The pair briefly separated in the late 1970s as they navigated the pressures of Garten’s new business venture.
During that period, Jeffrey was working in Washington, DC, while Ina was building her own professional path with the Barefoot Contessa store.
“When I bought Barefoot Contessa, I shattered our traditional roles — took a baseball bat to them and left them in pieces,” Garten wrote in her memoir, People reported. “While I was still cooking, cleaning, shopping, managing at the store, I was doing it as a businesswoman, not a wife. My responsibilities made it impossible for me to even think about anything else.”
She asked Jeffrey for a temporary separation while she figured out how to balance being both a businesswoman and a wife, and he came to terms with the fact that Garten had a flourishing career that would limit her time spent at home.
The separation was short-lived, and the couple ultimately reconciled.
