The Time Rachael Ray 'Almost Killed' Her Famous Houseguest During A Dinner Party Disaster

Being a celebrity chef can be a surprisingly dangerous business. For starters, you never know if someone as a food allergy. Granted, you can put precautions in place, but things do still slip through the cracks. Take, for instance, the scary incident on "The View" that nearly ended in disaster for Sunny Hostin after Debbie Matenopoulos unknowingly served her a dish with an ingredient she was allergic to. Food Network icon Rachael Ray experienced a similarly frightening moment while hosting the late legendary jazz vocalist Tony Bennett, confessing that she once "almost killed" him. However, it wasn't due to issues with allergies or ingredients. Rather, it simply came down to the fact that Ray got a little overzealous while preparing her home for her distinguished guest.

Ray shared the hilarious anecdote in an Instagram reel on the official "Home.Made.Nation" account in September 2024. "The first time he came to my house, Tony Bennett ate two portions of ossobuco. And I almost killed him," the Emmy winner recalled. "I had polished the floors in the kitchen because, well [...] Tony Bennett's coming to dinner, I have to make sure the floors are perfect and the house is clean and everything is just amazing." As Ray acknowledged, "I might have gone a little overboard with the floors 'cause when I pulled out the chair for Tony to sit down [...] the chair slid out from under him and he hit his head on my marble counter behind him and he fell to the floor." As such, "I thought I killed him, literally." Luckily for both parties, though, she didn't.

Despite Rachael Ray's fears that she had prematurely ended the life of a musical legend, Tony Bennett's wife assured her he would be absolutely fine — and, fortunately for all involved, he was. "She says to me, 'Rachael, he's fine. He'll pop back up. Just let him be.' So he made it all through dinner, had double portions of everything, was such a gentleman," the celebrity chef confirmed. Sadly, Tony Bennett eventually did pass away, in the summer of 2023, at the age of 96. The iconic performer had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016, though he continued to perform regularly for another five years after the fact, including with Lady Gaga. Bennett officially retired in 2021, just two years before his death. It was also the year the singer actually went public with his Alzheimer's diagnosis.

"I miss my friend so much, the most beautiful man maybe ever," Ray remarked of him in her 2024 Instagram video. Of course, when Bennett passed away, she was hardly the only celebrity to celebrate his legacy. And the fact that tributes came in from all across the Hollywood spectrum goes to show just how influential he was. Those who publicly paid their condolences included everyone from actors like Viola Davis and Josh Gad to musicians Elton John and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., also made a post eulogizing Bennett, in which she commended the singer for his longtime civil rights advocacy. "Goodnight, #TonyBennett. Thank you for your commitment to love, civil rights, and a better world," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.