Food Network star Guy Fieri responded to outrage over a video of him shaking hands with the Tate brothers, the controversial siblings who have been accused of rape and human trafficking in multiple countries.
In footage taken at Saturday’s UFC 327 match at the Kaseya Center in Miami, the “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” host is seen shaking hands with Andrew and Tristan Tate and shoulder-bumping the two influencers whose names are toxic to many.
Guy Fieri & Andrew Tate link up at #UFC327 Miami pic.twitter.com/gPERcPzq6x
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) April 12, 2026
“How you doing, brother?” Fieri is heard saying, “Good time, right?” The rest of the conversation between the three fight fans is inaudible.
The brothers have been arrested in Romania and currently face charges in the UK for alleged rape and other crimes. They are also under investigation in Florida.
Video and pictures of the encounter blew up on social media, and not in a good way for Fieri, who served up a statement denying that he knows the polarizing brothers and insisting that he doesn’t support 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.
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…
— Mayor Guy Fieri (@GuyFieri) April 14, 2026
“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 wrote in a Tuesday post to 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,” Fieri said.
While Fieri’s groveling isn’t going to satisfy the “woke” leftist lynch mob, it invited more backlash from X users who lambasted his cowardly sucking up to online bullies.
Why are you apologizing? This is some coward shit.
— DocHolliday (@AngelusHector) April 14, 2026
Never bend the knee sir. They will still come after you and you will lose the respect of most.
— Michael Boyles (@MacnTsDaddy) April 14, 2026
You’re actually apologizing for talking to the Tate Brothers bro. Have some balls, stand up for yourself and tell people that you did nothing wrong by simply having a conversation.
You don’t have to like the Tate Bros to have a peaceful conversation. What is the world coming to.
— Avalanche Forever (@citchmook) April 14, 2026
Please do not cave to the woke mob. These people do not care about you. Please carry on as you always have. People with more than a pea for a brain love you.
— Big Blueshirt Yankee (@NYfanFLman) April 14, 2026
Why are you apologizing? This is such beta behavior. Even if you wanted to be friends with them, who cares. It’s your life, now you are controlled by the woke mob.
— Trisha (@Trishafromaz) April 14, 2026
Guy! Stop apologizing! They’ve never been to a trial, they’ve never been convicted. Don’t let the twitterverse brow beat you! Maybe you don’t share their opinions, maybe a lot of people don’t, but you don’t owe no one nothing!
— mom2milmen (@b_rock306) April 15, 2026
Imagine feeling you have to apologize for saying hello to someone?
— Nib (@RandomXbruh) April 14, 2026
The weekend’s UFC action was also taken in by President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and celebs including Joe Rogan and Kid Rock.
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