Food Network star Guy Fieri said he was “devastated” to learn that two men he met at a UFC event were the controversial Tate brothers.
The event took place in Miami on Saturday, and other guests in attendance included President Donald Trump, several members of his family, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
In clips that quickly went viral online, restaurateur and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives host Guy Fieri could be seen shaking hands and bumping shoulders with Tristan and Andrew Tate, controversial manosphere influencers who are facing 21 charges of rape, bodily harm, and human trafficking in the U.K. and a criminal investigation for human trafficking in Romania.
In the footage, Fieri appears to tell the brothers, “good night, right” as they mingle and seem friendly towards each other.
Shocked fans were quick to criticize the chef, prompting him to post an explanation for how the meeting came to be.
Fieri explained that the meeting with the brothers happened by chance, and claimed he was unaware of the allegations against them.
“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,” Fieri wrote on X.
“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 exchanged happened. 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,” he added.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the Food Network for comment.
The Tate brothers have denied wrongdoing in all criminal charges. Earlier this month, a Romanian court lifted “all preventative judicial control measures” against the brothers pending a criminal investigation.
The brothers have dual U.S.-British citizenship and are former kickboxers. Andrew describes himself as a misogynist and has amassed a large following online by promoting an ultra-masculine lifestyle that relies on the degradation of women.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which describes Andrew as a male supremacist, the 39-year-old “preaches that women are men’s property and are fundamentally inferior to men.”
Fieri has previously faced criticism for glad-handing with Trump at UFC events, including in Las Vegas in 2023, when his meeting with Trump led to a call-out from indie rocker Jack White.
“Anybody who ‘normalizes’ or treats this disgusting fascist, racist, con man, disgusting piece of s--t Trump with any level of respect is ALSO disgusting in my book,” White wrote in an Instagram post at the time.
“That’s you Joe Rogan, you Mel Gibson, you Mark Wahlberg, you Guy Fieri. This is a statement from me, not a discussion/debate.”
Fieri praised Joe Rogan for his impact on Trump’s success in the 2024 election during an appearance on his podcast last year.
“I think about what you did with Trump and all that influence that you made,” Fieri told Rogan.
“And you call it straight up the line. You want to come on the show, you want to do this, let’s do it. And took the time to do it. I think it was a huge impact.”
“I think that we look at all the people that you’ve given a chance. You’ve given them a platform. And I think that’s really it’s fair of you,” he added, before praising Rogan’s interview style.
“You let people talk. You let them speak their piece. You continue to help them through not getting stuck on one thing.”
