Guy Fieri Accused of Harassing Women, Disliking Gays
The Food Network's resident lightning strike victim Guy Fieri, host of the popular carb porn show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, is, shockingly, a complete jerk. According to one alt weekly anyway.
Queerty points us to an article in Minneapolis's City Pages from last week in which a former Diners producer reveals these charming Guy anecdotes:
"You have to protect Guy from all of his poop jokes," Page says. "Anytime any woman mentioned 'cream,' Guy went into a sexual riff. When cutting the show, you had to tell the editors to watch Guy's eye line, because it's always on breasts."
Fieri also needed protection from homosexuals, or at least advance warning. Early in the show's run, Page got a phone call from Fieri, who'd just walked out of a restaurant in a huff.
"Guy had decided that the two men running the restaurant were life partners," Page remembers. "He said, 'You can't send me to talk to gay people without warning! Those people weird me out!'"
From then on, show researchers were required to note any indications of homosexuality detected during pre-interviews. (Fieri declined to comment for this story through his spokespeople.)
Former field producer Kari Kloster confirms that Fieri made the odd demand about gay guests, and says she witnessed the star become more controlling on set.
Terrific! Who could ever have guessed that a guy with a racing stripe on his refrigerator could be a complete knob? (Also, Fieri on Jews: "'They were demanding tremendous research from my people, and pictures, but they didn't want to pay for them,' Page says. 'Guy said to me: "You know, it's true: Jews are cheap."'")
Of course Fieri's people have since denied the story, calling many of the article's anecdotes "complete fabrications," but I'm going to choose to believe it anyway. I mean, it's Guy Fieri. The dude's Food Network recipes page includes such fine dishes Mojito Chicken, Red Rocker Margarita Chicken, and something called "No Can Beato This Taquito."
[Photo via Getty]