Tragic Details About Rachael Ray's Husband John Cusimano

John Cusimano and Rachael Ray have been husband and wife since 2005, and over the years, they've spoken about how happy they are with each other. That's not to say everything has always been smooth sailing. Between damaging rumors and devastating losses, Cusimano has experienced a ton of sadder moments, too. 

We'll start with those rumors. For years, insiders claiming to know of the red flags in Ray and Cusimano's marriage accused the entertainment lawyer of incredibly shady extramarital dealings. For one, a woman speaking to the National Enquirer in 2006 alleged that she was regularly paid by Cusimano to, ahem, spit on him. "John paid me up to $500 for a session. We'd often have sessions at least twice a month. ... I virtually supported myself by spitting on him," she told the outlet (via NY Daily News). And, JSYK, we aren't using euphemisms, here. The same source added, "There was never any normal sex involved." Okay then.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Cusimano and Ray rubbished the rumors. In a statement to NY Daily News, a rep for the couple slammed the National Enquirer and accused it of fabricating the whole thing. "It is obvious to us the lengths that tabloids go to create stories." They didn't leave it at calling the National Enquirer out and continued with a note about the human impact of the entire debacle. "It's just sad when they take unwarranted shots at the people you care about the most," their spokesperson said. As for the National Enquirer, the outlet said at the time that it was sticking with its source, even claiming it had subjected her to a polygraph. "Our lawyers are comfortable with her story," former editor-in-chief David Perel told NY Daily News. The story is no longer on its website at the time of this writing. 

Unfortunately for Rachael Ray and John Cusimano, the rumors didn't stop there. At some point in 2007, Page Six made the claim that the couple was planning on divorcing. Ray didn't waste time debunking that, telling Entertainment Tonight just a few days later that she and Cusimano had actually been planning their wedding anniversary when they got wind of the rumor (via CBS News). 

At the time, Ray added that she actually found the rumor pretty funny. However, when it persisted for several months after that, it's safe to say she wasn't quite as amused. Not that we blame her — after all, one particularly bold claim made by National Enquirer was that the couple was super tense at Christmas, with Cusimano even being sent to sleep in her mother's cats' room (via Today). Further than that, the source who spoke to the outlet went as far as predicting the relationship would be over soon. That in itself is pretty funny, considering well over a decade later, they're still together. Even so, Ray didn't know that at the time and admitted on an episode of "The Rachael Ray Show" that all the tabloid rumors "really are killing me" (via Huffpost). 

Not long after Ray commented on the matter on her show, Cusimano also responded to some of the strange things said about his and Ray's marriage. Speaking to Extra, he shared that when all the chatter began, he'd been confused. "It was like, 'What?' It's so frickin' weird," he said (via OK!). Granted, he also hinted at coming to accept it, if only to some extent. "Now I think of it as, 'Ah, it comes with the territory,'" he told the outlet. Sadly for Cusimano, though, National Enquirer wasn't done yet. 

A few years after the spitting allegations, National Enquirer published yet another damning claim about Rachael Ray's husband. This time, a source speaking to the outlet claimed that he was a frequent visitor of a swingers club in New York City. 

According to the insider, John Cusimano's visits never included his wife. "After a bit of socializing at the buffet and the bar, John would always make his way to the back room. And every time we was observed in the coed locker room, he never took a shower alone," they alleged (via Fox News). They also claimed there had been one embarrassing incident when Cusimano was denied entry to the club for not adhering to the dress code. Even so, the source said that didn't keep him away and claimed that the next time he showed up, he simply did so in a better 'fit. 

Speaking to Daily Mail about the situation, a spokesperson for Cusimano and Ray began by saying they avoided addressing anything written about them by the National Enquirer on principle. However, possibly because of just how salacious the allegations were, they ultimately did share their thoughts on the matter with Fox News. "This is yet another pack of lies printed by the National Enquirer who have been targeting John and Rachael for several years with no merit," the statement said. Cusimano's rep added that he might take the outlet to court over its salacious claims. It's not clear if he followed through on that. However, as with the spitting story, the swingers club piece is also notably absent from National Enquirer's website. 

Longtime fans of Rachael Ray will know that while she and John Cusimano don't have children, they did have a dog they doted on for 15 years. Their pitbull, Isaboo, was certainly treated like a human child, with both Ray and Cusimano regularly sharing updates of her antics on social media. Sadly, in May 2020, the couple said goodbye, with Ray sharing on Instagram that Isaboo had died peacefully in their backyard. 

Cusimano shared a post in Isaboo's honor as well, writing on Instagram, "She was our joy and had a long and beautiful life. We will miss her so much." Sure enough, in the months preceding Isaboo's passing, Cusimano had shared just how involved she was in his day-to-day. In one sweet Instagram post, he shared a video of himself playing banjo while she lounged in the sun. In another, he shared snaps of Isaboo luxuriating on the couch during their New Year celebrations.

