Joey Chestnut to defend hot dog eating title while on probation after pleading guilty to battery
The competitive eater admitted to two battery counts after a bar confrontation, and court documents say video showed him slapping a fan.
- Competitive eater Joey Chestnut pleaded guilty Monday to misdemeanor battery stemming from a March altercation in Hamilton County, Indiana, receiving a 180-day probation sentence after a guilty plea agreement filed on April 17.
- Around 1 a.m. on March 21, a man recognized Chestnut at Joe's Grille in Westfield and approached him; the two exchanged a friendly handshake before the man was struck across the face with an open hand.
- Surveillance footage from the bar documents Chestnut "slapping" the victim; when police showed Chestnut the video, he responded "that did not look nice" and admitted he was "pretty drunk and didn't remember" the incident.
- Despite his probation sentence, Chestnut told USA TODAY Sports "I have no restrictions," clearing him to defend his title at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island on July 4.
- Earlier this month, Chestnut won the 2026 Ultimate Bologna Showdown in Knoxville, Tennessee, by eating 16 pounds of bologna in 8 minutes, demonstrating continued competitive activity while serving probation.
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Legendary Hot Dog Champ Joey Chestnut Pleads Guilty to Hitting Man at Bar, Will Be on Probation For July 4 Contest
Joey Chestnut was hotdogging it at a speak-easy recently, according to police. The thin-as-a-rail Joey, known worldwide for pounding Coney Island franks, got caught trying to throw his weight around. Not that he has much, despite being able to pound dozens of hot dogs and rolls in annual holiday-eating contests. Competitive eater Joey was sentenced [...] The post Legendary Hot Dog Champ Joey Chestnut Pleads Guilty to Hitting Man at Bar, Will Be …
Joey Chestnut will defend hot dog eating title while on probation for battery
Competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, the reigning champion and 17-time winner of Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, will compete in the July 4 spectacle while on probation after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge. Chestnut was accused of slapping a man on the face during a night out at an Indiana bar, his attorney, Mario Massillamany, said. He entered a guilty plea April 20 and was sentenced to 180 days of pr…
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