Celebrity restaurateur Guy Fieri is being sued in federal court by a Food Network contestant who won the competition on Guy’s Chance of a Lifetime.
Philadelphia chef Kevin Cooper took home the top prize on the series in early 2022, according to News Nation.
The short-lived show followed seven contestants competing in such tasks as frying chicken, operating a pop-up, and developing a new milkshake — for the right to own a Chicken Guy franchise, which is a Fieri brand.
Cooper now says he got burned by Fieri and filed a lawsuit in Philadelphia on June 27, alleging breach of contract. The complaint names Fieri’s Chicken Guy, LLC and his business partner Robert Earl’s Earl Enterprises, LLC as defendants.
The lawsuit states Cooper’s prize package for winning the competition included a $100,000 guaranteed salary for the first year of his business, a waived franchise fee, $10,000 for legal expenses, money to help cover start-up and operational expenses that exceed revenue, and assistance with the build-out space.
Related: Newsom Hits Fox News With $787M Defamation Lawsuit Over Network’s ‘Lies’
He opened the chicken franchise in Feb. 2024 at the King of Prussia Mall near Philadelphia, but his ownership dreams evaporated and the restaurant closed in February 2025.
The complaint states Cooper was never paid the $100,000 minimum salary despite numerous requests, and that his operational expenses that exceeded revenue weren’t covered.
He is seeking $100,000 in compensation for the allegedly unpaid salary and $68,933.26 in unpaid expenses.
Guy Fieri did not respond to News Nation’s request for comment.
Cooper uploaded a video statement to Instagram on June 29, addressing his lack of activity on the social media platform. While he did not address the lawsuit directly, he said he was “done dirty.”
“I know y’all have noticed I’ve been a little quiet lately, not just on social media, but in general,” Cooper began.
“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.”
He concluded, “I ain’t angry, and I ain’t even trying to make anybody look bad, man. I’m just here to let y’all know that I am completely free and now I’ve got something to say, so y’all stay tuned. Peace.”
Discover more from Urban Hollywood 411
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
