Joey Chestnut can’t purchase any firearms and must submit to random drug and alcohol testing after his battery plea, Us Weekly can exclusively reveal.
According to the hot dog eating-champion’s probation conditions obtained by Us, Chestnut, 43, can “not purchase, possess, or use any firearm, destructive device or other weapon” unless granted permission by his probation officer.
He is also “not [to] consume or possess any controlled substances (illegal drugs)” without a valid prescription. Chestnut has been warned not to partake in any recreational activities — like smoking marijuana — even if outside of the state of Indiana.
Per his probation terms, Chestnut “shall submit to alcohol and drug testing” at his probation officer’s discretion.
Chestnut also agreed to complete all court-ordered educational and/or treatment programs to support his rehabilitation, while vowing to maintain his employment and keep his nose out of trouble.
If he wishes to travel outside of Indiana, he’ll need permission from his probation officer to do so.
As Us exclusively reported earlier this week, Chestnut was hit with 180 days of probation in April after pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery following an altercation at a local bar.
In the affidavit obtained by Us, the victim told police that the famous food competitor struck him across the face with an open hand after the two exchanged a friendly handshake in the early hours of March 21.
When officers questioned Chestnut about the incident the following day, he recalled being “pretty drunk” and said he “didn’t remember” the altercation. However, the incident was caught on the bar’s surveillance footage.
The law enforcement officer noted what he saw after watching the video.
“The accused pulled [the victim] forward, moves closer and uses his right hand to strike [the victim] on the face with an open hand. [The victim] is observed reacting to the strike and moving his head downward and holding it there while the accused stands over him and [his friend],” the officer’s report stated. “[Chestnut] moves toward [the victim] again and [the victim] moves away from the accused.”
He continued, “The touching was nude, insolent or angry because the open-handed strike was nonconsensual to the victim in a manner that caused pain while the accused allegedly used provocative language toward the victim to illicit a reaction.”
Chestnut’s rep told Us, “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. He’s committed to avoiding being in those situations going forward.”
His attorney, Mario Massillamany, added: “My client took full responsibility for this misunderstanding and resolved the matter by pleading guilty to a lesser-included offense of Class B misdemeanor battery, one of the lowest-level misdemeanor offenses under Indiana law.”
On April 20, Chestnut was given his probation terms after taking responsibility for his actions. He is scheduled to be on probation until October 16, according to court docs.
That means if he’s planning to compete in this year’s annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest, he’ll need permission from his probation officer to do so.
Chestnut has won the patriotic eating competition a whopping 17 times, including in 2025, when he returned to the coveted hot dog battle after being banned the year before.
