Rachael Ray’s constant speech slurring on television and some of her in-person behavior has her beloved fans wanting some answers about her well-being.
Rumors about her alleged unhealthy relationship to alcohol have been haunting Ray for years. It doesn’t help that she’s had several moments online where fans notice that the way she is speaking seems off. While many would jump the gun and point to liquor as the culprit for her actions, other sources on July 26 say there are more wholesome reasons.
One TV source told the New York Post, “People have been concerned about her for the past couple of years.”
Another said, “There’s always been rumors that she drinks.”
But others say alcohol is not to blame, rather how she chooses to physically present herself to the public.
One purported insider, ensuring the outlet that she isn’t having problems says she is “taking care of herself” and “doing things on her own terms.”
The TV source added, “Rachael Ray is someone that isn’t into hair and makeup, and high heels. People are judging her based off of what a standard of beauty is. She’s not that girl.”
Fans commented under the outlet’s article with their reactions.
One person said, “Clearly she’s not well. But she’s a grown adult with family and friends who can intervene if they want to. If she wants to drink and be sloppy, that’s her choice, as are the problems that come with it. Those who find it disturbing should just stop watching her. Guarantee those viewers have more than enough in their own lives to worry about and pay attention to.”
Another person who seems more concerned for Ray said, “ALL the signs are there for some sort of catastrophic (mental ?)health episode. Needs to be hospitalized immediately for health/wellness. Hope her loved ones read this.”
A third said, “She (allegedly) really likes alcohol but I still wonder if something is medically wrong with her. MS? (weight gain, slurred speech, falling).”
It’s true that Ray doesn’t care for the glitzy look. She told NPR back in 2019 about her fashion dislikes.
“Every time I put high heels on and I have to go somewhere in a dress, I feel uncomfortable,” she said. “I’m not supposed to be at the party. I don’t want people looking at my body or what I chose to wear that day. I don’t care who made my shoes. I just don’t. And so I can’t be something that I’m not. It’s the truth.”
But her choice of more relaxed and casual clothing doesn’t explain the slurred speech.
Health concerns have been mentioned as a potential answer for her bizarre behavior but she hasn’t confirmed nor denied that theory.
What stood out to some people, however, was what Ray said on her podcast “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” back in October 2024.
She started by explaining how she is , “a homemaker” and said that she enjoys house-like duties like “chores” and “being in the kitchen.”
She added, “I like what people consider physical work. I like making dinner, planning dinners, making lists. I love physical labor, helping carry in the wood.”
But, at the time, Ray said she had to put a pause on some of those things she loves.
“I’ve had a couple of bad falls in the last couple of weeks,” she said, “so I haven’t been doing that in a while.”
Fans have shown their concern for Ray under some Instagram posts, one of the latest being from this past Mother’s Day. In a video, she told the story about being “very, very poor” as a young woman living in New York and in order to avoid scaring her mother by telling her how poor she was, she figured out a different solution.
She started a show called “$40 A Day” where she demonstrated how to make dinner with only $40.
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While she seemed mostly fine in the video, some fans believed she appeared off and questioned if she was OK and if it had to do with her health.
Then, in June, a source told the Daily Mail that Ray was exhibiting “bizarre behavior” and that she “seemed off” during an event at Broadway Spirits in Manhattan. Ray was there handing out bottles of gin and baseball caps to some of the fans who showed up but it was how she interacted with the fans that seemed suspicious.
“She got oddly close to some people, hugging them in a way that seemed overly familiar as she posed for photos,” said one source.
“You know how Drew Barrymore acts with celebrity guests on her talk show — just like that.”
Barrymore is known for being touchy with some of the guests on her self-titled talk show.
Now a rep from her team is telling the Post, “Yes, we have seen some comments and questions from fans. Rachael focuses on the majority of fans asking her for help getting dinner on the table or for ways they can best feed their family with food prices on the rise. Rachael is working at her usual vigorous pace.”
‘Needs to be Hospitalized Immediately’: Rachael Ray Continues ‘Bizarre Behavior,’ Leading Fans to Believe ‘She’s Not Well’