“Gordon Ramsay kicks Lia Thomas out of his restaurant, 'Dine in some woke place.'"
Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
No, Gordon Ramsay didn’t kick transgender swimmer Lia Thomas out of a restaurant. Claim is satire
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is known for his fiery temper, but did he boot transgender swimmer Lia Thomas from his restaurant?
A June 26 Facebook post said: "Gordon Ramsay kicks Lia Thomas out of his restaurant ‘Dine in some woke place’." The post then refers to Thomas by her former name. At least 17,000 people have reacted to the post, which includes a picture of both Thomas and Ramsay and directs viewers to a "full story" linked in the comments.
(Screenshot of Facebook post)
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
Since winning the NCAA swimming championship in 2022, Thomas has been a prominent figure in the debate over transgender women’s participation in women's sports.
The linked article claims Ramsay asked Thomas "to leave one of his restaurants" citing a policy of "no woke people allowed." The story does not specify in which of Ramsay’s restaurants this took place.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
That’s probably because it never happened. After searching Google and Nexis, PolitiFact could find no credible reporting of this restaurant conflict happening. The viral story originated as satire.
Esspots.com, a self-proclaimed satire site, first shared headlines about Thomas being kicked out of the celebrity chef’s establishment in January. Other satire sites, such as SpaceXArena and SpaceXMania, also shared the claim.
Featured Fact-check
But, recently this headline has been spreading on social media without a satire disclaimer.
Ramsay is a common character featured in these satire headlines along with other famous athletes and nonathletes such as entrepreneur Elon Musk, actor Mel Gibson and singer-songwriter Taylor Swift.
We rate the claim that Ramsay kicked Thomas out of his restaurant, False.
Our Sources
Facebook post, (archived), June 26, 2024
News, "Gordon Ramsay Kicks Lia Thomas Out of His Restaurant, 'Woke People Don't Dine Here'", (archived), June 25, 2024
Snopes, "Gordon Ramsay Threw Swimmer Lia Thomas Out of His Restaurant?," June 26, 2024
Facebook post, (archived), Jan 13, 2024
Esspots, "Breaking: Gordon Ramsay Throws Lia Thomas Out Of His Restaurant, "No Place For You Here" (archived), Jan. 14, 2024
SpaceXArena, "Gordon Ramsay: Lia Thomas Out Of His Restaurant, "No Place For You Here", (archived), accessed July 2, 2024
SpaceXMania, "Breaking: Gordon Ramsay Kicks Lia Thomas Out Of His Restaurant, 'Woke People Don't Dine Here'" (archived), Feb 12, 2024
SpaceXArena, "About Us," (archived), accessed July 2, 2024
SpaceXMania, "About Us," (archived), accessed July 2, 2024
Esspots, "About Us," (archived), accessed July 2, 2024
The New York Times, "Lia Thomas Wins an NCAA Swimming Title," March 17, 2022
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Grace Abels
No, Gordon Ramsay didn’t kick transgender swimmer Lia Thomas out of a restaurant. Claim is satire
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.