Ina Garten Reveals Why She Almost Divorced Husband Jeffrey

Ina Garten, known for her hit Food Network show, Barefoot Contessa , and a 56-year marriage to husband Jeffrey Garten, is opening up about a rough patch in their relationship. Garten talks about their marital strife in an excerpt from her new memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens , published by People on Tuesday. According to Garten, when she left her Washington D.C. career to open a food store, her new business venture consumed her life. She also struggled with the “traditional roles” expected in a marriage at this time. Subsequently, her lack of work-life balance took a toll on her marriage and drove her to ask for a separation. “I thought about it a lot, and at my lowest point, I wondered if the only answer would be to get a divorce,” Garten wrote. “I loved Jeffrey and didn’t want to shock—or hurt—­him, so I’d start by suggesting we pause for a separation.” Jeffrey agreed, and Garten calls it “the hardest thing I ever did.” They ended up getting back together after Ina asked Jeffrey to see a therapist so he could understand she didn’t want “a traditional ‘man and wife’ relationship.”

Read it at People

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