Guy Fieri: When it’s all over, I just hope people say, ‘Guy helped’

Guy Fieri has had the wildest ride careerwise. 10 years ago, he was the butt of the joke in the food world. The New York Times eviscerated his restaurant and chefs like Anthony Bourdain went out their way to put him down. But he plugged along, undeterred. Guy stuck with the fanbase that made him popular and it paid off. Just last May, the same New York Times wrote a laudatory article called – I kid you not – Guy Fieri, Elder Statesman of Flavortown. But the thing that worked the most in Guy’s favor is that while his “Boom!” personae came through in his shows, his actions spoke to who he is at his core. After being accused of homophobia by a disgruntled Food Network employee (who made several other unsubstantiated claims), Guy became more vocal about his allyship to the LGBTQ community, ultimately officiating at 101 gay weddings in honor of his late sister Morgan. He’s also raising her son Jules since her passing. And when Guy’s fortune grew, he made sure he gave back to the communities who helped make him, including raising $25 million for Restaurant Employee Relief Fund during the pandemic. In his latest interview with People, he said he hopes that’s his legacy. That when he’s gone, people remember that, “Guy helped.”

“I think that I’ve definitely mellowed,” Guy Fieri says to the small entourage gathered around a table on a sun-drenched rooftop restaurant in Los Angeles.

Today Fieri is one of the most powerful food celebrities in the world—anchoring six shows (including his newest, Guy’s Ultimate Game Night) while running 85 restaurants, a production company, his Santo Tequila business with pal Sammy Hagar and his new Knuckle Sandwich by Espinosa cigar line.

In May 2021 he signed a three-year contract with Food Network worth an estimated $80 million, making him the highest-paid chef in network history.

“Most of my friends will [say] I haven’t changed. I think it’s because when I got into television, I’d already done what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a great dad,” says Fieri, whose family includes sons Hunter, 26, and Ryder, 16, with wife Lori, 52, and nephew Jules, 22, whom he and Lori have raised since his sister Morgan’s death from melanoma in 2011. “Family is always the first priority.”

Fortunately, Fieri has managed to blend the work he loves with the family he adores. A recent family reunion in North Carolina turned into the subject of an upcoming Food Network special. A five-day trip to his ranch in Ferndale, Calif., became both a TV opportunity and a philanthropic one.

“We did a first-responder event, fed 650 people, shot a show about it,” he says. “The area up there is poor, so we try to do things to preserve the town.”

As restaurants closed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fieri launched the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund and raised $25 million to help struggling hospitality workers.

“If you’re the guy that owns the shovel, why wouldn’t you help dig the hole?” says Fieri. “I want to make a positive impact. When it’s all over, I just hope people say, ‘Guy was good for mankind. Guy helped.’ “

[From People]

That would be an amazing legacy to leave behind. Even if it was just one person saying it, to know you made a difference to them, that would be something. I appreciate that Guy’s not looking for sole credit either. He doesn’t want it to be “if it weren’t for Guy… “ Just that he helped with a larger whole. I don’t think Guy’s perfect, I just think he got banged on for the wrong reasons. I know two restaurants he filmed in for DD&D and they had nothing but nice things to say about him. I ate at a third and the owner said the show saved them from closing. A lot of these foodies who put Guy down, did they prevent a restaurant from closing their doors? Guy helped.

The last time I wrote about Kristen Stewart, I read that she’d hoped Guy Fieri would officiate at her wedding to Dylan Meyer. I couldn’t for the life of me work it into that story (my gawd did I try). Fortunately, the universe did its thing and Guy told her he’s in, which he confirmed in this People exclusive so let’s make this happen. Boom!

Photo credit: People, Instagram and Cover Images

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17 Responses to “Guy Fieri: When it’s all over, I just hope people say, ‘Guy helped’”

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  1. niks says:

    I like him, is he for everyone? No. Personally I didn’t like Anthony Bourdain, but the world takes all sorts. I have been to a couple of restaurants he visited on DDD, and made fun road trips out of it.

