Rachael Ray Says She's 'Wildly Lucky' to Have Her Husband John Cusimano: 'He Understands I Need My Space'

Mar. 15, 2025

John Cusimano and Rachael Ray in 2023.Photo:John Lamparski/Getty

John Lamparski/Getty

Rachael Rayand her husbandJohn Cusimanoare a perfect match.On the second episode of her new podcast,I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead,Ray, 56, praised her husband while talking to guest Billy Crudup about his own relationship with wifeNaomi Watts.“I am very wildly, wildly, wildly lucky that I have my husband,” Ray said of Cusimano. “But he understands I need my space. He needs his space.”Ray and Cusimano, a musician and lawyer, married in Italy in 2005. They renewed their vows 10 years later inthe same Tuscan castlewhere they first said “I do.“John Cusimano and Rachael Ray in 2017.Jim Spellman/WireImageOn her podcast, Ray asked Crudup, 56, “You guys are both wildly successful actors. How do you guys work that out? Do you consider and test material on her when you’re learning a part and vice versa, or do you just, like, stay in separate corners?”“John and I largely stay in separate corners,” added Ray.TheMorning Showstar, who started dating Watts in 2017before marrying in 2023, replied that the unpredictability of creative work is “not for everybody.”“That lack of predictability and a bit of the carnival life and a little bit of rock and roll can sometimes be exhausting to the point that you’re not properly taking care of yourself,” he said. “And the fact is, if you want to be a part of this, you have to surround yourself with enough people who can both promote you, encourage your way of doing it, and help to protect you. And that is a lot to ask.”He continued, “And the fact is, Naomi and I have both been around for a while, so we have some level of appreciation about how to help manage one another. And we also are both really interested in acting, so we do talk about stuff.”Naomi Watts and Billy Crudup.Jon Kopaloff/GettyRay previouslysharedthe unconventional way she resolves arguments with Cusimano.“It’s very hard, especially for hot-tempered or creative or vociferous loud people to be able to just calm it down,” she told guestJenny Mollenon the first episode ofI’ll Sleep When I’m Dead. “John and I don’t calm it down ever. We have huge screaming matches all the time, but I think that’s healthy. I really do. And I don’t trust people that are too quiet."“Too quiet freaks me out,” said Ray. “I prefer that you tell me what you think when you think it and let’s just get it all out there.”Rachael Ray’s new podcast, ‘I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead’.Courtesy of Rachael RayNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Ray told Mollen that they don’t “ever apologize to each other."“Eventually I pat him on his ass or he kisses me on the head, and that’s just sort of it,” she joked. “That’s the apology. It’s just sort of understood. ‘I still like your ass.’ ‘I still like your head.’ It’s kind of in that zone.”

Rachael Rayand her husbandJohn Cusimanoare a perfect match.

On the second episode of her new podcast,I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead,Ray, 56, praised her husband while talking to guest Billy Crudup about his own relationship with wifeNaomi Watts.

“I am very wildly, wildly, wildly lucky that I have my husband,” Ray said of Cusimano. “But he understands I need my space. He needs his space.”

Ray and Cusimano, a musician and lawyer, married in Italy in 2005. They renewed their vows 10 years later inthe same Tuscan castlewhere they first said “I do.”

John Cusimano and Rachael Ray in 2017.Jim Spellman/WireImage

On her podcast, Ray asked Crudup, 56, “You guys are both wildly successful actors. How do you guys work that out? Do you consider and test material on her when you’re learning a part and vice versa, or do you just, like, stay in separate corners?”

“John and I largely stay in separate corners,” added Ray.

TheMorning Showstar, who started dating Watts in 2017before marrying in 2023, replied that the unpredictability of creative work is “not for everybody.”

“That lack of predictability and a bit of the carnival life and a little bit of rock and roll can sometimes be exhausting to the point that you’re not properly taking care of yourself,” he said. “And the fact is, if you want to be a part of this, you have to surround yourself with enough people who can both promote you, encourage your way of doing it, and help to protect you. And that is a lot to ask.”

He continued, “And the fact is, Naomi and I have both been around for a while, so we have some level of appreciation about how to help manage one another. And we also are both really interested in acting, so we do talk about stuff.”

Naomi Watts and Billy Crudup.Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Ray previouslysharedthe unconventional way she resolves arguments with Cusimano.

“It’s very hard, especially for hot-tempered or creative or vociferous loud people to be able to just calm it down,” she told guestJenny Mollenon the first episode ofI’ll Sleep When I’m Dead. “John and I don’t calm it down ever. We have huge screaming matches all the time, but I think that’s healthy. I really do. And I don’t trust people that are too quiet.”

“Too quiet freaks me out,” said Ray. “I prefer that you tell me what you think when you think it and let’s just get it all out there.”

Rachael Ray’s new podcast, ‘I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead’.Courtesy of Rachael Ray

Courtesy of Rachael Ray

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Ray told Mollen that they don’t “ever apologize to each other.”

“Eventually I pat him on his ass or he kisses me on the head, and that’s just sort of it,” she joked. “That’s the apology. It’s just sort of understood. ‘I still like your ass.’ ‘I still like your head.’ It’s kind of in that zone.”

source: people.com