Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis has sustained a significant toe injury less than a week before her scheduled debut on "Dancing With the Stars." De Laurentiis, 56, shared a video on Instagram on Tuesday, showing a severely bruised middle toe on her right foot.
"As you can see, it's quite purple, and it wraps all the way around," De Laurentiis stated in the video, pointing to the injury with a red arrow. "I'm for sure going to lose a toenail I think."
Despite the painful-looking injury, De Laurentiis expressed a determined attitude, telling fans, "We'll figure it out tomorrow. Part of the game."
The Food Network personality is partnered with professional dancer Alan Bersten for Season 35 of the ABC competition, which is set to premiere next Tuesday. De Laurentiis had previously mentioned in an interview with E! News that ABC had extended multiple invitations for her to join the show. She ultimately accepted this season, influenced by her 18-year-old daughter, Jade.
"This time, I thought, with my daughter pushing me and with my daughter out of my house [at college] this is a really good time for me to go on a new adventure and push myself to do something I've never done," De Laurentiis said. She admitted that she initially hesitated, telling her daughter "I can't. This is just too much," before her daughter encouraged her to participate.
De Laurentiis faces seasoned competitors on "Dancing With the Stars," including Jenna Dewan, a former backup dancer for Janet Jackson, and Harry Shum Jr., known for his role on "Glee."