The Nastiest Rumor About Rachael Ray's Love Life Before Getting Married

One of the many rumors about Rachael Ray that we can't ignore stems from when she was just starting out. In a 2024 Reddit post, a commentator claimed that the celebrity chef had an affair with a married newscaster about three decades prior and, devastatingly, his wife had subsequently died by suicide. Of course, online scuttlebutt should always be taken with a grain of salt. However, Ray was also rumored to be romantically involved with a man named Dan DiNicola, who worked with her in the early days of her career. Although the nature of their relationship remains unclear, a May 2007 New York Post article did label DiNicola as a newscaster she once dated. 

Furthermore, also according to the New York Post, DiNicola was once married to a jazz singer named Susannah McCorkle, who died by suicide in 2001. However, her suicide note detailed how McCorkle's inability to land significant gigs was what ultimately drove her to tragically end her life. Still, the jazz singer's publicist elaborated that her decision had likely stemmed from an array of problems, listing, "It was the cancer, her divorce, the decline in cabaret bookings, the record company thing — everything all together." 

Even DiNicola, whom she had reportedly already divorced at the time, commented on the loss, quipping, "It's too bad she didn't get this kind of publicity when she was alive." But it seems like DiNicola and Ray had also already broken up around the time of his ex-wife's suicide because she started dating her husband, John Cusimano, around 2001. Notably, even Ray's relationship with her husband can be questionable at times. 

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In 2024, a Closer Weekly source opened up about some of the red flags in Rachael Ray and John Cusimano's marriage. The insider claimed that the couple's inability to ever spend any time apart had exacerbated their marital problems, noting, "They get on each other's nerves a lot and argue at the top of their lungs. It's their way of communicating." The source also noted that the Food Network star's inner circle was growing increasingly concerned about her health because of their fiery relationship, saying, "She insists they never go to bed angry, but friends aren't so sure these rows are good for her blood pressure and wish they'd get counseling like normal people do." 

However, the beloved star saw their fights as healthy because they apparently prevented the couple from growing resentful of each other due to unresolved issues. During an episode of her "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" podcast, Ray admitted that she frequently got into full-blown "screaming matches" with Cusimano. Surprisingly, that wasn't the only questionable revelation she made during the show since Ray also revealed that the two of them never apologized to each other after these explosive arguments, typically making up with an affectionate and playful gesture instead. 

Likewise, Ray's TMI confession about her husband was full of subtle red flags. While appearing on the "I've Never Said This Before" podcast in January 2025, the bestselling cookbook author felt the need to inform listeners that she purchased a different pair of trousers for Cusimano's wedding suit because he was too well-endowed for the original pair. This is just one of the many weird things about Ray's marriage we can't ignore.