Community Corner
Guy Fieri Backlash, Apology After Viral Tate Bros Handshake
Food Network celeb Guy Fieri apologies on X for friendly greeting with extreme "manosphere" brothers, Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate.
Celebrity restaurateur Guy Fieri responded to criticism after a video showed him greeting extremist "manosphere" brothers, Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate, at a recent UFC event.
The clip, filmed as Fieri walked through the venue, shows a brief exchange with the brothers — both extremist social media influencers and former webcam porn entrepreneurs suspected of sex trafficking and other charges in multiple countries.
The moment spread quickly online and drew backlash online from people who objected to the interaction with the brothers, and then people who objected to the objections.
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Fieri addressed the controversy in a post on X, writing, “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.”
He said he attended the event to watch the fights and did not recognize the brothers at the time. “I was there to see the fights, walking through the venue, when the Tate brothers stood up and said hello and that’s when the exchange happened,” Fieri wrote. “I did not know them or about them before that moment.”
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Fieri also rejected any suggestion of alignment with the pair and their opinions about women, men, and wealth.
“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.”
The response to his post quickly split. Some users criticized the encounter, while others defended him or urged him to move on, posting messages such as “Don’t worry about it.”
However, the sponsors of an upcoming media appearance today was canceled. He was scheduled for a media event for Waterloo Sparkling Water, to celebrate his second year of partnership with the beverage brand, according to reports.
Fieri, known for hosting Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, lives in Santa Rosa and has long maintained ties to the Bay Area including fundraisers and a home in Santa Rosa.
RELATED: Guy Fieri, Celebrity Chefs Serve Up Gratitude For First Responders in Healdsburg
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