Food Network star Guy Fieri is facing criticism on social media after video of him greeting controversial influencer Andrew Tate at a UFC event in Miami circulated online over the weekend — though Mr. Fieri has since issued a statement saying he did not know who the Tate brothers were at the time.
Mr. Fieri, 58, the host of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” was spotted greeting Andrew and Tristan Tate at UFC 327 at Kaseya Center in Miami on Saturday. Video from the event showed Mr. Fieri leaning over a railing to shake hands and bump shoulders with Mr. Tate, with the two appearing to exchange words and share smiles. The footage was first shared by BroBible sports editor Jorge Alonso.
In a statement posted Tuesday to X, Mr. Fieri said the encounter was unplanned.
“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 exchange happened,” he wrote. “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.”
President Trump also attended the event.
Andrew Tate, 39, is a self-described misogynist whose social media content is heavily associated with “the manosphere” — a digital network of websites, videos and social media promoting male supremacy and traditional gender roles. Mr. Tate and his brother Tristan have been under criminal investigation in Romania since 2022, accused of coercing women into pornography. Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service has authorized 21 charges against the pair, including rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking. Romanian courts have ordered their extradition to the U.K., though the CPS has said the domestic Romanian proceedings must be resolved first. Both men deny any wrongdoing.
On April 6, a Romanian court lifted all remaining judicial control measures on the brothers, removing requirements such as regular police check-ins, while the investigation into alleged human trafficking and related charges continued. Their return to the United States earlier this year prompted speculation that the Trump administration had lobbied Romanian authorities to ease restrictions on the pair, a claim U.S. officials have denied.
Reaction on social media was swift. “I will never watch @foodnetwork again,” one user wrote on Threads. “I didn’t know @guyfieri was hanging around people like this. It says a lot about him.” Another wrote, “Diners, drive-ins and human traffickers doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.” Several users said they would boycott Mr. Fieri’s restaurants and the Food Network.
Mr. Fieri faced similar pushback in July 2023, when a photo circulated of him greeting Mr. Trump ringside at UFC 290 in Las Vegas.
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