Rachael Ray continued to spark fan concern on Saturday when she exhibited “bizarre behavior” at an event for her new gin.
Over the weekend, the celebrity chef hosted a meet-and-greet and bottle signing event for her Staple Gin, which launched in May 2024, in New York City.
Twenty fans showed up at the Broadway Spirits store after paying $50 and braved Manhattan in 80-degree weather as they waited for Ray, who made it to the signing “20 minutes late,” according to the Daily Mail.
An insider claimed to the outlet that something “seemed off” with the Food Network alum, 56, as she showed “bizarre behavior” while greeting fans and handing out bottles of her gin and baseball caps.
“She got oddly close to some people, hugging them in a way that seemed overly familiar as she posed for photos,” the source added.
“You know how Drew Barrymore acts with celebrity guests on her talk show — just like that.”
The event was initially scheduled to run from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., but the meet-and-greet allegedly wrapped “in less than an hour.”
“Around halfway through the event, there was no line outside,” the source said. “Organizers were then standing outside telling random people about Rachael Ray doing a bottle signing.”
However, a second source claimed to the outlet that Ray’s gathering was a total “success.”
“Rachael spent personal time with each guest that RSVPed, hearing about their lives, signing anything anyone wanted, posing for photos and making human connections as she has always done,” the second source said.
“She was being kind and genuine.”
Additionally, “The Biggest Loser” alum Bob Harper stopped by for a surprise appearance at his pal’s event.
The “Rachael Ray Show” host first sparked concern last October when she slurred her words during a cooking video.
Ray shared in an episode of her “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” podcast that she had suffered “a couple of bad falls.” However, she didn’t share any other details about her health.
This past May, fans’ worries grew when Ray slurred her speech in yet another cooking clip.
Most recently, Ray joined the culinary community in mourning fellow chef Anne Burrell, who passed away earlier this month, admitting that she was left “shaken.”
“I can’t quite believe it — such a strong, vibrant, fearless woman, so full of life and love, could be gone so soon,” she wrote in an Instagram tribute, adding that she and husband John [Cusimano] are “heartbroken.”
She continued, “I’ll miss her friendship deeply. Everyone whose life she touched will miss her. Sending love to Stuart and everyone who knew and loved Anne. We’ve lost someone truly special.”
Ray’s rep did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.