Joey Chestnut is a sporting fixture, particularly during midsummer, where he emerges like a phoenix to lay waste to opposition eaters in Coney Island. The record-breaking competitive eater invokes a killer whale atop the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest stage, devouring anything in sight — hot dogs, buns and everything in between.
But Chestnut is more than his mouth. His dominance has brought with it a certain amount of celebrity, too. Yes, he’s best known for his ability to ingest copious amounts of wienies (and other cuisines). But his life away from the plate has proven similarly captivating, albeit in different ways.
Chestnut has offered occasional glimpses into his romantic life over the years. Here’s the latest on his relationship history.
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Does Joey Chestnut have a girlfriend?
Chestnut’s eating habits draw most of the attention. But his romantic life has garnered interest in recent years, too. At present, it doesn’t appear that the 41-year old has a partner. He enjoyed a fairly high-profile romance with fellow competitive eater Neslie Ricasa in the early 2010s; the couple was engaged to marry before breaking things off in 2015.
MORE: Why was Joey Chestnut banned from 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest?
What happened to Joey Chestnut’s fiancee?
Chestnut and Ricasa dated for three years, climbing to the top of the competitive eating scene hand-in-hand. In 2014, Chestnut proposed, dropping on one knee prior to collecting his eighth-straight hot dog eating contest crown with a 61-frank showing. Ricasa accepted Chestnut’s request gleefully.
The two were set for a May 9, 2015 wedding date. But weeks before they were due to be bound in holy matrimony, they split. Chestnut cited his frenzied competition schedule as reason for the breakup.
“I definitely would say it was traveling. I was gone quite a bit,” Chestnut said, per the New York Post. “It was mutual. It just didn’t work.”
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Joey Chestnut dating timeline
Neslie Ricasa (2011-2014)
Chestnut’s relationship with Ricasa started in 2011. Ricasa, a San Jose native who embarked on a career as a financial analyst, thrust herself into the competitive eating world as Chestnut was in the midst of his reign of terror. She downed 14 hot dogs (and buns) on the Coney Island stage in 2013 and downed 59 dumplings in 10 minutes at the Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship that same year.
Chestnut and Ricasa’s relationship lasted three years, ending in 2015, just weeks before they were due to be married.
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