Guy Fieri says he’s ‘devastated’ after video shows interaction with Andrew Tate at UFC
Celebrity chef Guy Fieri has broken his silence after getting in hot water with some fans and followers over the weekend.
The heat comes from a video circulated on social media showing Fieri, a longtime Sonoma County resident, shaking hands with and talking to controversial influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, the brothers who have been accused of crimes against women. The interaction took place during an Ultimate Fighting Championship event Saturday, April 11, in Miami, also attended by President Donald Trump.
The 15-second clip quickly drew surprise reactions and harsh criticism from people who condemned Fieri’s chummy attitude towards the brothers associated with the online men’s rights movement commonly referred to as the “manosphere,” often featuring misogynist viewpoints.
Last year, Andrew Tate was accused by an ex-girlfriend of sexual assault and battery, the Associated Press reported. The Tate brothers, who are dual U.S. and British citizens, were previously arrested in Romania in late 2022 and later charged with human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women in Romania. Andrew Tate was also charged with rape. They have denied the allegations.
Users across social media platforms criticized Fieri for Saturday’s interaction during UFC 327, with some calling for a boycott of the Food Network.
“Genuinely curious why @foodnetwork continues to platform someone who is publicly shaking hands with the Tate brothers while also claiming to be a family friendly network. Asking for anyone with morals,” wrote Kaitlyn Pierce on Threads.
“I don’t like trash anywhere near my food. I’ll be watching another network. Shame, we love your shows,” wrote Les Rayburn on X.com.
On Tuesday, April 14, Fieri publicly addressed the video in a post on X.com, saying that he was “devastated” by the comments and that he “did not know them or about them before that moment,” referring to the Tate brothers.
“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.
I was there to see the fights and when I was walking through the venue, the Tate brothers stood up and said hello and that’s when the exchanged happened. I did not know them or about them before that moment.
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.”
— Mayor Guy Fieri (@GuyFieri) April 14, 2026
A request to Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of Food Network, for comment was not immediately returned.
