Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock
What Happened to Emeril Lagasse After ‘the Essence of Emeril’? Find Out Where the Chef Is Today!
Bam! Chef Emeril Lagasse wowed fans as one of the early talents on Food Network on his shows The Essence of Emeril and Emeril Live. Keep reading to see where the chef is today and how he’s incorporating his son, E.J. Lagasse, into his empire.
What Happened to Emeril Lagasse?
Emeril Live was canceled in 2007. While the Massachusetts native kept ownership of his restaurants, he sold the rest of his brand, which included all of his television programming, syndication rights, cookbooks, kitchen products and food products, to Martha Stewart’s company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, in 2008.
“His tastes are very different from mine, as is his food, and I think that’s good,” Martha told The New York Times at the time of the deal. “Being complementary and different is better than being competitive.”
Emeril was reportedly paid a whopping $45 million in cash and another $5 million in stock.
Where Is Emeril Lagasse Now?
Emeril’s career is still going strong in the food industry. He owns five eateries as part of his Emeril’s Restaurants Group — two are located in New Orleans, two in Las Vegas and one in Florida.
Who Is Emeril Lagasse’s Son E.J.?
Emeril and his wife, Alden Lovelace, have been married since 2000. They share two children, daughter Meril and son Emeril John “E.J.” Lagasse IV. He also shares daughters Jillian and Jessica Lagasse with ex-wife Elizabeth Kief.
E.J. is now chef patron at his father’s first namesake restaurant in New Orleans after graduating from culinary school in May 2022.
“In life, passing the torch is not as easy as it sounds,” Emeril admitted about his son joining his business to CBS News in February 2023. “But when you’re confident of passing the torch then it becomes much easier.”
E.J. added during their joint interview, “We’re creating something out of absolute love, and so when we come in and we get to do that with passion, and respect for the past — and also an eye on the future — it’s the greatest joy ever.”
His son isn’t his only child who works in the food industry. His daughters Jillian and Jessica run The Lagasse Girls blog and are authors of The Gluten Free Table and The Lagasse Girls’ Big Flavor, Bold Taste and No Gluten.
