Food Network superstar Guy Fieri has shared the remarkable and unlikely story of how he first met his wife, Lori, an encounter that began with him firing her close friend. The 57-year-old television personality, recently recovering from a serious on-set injury, recounted the tale on the In Depth With Graham Bensinger podcast.
The Fateful Restaurant Encounter
The couple's story started in 1992 at a Los Angeles restaurant named Parkers' Lighthouse, which Fieri was managing at the time. Lori arrived at the eatery accompanying a pal who had just been fired by Fieri and was coming to collect her final pay cheque. "I had fired her friend. And the rule was, when you're fired, you couldn't come in the restaurant for 30 days," Fieri explained in a clip from the podcast.
Despite this rule, the dismissed employee entered one Friday evening shortly after dinner service began. Fieri confronted her, stating she couldn't be there. "She says, 'Well, I'm here to get my check then.' I go, 'Okay, I'll get your check,'" he recalled. It was then he noticed the woman standing behind his former employee.
Love at First 'Mean Mug'
"Well, standing behind her is this little blonde girl with these just beautiful blue eyes. And she's just mean-mugging me. She's just doing this look," Fieri said, mimicking Lori's stern expression. He instructed the pair to wait at the downstairs bar while he retrieved the cheque.
From his vantage point, Fieri found himself captivated. "And I go stand under the stairs, and I'm looking at this girl, and I'm just mesmerized by this girl. What the f***?" he told the host. He immediately asked a mutual friend, Kelly, for an introduction, learning the woman's name was Lori and that she was planning to move to San Diego.
In that instant, Fieri experienced a powerful premonition. "I said, 'I'm gonna marry that girl.' And she smacks me, and she goes, 'You have a girlfriend,'" he remembered. Undeterred, he insisted, "I'm just telling you, I'm gonna marry that girl." He emphasised the certainty of his conviction, stating it was "one thousand percent" genuine.
A Lasting Marriage and Family Life
Fieri's prediction proved accurate. After meeting in 1992, he and Lori tied the knot in 1995. This year, the couple celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. They are parents to two sons: Hunter, 29, and Ryder, 19. Fieri has also helped raise his nephew, Jules.
In a 2018 appearance on the Today show, Fieri discussed the key to his long-lasting marriage. "My wife and I have gone from being married at a young age to being where we are now - to get here, you have to be willing to adapt and understand," he said, adding that "It's all compromise and understanding." In 2022, he told People magazine that "Family is always the first priority."
Recovering From a Serious On-Set Injury
Fieri's candid podcast appearance follows news from November that he was rushed to hospital after a serious accident while working. The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives host required surgery after tearing his quad muscle.
He described the incident to Fox News Digital: "[I] slipped down a set of steps and one foot went forward and the other foot got caught on the threshold... I looked like I was probably doing the splits." The injury resulted in a severe tear. "The doctor said he's never seen - you know, in 20 years - he hasn't seen a tear in the biggest, thickest part of your quad in half," Fieri revealed.
He admitted the injury "sucked" and confirmed he needed a wheelchair for approximately eight weeks during his recovery.
