Is Joey Chestnut married? All on his ex-fiancee Neslie Ricasa and other family members

Joey Chestnut, the 16-time Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, is making a comeback this year

Updated on: Jul 4, 2025, 19:46:05 IST

Edited by Yash Nitish Bajaj

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Joey Chestnut, the 16-time Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, is making a comeback this year after being sidelined in 2024 because of a brand deal. The 41-year-old, from Westfield, Indiana, is coming off several contests this year and hopes to take home his 17th Nathan's title.

Joey Chestnut, 16-time champion, and Miki Sudo, 10-time champion, stand next to each other during the official weigh-in ceremony (REUTERS)

Is Joey Chestnut married?

Joey Chestnut is not married and has never been married. He was previously engaged to Neslie Ricasa, but the couple split before their planned wedding in 2015.

Details on Neslie Ricasa

Chestnut and Neslie Ricasa, a fellow competitive eater, began dating in 2011 after meeting at a competitive eating event. On July 4, 2014, Chestnut proposed to Ricasa on stage before Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island. However, the couple ended their engagement in early 2015, just weeks before their planned May 9, 2015.

Chestnut attributed the breakup to his demanding travel schedule, stating, “I was gone quite a bit. It was mutual,” and noted that being single allowed him to focus on competitions.

Neslie Ricasa was born in Alameda, California. She is a Filipino-American with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from San Jose State University. She competed in eating contests, notably consuming 14 hot dogs (personal best) at the 2013 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest (10 in competition) and 59 dumplings at the 2013 Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship.

Ricasa married Drew Ely, an elevator technician at Star Elevator, in 2019, after dating since 2017.

Joey Chestnut’s family members

Chestnut was born on November 25, 1983, in Fulton County, Kentucky, to Merlin Chestnut (father) and Alicia Chestnut (mother). His father left the family when Joey was 2, and he was raised by his mother in Vallejo, California.

Alicia passed away in 2023, just before Chestnut’s 15th Nathan’s win.

Joey Chestnut has five siblings, though their names are not publicly disclosed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

Us News

Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.