.’
‘I feel guilty for being a part of a bubble of these homes spared. I have such sadness for the people who have lost their lives, and I grieve for the families who have lost their loved ones,’ she continued.
‘There are no words to express my emotion as these fires still burn out of control. My heart remains with everyone in Los Angeles, my numerous neighbors, and my two most wonderful girlfriends whose homes are gone.’
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