Guy Fieri Hit With Lawsuit From Food Network Show Winner

Guy Fieri is facing a new lawsuit after being sued by Food Network show winner Kevin Cooper.

Cooper, who won Guys’ Chance of a Lifetime back in 2022 for the chance to run one of his own Chicken Guy franchises, is suing the celebrity chef for an alleged breach of contract, reports Philly Mag.

In Cooper’s federal lawsuit against Fieri and his associated companies, the Delaware County man claims his winner’s package included a $100,000 guaranteed salary for the first year, a waived franchise fee, $10,000 for any legal expenses, help with operational expenses exceeding revenue in the first year and assistance with the build-out space of his Chicken Guy store at the King of Prussia Mall near Philadelphia.

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A post shared by Kevin Cooper (@chefsteek)

That store opened in February 2024 and closed in late February 2025, with Cooper alleging in the lawsuit that his expenses exceeding revenue totaled $69,000, $39,000 of which were Pennsylvania sales taxes. Cooper claims that the defendants never paid him those expenses, nor the $100,000 minimum salary he was promised, despite numerous requests for it.

Cooper is now accusing the defendants of breach of contract and asking for a judgment totaling the minimum salary and expenses.

Cooper has not publicly addressed the lawsuit, but posted an Instagram video on June 29 vaguely addressing being “done dirty.” He said in the video, “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 added, “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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A post shared by Guy Fieri (@guyfieri)

In the caption, he wrote, “Been quiet long enough. This isn’t the start of a trend. It’s the start of the truth. Watch what God does next,” adding, “This post isn’t about exclusion or debating history. It’s about reclaiming my truth and walking in purpose. I’m not here to rewrite the past— just to grow beyond it. If it’s not for you, that’s cool. Still love.”

Fieri has yet to address the claims publicly, most recently posting on Instagram photos of his family during a family vacation to Italy. The Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives star captioned his post, which included a visit to The Godfather filming locale Castello degli Schiavi in Sicily, with a quote from the iconic 1972 film. “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse,” Fieri wrote, adding emojis alluding to a knuckle sandwich.