Who Is Bobby Flay's Ex-Girlfriend? All About Christina Pérez

Bobby Flay and Christina Pérez's romance has come to an end.

The Food Network star and Pérez dated for more than three years before PEOPLE learned of their split in June 2024.

The former couple met through mutual friends and went public with their relationship in November 2021 after quietly dating for about a year.

"She's so lovely. I'm really happy to have met her," Flay told PEOPLE in December 2021. "My life is so crazy hectic, and she's always the light at the end of the day for me."

Flay was previously married three times. He shares a daughter, Sophie Flay, with his second wife, Kate Connelly, whom he was married to from 1995 to 1998.

So, who is Bobby Flay's ex-girlfriend? Here's everything to know about Christina Pérez.

She studied fashion and liberal arts in college

Originally from the Midwest, Pérez studied fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology and liberal arts at the New School for General Studies in New York City, according to her website.

She is a writer and former editor

Pérez previously served as an editor at various fashion magazines, including Vogue, Glamour, Lucky and PopSugar. She is currently a freelance writer and has had bylines in Condé Nast Traveler, GQ, Architectural Digest and Harper's Bazaar, per her LinkedIn profile.

Her writing is focused on "the intersection of travel, design, style, food, wellbeing, and intentional modern living."

In addition to her work as a writer and editor, Pérez was also the Senior Director of Content and Creative at Miss Grass, a cannabis lifestyle brand that sells "sustainably grown and terpene-rich" THC and CBD products. The company also works to benefit several causes and often donates a portion of its proceeds to charitable organizations. She left her directorial role after two years with the company in April 2022.

She has traveled the world

Pérez is extremely well-traveled and has been to various different countries and travel destinations. Before she began her career in the media industry, Pérez was a full-time model and would travel between Tokyo, Paris and Milan for work, according to her website. Now, she documents her travels in her writing and on social media.

She and Flay were introduced by mutual friends

The pair kept their relationship quiet when they first got together. They were introduced by mutual friends about a year before they stepped out publicly at the 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championships.

A month later, Flay spoke with PEOPLE about his relationship with Pérez. "We were at an art gallery opening, and I walked over to two friends, and I was like, 'What are you guys talking about?' They were like, 'We're talking about you! It's so nice to see you so happy,' " he said.

PEOPLE learned of her and Flay's split in June 2024

According to several sources, Flay and Pérez decided to call it quits after more than three years together. PEOPLE learned of the breakup in June 2024.

The former model hinted at the split in the June 20 edition of her newsletter, A Friend Indeed. Pérez recalled spending the summer solstice in London with "one of my favorite people" and plucking roses for good luck.

"The plants you gather are meant to symbolize love; to call it in or keep it strong," she wrote. "This year, I’ll be doing that same ritual, but I’ll be adding something, too: I’ll scatter last year’s petals to make space for the new."

She likes to cook

The Iron Chef star wasn't the only one in the relationship who liked to cook. In December 2021, the former couple teamed up to cook Empanada Asturiana, a Pérez family recipe. The writer documented the experience on her Instagram Stories.

In September 2023, Pérez made her first appearance on Flay's TikTok account when they decided to whip up their own version of Carbone's spicy rigatoni.

Flay valued her opinion

In May 2023, Flay told PEOPLE that his "special lady" influenced both the decor and menu at his new restaurant, Brasserie B, in Las Vegas.

"Christina has spectacular style and she's just one of these people that just gets it. She understands style and class and if something doesn't seem right to her, she'll tell me," he said at the time. "Christina's definitely one of the first people that gets a peek at anything that I do in terms of a new restaurant."