  2. tealily says:

    I’m an unapologetic Guy Fieri stan. I went from not really caring for him to Triple D being the only thing I could bear to watch during the pandemic. He just seems like a nice guy, who always has something positive to say to everyone he meets. In a world of snark, anger, and fear, his shows are an absolute respite. Respect, Guy.

    • Christine says:

      I feel exactly the same! I started watching during the pandemic too and it quickly became my comfort show.

  3. Tiffany:) says:

    In the early 2000s, I was a waitress in a mid-sized Midwestern city. Back then, people would NOT go to little mom and pop restaurants, they only wanted big national chains. Olive Garden and Red Lobster were crazy busy all the time, but the tiny bistro I worked for could not get people in the door even though the food was incredibly good. Things have changed now, and the city I used to live in is bustling with independent restaurants that serve fresh and exciting food.

    I used to dislike Guy because I thought he contributed to the “billion toppings on a burger” fad, but now looking back, I realize how much Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives has educated Americans on the magic that can be found in non-chain restaurants. I really think that he has helped Americans have more appreciation for that kind of restaurant.

    What he did during the pandemic was really impressive as well. I’ve really changed my mind about him!

  4. Anony83 says:

    Guy’s food is average at best but that’s not what he does on the Food Network. He highlights other people’s food, which I like, especially because he doesn’t pretend to be an expert in everything. He’s just like “this is delicious”.

  5. Wilma says:

    When my sibling was battling their depression and other mental health issues, watching Guy Fieri was one of the few things that made them feel positive. So Guy definitely helped.

  6. TIFFANY says:

    When there is a marathon of his shows, I just get sucked in and watch them. It is never about his, it is always about the contestants and other chef subjects.

    Guy even did a episode of Triple D were he went to the restaurants of other cooks who worked under him and then left to start their own place. All of them had nothing but nice things to say about him as a boss and one of then still keeps a article from the local paper when Guy opened his first place at their own. That is the kind of person he is.

    Wardrobe does not make the man in this case because Guy is way too adored and not a douche.

  7. Laurie says:

    Love him! I will never understand the hate he gets. Triple D is a total comfort watch for me, and he seems like a great guy.

  8. Nicki says:

    His uber-bro public persona can be hard to take but I admire him for what he does off-screen. Even before the pandemic put a spotlight on it, he was doing a lot of quiet fundraising and advocacy that didn’t get any press. I’m not a fan of most of his shows, but I do love ‘Guy’s Ranch Kitchen’. That looks like such a good time.

  9. lucy2 says:

    I don’t really watch food/cooking shows, I remember people making fun of his restaurant menu and his style, but beyond that all I hear about him is good, kind things.

  10. Mcmmom says:

    I love food. Grocery stores (for those in TX, H‑E‑B and Central Market in particular) are where I am the happiest. I guess I would say I’m a foodie, but I’m no snob – I just want to eat good food. I prefer a hole in the wall, but I’m fine with a nice big place, too. We ate at a Guy Fieri endorsed bbq place last week and it was delicious. It led my husband on a Guy Fieri show quest and we watched a few episodes of DDD, which I had never seen. I’d love to be his sidekick on a food tour of anywhere.

  11. detritus says:

    I was always a little taken aback with his personality, it’s not what I would typically gravitate toward.
    But Guy by all accounts is incredible. He’s a stand up guy who puts his money where his heart is.
    He helped. He helps

  12. LarkspurLM says:

    He’s a good dude! Did lots for the Northern California First Responders and communities during the horrific fires over the last few years.

    I remember his restaurants in Santa Rosa 20-30 years ago. Big persona, but like I said, good dude.

    BTW I met Anthony Bourdain, he seemed so over it, it was disappointing b/c I really enjoyed his shows.

  13. Wednesday Addams says:

    Mr Addams and I love Guy’s shows. Like commenters have mentioned above, he’s comforting. We had watched him before, but really got into it during the pandemic. He does a lot of good, and remains a big lovable goofball.