HAMILTON COUNTY, INDIANA — Competitive eater Joey Chestnut pleaded guilty on April 20, 2026, to two counts of battery in Hamilton County, Indiana, and was sentenced to 180 days of probation. The charges stemmed from an incident at a bar in the early morning hours of March 21, 2026.

The victim told police that Chestnut hit him across the face with an open hand after the two exchanged a handshake. According to a probable cause affidavit, the man had noticed Chestnut because of his celebrity status and began to speak with him, and as the man reached out to shake Chestnut's hand, Chestnut slapped him in the face.

During a follow-up investigation, Westfield Police Department detectives obtained video footage of the incident. Court documents show the footage captures Chestnut pulling the victim in while shaking his hand and then slapping him. Shortly after the slap, Chestnut said, "Everything is okay." He also said, "Nothing happened."

On March 22, 2026, during a police interview, Chestnut asked police what had happened. He told officers he was "pretty drunk and didn't remember" much of the situation, and said he walked home from the bar when it closed.

Mario Massillamany, Chestnut's attorney, said, "My client took full responsibility for this misunderstanding and resolved the matter by pleading guilty." In a statement, Chestnut's team said, "Joey regrets engaging and the interaction being misinterpreted. He strives to always connect in a fun manner with fans. In this case, some inappropriate things were said that Joey reacted to."

Chestnut, who resides in Indiana, was granted a court petition to travel outside the state. He told USA TODAY Sports he has no travel restrictions that would prevent him from defending his hot dog eating title on Coney Island. He will be on probation during the July 4th weekend event in New York City.