Who is Rachael Ray's husband John Cusimano, and what makes them the perfect match?
Let's dive into some of this couple's history to find out who he is, what makes him tick,
and what secrets he may have to hide.
When Ray met her future husband at a party thrown by a mutual friend, they of course
started out by talking about one of Ray's favorite topics: food.
When Cusimano told her what he had made himself for dinner the night before, though, she jumped
to a conclusion that could have stopped their whole relationship before it even started.
Ray told People magazine,
"I assumed that if you're not a chef and you made what he told me he made, that he was
gay.
So I was going to set him up with a friend of mine, another handsome Italian man."
After Cusimano told her he wasn't gay, the pair stayed up chatting until 4 a.m, and that
basically turned into their very first date.
Cusimano is the lead singer of an indie rock band called The Cringe, and has been passionate
about music since he was very young, according to Heavy.
But that's not his only hobby, he also has a major passion for mixology.
According to People magazine, Ray does most of the cooking at home, but Cusimano is in
charge of cocktails.
Not only does this make Ray and Cusimano the perfect complement to each other in the kitchen,
but it also makes for great TV.
On more than one occasion, Cusimano has appeared on The Rachael Ray Show to share some of his
drink recipes with the audience, including his Negroni cocktail, his Rosé Champagne
Spritzer, and his signature "Lost in the Woods cocktail."
So it's no surprise that Ray has a special nickname just for Cusimano based on one of
his biggest passions.
According to Delish, she calls her hubby "Johnny Walker" because of how much he loves scotch.
In an interview with People Magazine in 2018, Ray dished about one of their favorite traditions.
Every Valentine's Day, they each share something with the other that's truly personal, something
that expresses their talent and who they are.
Each year, Cusimano has given Ray a homemade playlist full of songs he picked out just
for her.
There's no word on whether this playlist normally includes a song or two by his own band, but
either way it's safe to assume Ray will be fangirling.
As for Valentine's dinner?
Ray has introduced so many dishes in her cookbooks and on her shows that her husband must struggle
not to gain too much weight trying them all.
As hard as it probably was to pick just one favorite, Cusimano admitted that her pasta
carbonara takes the prize.
He gets that favorite meal at least once a year on Valentine's Day, surely alongside
one of his themed cocktails.
"'Cause it's Valentine's Day, so rose-colored champagne."
Unfortunately, things haven't always been sunshine and rainbows for the couple.
Before the ink on their wedding certificate had even dried, tabloids began running articles
claiming that Cusimano was cheating on Ray with sex workers.
The couple dismissed the rumors, and Ray addressed them during an episode of her television show.
According to People, she told her audience,
"Everybody gossips...But this stuff is hurting people's feelings who are in our families
and friends of ours.
They worry about us."
The celebrity chef also encouraged her fans to stop purchasing tabloid magazines, but
another wave of gossip started in 2013.
This time, tabloids like The National Enquirer claimed that Cusimano frequented a swinger's
club, adding that he had been seen there at least six times without Ray.
A spokesperson for Ray told Fox News,
"This is yet another pack of lies printed by the National Enquirer who have been targeting
John and Rachael for several years with no merit."
Later, it was announced that Cusimano was planning to sue the magazine.
In 2015, well after the rumor mill had stopped spitting out stories about supposed infidelities,
the pair renewed their vows to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary.
They returned to the castle in Tuscany where they got married, and brought along 100 of
their friends and family members, to declare their never-ending love for each other in
a beautiful ceremony, according to People magazine.
When it was her turn to speak, Ray recited a poem called "All The Whiskey In Heaven"
that she says sums up their love.
The poem says, in Ray's words,
"Under any circumstance, I would still choose you and I would still be with you.
And I love you more than all the whiskey in heaven."
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