Rachael Ray Opens Up About ‘Weird’ Marriage & Desire to ‘Move Forward’

Rachael Ray has opened up about her ‘weird’ marriage on the latest episode of her I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead podcast, a week after confessing to needing space and time apart from her husband, John Cusimano.

On last week’s podcast, the celebrity cook shared how she and Cusimano like to spend time apart from one another. “I am wildly, wildly lucky that I have my husband. But he understands I need my space. He needs his space. John and I largely stay in separate corners,” she said.

Ray opened up further on Tuesday’s (November 5) podcast, where she spoke with chef Jacques Pépin. “One of the things that I think has been essential to my life and my success over the years is the partner that I chose,” Ray explained.

“I love my husband John, and John works with me and has built our business and our brand together, but we agree in concept about service to community, service to the world, service to animals, to children,” she added.

“My husband and I didn’t get married until very late in life, 37 and 38 years old,” the Food Network star continued. “But it was very important to me that I marry him because I thought this person could be a true partner in what I believe in and building, not a business, but a community.”

John Cusimano and Rachael Ray; Rob Kim/Getty Images for NYCWFF

Ray and Cusimano married on September 24, 2005, in Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy. Cusimano is a singer for the rock band The Cringe and previously practiced law in New York City as an entertainment lawyer.

Later in the episode, Ray revealed what she “loves” about Cusimano, explaining, “He’s a lawyer and a musician. I’m not a musician, I’m certainly no lawyer… but we balance each other in a weird way. We allow each other to be open to different worlds… It’s balance.”

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Explaining her philosophy on life, the Rachael Ray in Tuscany host said, “It’s all about learning and moving forward. And sometimes what you learn is what NOT to do.”

Elsewhere on the podcast, Ray spoke about her schedule and getting up at four in the morning. She said her mother’s work ethic rubbed off on her — Ray’s mother managed restaurants in New York’s Capital District for many years.

“My mother worked 100 hours a week and never complained once in her life,” she shared. “My mother always thought we are here to be of service to our neighbors, to our community, to our friends.”

Ray’s new weekly podcast premiered in October and she describes it as “unscripted, raw, and real talk,” adding, “Working fuels me, connecting with people fuels me, and this platform allows for connection and conversation on a more personal level, which really fuels me.”