Competitive eating icon Joey Chestnut is heading into this year’s Fourth of July under legal supervision after pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery stemming from a late-night altercation at an Indiana bar. Court records reviewed by Us Weekly show the 43-year-old accepted responsibility for the incident in April and was sentenced to 180 days of probation following the March confrontation.
According to an affidavit cited in the report, the incident took place shortly before 2 a.m. on March 21 at Joe’s Grill in Indiana. The alleged victim told police he recognized Chestnut and approached him, with the two initially exchanging what was described as a friendly handshake. The man later claimed Chestnut suddenly struck him on the side of the face with an open hand.
Witness statements collected by police supported the account, and investigators later confirmed the interaction was captured on surveillance footage inside the bar.
Authorities said Chestnut later admitted he had been “pretty drunk” and did not fully remember the exchange when questioned by officers the following day. After reviewing the security footage with police, Chestnut reportedly told investigators the slap “looked like a joke,” though he later acknowledged he may have reacted to something said during the interaction.
Officers noted in the affidavit that the contact appeared “nonconsensual” and caused the alleged victim pain, though no visible injuries were documented at the scene.
Chestnut’s representatives said he regrets the encounter and intends to avoid similar situations moving forward. “Joey regrets engaging and the interaction being misinterpreted,” his team told Us Weekly.
Attorney Mario Massillamany added that his client “took full responsibility” by pleading guilty to what he described as “one of the lowest-level misdemeanor offenses under Indiana law.”
Chestnut remains one of the most recognizable names in competitive eating history. Beyond his dominance at the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, he has built a larger pop-culture profile through television appearances, sponsorship deals, and social media visibility.
That year, he ate 70.5 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. That victory marked his 17th championship in the event.
