Joey Chestnut pleads guilty to misdemeanor battery after slapping patron at bar

Joey Chestnut, the 17-time Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery in April, and was sentenced to 180 days of probation, according to US Weekly.

Chestnut was charged after getting into a physical altercation with a man at an Indiana bar in March. Chestnut was accused of slapping the man in the face after the two exchanged a handshake.

Police spoke to Chestnut about the incident, with Chestnut saying he was “pretty drunk and didn’t remember” the interaction. Bar surveillance footage revealed Chestnut used his right hand to strike the victim. Upon reviewing the footage, Chestnut told police the slap “looked like a joke,” but later said he must have reacted because he took offense to something the victim said.

Chestnut’s team told US Weekly that the competitive eater regretted his actions and will avoid those situations in the future.

“Joey regrets engaging and the interaction being misinterpreted. He strives to always connect in a fun manner with fans. In this case, some inappropriate things were said that Joey reacted to. He’s committed to avoiding being in those situations going forward,” his team tells Us.

Chestnut’s attorney Mario Massillamany also spoke to US Weekly, confirming Chestnut’s guilty plea. Massillamany added that Chestnut “took full responsibility for this misunderstanding.”

Due to the incident, Chestnut will still be on probation during the 2026 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in July. That shouldn’t affect his ability to compete in the event, which he’s won a whopping 17 times.

After missing the 2024 hot dog-eating contest due to a sponsorship deal with another hot-dog manufacturer, Chestnut returned to the event in 2025. He won it, downing 70.5 hot dogs to dominate the competition.