The messy divorce between chef Bobby Flay and actress Stephanie March just got uglier . On Sunday , the New York Post 's Page Six alleged that the marriage breakup was the result of Flay having an affair with his assistant Elyse Tirrel , who 's 28 . But the celebrity chef 's business partner Laurence Kretchmer moved swiftly to dismiss the claims , saying that if Flay , 50 , had been having an ongoing affair with an employee , he would know about it . Scroll down for video . The other woman ? It was alleged Sunday that chef Bobby Flay has been having an affair with his assistant Eliyse Tirrell and that it led to the breakdown of his marriage to Stephanie March . Secret affair : Page Six claimed Flay , 50 , has been seeing Tirrel , who 's 28 , for three years and that according to a friend of March , the actress learned of the relationship with the former hostess just after Thanksgiving 2014 . Page Six reported that Tirrell is a 'singer/actress who worked as a hostess at the chef 's Bar Americain in 2008 and became his assistant . ' The gossip site claimed that Flay , who filed for divorce from March , 40 , in April , has been cheating on the Law & Order : SUV star for three years with Tirrell . March 's friend Maia Madison , a writer and actress , told Page Six that March arrived 'sobbing uncontrollably ' at her home just after Thanksgiving after finding out about the affair . Madision went on to say that Tirrell 'is about to ­become the Monica Lewinsky of the food world . ' Messy divorce : Flay filed for divorce earlier this month saying that his 10-year marriage to Law & Order : SVU star March has 'irretrievably broken down ' After the story ran , Flay 's representative released a statement to the media saying : 'We will continue to refrain from responding to the continued efforts by certain parties to spread rumors and innuendo . ' 'This specific allegation was in a letter sent from one attorney in this case to the other . It was written and then leaked specifically to try to insert this story into the press , and that ’ s unfortunate . ' The statement continued : : 'Even more unfortunate is that all of this is being done in order to renegotiate a prenuptial agreement that was agreed to over a decade ago and never amended during the marriage . ' Kretchmer defended his friend and insisted that none of the claims about an affair with his assistant are based in reality . He is quoted as saying that the young woman is ' a great and valued employee . ' 'If she had an affair with Bobby it would have been reported to me . That has never even been suggested , and people like to talk , ' Kretchmar said . 'Have Bobby and Elyse been seen together ? Yes , that ’ s her job . ' He then suggested that there is more mud-slinging to come in the ugly battle between the former couple whom he has known for 14 years . 'As ugly as Stephanie is going to look [ when this news comes out ] , she will look uglier when other things come out , ' Kretchmer told Page Six . Bitter battle : March , 40 , is contesting the prenuptial agreement the couple signed ahead of their marriage that means the famous chef , who 's worth about $ 20 million , only has to pay her $ 5,000 a month in alimony . The Food Network chef filed court documents filed on April 10 saying that his 10-year marriage has 'irretrievably broken down . ' The actress , though , has mounted a legal challenge to the prenuptial agreement that the now estranged couple signed which says Flay , reported to be wort about $ 20 million , only has to pay her $ 5,000 per month . In return , March has accused the chef of 'bullying through economic warfare . ' March 's lawyer said the famous chef wo n't let her and her sick mother Laura Derby stay in their $ 8m marital Manhattan home unless she signs a press release alleging their split was amicable . Happier times : March was Flay 's third wife and appeared as a guest judge on several of his Food Network shows . The couple are pictured here in September 2009 in New York City .
It was claimed Sunday that the Flay star has been cheating on his wife with assistant Elyse Tirrell for three years . Food Network 's business partner Lawrence Kretchmar dismissed the report , saying he 'd have known if the chef was having an affair with an employee . Tirrell , who is 28 , used to work as a hostess at one of Food Network 's restaurants before being promoted to be his assistant . The celebrity chef has filed for divorce from March , 40 , after 10 years of marriage but she is contesting their prenup .