Rachael Ray and John Cusimano Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Over the past few decades, Rachael Ray has made a name for herself on TV and in the kitchen — but when it comes to her home life, it’s clear that she’s not a one-man band.
The esteemed chef has been married to musician and entertainment lawyer John Cusimano since 2005. In almost 20 years of marriage, the couple has gone through their ups and down. From the beginning of her successful tv endeavor, The Rachael Ray Show, in 2006, to the house fire that destroyed their upstate New York home in 2020, the couple has stuck together.
They’ve also held strong through Ray’s various health issues, including “a couple of bad falls” she recently revealed suffering, just weeks after fans expressed concern for her health following her appearance on an Instagram video in September.
Having met in 2001, the couple has had plenty of time to let their love story flourish.
Here’s what the two have said about each other in the past.
John Cusimano and Rachael Ray Rob Kim/Getty Images
They Are Honest With Each Other
On a recent episode of her new podcast, “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead,” the celebrity chef said that she and her husband are not ones to shy away from their feelings.
“It’s very hard, especially for hot-tempered or creative or vociferous loud people to be able to just calm it down,” she said. “John and I don’t calm it down ever. We have huge screaming matches all the time, but I think that’s healthy. I really do. And I don’t trust people that are too quiet.”
Celebrities are constantly using their voices whether it’s singing on stage, reciting lines on a set or talking during interviews. Sometimes all that usage leaves celebrities’ vocal cords damaged and they opt for surgery to correct the problem — which, in some cases, saves their careers. In 2012, Adele found out that she had a […]
She also explained that the two have their own way of making up after an argument.
“Eventually, I pat him on his ass, or he kisses me on the head, and that’s just sort of it,” she said. “That’s the apology. It’s just sort of understood.”
Rachael Ray and John Cusimano Craig Barritt/Getty Images
They Are a Team — At Home and in Business
In an interview posted on July 9, 2020 on The Rachael Ray Show’s website, Cusimano said that his work changed once he met Ray.
“I used to practice in New York City as an entertainment lawyer, primarily in film,” He told the show’s online companion site. “Then I met this one [Ray], and now I only have one client and her name is Rachael Ray. So I just work on our businesses all the time.”
Ray agreed that her husband’s line of work comes in handy.
“Smartest thing I ever did was marry an entertainment lawyer. Saved me a bundle,” she said.
Rachel Ray and John Cusimano Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
She Loves His Musical Talents
“He wanted to go to Berklee College of Music and was accepted,” said Ray about her beau. “ He’s a terrific musician and he plays 57 different instruments. But he went to law school because his parents told him cautiously that it’s better to have a trade. He really is a master of keyboards, every stringed instrument; he’s especially great with percussion.”
Rachael Ray and John M. Cusimano Getty Images
They Help Each Other Through Tough Times
The couple worked in close quarters during the Covid-19 pandemic quarantine era.
“John and I have always worked together, but in separate buildings. John focuses on the business dealings and all of the different facets of our brand while I make TV shows in the studio all day,” Ray told Us Weekly exclusively in August. “But now we do everything together which of course is a huge adjustment.”
Ray said that their quarantine work arrangement helped them learn about each other.
“I think that we now have a better understanding of the role each of us has played, behind the scenes,” said Ray. “I don’t normally get to hear what he does during all the business calls that would happen in a day … and he doesn’t see how much work goes into making TV shows.”
She also said that Cusimano was a helpful partner around the house.
“Since we have been making TV at home John has had to take on a million roles,” added Ray. “He has done 10,000 loads of dishes. He’s a cameraman and tech services.”
When the two endured the fire that destroyed their home, Ray said that they helped each other through it.
“We balance each other, we always have,” she told People. “We knew we’d get through this together.”
Rachael Ray and John Cusimano Larry Marano/Getty Images
They Met Through a Mutual Friend
Ray and Cusimano first met in 2001 at a mutual friend’s birthday party, the couple told The Rachael Ray Show’s site, in an interview posted on February 14, 2020.
“This person was a tall person, and she invited all of her ex-boyfriends and people she knew — and they were all tall,” said Cusimano. “And as you can see, we’re not all that tall. So I like to say we saw each other among a sea of knees.”
Ray added that they “crossed a crowded room and started talking and we have talked every day since the night we met.”
She also said on her podcast that she had initially didn’t realize he was interested.
“When we met, he had no idea what I did, and I thought he was gay,” said Ray. “He told me what he had made for dinner the night before, and it was so impressive, and he told me he was a lawyer. There’s no way a straight guy knows what tilapia is, or he was trying to spice it up with some homemade tomatillo salsa and he made maque choux spilling out of an avocado on the side.”
She also added that she tried to set him up with a friend of hers.“I said, ‘He’s a great guy’ and I started to describe him, and he said ‘I’m not gay,’” said Ray. “And I’m like ‘Check, please!’”
Ray said that when she met, she wasn’t looking to get married.
“He came at a point in my life when I had decided, I’m not going to chase [marriage]. I don’t think young men or women should feel pressured into marriage,” she told People in 2007. “You shouldn’t marry anyone, in my opinion, who you have to try hard for.”
Rachael Ray and John Cusimano John Ricard/FilmMagic
They Won’t Let Rumors Fly
When rumors of infidelity circulated in 2006, Ray was quick to shut down tabloids and defend her husband. “I’ve known where he is every night since we’ve been married,” Ray told People.
Cusimano added that he is most comfortable when he’s home with his wife.
“It’s fun to come home after a hard day’s work and just cook dinner. The place I’m happiest is curled up in bed with Rachael and the puppy.”
Ray agreed that they are both “very turtlelike. We listen to music, pour a glass of wine and watch Law & Order.”
