Guy Fieri Sued By Food Network Champion

Guy Fieri got his big start on Food Network after winning one of the network’s competition series. Recently, however, the star has become the subject of a lawsuit from another Food Network champion. The suit also concerns one of Fieri’s operations.

Guy Fieri Got His Big Break In Television By Winning The Next Food Network Star

Fieri started his career in restaurants in the 1990s. He made his own big foray into television in 2006 after winning the second season of The Next Food Network Star, granting him his own cooking show, Guy’s Big Bite.

The following year also saw the premiere of Fieri’s second series, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Since then, he has hosted and presented on a variety of shows for the network.

According to Philly Mag, Fieri was recently hit with a lawsuit from Food Network alum Kevin Cooper. Back in 2022, Cooper was previously named champion of Guys’ Chance of a Lifetime.

Reportedly, Cooper was given the chance to run one of his own Chicken Guy franchises, which is one of Fieri’s brands. He opened his own Chicken Guy store in February 2024 at the King of Prussia Mall. However, the store closed within a year.

The original package Cooper won reportedly included a $100,000 guaranteed salary during the first year, a waived franchise fee, and $10,000 for various legal expenses, among various other assistances. Another form of promised aid was help with with operational expenses exceeding revenue during the first year.

Fieri’s Other Operations Haven’t Been Doing Well In The Region

According to the suit, Copper’s expenses exceeding revenue during this inaugural year were $69,000. Around $39,000 of this was in Pennsylvania sales taxes. The suit is making claims of a breach of contract and is asking for $100,000 in salary and expenses.

According to the publication, Guy Fieri’s operations have been facing issues in the region. The area has also seen the closures of Guy Fieri’s Restaurant & Bar and Guy’s Taco Joint. The remaining Guy Fiere operation remaining in the region is a Chicken Guy stand at Resorts in Atlantic City.

Guy Fieri - YouTube — Guy Fieri – YouTube

For his part, Cooper hasn’t spoken publicly about the lawsuit. In late June, however, he took to Instagram to discuss his recent absence on social media. Speaking in a recent video, Cooper shared, “I know y’all have noticed I’ve been a little quiet lately—not just on social media, but in general. However, there are some blessings in the quiet, right?”

Cooper continued, “There were some moments where I didn’t even want to speak my truth, because the version of the God that was handed down by my ancestors, wasn’t the version that I came to know in my quiet space.” He noted, “So for a long time I held back because I didn’t want to become just another Black man pushing the blame because I was done dirty.”

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