With a magazine, daytime talk show, cookbooks, kitchenware line, and home collection, you can hardly walk into a Walmart—or even sit on your couch—without running into the Food Network star. Even if you aren't a Ray-niac, her acronyms have probably seeped into your brain at some point, and before you know it, you're asking someone to pass you the EVOO, or referred to a sandwich as a "sammie."
But, even with all of that exposure, there's still a lot to the 30-minute meals cook you probably don't know, like her celebrity crush, the one dish she still hasn't mastered and why she has no qualms about eating her pets' food.
1. She Loves Jumping Out of Planes.
Ray's such a fan of skydiving that she once invited a fan to jump out of a plane with her to help him get over his fear. "I am a skydiving freak. ... It is the most thrilling thing in the world," she told Vanessa Hudgens in 2012.
2. She Eats Pet Food Sometimes.
It's quality control, okay? Ray launched her own line of pet food, Dish, after pets were being poisoned by by products in their bagged food. She stands by the ingredients in her line so much that she has no issues sampling it herself. "It needed more salt for me, but it was delicious," she told Parade.
3. She's Got a Celebrity Girl Crush.
No, it's not Beyonce (though, to be clear, the two definitely don't have beef, and she isn't "Becky with the good hair," despite what some Bey fans initially thought). She's all about Tina Fey, according to Us Weekly.
4. She Won't Visit Montreal Ever Again.
As much as she loves the city, Ray made a vow to stop visiting it after Montreal banned people from owning pitbulls there. She herself owns a pitbull, and she loves the dog so much she often refers to it as her "daughter." "There is no such thing as a bad human. There's no such thing as an evil breed of dogs," she explained, elaborating on her stance. "It's ignorance and I'm filled with heartache and sadness."
5. She Can't Make Coffee.
Ray's known for making all kinds of dishes, but coffee isn't one of them. She's quick to admit that after all these years, she still can't make a decent cup.
6. She's a HUGE SXSW Fan.
Ray's attended the music-meets-film-meets-tech festival, SXSW, for the past 20 years straight, hosting a party with her husband for the past 9. "I fell in love with this city, because, to me, it was utopian," she explained in a Munchies podcast.
7. She Doesn't Want Her Name Plastered on Everything.
Though her magazine and TV show may bear her name, Ray doesn't want every product she sells to be heavily branded. "I try to design things that solve problems and are function driven, even if you dislike me or the rest of my work," she told the New York Business Journal. "I fight my own team [about branding items], because I don't want it to be about me, I want it to be about the products I created."
8. The Most Expensive Thing She Owns Is Her Record Player.
Ray and her husband, John Cusimano, are big indie music fans, boasting a massive record collection. It's so meticulously maintained that Ray vacuums her vinyl before playing it.
9. Food Network Initially Signed Her for $360,000.
After hearing her on a public radio show in 2001, the network signed her on with a $360,000 contract. Since then, as Ray's fame increased—and so has her business deals and product extensions—she's now worth an estimated $75 million, according to TheRichest.com.
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FAQs
Her decision to end her long-running show was timed with the launch of her new production company, Free Food Studios. She told Deadline, "My passions have evolved from the talk show format production and syndication model to a platform unencumbered by the traditional rules of distribution. …
Why did the Rachael Ray show get cancelled? ›
Her decision to end her long-running show was timed with the launch of her new production company, Free Food Studios. She told Deadline, "My passions have evolved from the talk show format production and syndication model to a platform unencumbered by the traditional rules of distribution. …
Does Rachel Ray have a jet? ›
Rachael Ray Spends More Than $80,000 on a Private Jet for Her Dog Isaboo. Rachael Ray's love for her dog knows no limits. In a recent profile in the New York Times, the chef revealed that she spends more than $80,000 for a private jet so her pit bull, Isaboo, can travel to Italy with her and her husband John Cusimano.
How much is Rachael Ray's husband's net worth? ›
While John Cusimano's $10 million net worth is, for most of us, nothing to turn down, the amount pales in comparison to what Cusimano's wife Rachael Ray makes.
What is the tragedy of Rachael Ray? ›
In fact, the entire family experienced a tragedy in 2013 when Ray's aunt died outside Ray's home, sparking a family feud. The 77-year-old Geraldine Dominica Scuderi was house-sitting for Ray in late November when she went outside to feed the birds and locked herself out of the home.
When did Rachael Ray come out? ›
Ray hosted 30 Minute Meals on Food Network for 11 seasons from 2001 to 2012, as well as a revival of the series starting in 2019. In 2005, she signed a deal to host a syndicated daytime TV talk show. The show, Rachael Ray, premiered on September 18, 2006, and aired until May 24, 2023.
Who is Ray's husband? ›
What does Rachael Ray's sister do? ›
What is Rachel Ray doing these days? ›
Ray, 55, is also in a bit of a transition – her eponymous syndicated daytime talk show ended last July. Now she's on to that “next thing”: a production company called Free Food Studios, in which A&E Networks acquired a 50% stake. Ray reveals that she's developed six shows under the deal.
What are three interesting facts about Rachael Ray? ›
9 Things You Didn't Know About Rachael Ray
- She Loves Jumping Out of Planes. ...
- She Eats Pet Food Sometimes. ...
- She's Got a Celebrity Girl Crush. ...
- She Won't Visit Montreal Ever Again. ...
- She Can't Make Coffee. ...
- She's a HUGE SXSW Fan. ...
- She Doesn't Want Her Name Plastered on Everything.
Jennifer Aniston's 50th birthday celebrations came to a halt when her private plane was forced to make an emergency landing on Friday. The actress was headed to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico when her plane circled back and landed at the Ontario International Airport in Ontario, California, a source tells PEOPLE.
Does Rachael Ray's husband have a law degree? ›
A: "I used to practice in New York City as an entertainment lawyer, primarily in film," John says. "Then I met this one, and now I only have one client and her name is Rachael Ray. So I just work on our businesses all the time." "Smartest thing I ever did was marry an entertainment lawyer.
Does Rachael Ray's husband have a job? ›
John is a lawyer and works for Rachael
So I just work on our businesses all the time.” Rachael added, “Smartest thing I ever did was marry an entertainment lawyer, saved me a bundle.” Although he had a passion for music (more on that below), John decided to study law for the sake of his parents. “John is a musician.
Does Rachel Ray have Crohn's disease? ›
I soon received the decidedly unsexy, unglamorous diagnosis of Crohn's disease. It's one of those things — chronic, incurable, but can be managed — that can physically and financially debilitate you for long periods of time, in events called flares.
Why does Rachel Ray talk like that? ›
Unfortunately, when Ray was small she suffered from a pretty gnarly reoccurring case of croup. If you're not familiar, croup is the swelling of the voice box, windpipe, and bronchial tubes (via Mayo Clinic).
Does Rachael Ray have PCOS? ›
"And then to open it up to find that it's just meals he's been cooking for me left me completely shocked," Rachael says. "Last year, I was diagnosed with PCOS—polycystic ovarian syndrome," she explains.
How is Rachael Ray doing? ›
Ray, 55, is also in a bit of a transition – her eponymous syndicated daytime talk show ended last July. Now she's on to that “next thing”: a production company called Free Food Studios, in which A&E Networks acquired a 50% stake. Ray reveals that she's developed six shows under the deal.
