In what could go down as the biggest July 4 news since 1776, Joey Chestnut will return to the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest this summer despite pleading guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge in his native Indiana.
As Us Weekly first reported, the 43-year-old competitive eater was accused of hitting a man with his open hand during a barroom confrontation back in March. Chestnut has since been given 180 days of probation after pleading guilty to a criminal misdemeanor charge of battery resulting from bodily injury, court records show.
Now, as the 17-time Nathan’s champion told USA Today, he has ‘no restrictions’ on his travel, allowing him to compete this July 4 on Coney Island.
Chestnut’s guilty plea resulted from an altercation at a local bar in Indiana, where a victim told police the Nathan’s champ struck him across the face with an open hand.
The two had a friendly handshake when meeting moments prior in the early hours of March 21. A witness claimed Chestnut told the alleged victim’s friend: ‘Look, your buddy’s mad.’
‘[Chestnut] had pulled [the victim] forward, moves closer and uses his right hand to strike [the victim] on the face with an open hand,’ one officer claimed after seeing security footage of the incident.
Joey Chestnut, a multi-time winner, holds a plate of hot dogs with the Mustard Belt slung over his shoulder, after winning the 2025 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating competition in Brooklyn
Chestnut was charged with misdemeanor battery and will be on probation for 180 days
‘[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 continued. ‘[Chestnut] moves toward [the victim] again and [the victim] moves away from the accused.’
The situation did not mushroom into anything bigger and Chestnut didn’t deny the allegations when speaking to police the following day. According to US Weekly, Chestnut admitted he was ‘pretty drunk and didn’t remember’ what had occurred.
Chestnut pled down to a misdemeanor battery charge on April 20.
‘My client took full responsibility for this misunderstanding and resolved the matter by pleading guilty to a lesser-included offense of Class B misdemeanor battery, one of the lowest-level misdemeanor offenses under Indiana law,’ Chestnut’s attorney Mario Massillamany told the New York Post.
‘The resolution of the case, including a sentence of six months of probation, reflects what this incident truly was — an isolated misunderstanding rather than anything more serious. We appreciate the professionalism of the parties involved in reaching a fair and appropriate outcome.
‘Mr. Chestnut is moving forward and remains committed to being a positive member of the community.’
There had been questions about his ability to travel with the ongoing legal issues, but he was on Long Island last month for a bagel competition and now plans to be back on Coney Island this Fourth of July.
