Food Network star Guy Fieri says he’s “devastated” by backlash over a viral clip of him greeting Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate at a UFC event — but some critics aren’t buying his explanation.
The moment happened Saturday at UFC 327 at Kaseya Center in Miami, where Fieri was captured exchanging handshakes and embracing the brothers as he walked through the venue. Clips quickly spread online, drawing criticism from fans who questioned the interaction, given that the Tates are facing several investigations, including allegations of rape and human trafficking, in multiple countries.
Both men deny the allegations.
In a statement posted Tuesday on X, Fieri said the encounter was brief and unplanned.
“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,” the “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” host wrote.
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“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 exchange happened. I did not know them or about them before that moment.”
Fieri added, “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.”
Still, the backlash was swift, as a planned appearance tied to Fieri’s Waterloo Sparkling Water partnership was canceled, according to Page Six, and many users on X remained critical despite his apology.
“I always make this face when I totally don’t know who someone is, who is also under investigation for raping women,” one X user wrote alongside a screengrab of a Tate encounter.
“Sure Jan,” another user wrote, referencing the Brady Bunch meme often used to sarcastically express disbelief.
Even Joe McBride, an attorney for the Tates, pushed back on Fieri’s apology, writing on X, “Guy Fieri knew exactly who Andrew and Tristan Tate were. He stood up, he walked over, and for one moment, he acted like a man who doesn’t need permission to say hello.”
“The people who pressured Guy Fieri into his Pathetic capitulation are the same people who have spent years manufacturing a case against two innocent men. They are not interested in justice. They are interested in control. And Guy Fieri just showed them it works,” McBride said.
The Independent has contacted Fieri’s representatives for comment.
Fieri also drew added criticism for a separate interaction at the event with President Donald Trump.
“How about this dude? Did he sneak up on you too?” one user asked, including a photo of Fieri and Trump.
“Do you know who this guy is?” another asked about the president.
Andrew and Tristan Tate, former professional kickboxers, are under criminal investigation in multiple countries, including the U.K., where they face a combined 21 charges, including rape and human trafficking.
A Romanian court recently relaxed some restrictions on the brothers as their cases move forward, Reuters reports.
Born in the U.S., the brothers later moved to the U.K. with their mother after their parents split. Andrew Tate first grabbed public attention in 2016 when he was removed from the British version of “Big Brother” after a video surfaced that appeared to show him hitting a woman with a belt.
Since then, Andrew Tate, a self-proclaimed misogynist, built a massive online following, especially among young men, by promoting a flashy lifestyle centered on money, power and hyper-masculinity.
The brothers have also become key figures in the so-called “manosphere,” a corner of the internet often criticized for misogynistic views, and now have a combined following of nearly 15 million users on X.
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