Wait, didn't they split up? If you’ve spent any time scrolling through celebrity gossip or catching those dramatic YouTube thumbnails, you might think Rachael Ray and her husband, John Cusimano, are ancient history. Tabloids love a "marriage in crisis" headline. It sells. But the reality is actually way more interesting—and a lot more stable—than the rumors suggest.
Is Rachael Ray married still? Yeah, absolutely. As of January 2026, Rachael and John are not only still together, but they recently crossed a massive milestone that most Hollywood couples never even sniff. They hit 20 years. Two decades. That’s an eternity in the world of celebrity chefs and rockstar lawyers.
They didn't just survive the spotlight; they survived house fires, career shifts, and the end of Rachael's iconic daytime talk show. They are the definition of "ride or die."
The 20th Anniversary: A Quiet Kind of Magic
Back in September 2025, the couple celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. If you remember their 10th anniversary, it was a total blowout. They flew nearly 100 people to a Tuscan castle, threw a pajama party that lasted until 4:00 AM, and basically took over an entire village.
This time? Totally different vibe.
John apparently looked at Rachael and said, "Honey, it's our 20th. Can we just be quiet?" So they did. They spent a few nights in Florence and Rome with just a handful of close friends, hitting up their favorite restaurants and keeping things low-key. No massive crews. No televised spectacle. Just them.
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Rachael posted a tribute on Instagram that really summed it up: "Two decades, one kitchen, and the right recipe all along." She even joked about "paying the toll" for him. It’s that mix of sweetness and snark that has kept them glued together since they first met at a party in 2001.
Why People Think There’s Trouble (The "Separate Corners" Truth)
You’ve probably seen the headlines about them living "separate lives" or staying in "separate corners." People love to take a quote and run it into the ground. In late 2024, Rachael went on her podcast, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, and got super honest about how they function.
She admitted they "stay in separate corners" sometimes.
To a gossip blogger, that sounds like a divorce filing. To a couple that’s been together 24 years? It’s just survival. Rachael is a whirlwind. She’s got five jobs, she’s constantly cooking, and she’s a self-proclaimed "volatile" personality. John is a lawyer and the frontman for the rock band The Cringe. He needs his space to write music and deal with legal docs; she needs her space to draw, read, and develop recipes.
Honestly, it’s healthy. They don't hover. They aren't "on" each other all the time.
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"I am wildly, wildly lucky that I have my husband. But he understands I need my space. He needs his space." — Rachael Ray, 2024.
They also have "huge screaming matches." Rachael has been vocal about this. They yell, they get it out, and then—in her words—she pats him on the backside or he kisses her on the head, and it's over. No lingering resentment. No passive-aggressive silence for three days. Just a loud, messy, very Italian-style explosion followed by peace.
The Secret Sauce: No Kids and Lots of Dogs
One thing people always ask about is why they don't have children. Some fans assume it’s a source of tension, but it’s actually the opposite. They made a conscious choice.
Rachael has been very blunt about this: she doesn't think she’d be a good mom. Not because she doesn't like kids, but because she works too much. She feels guilty enough leaving her dog, Bella Boo, for a few hours. Juggling a child and a global brand? She knew it wasn't for her. John was on the same page.
By not having kids, they’ve been able to focus entirely on their "community"—their charity work, their business, and their life in Italy. They built a home in Tuscany from the ground up (literally, they renovated a villa and moved in by 2021). That house is their baby.
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Fact-Checking the "Tragic Diagnosis" Rumors
If you’ve seen those weird YouTube videos claiming John is "saying goodbye" because of a "tragic diagnosis," stop clicking. They are fake.
Every few months, a new cycle of clickbait emerges claiming Rachael is terminally ill or John is leaving her. These videos usually feature AI-generated voices and old photos of them looking tired at an airport. There is zero evidence for any of it. In fact, they were just seen together in late 2025 at the New York City Wine & Food Festival, looking perfectly fine while hosting the Blue Moon Burger Bash.
Where They Stand Now
- Residence: They split time between their rebuilt home in Lake Luzerne (after the 2020 fire) and their villa in Tuscany.
- Work: They still work together on Rachael Ray’s Meals in Minutes on the FYI Network.
- Status: Married and seemingly obsessed with each other's "bad behavior," like staying up too late and listening to loud opera.
What You Can Learn From Their "Weird" Marriage
Rachael and John aren't trying to be a "perfect" couple. That’s probably why they’ve lasted. They don't pretend they don't fight. They don't pretend they spend every waking second together.
If you’re looking for a takeaway, it’s basically this: find someone who tolerates your brand of crazy. John doesn't mind if dinner is at 6:00 PM or 10:00 PM. Rachael doesn't mind if he spends all day in a recording studio. They have "the right recipe," and apparently, it involves a lot of Scotch, a lot of pasta, and a lot of personal space.
To stay updated on what the couple is up to next, you can follow Rachael’s podcast I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, where she continues to drop surprisingly unfiltered details about their life behind the scenes. You can also catch them on the FYI Network, where they still prove that the couple that cooks together (and occasionally yells together) stays together.
Actionable Next Steps:
Check out Rachael's latest project, Rachael Ray’s Rebuild, to see how she and John handled the literal reconstruction of their lives after their New York home burned down. It's a great look at their partnership under actual, high-stakes pressure.