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Joey Chestnut will be in Coney Island defending his famous Nathan’s International Hot Dog Eating Contest on the 4th of July despite being on parole.
Chestnut pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery on April 20 and was sentenced to 180 days of probation in Hamilton County, Indiana.
However, “Jaws” was granted permission to travel out of state, allowing him to participate in the event he has won 17 times, including last year on the Fourth of July in New York City. He had previously submitted petitions to travel outside of Indiana with the hot dog eating contest.
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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 victory after missing the 2024 event due to a sponsorship dispute with Major League Eating. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
Chestnut, considered one of the greatest competitive eaters of all time, was accused of slapping a man during a night out at an Indiana bar around 2 a.m. on March 21, according to Us Weekly. He later told authorities he was drunk and did not remember the interaction with the man.
The man also claimed that he recognized Chestnut and approached him while he was at the bar and shook his hand before receiving a slap on the left side of his face.
JOEY CHESTNUT SENTENCED TO PROBATION AFTER PLED GUILTY TO SLAPPING MAN IN BAR
“The accused took [the victim] forward, he approaches and uses his right hand to hit [the victim] in the face with an open hand. [The victim] He is observed reacting to the blow and moving his head down 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 towards [the victim] again and [the victim] moves away from the accused.
“The contact was naked, insolent or angry because the open-handed strike was non-consensual to the victim in a manner that caused pain while the defendant allegedly used provocative language toward the victim to provoke an unlawful reaction.”
Chestnut’s attorney, Mario Massillamany, said 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 victory after missing the 2024 event due to a sponsorship dispute with Major League Eating. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
Chestnut will be seeking his 18th title in his last 19 attempts, although he might have had another if not for Nathan banning him from competing in 2024. He had signed a deal with Nathan’s rival, Impossible Foods, before the competition.
But Chestnut and event organizers found common ground on sponsorships ahead of the 2025 contest.
He consumed 70.5 hot dogs and buns in a 10-minute period.
Joey Chestnut grabbed a protester by the neck who disrupted the 2022 Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, New York, 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 heavy favorite. He is also coming off a victory at the 2026 Ultimate Bologna Showdown in Tennessee, winning the event three years in a row. Chestnut ate 16 pounds of sausage in eight minutes, setting a new world record.
