Bobby Flay has managed to maintain a public image that's both charming
and humble, despite some of the crazy controversies that have surrounded him.
We took a look at some of the most famous scandals surrounding America's favorite culinary master,
all of which seem to have disappeared without a trace.
In 2000, Bobby Flay made a name for himself thanks to his Iron Chef battle against Japanese chef
Masaharu Morimoto and the obnoxious victory dance it inspired. Upon assuming his imminent triumph,
Flay stepped onto the counter, stomping on the cutting board lying there and throwing
his arms in the air in an almost shockingly over-the-top celebration.
When the camera cut to Morimoto, he denounced Flay and his antics,
telling the Food Network and the world that Bobby Flay was, quote, "not a chef." He explained:
"Cutting boards and knives are sacred to us."
Despite Morimoto's cutting words and his clear disdain for Flay's arrogant behavior,
Flay and his fans have since moved past the incident, and over the last 20 years,
he's managed to inflate not only his success, but his ego as well.
That makes it not too surprising that he went out in a blaze of glory, too. In one 2017 episode of
Iron Chef Showdown, he ripped open his chef jacket to reveal a T-shirt that announced,
rather unequivocally, that this would be his "LAST IRON CHEF BATTLE EVER."
Studio fans and producers alike were shocked by the move. He later explained:
"At some point I was like, 'I've been doing this for a long time
and I want to go out on a high note."
But what may have been a high note for him was less so for the show's producers,
who were forced to perform some serious damage control while the cameras kept rolling.
To make matters worse, Flay responded arrogantly when the camera crew anxiously
told him his surprise announcement could not be cut out of the shot. His response?
"I know."
Throwdown With Bobby Flay is a Food Network show that pits emerging chefs against, you guessed it,
Bobby Flay. The game's contestants are reeled in with the promise of a Food Network appearance,
and then Flay saunters on set, shattering their dreams of glory and making clear the
following hours will be spent fighting to defend what little standings they have.
While there's nothing wrong with a little friendly competition,
Flay's reputation in the food world, and the lack thereof of his guests,
makes the premise of Throwdown unfair to begin with. While Flay and the show's producers give
guest chefs airtime and the exposure being on a popular television network brings,
Flay often makes a show out of beating these chefs at their own game, challenging them to
cook-offs using their own specialty dishes, only to prove that Flay can do it better.
"Wow, that sounds very ambitious, let's see your cake."
"With pleasure."
"Oh, no."
Perhaps no episode portrays this quite as well as the chowder competition in season one,
featuring Brooklyn-based chef Ben Sargent. In an interview, Sargent said the experience was,
"Awful...I was crying. It was the most disappointing thing in the world."
Perhaps Bobby Flay's most shameful litigious encounter is the time he was sued for labor
violations in 2009. Bold Food LLC, Flay's company that oversees restaurants such as MesaGrill
and Bar Americain, was listed as the defendant in this Manhattan-based lawsuit. It is accused
of several labor infractions such as the mismanagement of employee tips and failure
to properly reimburse for overtime. One of the former employees who filed the suit also
claimed that Bar Americain fired him after he questioned the way the company gave out tips.
Justin Swartz, one of the attorneys in the case,
succinctly summed up the situation when he stated that his clients,
"Have worked for Mr. Flay's company for years, helping him achieve tremendous fame and success."
But while Flay was becoming a media sensation, his restaurants,
"Disregarded the most basic of [the employees'] workplace rights."
These kinds of labor abuses are far too common in the restaurant industry,
but Flay's status as the Food Network's golden boy makes the whole situation sting a little extra for
the hospitality workers who are forced to sit back and watch as Flay makes money off their labor.
"Don't forget! The award we want to win? Friendliest restaurant in New York."
Also in 2009, it Flay was on the receiving end of another lawsuit,
after he was accused of playing a role in the wrongful termination of a real estate
agent who sold him and his then-wife Stephanie March land for a vacation home in the Hamptons.
Alexander Peters sold the $1.485 million property to the couple, and later he offered to tell them
a little bit more about the 2.89 acres of land that they purchased. He suggested in an email:
"I'm sure you wouldn't want to disturb [Native American] grave sites,
so I'd be happy to show you where they are and share some of the history of your land."
Following this email, Flay complained to Peters' real estate agency,
and Peters was fired shortly thereafter, leading to the lawsuit.
If you Google "Bobby Flay," you will find an Urban Dictionary entry that defines
everyone's favorite celebrity chef as, quote, "the biggest jerk
ever." The maybe-untrustworthy internet resource then goes on to back up its claim:
"He makes home town cooks lose on his show to make
himself look better. [If] he loses its just funny."
Flay is often portrayed as the Food Network's most wholesome star,
but those outside the celebrity world have criticized his arrogance.
Some members of the inside circle have gone to bat for him, though: Giada De Laurentiis has said:
"I think that Bobby is one of those people that if you are his friend,
he has your back forever and he will stand up for you."
What she doesn't say is what Flay acts like with people who are not friends but mere acquaintances
or strangers. Perhaps Flay is loyal to his fellow celebrity chefs, but even his well-renowned
television show seems to suggest that his kindness is only extended to a select few.
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