Rachael Ray Says She ‘Almost Killed’ Tony Bennett at a Dinner Party: ‘He Fell to the Floor’
Rachael Ray revealed that she had a very memorable dinner party with longtime friend Tony Bennett before his death — but things certainly didn’t go off without a hitch!
In a clip posted on her Instagram account on Monday, September 2, from the series Rachael Ray in Tuscany, the celebrity chef explained that she thought she almost killed the Grammy-winning singer.
“The first time he came to my house, Tony Bennett ate two portions of Osso Bucco, and I almost killed him,” Rachael, 56, explained at the start of the video. “I had polished the floors in the kitchen because, well, Tony Benedetto, that's his full last name, 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. I might have gone a little overboard with the floors.”
“When I pulled out the chair for Tony to sit down for his starter snacks and aperitivo, the chair slid out from under him, and he hit his head on the marble counter behind him,” she recalled. “And he fell to the floor, and I thought I killed Tony Bennett. I thought I killed him, literally.”
Tony attended the dinner with his wife, Susan Crow, who assured Rachael that the “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” singer was going to be just fine.
“His wife, Susan, she says to me, ‘Rachael he’s fine.’ He’ll pop back up, just let him be,” she said. Sure enough, Tony was perfectly fine after the incident.
“He made it all through dinner, had double portions of everything, was such a gentleman,” Rachael said while getting visibly emotional. “I miss my friend so much. The most beautiful man maybe ever, and he was the biggest eater of Osso Bucco in my house.”
Rachael was good friends with Bennett, who died on July 21, 2023, at age 96 after suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
“My friend passed away today,” she wrote on Instagram after his passing. “Tony Bennett made life rich, romantic, funny and he always gave us the enthusiasm to live a long time — he showed us how important every moment is. … I’m so sad, but so grateful to have known him and to have fed him. He had a great appetite for food and life.”
Fans of the 30-Minute Meals host may remember that she shared this dinner party story once before during a past episode of her talk show.
“When Tony’s coming over for supper, I get a little nervous,” Rachael said. “I super clean. I don’t just vacuum, I freakishly clean every glass in the house of every shape and size. And this particular day, my hardwood floors, I was so proud, I polished — a lot. I might’ve used a little too much of the floor wax.”
“He goes to sit down, I turn my back, the chair went, woosh, right across the room. Tony went, ‘Woo!'” she added.
Bennett once appeared on the talk show himself, telling Rachael, “You know, I’ve met a lot of people, a lot of entertainers in showbusiness, and you’re one of the finest artists that I’ve ever met. You’re so friendly.”
