Anne Hathaway Skipped the Hot Ones Gauntlet Because of Pregnancy

Anne Hathaway is promoting Verity, the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's novel, while pregnant with her third child. Press tour staples—talk shows and publicity stunts—have been part of the rollout. One common stunt, the Hot Ones ten-wing gauntlet hosted by Sean Evans, was off-limits to her this time.

Hathaway told the Talk of the Townsends podcast that she planned to do the Hot Ones challenge for press, which fit both the film's publicity needs and a bit of performative symmetry: her Verity character also appears on the show in the movie. But her doctor advised against consuming very spicy food while pregnant because it could trigger early labor. That medical advice prevented a real Hot Ones gauntlet during the press tour.

The production still filmed a Hot Ones sequence for Verity. On set Hathaway ate three actual hot wings for the lower-spice levels. For the upper, more intense stages of the gauntlet, the crew used dummy wings so she wouldn't have to ingest extreme spice. That allowed the scene to show increasing heat on camera while protecting Hathaway's health.

She said she still hasn't done the full gauntlet and that it might happen next year, after her pregnancy. The article also notes pop-cultural context: Hot Ones has had notable on-air reactions in the past—Tom Holland recently vomited during an appearance—so postponing avoids that risk while she's pregnant.

The decision shows a simple trade-off between an actor's promotional commitments and medical precautions. The creative workaround—using a mix of real and fake wings—lets the film keep the gag and the visual beat without putting Hathaway at risk. It also preserves a potential future promotional moment: Hathaway's real Hot Ones debut can take place after she's no longer pregnant.

Hathaway wanted to replicate her character's Hot Ones appearance for press but followed her doctor's advice to avoid very spicy food during pregnancy. Filmmakers staged the scene using a few real wings and dummy props for the hotter levels, and Hathaway said she might attempt the real gauntlet after her pregnancy ends.