In January 2024, a viral post on Facebook from the account SpaceX Fanclub claimed that British chef and restaurateur Gordon Ramsay threw former NCAA swimmer Lia Thomas out of one of his restaurants. The story appeared to originate on the website esspots.com, which wrote:

Breaking: Gordon Ramsay Throws Lia Thomas Out Of His Restaurant, “No Place For You Here”

In a world that’s constantly cooking up controversies, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has supposedly added his own spice to the mix. In what can only be described as a culinary clash of titans, Ramsay, known for his fiery temperament and choice language, reportedly showed Lia Thomas, the famous trans swimmer, the exit door of his restaurant, allegedly exclaiming, “No place for you here!”

…

“It was all about the risotto,” confided an anonymous diner, sporting a napkin bib. “Lia sent back the risotto three times! And you know Gordon, he can handle criticism about as well as a soufflé handles a sledgehammer.”

But why would Ramsay, a chef known for his explosive reactions to undercooked scallops and overcooked beef Wellingtons, take such a drastic step? Sources close to the chef suggest it was a classic case of Ramsay’s ‘kitchen nightmare’. “Gordon saw the returned risotto as a personal affront,” shared a sous-chef, who preferred to remain unnamed. “It wasn’t Lia’s identity or fame. Had it been anyone else, he might’ve just thrown the risotto out instead!”

The SpaceX Fanclub post on Facebook received more than 11,000 comments, as of this writing, with many followers appearing to side with Ramsay.

(SpaceX Fanclub/Facebook)

“I’ve never seen so many ppl care so much about food sent back to the kitchen! 😂 but i love it! Lia Thomas sent a Risotto back 3x! 3 TIMES!!?! as a proud lifelong restaurant worker, i would’ve thrown em out on the 3rd strike as well 😂👏🏼,” wrote one follower, while another offered, “Gordans the goat this man is the king in the kitchen idc what anyone says read the actual article you do not disrespect that chefs work bringing that back three time like if its wrong lets see you do better than my boy Gordon 😤 I said what i said.”

However, the claim about Ramsay throwing Thomas out of his restaurant was not true. Reputable news outlets did not report the story and the article does not mention at which of Ramsay’s many restaurants the incident allegedly took place. The article originated from a website that describes its output as humorous or satirical in nature. According to the “About Us” section of the Esspots website:

Welcome to the US page of Esspots (A Subsidiary of SpaceXMania.com specializing in Satire and Parody News), your one-stop destination for satirical news and commentary about the United States of America. Our team of writers and editors is dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in fake news and absurdity, all with a healthy dose of humor and satire.

SpaceX Fanclub also displays a similar disclaimer. “We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real,” that page’s description states on its “Intro” section.

Additionally, the story was published on the SpaceXArena website, which tells readers in its “About Us” section, “We use parody and exaggeration to mock current events and trends and aim to provide entertainment and laughter to our readers. … We are not a reliable source of information, but rather a platform for fun and comedy. We do not intend to offend or harm anyone with our content, but rather to make them smile and think. We hope you enjoy our website as much as we enjoy creating it.”

Thomas, who is transgender, was in the news in early 2024 due to her legal battle against World Aquatics to allow her to compete in women’s events. Switzerland’s Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled against the swimmer, upholding existing guidelines that require transgender athletes to meet specific criteria, which Thomas was unable to fulfill.

We’ve fact-checked a number of other rumors about both Ramsay and Thomas.

For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.