Renowned chef Ina Garten, popularly known as the Barefoot Contessa, faced a peculiar incident this week as her Facebook page got hacked. Instead of the usual content reflecting her high-profile culinary persona, the hacker shared an Olive Garden Chicken Scampi copycat recipe from a page called “Only For You.” Fans were quick to notice the unusual posts and expressed confusion as Garten, known for her Hamptons lifestyle and preference for high-quality ingredients, seemed out of character.
Chef Noel Cunningham noted the change in profile picture to a pie and realized something was amiss. Garten addressed the issue in a post on June 16, thanking everyone for alerting her and acknowledging Meta’s assistance in restoring her page.
Fans shared their suspicions, pointing out the oddity of the shared recipes lacking Garten’s personal touch and being out of season. The chef’s credibility and style made it clear to followers that the shared Olive Garden Copycat recipe was not authentic.
The Facebook page has since been restored to normalcy, with the off-brand recipes deleted, and Garten’s on-brand profile picture—a professional shot of her holding a vase of roses over a perfectly roasted chicken—reinstated. The incident highlighted the challenges celebrities face with social media security and the vigilance of their followers in detecting unusual activities.
