The Story Of Rachael Ray's Fall From Fame Is So Heartbreaking

Celebrity cook Rachael Ray has sparked serious concern among her fans after sharing a video in which she opened up about what it was like to live off “$40-a-week” as a “very, very poor” New Yorker struggling to make ends meet.

Rachael Ray Surprises Fans with Most Personal Project Yet

The 56-year-old author and TV host, who appears to have filmed the video in her kitchen, posted the candid clip on Instagram. In it she recalled her earliest years living in New York City—admitting that she was too “scared” to tell her mother about her financial struggles.

“I didn’t want to bother my mother. I didn’t want her to feel scared for me. So I would never ask for money, and I didn’t have any,” the Glens Falls native explained.

Ray, who says she was forced to live off “beans” during those difficult years, eventually began making a small amount of money through a TV show that provided her with a $40-a-week budget with which to buy her groceries.

“Eventually, I did a show called ‘$40 a Day.’ And that was my budget for a whole week. I would buy a week’s food, and I only had $40,” she shared.

Rachael Ray has sparked major worry among fans after recalling the days she lived off of “$40 a week” and was a “very, very poor young woman” in New York City.
(rachaelray/Instagram)

The chef, 56, took to Instagram on May 11 to share a video of herself lifting the lid on her early days in the Big Apple, and why she was “scared” to tell her mom about her financial woes.
(rachaelray/Instagram)

In the clip, which she shared with 1.2 million followers, she slurred her words as she admitted that she lived off “beans.”
However, while Ray went through her fair share of struggles, she says that the experience was made just a bit easier by the knowledge that had been passed down from her family, who knew how to stretch a dollar to provide for their loved ones.

“I always felt so grateful that I came from people who taught me how to buy dry beans, a few vegetables, very little protein, and to live on that for a long time. And I’m deeply grateful for it,” she explained.

At the end of the clip, she added, “It has changed the course of my life. It has made my life what it is, and that’s what I try to share in these shows as often as I can.”

Today, Ray’s lifestyle looks very different—thanks in large part to her phenomenal success as an on-screen food expert and author, careers that have helped to net her an estimated fortune of $100 million.

She currently resides in a stunning dwelling in Lake Luzerne, which she and husband John Cusimano rebuilt in 2021 after it was destroyed in a devastating fire. The couple also own property in Italy, which she proudly featured in her hit daytime series, the “Rachael Ray Show.”

Yet viewers of Ray’s new video were quick to voice their fears over the cooking expert’s well-being after she shared the clip, with some claiming that she appeared to be “slurring” her words during the footage.

“Rachael. Are you okay? You don’t look well,” wrote one, as another said: “OMG what happened to Rachael?”

Although the story was from her early days in the Big Apple, fans still flocked to the comments section to question if the celebrity chef was OK and express their worry.
(rachaelray/Instagram)

In December, Ray told guest Anne Burrell that she’s “afraid” to browse the web because of what people may say about her.
(Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for NYCWFF)

Others remarked that the TV host appeared “unwell,” with some even speculating that she might be suffering from “health issues.”

It is not the first time that Ray has sparked concern with a social media appearance. Last year, she faced similar speculation when she posted a cooking video in which some believed she looked ill or out of sorts.

One month later, Ray confessed that she had suffered a “couple of bad falls” on her podcast, “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead,” prompting a further outpouring of concern.

In December, Ray told guest Anne Burrell that she’s “afraid” to browse the web because of what people may say about her.

“Do you ever think about the way people think about you? I don’t. I’m, like, afraid to, quite frankly,” she said.

Although Ray’s primary residence is located in upstate New York, she has been spending much of her time at her Tuscany property of late, where she is filming for the second season of her hit show, “Rachael Ray in Tuscany.”

Although she used to spend her days in her Hamptons home, she offloaded the 3,000-square-foot residence, which included a four-room pool house, a one-room cottage, and a pool, in 2020 for $3.5 million.
(Provided by Sotheby’s International Realty)

According to the New York Post, Ray now spends her days in upstate New York, which is where her mother lives.
(rachaelray/Instagram)

It’s thought that the latest clip was filmed inside the elegant dwelling, which Ray has owned for several years now, having purchased it after her Lake Luzerne home burned down.

Prior to that, in 2020, Ray had offloaded a stunning 3,000-square-foot Hamptons residence, which boasted a four-room pool house, a one-room cottage, and a sizable swimming pool.

Ray, who purchased the home in 2008 for $2.1 million, fetched $3.5 million in the sale, earning her a tidy profit, albeit nowhere near the $4.9 million that she and Cusimano had originally listed it for in 2017.

The buyer had the option to scoop up the place with all the furnishings in the updated interior, done by Ray’s design guru, Michael Murray.

At the time, listing agent Angela Boyer Stump with Sotheby’s International Realty said the decor and furnishings helped seal the deal.

“A family from Bronxville instantly fell in love with the character and style. The main house, pool house, and writer’s cottage have an old-world style and flair that bring an elegant sophistication,” she said.