Here are some photos of Stephanie March from May 6th that I never got around to posting. She was attending Mariska Hargitay’s Joyful Heart fundraiser (sidenote: I love Mariska so much for starting Joyful Heart, which funds sexual violence education and therapeutic vacations for survivors of rape, sexual assault and domestic violence). This was Stephanie’s first (and only) big public appearance since separating from Bobby Flay in April.

Flay filed for divorce shortly after March announced their split, and ever since then, they’ve been lobbing bombs at each other publicly and privately. Like, Flay canceled all of their joint credit cards and he’s insisting on following the strict terms of their pre-nup. Meanwhile, Stephanie has made sure everyone knows that Flay cheated on her with his assistant (allegedly!). So what’s new with this messy divorce? March is still trying to trying to get the court to set aside the prenup. And her lawyers have a new argument!

Bobby Flay’s estranged wife claims she was the famous chef’s secret sauce … that nothing went on a plate in his restaurant unless it passed her taste test. We’ve learned Stephanie March has filed legal docs to set aside their prenup, claiming in part it’s unconscionable to enforce an agreement that leaves her with table scraps when she’s the reason he became wildly successful.

She claims Bobby told her she has “an amazing palate” and relied on her to taste test his recipes. She says she sampled a number of items at their home and gave thumbs up and down, which led to the finished product. She specifically cites Bobby’s NYC restaurant, Bar Americain.

We’re told in her argument to the judge she zeroes in on Bobby’s famed NYC restaurant, Bolo, (which, ironically, didn’t last). Stephanie says during a vacation to Spain she pushed him into including tapas on the menu — something she says he was against. But Stephanie says she prevailed, and the restaurant became an enormous success, earning 3 stars from the New York Times. Stephanie says she was also heavily involved in the design and ambience of all of Bobby’s restaurants, right down to music and lighting.

Stephanie is trying to undo the prenup, which provides her with $5k a month. She’d also get around $1 million as a buyout for the family home. We’re told Bobby is firm … his business is successful because of him, not Stephanie.

[From TMZ]

I have mixed feelings about this whole thing. I mean… their marriage was not some quickie six-month haze. They were married for a decade and she was his wife and partner. She helped him psychologically and emotionally for ten long years (while he fooled around on her), and her presence on his arm gave him an added air of respectability (even though we still heard all of the cheating rumors). I’m sure she did help out and have input on various aspects of his businesses and I’m sure her contributions had some kind of financial benefits. But it does seem like March is going a little bit overboard with how she tries to get the prenup thrown out. Still, I do hope that the pre-nup gets thrown out. Or maybe Bobby Flay just decides to give her a one-time settlement to get her to stop running to the press.

Oh, and the NYDN says that they had a court hearing yesterday and afterwards, Flay’s publicist was seen briefing the press. March ran over to Flay and bitched him out because no one is supposed to be talking to the press. Rii-ight.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.