Rachael Ray is cooking up more than just paella, but this time, the celebrity chef appears to be ignoring some concerned fans. After being called out for slurring her words in a recent cooking video, Ray, 56, took to Instagram on Wednesday to post a new recipe without addressing any of the concerns.
Her post enthusiastically introduced a shrimp and chorizo paella recipe, with the caption, “Break out the cast iron 🥘. It’s time to put a little pep in Wednesday night’s dinner step with a shrimp 🍤 and chorizo paella party 🎉.” She encouraged her followers to check out the link in her bio for the full recipe, continuing to focus on her passion for cooking.
However, Ray’s fans seem to be fixated on her previous video, where she shared a nostalgic story about cooking Ossobuco for the late singer Tony Bennett and his wife, Susan Crow. In that clip, she reminisced about a dinner party at her home, where she recalled almost “killing” Bennett after his chair slipped due to her overly polished kitchen floors.
“I had polished the floors in the kitchen because, well, Tony Bennett’s coming to dinner,” Rachael Ray recalled. “I have to make sure the floors are perfect and the house is clean and everything is just amazing.” Ray remembered how Bennett fell, hitting his head on the countertop, but assured viewers that he recovered quickly. She affectionately referred to the music legend as “the most beautiful man” and expressed her sorrow at his passing in July 2023 at the age of 96.
While the story itself was touching, many fans couldn’t help but notice something off about Ray’s speech, with some questioning whether she had recently suffered a health issue. One commenter, identifying as a nurse, noted, “One corner of her mouth is much lower than the other. The nurse in me would have her go in to be checked for any side effects from a stroke.” Others echoed similar sentiments, expressing concern over what appeared to be slurred words.
“I love you but are you ok? I’m seriously concerned,” one fan wrote, while another commented, “Is she slurring or am I slurring?”
Despite the growing concern, other supporters quickly came to Ray’s defense, suggesting that she may just be aging naturally or could be dealing with a personal health issue unrelated to a stroke. “She’s aging like the rest of us,” one defender wrote, urging critics to be kind. Another added, “She’s aging well the normal way—no plastic surgery… get real people.”
While fans remain divided on Ray’s appearance and speech, the chef herself has stayed quiet on the matter, choosing instead to focus on sharing her culinary expertise. For now, her Instagram feed remains filled with recipes, leaving her followers to speculate in the comments.