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Joey Chestnut will be in Coney Island defending his Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4 despite being on probation.
Chestnut pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge on April 20 and was sentenced to 180 days of probation in Hamilton County, Indiana.
However, “Jaws” was granted permission to travel outside the state, which allows him to participate in the event he’s won 17 times, including this past year, on July 4 in New York City. He had previously filed petitions to travel outside Indiana with the Hot Dog Eating Contest taking place.
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Joey Chestnut wins the men’s competition at Nathan’s Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York City on July 4, 2025. He returned to compete for a 17th win after missing the 2024 event due to a sponsorship dispute with Major League Eating. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
Chestnut, regarded as one of the best competitive eaters of all time, was accused of slapping a man in the face during a night out at an Indiana bar around 2 a.m. on March 21, per Us Weekly. He later told authorities that he was drunk and didn’t recall the interaction with the man.
The man also claimed he recognized and approached Chestnut while at the bar and shook his hand before he was slapped on the left side of his face.
JOEY CHESTNUT SENTENCED TO PROBATION AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO DRUNKENLY SLAPPING A MAN AT BAR
“The accused pulled [the victim] forward, moves closer and uses his right hand to strike [the victim] on the face with an open hand. [The victim] is observed reacting to the strike and moving his head downward and holding it there while the accused stands over him and [his friend],” the officer said in an affidavit obtained by Us Weekly. “[Chestnut] moves toward [the victim] again and [the victim] moves away from the accused.
“The touching was nude, insolent or angry because the open-handed strike was nonconsensual to the victim in a manner that caused pain while the accused allegedly used provocative language toward the victim to illicit a reaction.”
Chestnut’s attorney, Mario Massillamany, said that his client took “full responsibility for this misunderstanding,” the outlet reported.
Joey Chestnut wins the men’s competition at Nathan’s Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York City on July 4, 2025. He returned to compete for a 17th win after missing the 2024 event due to a sponsorship dispute with Major League Eating. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
Chestnut will be going for his 18th title in his last 19 attempts, though he may have had another one if not for Nathan’s banning him from competition in 2024. He had signed a deal with Nathan’s rival, Impossible Foods, prior to the competition.
But Chestnut and organizers of the event found common ground on sponsorships before the 2025 contest.
He went on to consume 70.5 hot dogs and buns in the 10-minute timeframe.
Joey Chestnut grabbed a protester by the neck who interrupted the 2022 Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, New York City, on July 4, 2022. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Now that he’s locked in for the contest, Chestnut should be the overwhelming favorite. He’s also coming off a victory in the 2026 Ultimate Bologna Showdown in Tennessee, winning the event three years straight now. Chestnut ate 16 pounds of sausage in eight minutes, setting a new world record.
Fox News’ Ryan Morik and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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