Rachael Ray has given fans an update on her health after she appeared to be “slurring” her words in a recent Instagram post.
During the 56-year-old’s premiere episode of her new podcast, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, she opened up about her well-being while discussing her constant need to perform household duties.
“I’m a homemaker. I love chores. I love being in the kitchen,” she said. “I always work with my brain every day, I’m always writing something, but I really like chores.”
“I like what people consider physical work,” Ray continued, noting how she adores making and planning dinners just as much as she likes carrying wood.
However, Ray has recently been out of commission, refraining from any serious physical labor after suffering from a few accidents.
“I’ve had a couple of bad falls in the last couple of weeks, so I haven’t been doing that in a while,” she admitted.
Ray and her husband John Cusimano, 57, often get competitive when they’re performing physical chores, like gathering wood from outside. Although their competitiveness is unspoken, Ray admitted that she’s always brainstorming how she can “one-up” Cusimano.
She explained: “How many pieces of wood did John carry? Can I carry more? I don’t say that to John. I just say it to myself.”
The Food Network star’s health update comes after fans expressed their concerns for Ray back in September, after the chef was featured in an Instagram post from Home Made Nation.
In the video shared on September 2, as part of the brand’s “Rachael Ray in Tuscany” series, the chef appeared to slur her words while cooking ossobuco as a tribute to the late Tony Bennett. As Ray cooked her veal shanks, she recalled how the legendary singer would come over to her house to eat dinner.
However, some viewers claimed Ray’s speech was slurred in the clip, like one Instagram user who commented: “There is definitely something off here.”
“Her voice was definitely slurred,” a second person agreed, while another added: “You look like a totally different person than you used to.”
Some Instagram users believed Ray was either inebriated or suffering from a stroke. “I think it’s a mini stroke. Part of her mouth seems sinking,” one person commented, as someone else said: “She’s drunk... I hope all is well and you just had one drink to many... Praying for you.”
While Ray has yet to publicly addressed her speech in the video, many fans defended her against negative commenters speculating about her health.
“I don’t hear any slurring but she has compassion in her telling of the story. She’s a good person and her vibes are good,” one fan pointed out.
“Can we stop being internet doctors?” another person wrote. “Rachael Ray put in years in this industry. If she's going through a health issue, let's wish her well but calling her names or making fun of her is downright terrible. What's wrong with some of y’all?”
The Independent has contacted representatives for Ray for comment.
