Joey Chestnut may be dealing with legal trouble, but it won't keep him away from the hot dog stage this summer.
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Despite Chestnut recently pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery following a bar altercation in Indiana, Major League Eating says the competitive eating icon will not face any discipline from the organization.
In other words, barring another surprise, the king of Coney Island is still expected to be front and center at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4.
MLE chairman George Shea told TMZ Sports the organization considers the matter outside its authority because the incident did not occur during an official event or competition.
"This incident does not violate the organization's code of conduct," Shea said, adding that the matter had already been handled by local authorities.
Chestnut was sentenced to 180 days of probation after pleading guilty in connection with a March incident at a bar in Indiana. According to police documents, a man approached Chestnut at the establishment before an interaction escalated into what authorities described as an open-handed slap.
When questioned by police afterward, Chestnut reportedly admitted he had been drinking heavily and did not fully remember the situation. After later viewing surveillance footage, he allegedly described the slap as looking "like a joke."
His representative also told TMZ that Chestnut regrets the situation being "misinterpreted," while claiming "inappropriate things" led to the confrontation.
Still, none of it appears likely to impact his eating career.
And honestly, that probably comes as a relief to Major League Eating.
Chestnut remains by far the biggest star in the sport, having won Nathan's famous contest 17 times and becoming one of the most recognizable figures in sports entertainment over the past two decades.
So yes, probation or not, "Jaws" is still apparently free to chase another mustard belt.
