In recent decades, Rachael Ray she’s made a name for herself on TV and in the kitchen – but when it comes to her home life, she’s clearly no one-man band.

The chef was married to a musician and entertainment lawyer Ioan Cusimano since 2005. In almost 20 years of marriage, the couple has gone through ups and downs. Since the beginning of her successful TV endeavor, The Rachael Ray Showin the 2006 house fire that destroyed their upstate New York home in 2020, the couple stayed together.

They also stayed strong through Ray’s various health issues, including “a a few nasty falls” she recently revealed the ordeal, just weeks after fans expressed concern for her health following her appearance on an Instagram video in September.

Meeting in 2001, the couple had plenty of time to let their romance blossom.

Here’s what the two have said about each other in the past.

They are honest with each other

In a recent episode of her new podcast, “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead,” the celebrity chef said she and her husband aren’t ones to shy away from their feelings.

“It’s really hard, especially for hot-tempered or creative or loud people to just be able to calm down,” she said. “John and I never settle down. We have huge games all the time, but I think it’s healthy. I really do. And I don’t trust people who are too quiet.”

Related: Celebrities who have had vocal surgery: Adele, Julie Andrews and more

Celebrities use their voices constantly, whether it’s singing on stage, reciting lines on set or speaking during interviews. Sometimes all that use leads to celebrities damaging their vocal cords, and they opt for surgery to correct the problem—which in some cases saves their careers. In 2012, Adele found out she had a (…)

She also explained that the two have their own way of making up after a fight.

“Eventually, he’s patting his bottom or kissing me on the head, and that’s about it,” she said. “That’s the excuse. It just kind of makes sense.”

They are a team – at home and in business

In an interview posted on July 9, 2020 The Rachael Ray ShowHis website, Cusimano said his work changed once he met Ray.

“I used to practice in New York City as an entertainment lawyer, primarily in film,” he said on the show’s accompanying online site. “Then I met this (Ray) and now I only have one client and her name is Rachael Ray. So I work on our businesses all the time.”

Ray agreed that her husband’s line of work is helpful.

“The smartest thing I ever did was marry an entertainment lawyer. It saved me a bundle,” she said.

She loves his musical talents

“He wanted to go to Berklee College of Music and he got accepted,” Ray said of her boyfriend. “He’s a great musician and plays 57 different instruments. But he went to law school because his parents cautiously told him it was better to have a job. He is indeed a master of the keys, of any stringed instrument; he’s especially great with percussion.”

They help each other in hard times

The couple worked nearby during the quarantine period of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“John and I have always worked together but in separate buildings. John focuses on business relationships and all the different facets of our brand, while I do TV shows in the studio all day,” Ray told Us Weekly exclusively in August. “But now we’re doing everything together, which of course is a huge adjustment.”

Ray said their quarantine arrangement helped them learn about each other.

“I think we now have a better understanding of the role each of us played behind the scenes,” Ray said. “Normally I can’t hear what he’s doing during all the business calls that would happen in a day … and he doesn’t see how much work he has to do TV shows.”

She also said Cusimano was a helpful partner around the house.

“Since we’ve been doing TV at home, John has had to take on a million roles,” added Ray. “He made 10,000 of a lot of dishes. It’s cameraman and tech services.”

When the two endured the fire that destroyed their home, Ray said they helped each other.

“We balance each other out, we always have” she told People. “I knew we would get through this together.”

They met through a mutual friend

Ray and Cusimano first met in 2001 at a mutual friend’s birthday party, the couple told The Rachael Ray Show website, in a posted interview on February 14, 2020.

“This person was a tall person and she invited all her ex-boyfriends and people she knew — and they were all tall,” Cusimano said. “And as you can see, we’re not that tall. So I like to say we met among a sea of ​​knees.”

Ray added that “they crossed a crowded room and started talking and we’ve talked every day since the night we met.”

She also said on her podcast that she initially didn’t realize he was interested.

“When we met, he had no idea what I did and I thought he was gay,” Ray said. “He told me what he had for dinner the night before and it was so impressive and he told me he was a lawyer. There’s no way a straight guy knows what tilapia is or tried to spice it up with some homemade tomatillo salsa and made maque choux overflowing from an avocado on the side.”

She also added that she tried to set him up with a friend of hers. “I said, ‘He’s a great guy,’ and I started describing him, and he said, ‘I’m not gay,'” Ray said. “And I say, ‘Check, please!'”

Ray said that when he met, he didn’t want to get married.

“It came at a time in my life when I decided I wasn’t going to pursue (marriage). I don’t think young men or women should feel pressured to get married.” she told People in 2007. “You shouldn’t marry anyone, in my opinion, that you have to try hard for.”

They won’t let the rumors fly

When rumors of infidelity circulated in 2006, Ray was quick to shut down the tabloids and defend her husband. “I know where he is every night since we’ve been married,” Ray said People.

Cusimano added that he feels most comfortable when he is at home with his wife.

“It’s fun to come home after a hard day’s work and cook dinner. My happiest place is snuggled up in bed with Rachael and the puppy.”

Ray agreed that they were both “very turtles. We listen to music, pour a glass of wine and watch Law and order.”