'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' Creator Makes Fiery Anti-Guy Fieri Comments
Not everything on the 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' set was happy and greasy. David Page, the ousted creator of the hit Food Network series, is speaking out and slamming host Guy Fieri's behavior.In a new report, Page is claiming Fieri displayed some very bad behavior from sexism to homophobia. "Anytime any woman mentioned 'cream,' Guy went into a sexual riff," Page told City Pages. "When cutting the show, you had to tell the editors to watch Guy's eye line, because it's always on breasts."
It didn't stop there.
Fieri reportedly needed "advance warning" when working with homosexuals. Page said he once got a phone call from the host after he walked out of a restaurant.
"Guy had decided that the two men running the restaurant were life partners," Page said. "He said, 'You can't send me to talk to gay people without warning! Those people weird me out!'" City Pages reports from then on show researchers had to note indications of homosexuality during the location screening process.
The two reportedly continued to clash on set, especially when it came to money.
Fieri authored several successful 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' books and reportedly promised to "split" the proceeds with Page Productions. The company got nothing. Page said Fieri approached him asking to use some of the show's research material for the second book. However, the production company wasn't going to be paid. A source close to the show said Page's company was never going to be paid since the network owns the rights to the series and that Page and Fieri negotiating payment from the book would've never happened.
"They were demanding tremendous research from my people, and pictures, but they didn't want to pay for them," Page said. "Guy said to me: 'You know, it's true: Jews are cheap.'"
Page sued Food Network earlier in 2011, saying the network breached a contract. The network then filed a countersuit, saying Page violated his contract and mistreated his staff. Page was removed from the show after Season 11.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the disputes were settled in August 2011. Page's comments come in the wake of the settlement.
"Anyone who knows Guy knows he's not the type of person who would say either of these horrible things," a spokesman for Fieri told AOL TV. "He doesn't think that way, he doesn't speak that way. It's just not who he is."

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