Rachael Ray chose never to have children and said this is something she has been “bashed” for over the years.
The celebrity cook touched on the matter on the latest episode of her podcast I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, where she spoke with former Biggest Loser trainer Bob Harper about their respective choices not to have kids and instead focus all their love on their dogs.
“I chose never to have children,” said Harper, who publicly came out as gay in the seventh episode of the 15th season of The Biggest Loser in 2013.
“Me too, and god, did I get bashed for it over the years,” Ray added before going on to talk about how her dogs provide that “unconditional love” many parents feel from their children.
“They never talk back; they always wanna hug you. It’s that unconditional love… it really gets you through dark days,” Ray said of her pets. “For me, if I have the absolute worst day, the thing that makes me feel best is to literally go home and climb into bed and under a blanket with my dog.”
She also revealed that two of her late dogs received proper burials. “A priest came and buried them and gave us prayer cards, not kidding,” she explained. “They were everything to us, and they both lived a very long life. One was over 13, one was over 15. Now we have Bella. But that continuum of humanity animals can give to people is crazy. It makes you a better human to have an animal.”
When Ray’s dog Isaboo died in May 2020, she took to social media to pen a tribute, adding, “We will open our home and our hearts to another animal in need, because that is what Izzy would want.” She and her husband of 19 years, John Cusimano, later adopted Bella Boo.
“I don’t understand folks who are not into having an animal in their lives,” the Food Network star told Harper. “Because it just makes you happier and better and you have all this love in your life all the time, no matter what.”
When asked about having kids back in 2007, Ray told People, “I don’t have time. I work too much to be an appropriate parent. I feel like a bad mom to my dog some days because I’m just not here enough. I just feel like I would do a bad job if I actually took the time to literally give birth to a kid right now and try and juggle everything I’m doing.”
Ray has been opening up about her life on her new podcast series, including her relationship with Cusimano and how they sometimes enjoy having their own space away from each other.