What’s a man without his ‘pioneer woman?’ In a new video posted to her Instagram, reality star Ree Drummond, 53, had a bit of fun with her husband Ladd after Ree apparently had to save him and his truck from an icy pond. Ree, who is known for the homestyle recipes she cooks up on her Food Network show The Pioneer Woman, proved she’s more than just talk when she calls herself a pioneer, and Ladd even called her the “most capable woman I know.”
In the video, Ree films while Ladd drives around their Oklahoma ranch, and laughs at himself when Ree sassily pushes him to explain how he became trapped in the pond. According to Ladd, he had been trying to break the ice with his tires and found himself in too deep. Ree jokingly said she only had “one question:” who Ladd called to come to the rescue when he found himself stuck in the ice. His answer? His loving and capable wife, of course. After all, Ree has stuck by Ladd’s side through even more harrowing situations. In Mar. 2021, Ree shared a touching message to Instagram after Ladd broke his neck while responding to a fire on their family ranch, emphasizing how glad she is her hubby is “here, alive, whole” and “all that good stuff.”
Ree and Ladd, who have been married for over 25 years, are a unit through and through. The close-knit couple, whose marriage Ree has described as a “wild adventure,” share a sweet life together with their five children: Alex, 24, Paige, 21, Bryce, 19, Jamar, 19, and Todd, 17. The family celebrated Christmas together on Ree and Ladd’s Oklahoma ranch and rocked matching holiday-themed pajamas. Having her close-knit brood to lean on may be extra-valuable to Ree recently, after her brother Michael Smith tragically passed away in Oct. 2021 at the age of 54. In a heartfelt tribute dedicated to her “perfectly wonderful” older sibling, Ree wrote: “He was seventeen months older than me, my first friend and buddy, and I’m so grateful for over 50 years of photos and memories.”