Bobby Flay accused of affair with young employee Elyse Tirrell

It’s been less than two weeks since Bobby Flay and Stephanie March’s split was first reported, but the situation has quickly devolved into a big mess: She is reportedly battling the terms of their prenuptial agreement and said Bobby blindsided her by canceling the credit cards she needs to pay for her home. His side said the pre-nup terms are very clear and that Bobby’s heartbroken by the dissolution of his marriage.

Then there are the cheating rumors. This weekend, Stephanie’s friend Maia Madison told Page Six the former Law & Order: SVU actress was devastated last November to learn Bobby was engaged in a 3-year-long affair with Elyse Tirrell, a 28-year-old employee.

“She came to my house and was sobbing uncontrollably,'” Maia said of Stephanie’s reaction. “She said, ‘I can’t believe the last 10 years of my life have been a lie. Elyse had always seemed so nervous when Stephanie came to one of the restaurants, and Stephanie, not knowing what was happening, went out of her way to compliment her and try to make her more comfortable. Elyse had even been to Stephanie’s home when she was there — and when she wasn’t.”

For the next couple of months, Maia said Stephanie and Bobby tried to work on their marriage by going to therapy — but the final straw came in February when Bobby skipped their 10th anniversary to attend a Food and Wine show, with Elyse along for help. (She is pictured at that event above.)

“Stephanie told me, ‘I wasn’t asking for much. I would have stayed if he had given me one date night a week and tulips on our anniversary,'” Maia claimed.

However, Bobby’s business partner, Laurence Kretchmer, said his friend “did everything he could to save his marriage.” He also said it was inappropriate to drag Elyse into the mix.

“Elyse is a great and valued employee and it is awful to see her dragged into this thing. 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. Have Bobby and Elyse been seen together? Yes, that’s her job. None of this has any basis in reality,” Laurence said. “As ugly as Stephanie is going to look [when this news comes out], she will look uglier when other things come out.”

In a formal statement, Bobby’s rep danced around the affair accusation — but strongly suggested Stephanie was behind the Page Six story.

“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,” spokesperson Julie Halpin said. “It was written and then leaked specifically to try to insert this story into the press, and that’s unfortunate. 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.”