The Time Rachael Ray 'Almost Killed' Tony Bennett

Music icon Tony Bennett passed away in July 2023 at the age of 96, but television personality and professional cook Rachael Ray (who isn't technically a chef) recently shared that she once nearly killed the legendary crooner when she had him over for dinner. Ray explained that Bennett and his wife Susan were visiting her home for the first time where she planned to serve a meal of homemade ossobuco. It wasn't the food that nearly killed him, though, it was the floors. 

In a collaborative Instagram post shared by Ray and two other accounts, she revealed, "I had polished the floors in the kitchen because ... Tony Bennett's coming to dinner I have to make sure the floors are perfect and the house is clean and everything is just amazing." She then admitted, "I might have gone a little overboard with the floors."

Ray recalled that when she pulled out the chair for Bennett, it slid out from beneath him and he hit his head on the marble countertop in her kitchen. Though the singer was ultimately just fine (even eating two portions of everything at dinner), we imagine it was probably quite the scare for everyone involved. "I thought I killed him, literally," Ray said.

While Rachael Ray can laugh off the story of Tony Bennett and the nearly-deadly dinner party today (much like the time she made the mistake of serving her mom a mimosa with lasagna roll-ups), her ossobuco recipe is no laughing matter. The dish consists of wine and tomato-braised veal shanks with root vegetables and cannelloni beans topped with gremolata and served alongside garlic lemon smashed potatoes. The meal may sound complicated, but Ray is a master of explaining things in a way that home cooks can understand.

Although Ray is no longer appearing on the Food Network where she originally found fame, and her eponymous talk show ended in 2023 after 17 seasons, fans can still watch her cook and share anecdotes and recipes. The clip Ray shared on Instagram was from her show "Rachael Ray in Tuscany," which airs on the FYI Network along with her other shows "Rachael Ray's Meals in Minutes" and "Rachael Ray's Italian Dream Home."