Rachael Ray Opens up About Her ‘Weird’ Marriage

Rachael Ray is opening up about her “weird” marriage and bond with husband John Cusimano. In the Tuesday, Nov. 5 episode of her I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead podcast, Ray spoke with chef Jacques Pépin about her marriage and how she and her husband find “balance” with one another.

“He’s a lawyer and a musician,” said Ray, who tied the knot with the rock singer and former entertainment lawyer in 2005. “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.”

Ray said that having Cusimano as her partner has been “essential” to her life and success over the years. “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 explained.

While the Food Network star and The Cringe rocker didn’t get married until they were in their late 30s, Ray said, “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.” The television personality added of her philosophy on life, “It’s all about learning and moving forward. And sometimes what you learn is what NOT to do.”

Ray has been very candid about the ins and outs of her marriage since launching her podcast last month. In the second episode of her show, Ray told guest Billy Crudup that while she and Cusimano were deeply in love, they both needed their space from one another.

“I am very wildly, wildly, wildly lucky that I have my husband,” Ray explained. “But he understands I need my space. He needs his space.” And when it comes to resolving conflict with her husband, the star said she has no problem raising her voice.

“It’s very hard, especially for hot-tempered or creative or vociferous loud people to be able to just calm it down,” she told guest Jenny Mollen on the show. “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.” She admitted, “Too quiet freaks me out. I prefer that you tell me what you think when you think it and let’s just get it all out there.”