Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, the reigning champion of Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest, is set to defend his July 4 title while serving probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge in Indiana, according to his attorney and competition officials. Chestnut’s attorney, Mario Massillamany, said the case stemmed from an alleged altercation that led to a guilty plea and a probation sentence in Hamilton County.
Massillamany said Chestnut entered the guilty plea on April 20. He said Chestnut was sentenced to 180 days of probation, and that the court allowed Chestnut to travel outside Indiana so he could compete during the July 4 event on Coney Island and defend the Mustard Belt.
The probation status did not change Chestnut’s competitive standing with the organizer. Richard Shea, the co-founder and president of Major League Eating, which oversees the Nathan’s Famous contest, said in a statement that the incident did not violate Major League Eating’s code of conduct because it occurred outside any organizational event or activity and was addressed by local authorities.
Massillamany told The Associated Press that he viewed the incident as a misunderstanding. He said Chestnut “understood that he wanted to accept responsibility for his actions,” and that it was “taken out of context” when police questioned him before he had an attorney, according to the attorney’s description of what Chestnut told authorities.
According to the AP report, Chestnut was accused of slapping a man on the face during a night out at an Indiana bar. The attorney said Chestnut told police that he was drunk and did not remember the altercation, and that he was nervous when speaking with officers before his lawyer.
For the Nathan’s Famous contest itself, organizers pointed to continuity in their rules and eligibility. Shea said the incident did not affect Chestnut’s participation, and the contest will still feature him as he seeks to extend a record of repeated wins in the Nathan’s competition.
Chestnut’s July 4 defense comes after a recent string of eating titles and after prior sponsorship-related issues. At the Nathan’s Famous contest last year, Chestnut reclaimed the title by eating 70 1/2 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes after missing the 2024 contest because of a competing sponsorship deal. Nathan’s had temporarily banned him from competing after he signed an endorsement deal with the plant-based meat company Impossible Foods, the AP reported.
More recently, the AP report said Chestnut won the 2026 Ultimate Bologna Showdown in Tennessee for a third straight year, consuming 16 pounds of sausage in 8 minutes to set a new world record.