Rachael Ray Is Unrecognizable During Quarantine
Like everyone else who is practicing social distancing at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, Rachael Ray's quarantine look is a little more relaxed than her everyday glam. With beauty salons closed during the lockdown and personal glam squads unable to make house calls (you can't apply eyeliner from six feet away, sadly), celebs have taken their hair and makeup into their own hands — even if they're still broadcasting a cooking show from their homes.
Ray began taping #STAYHOME With Rachael two days a week, on Mondays and Fridays, from her upstate New York home in the Adirondacks in April 2020, per BuzzFeed News. Her husband, John Cusimano, is now the cameraman and musical guest — and sometimes cocktail maker — for the show, which she posts to Instagram and YouTube.
The premise of Ray's show is the same: simple, healthy-ish, 30-minute style meals that even the most amateur cook can pull off. Her quarantine look, though? Not so much.
Rachael Ray is DIY-ing her cooking show — and her hair and makeup
To be abundantly clear, there's no reason anyone should be wearing full hair and makeup in quarantine unless they want to, and Rachael Ray is no different. In fact, her everyday look on television is often quite simple, too, with just enough makeup to stand out for the cameras.
In quarantine, Ray is even more relaxed with little to no visible makeup, naturally messy hair, and usually a pair of sweatpants. She actually looks super cute and comfy in her kitchen in the Instagram videos, and it seems to fit in with her easygoing, no-worries-attitude brand of cooking, too. Why make a fuss in quarantine when the coronavirus pandemic is stressful enough?
During the at-home shows, she jokes around with hubby John Cusimano, and her pitbull, Isaboo, often makes an appearance. It also gives fans a very fun and intimate look into her home kitchen — she sometimes misplaces the garlic, per the Associated Press, which, along with the relaxed quarantine look, feels very on-brand for the low-budget cooking guru. "This is a weird time. I can't say there's a silver lining... but there are found moments every day," she said in the first video, again per the AP.
Rachael Ray and her husband John are bonding
While Rachael Ray is definitely providing some much-needed entertainment — and pro cooking tips — for her fans in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic, it also seems like she's enjoying herself, taking time to bond with hubby John Cusimano, whom she married in 2005, per Delish. The two make great television from their kitchen these days and it's a testament to their almost 15 year long marriage. Cusimano, who is the lead singer for a rock group called The Cringe, and Rachael have been through a lot together and it shows in their loving banter during their Instagram videos.
In 2018, Ray told People that they met at a "mutual friend's party" and that she initially thought he was gay. After trying to set him up with a male friend of hers at the party, he quickly let her know that he was into her and they ended up staying out until 4 a.m. talking about food and, apparently, falling madly in love.
According to another People report, in 2015, the couple renewed their vows in Italy where they were first married. The couple plans to return to Italy to celebrate their 15th anniversary in fall 2020. However, they might have to put their travel plans on hold in light of travel restrictions due to Covid-19. They might just have to celebrate in quarantine at their home — hopefully with a little more glam.
In addition to spending some time with her hubby, Ray is also giving back during these uncertain times.
Rachael Ray donated $4 million to charities helping with COVID-19 relief
During the interview with BuzzFeed's AM2DM, Rachael Ray confirmed she would be donating $4 million to charities helping with coronavirus relief. The Rachael Ray Foundation and her Yum-O Organization are partnering with Feeding America, Share Our Strength, World Central Kitchen, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, City Harvest, Hunger Free America, Wholesome Wave, and Rethink Food, per a statement from Yum-O.
All of these charities are currently helping feed lower-income families, distributing meals to those affected by coronavirus, and helping restaurant workers who are currently out of work due to the ongoing lockdowns. Half of the money will also go to animal rescue, per the AP. Ray said, according to the outlet, that she wanted to help people more than "just, 'hey, here's three things you can do with canned tuna.'"
"The more you earn in life, the more you owe in service and the more you owe to your community. It is our absolute responsibility to take care of each other," Ray said. "John and I don't have human children. We want to pay it forward to the next generation — and, of course, because of how I make my living, our avenue to do that is to offer our service through food and care for our neighbors in the best way possible."
But her donation isn't all about altruism.
Rachael Ray is scared of her mother for this reason
According to the Associated Press, there's another reason Rachael Ray felt she needed to donate so much money — her mother. Ray is scared of her mother judging her. She said, "I'm scared because she's tough. She wants a daily update of what you're doing to help the world. In detail."
On the Rachael Ray Show's website, the celeb chef took questions from viewers who were concerned about how her tough Sicilian mom Elsa has been handling quarantine. Ray responded, "Mom is great, and she's across the street, which makes me really, really happy. She's 85, and she and the dog visit on our back porch in our backyard here and we all go out there and share some time together — at safe distances, of course." She added, "We send mom all of her meals, and we talk many, many times a day. And Elsa would be thrilled that you're asking about her. She's doing quite well. She's extremely well-fed and now getting a little cranky that she's eating too much."
Whether taking care of her mom, eating delicious meals, or lightening up on worrying about hair and makeup, Ray seems to be doing just as well as the rest of the people who are staying home until further notice.