Rachael Ray's Diva Behavior Won't Help Her Soured Reputation

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Rachael Ray can cook up some drama just as easily as she can whip up a recipe for an affordable family meal. The celebrity cook and longtime TV personality has certainly had a storied and successful career, writing best-selling cookbooks and hosting the "Rachael Ray" show, a hit syndicated show that made her one of the wealthiest Food Network stars working today. However, after leaving her show in 2023 to look for new projects and adventures to embark on, Ray has had something of a heartbreaking downfall from fame.

Between her red-flag-filled marriage to her husband, John Cusimano, and an embarrassing lawsuit against her food company Nutrish that damaged her reputation, Ray's public image has shifted somewhat negatively over the past few years. Her recent admission to acting like a total diva likely doesn't help that particular problem.

As Ray explained in an episode of her "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" podcast in November 2024, she once angrily walked out in the middle of a recording session for the audiobook version of her 2019 memoir/cookbook, "Rachael Ray 50: Memories and Meals from a Sweet and Savory Life: A Cookbook." According to Ray, she came in to record her own words and discovered that someone had edited and cut out passages from her book without telling her. In a moment of uncontrolled anger, Ray threw a fit and left the studio, fuming.

Rachael Ray admitted during the episode of her podcast that she wasn't proud of how she acted. She explained that she couldn't even get through the audiobook recording because she was so upset. "They had edited it before I sat for the thing," Ray recalled. "I was so pissed that somebody messed with my words. I stormed out. It's so embarrassing to admit that, but I did." Ray explained that she understood that the editors were doing their best to make the audiobook more successful but said she simply hates people "messing with my stuff."

While there are a number of celebrities who have been vocal about disliking Ray, she has also faced criticism in the past for the ways she's treated her staff, as well as her fans, behind the scenes. Back in January 2016, a person who'd gone to a taping of her show took to Tripadvisor to share some dirt about what they'd seen during the recording. "Her smile and friendly act is just that, just an act. She berates her employees, does not acknowledge the audience or thank them for coming. You could tell that her employees were afraid of her. Once the cameras start rolling she starts smiling."

This proved to be a recurring criticism among numerous people who took to the review platform to warn others against going to a taping of her show. The most common complaint was how little Ray seemed to care about those in the audience. One fan wrote in April 2019 that Ray was "rude to her staff and very stand offish to her audience. I felt we were actually a problem for her." That type of diva behavior isn't likely to get her in the public's good graces.