Weird Things About Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond And Husband Ladd's Marriage

Before Ree Drummond transformed into the Pioneer Woman, a Food Network host, and a bestselling author, she was Anne Marie Smith. And before she added the titles of mother and grandmother to her laundry list of accomplishments, she was a wife. Married in September 1996, Ree Smith became Ree Drummond, wife to Ladd Drummond. The young couple went on to experience great success through Ree's career as she started her incredibly popular site, The Pioneer Woman, in 2006. As Ree became an iconic face of the Food Network channel and a highly followed writer, her married life was pulled into the spotlight, often by her own volition.

Ree's impressive career skyrocketed her and Ladd's relationship to minor celebrity status, stripping it of some levels of privacy as Ree continued to pen posts about the pair's relationship. With that high degree of visibility, it was inevitable that there would be some things that bother people about Ree and Ladd. With the truth of the Pioneer Woman's marriage laid out in the open across her blog posts, YouTube videos, and interviews, many people have picked up on some of the couple's head-scratching and questionable stories and habits.

Ladd Drummond skipped out on their wedding reception

When many people dream of their big wedding day, flashes of beautiful flowers, a romantic first dance, and a fun reception quickly come to mind. One thing that certainly doesn't tack itself onto a perfect wedding day is a newlywed husband hiding away in a glorified bathroom all night. And yet, Ree Drummond wrote proudly of this exact moment in a post to her site in January 2021.

Ree wrote that, following their church ceremony, "Ladd and his college friends were in the men's locker room almost the whole reception to watch the game" (via Pioneer Woman). Ree clarified that the game was between Arizona State (Ladd Drummond's alma mater) and Nebraska. No matter the justification that Ree places around Ladd's actions at their wedding, his decision to practically abandon his new wife for a college football game set a bizarre tone for the pair's marriage.

Ree Drummond's intense standards for husband and wife

With a self-made empire thanks to her relatable blog posts — and her talented cooking skills, of course — Ree Drummond has shared a great deal of her life online. The Pioneer Woman holds herself to a certain standard, as any strong-headed businesswoman should; however, the standard that Ree holds herself to for her husband may be going a bit too far.

Just 9 ½ months after their wedding, Ree was rushed to the hospital to give birth to the couple's first child, Alex (who Ree almost named after the location of conception). Well ... not rushed, exactly. The Pioneer Woman revealed, "As soon as I realized I was in labor, I jumped in the shower, curled my hair, and primped like crazy up until we left for the hospital." She continued, "I attempted to remain the ever-fresh and vibrant new wife, going so far as ordering my husband to stay north of my shoulders during the birth and continually reapplying tinted lip balm so I wouldn't look too pale." 

Though there is some sweetness to Ree's determination to remain a beautiful bride, the extent to which she pushed herself was a little extreme, especially given that she was going through childbirth at the time.

Ree admits to Ladd's sometimes bossy language

Ree Drummond and husband Ladd Drummond celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary in 2025. Their long-lasting marriage has had its ups and downs, something that aided Ree in crafting the perfect wedding advice for her daughter, Alex. One might assume that, like all great marriages, Ree and Ladd's union thrives on mutual respect and love. However, a small comment made by Ree in a YouTube video posted September 2025 to her Drummond Ranch channel reveals something a little different.

In the video, Ree is filmed cooking steaks and eggs for her family. While making the breakfast, Ree makes a remark about her husband's occasional nagging behavior, saying, "Sometimes he thinks I'm one of his kids. He needs to boss me around every once in a while." The quick comment from the Pioneer Woman paints an uncomfortable picture of the pair's relationship in which Ladd will take it upon himself to treat Ree not as an equal but as a child. Though many relationships are understanding of the occasional bossy comment, the way that Ree describes Ladd's condescending treatment of her is rather bizarre. 

Ree changed her eating habits thanks to Ladd

Ree Drummond, a culinary genius, was once a picky eater during her time at college, eventually committing herself to being a vegetarian. The Food Network star attempted to explain her decision in a confessional blog post for The Pioneer Woman: "And I'm still, to this day, not sure why. I never had any real aversion to meat itself, nor was I necessarily against the practice of raising animals for the purposes of meat production, nor did I question the nutritive or health value of meat, nor was I ethically or morally opposed to the idea of eating meat." It's clear from her writing that Ree is mocking her younger self, and is thankful to Ladd Drummond for snapping her out of vegetarianism.

Once she made this change, Ree wrote mockingly that, "If I ever did have a weak moment and eat meat, I'd probably get wickedly ill and be unable to accomplish any productive shopping on Melrose Avenue or hang with the celebs at Spago that night." Her early college days' dedication to the lifestyle came to an end when she met Ladd. Ree admitted to People, "Ladd cooked me a steak sizzling in butter, and it was all over." It's a little odd and, again, condescending for someone to cook meat for a self-declared vegetarian, yet another weird thing about the Drummonds' relationship. Then again, without that steak, who knows if Ree would have become the famous food personality she is today.

Recommended