Sandra Lee Is Living Her Best Life Following Split From Andrew Cuomo

You might know her as the "two shots of vodka" lady and a Food Network star, but Sandra Lee is getting started on another phase of her life.

After ending her 14-year relationship with the most cogent leader in contemporary America, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, many are wondering what the illustrious self-dubbed "First Girlfriend" — now, ex — Sandra Lee is doing now.

Keep reading while we figure out where this lifestyle guru and proto-influencer is today, long after having coined the iconic "Cocktail time!" and made a name for herself as the queen of tablescapes.

First things first, we find the need to clarify that this Sandra Lee is not to be confused with (and holds no relationship to) Dr. Pimple Popper's expert dermatologist, Sandra Lee, MD, who this writer has had the privilege of interviewing for Distractify.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's get back to "Cocktail time!" and "semi-homemade cuisine."

Sandra Lee was born in Santa Monica, Calif. to a drug-addicted teenage mother and absent father, she recalled in her 2007 memoir Made From Scratch. In it, she also details how she had to raise her four siblings on welfare and food stamps.

Her rise to fame and success came after she dropped out of the University of Wisconsin/La Crosse, when she launched her first business — a window-dressing kit that was ahead of the Kardashians in replacing C's with K's: Kurtain Kraft.

One thing led to another and Kurtain Kraft landed her a QVC deal, which, in turn, paved the way for Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee, the television show that would transform her into a household name.

"Why I have had such a huge career and why I have sold over four million books is that people can do what I share with them to do," Sandra said in a 2011 interview with Harper's Bazaar. Her philosophy in the kitchen boils down to a "30 percent fresh, 70 perfect store-bought" rule.

In 2015, the lifestyle star was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and had to undergo a double mastectomy. These days, she's cancer-free. 

"Early diagnosis just gives you the opportunity to be the most aggressive that you can be," she said in an interview with People, in which she speaks about becoming an advocate for breast cancer screenings and her own journey, which is chronicled in HBO's RX: Early Detection — A Cancer Journey with Sandra Lee. "It's the best treatment."

In the spring of 2019, rumors began swirling that the celebrity couple were going through a breakup, as The Post reported that they were no longer living together at Sandra's Westchester home. 

The couple denied the rumors at the time, telling the Post, "And to set the record straight: We're not getting married or getting divorced, or not pregnant, and my blood type is B-positive, not B-negative, selling the house. The world is not falling apart."

But in a joint statement dating to late September 2019, they set the record straight again. "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," the statement read.

After selling the New Castle, N.Y. mansion she lived in with Governor Cuomo, Sandra is back on the west coast.

Mashed reports that the star has fulfilled her dream of living in Malibu. "When I was younger, I was a waitress at the Malibu Adobe," Sandra shared in an interview with People. "My sister Kimber and I picked out houses on the Pacific Coast Highway and I promised myself that if I ever made it I would go back and buy myself a house on the water." 

And made it, she did. The celebrity chef purchased a 1,719 square-foot home right on the water for $3.38 million, that boasts two bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a really nice kitchen.

Follow Sandra on Instagram where she seems to be getting back into her Food Network zone, sharing her favorite recipes with followers and friends. And rejoice, "Sandra Lee's 2 Shots of Vodka, Cocktail Time 101" has been uploaded as well. Enjoy!