Guy Fieri said he’s “devastated” over the backlash he’s received since a video of his encounter with Tristan and Andrew Tate went viral.
The Food Network star was slammed by fans online after a clip showing him shaking hands and bumping shoulders with the controversial social media “manosphere” influencers at a UFC event on Saturday, April 11, began to circulate.
“I’m seeing all of your comments about the photo from Saturday’s UFC event and all I can say is that I’m devastated,” the longtime Bay Area resident posted to X on Tuesday, April 14. “I was there to see the fights and when I was walking through the venue, the Tate brothers stood up and said hello … I did not know them or about them before that moment.”
The Tate brothers are former kickboxers who built their digital platform around toxic masculinity and sexism. They are currently under criminal investigation in Romania and the U.K., where they face charges for rape and human trafficking, which they have denied.
“I’ll never pretend to be a perfect person but let me be crystal clear, I do not know the Tate brothers nor do I support them in any way,” Fieri concluded.
This isn’t the first time that Fieri has been criticized for interacting with conservative figures. The White Stripes musician Jack White called out Fieri, among others, online for mingling with President Donald Trump in 2023.
“Anybody who ‘normalizes’ or treats this disgusting fascist, racist, con man, disgusting piece of s— Trump with any level of respect is ALSO disgusting in my book,” White posted to Instagram at the time. “That’s you Joe Rogan, you Mel Gibson, you Mark Wahlberg, you Guy Fieri. This is a statement from me, not a discussion/debate.”
Fieri didn’t publicly respond to White.
The celebrity chef has also been called out for his relationship with conservative celebrities such as podcaster Joe Rogan, who he praised for impacting Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign last year. He is also friends with vocal Trump supporter Kid Rock, who appeared as a guest on Fieri’s Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” in 2011.
Fieri recently returned home to the Bay Area for Super Bowl LX in February, attending a range of events in the region leading up to the big game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. He also hosted his annual free Flavortown Tailgate at the Cow Palace on game day.