Ray and Cusimano ultimately went on to become pet parents a second time just under a month later. Cusimano headed to Instagram to share a pic of his and Ray's new puppy, Bella Boo Blue. "The newest member of our family!" he gushed in the caption. In the time since then, he's gone on to share a number of pictures alongside the latest addition, from snow days to hanging on the couch just as her predecessor once did. However, it's safe to say that even if Bella brought joy back into Ray and Cusimano's lives after Isaboo's passing, they'll never stop missing their first furbaby. In honor of what would have been Isaboo's birthday in 2021, Cusimano shared a picture of her on Instagram with the caption, "We miss you so much."

In a twist no one could have seen coming, just a few months after Isaboo's death, John Cusimano and Rachael Ray faced another tragedy. In August 2020, their Lake Luzerne home burned down when an ember from their chimney landed on their roof. 

Recounting what had happened that difficult day, Ray shared in an episode of the "Rachael Ray Show" that she'd been making pasta when Cusimano came home from a bad golf day. She set up the fireplace, thinking a warm evening in might cheer him up — but sometime after that, once Cusimano had come down for dinner, a man appeared in their yard. Turns out he was their neighbor, who had noticed their roof was on fire and was trying to get their attention. Though both he and Cusimano called their local fire brigade, sadly, it was too late. "We literally were just watching our house burn and burn and burn, and it wouldn't stop. ... You're just thinking, 'Oh God, what's going to be left?'" Cusimano recounted. Unfortunately, not a whole lot was. Ray shared that their photographs, Cusimano's music materials, and mementos of Isaboo were all destroyed. Even so, Cusimano saw some positives. "Losing stuff is really bad. Especially stuff you can't replace ... but the most important thing is life, and we were lucky that we got out unharmed. We got our Bella out unharmed, and that's really the most important thing. You know ... we'll rebuild the house," he said. 

The couple has since done that, and they even shared the results of the rehabilitation in a November 2021 episode of "Rachael Ray Show." The segment even ended with Cusimano back in his music studio. "I am thrilled to be back," he beamed. We'll bet!

Some may know that the couple's Lake Luzerne home wasn't the only one to require extensive repairs. Au contraire, just weeks after the anniversary of their scary house fire, Rachael Ray and John Cusimano's apartment in New York City was hit by Hurricane Ida in a very big way. 

Speaking to People about the damage, Ray shared that she and Cusimano had only just completed renovating the apartment when every single fixture was destroyed. "Literally every speaker in the ceiling, the fireplace, every seam in the wall ... It was like the apartment just literally melted, like in 'Wicked' or something," she said. Sadly, things went from bad to worse when the remediation team came to inspect the damage. "They make a hole in the wall and break the main water pipe and flood the entire building down to the first floor, from our apartment on the sixth floor," she said. 

In spite of it all, Ray and Cusimano managed to look on the bright side. In particular, she said, they were grateful to be alive, first and foremost. As for everything else, she explained, "At the end of the day, we always come back to grateful. John and I talk about it a lot. We really talk ourselves right through it at the end or the beginning of every day. Some days are different than others. But we try and just say, 'Okay. Here's the new plan. Here's today's version of the plan. Look at how much we have to be grateful for." Well, given how much else went wrong, it's great to hear that through flood and fire, Ray and Cusimano's marriage has continued to stay strong. 

Thankfully for Rachael Ray and John Cusimano, they didn't face further home issues after the flooding incident. However, that's not to say they were completely done facing heartbreak. Sadly for Cusimano, in March 2024, his mother passed away – and the lawyer and musician took to his Instagram to share a tribute to her in the wake of the devastating news. 

"My mom was so cool. She was a bad ass and a force of nature. She was a friend to many. She was a best friend and loving wife to my dad. She was my mom and I miss her so much. RIP Victoria Cusimano," he wrote beneath a carousel of pictures of them together over the years. We're sure one major consolation came from the massive outpouring of love he received in the comments section. In particular, a number of people who grew up with Rachael Ray's husband shared some of their memories with his mom. One even shared a sweet note about just how committed she'd been to supporting his music career. "You were lucky to have her! She adored you and God knows how many rock concerts she attended of yours," they wrote. Another shared a similar memory. "I so remember your mom from all our curtain calls at Spackenkill. What a wonderful woman," they reminisced. As for Ray, she also shared kind words after her mother-in-law's passing. "My mother-in-law, Vicki, will be greatly missed," she wrote in an Instagram Story (via The U.S. Sun). 

Losing a parent is incredibly difficult, and we hope Cusimano found strength in the love around him afterward. We're also hoping that going forward, he and Ray don't face quite so many tragedies.