Joey Chestnut to defend hot dog eating title while on probation after pleading guilty to battery

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NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (AP) — 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 probation in Hamilton County.

A judge has granted him permission to travel outside the state, allowing Chestnut to defend his title and the signature Mustard Belt on Coney Island this summer.

“It truly was just a misunderstanding,” Massillamany told The Associated Press. “Joey understood that he wanted to accept responsibility for his actions, and he did.”

When police questioned Chestnut, he said he was drunk and did not remember the altercation, according to Us Weekly. Massillamany said that was “taken out of context” and Chestnut was nervous when speaking to officers before he had an attorney.

Richard Shea, the co-founder and president of Major League Eating, which oversees the Nathan's Famous contest, said the altercation did not affect Chestnut's competition eligibility.

“This incident did not violate Major League Eating’s code of conduct, as it occurred outside any organizational event or activity and it was addressed by local authorities,” Shea said.

At the Nathan's Famous contest last year, Chestnut took back the title by eating 70 1/2 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes after he missed the 2024 contest due to a competing sponsorship. Nathan's had temporarily banned him from competing after he signed an endorsement deal with the plant-based meat company Impossible Foods.

Chestnut most recently won the 2026 Ultimate Bologna Showdown in Tennessee for the third straight year, consuming 16 pounds of sausage in 8 minutes to set a new world record.