Jonathan Cheban

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title: "Jonathan Cheban" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1974-births", "american-chief-executives", "hofstra-university-alumni", "living-people", "american-public-relations-people", "20th-century-american-jews", "american-people-of-russian-jewish-descent", "russian-jews", "people-from-fort-lee,-new-jersey", "fort-lee-high-school-alumni", "21st-century-american-jews", "the-lawrence-herbert-school-of-communication-alumni", "celebrity-big-brother-(british-tv-series)-contestants"] description: "American reality TV personality and entrepreneur" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Cheban" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American reality TV personality and entrepreneur ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

Field	Value
image	Jonathan Cheban by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg
caption	Cheban in 2024
birth_name	Jonathan Cheban
birth_date
birth_place	Kishinev, Moldavian SSR, Soviet Union
education	Fort Lee High School
alma_mater	Hofstra University
occupation	{{flatlist
television	{{plainlist
::

| name = | image = Jonathan Cheban by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg | caption = Cheban in 2024 | birth_name = Jonathan Cheban | other_names = | birth_date = | birth_place = Kishinev, Moldavian SSR, Soviet Union | education = Fort Lee High School | alma_mater = Hofstra University | partner = | occupation = {{flatlist|

• Reality TV personality
• entrepreneur | television = {{plainlist|
• Keeping Up with the Kardashians
• The Spin Crowd
• Celebs Go Dating

Foodgod (born Jonathan Cheban; 21 February 1974) is an American reality television personality, entrepreneur and former publicist. He has made appearances on the show Keeping Up with the Kardashians and its spinoffs.

Early life

Cheban was born in Moldova, Soviet Union in 1974, who died in 2011. He grew up in Fort Lee, New Jersey and attended Fort Lee High School before graduating from Hofstra University with a communications degree in 1995. Cheban is of Russian Jewish background.

Career

Publicist

After graduation, Cheban began working for publicist Peggy Siegal at her firm in New York. At one point, music manager Benny Medina called Siegal to work on Sean Combs' 29th birthday party. When Siegal rejected the offer despite Cheban's urging, Cheban accepted the job himself. Cheban left Siegal and formed his own public-relations firm with two other publicists. He left that company in 2001, and went on to found his own firm, CommandPR.

Reality television

Cheban first gained public attention with his appearance on the reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians, appearing as a friend of the Kardashian sisters. He subsequently appeared in several episodes of the show's spin-offs, Kourtney and Kim Take New York, Kourtney and Kim Take Miami and Kourtney and Khloé Take The Hamptons.

In 2010, Cheban starred in his own reality show, The Spin Crowd, chronicling the lives of Cheban, Simon Huck and their employees at his firm. Episodes focused on both personal conflicts and the firm's promotion of celebrities, with largely unscripted dialogue. The series ran for one season of eight episodes before being cancelled.

Cheban's relationship with Kardashian has remained in the public spotlight. In 2012, Cheban made a short video spoofing himself as someone living in the shadow of Kardashian's fame.

In January 2016, Cheban entered the Celebrity Big Brother 17 house in the U.K., to compete as a housemate on its 17th season. He voluntarily left the show within days, which he finished 15th place.

In 2017, Cheban appeared on the second season of U.K.'s "Celebs Go Dating".

Other ventures

In 2008, Cheban launched his own clothing line, Kritik. Cheban also has designed jewelry for RichRocks. In late 2012, Cheban opened Sushi MiKasa, a restaurant in Miami. On November 24, 2013, Cheban also co-hosted Coca-Cola Red Carpet Live!, a pre-show to the 2013 American Music Awards. In January 2014, Cheban launched a product called Glam Screen, which is both a protective cover for a smart phone, as well as a mirror.

In 2014, Cheban launched TheDishh, an entertainment and life-style website that features what Cheban and his team consider to be the highest-quality foods, gadgets and entertainment.

In February 2015, Cheban opened the fast food restaurant Burger Bandit in Lynbrook, New York, on Long Island.

In late 2019 Cheban launched the podcast Foodgod: OMFG!

Personal life

In late 2012, Cheban began dating stylist Anat Popovsky after meeting her while filming Kourtney and Kim Take Miami. Cheban signed on as a single man on the second episode of the seventh season of Millionaire Matchmaker, which aired on December 12, 2013 on Bravo.

In October 2019, various media outlets announced he had changed his legal name to his social media handle, Foodgod, after starting the process in January.

Filmography

::data[format=table title="Film roles"]

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2017	By Any Means	Phil Cohen
::

::data[format=table title="Television roles; as himself"]

Year	Title	Notes
2009–2021	Keeping Up with the Kardashians	27 episodes
2009–2013	Kourtney and Kim Take Miami	9 episodes
2010	The Spin Crowd	8 episodes
2011–2012	Kourtney and Kim Take New York	6 episodes
2016	Celebrity Big Brother	Walked; 15th place
2017	Celebs Go Dating	7 episodes
2018	The Only Way Is Essex	Episode: "Episode #23.7"
2018	Food God	5 episodes
2018	Celebrity Family Feud	Episode: "The Kardashians vs. The West Family and Jana Kramer vs. Gary Busey"
2019	Gemma Collins: Diva Forever	Recurring role
::

References

References

1. Lewis, Isobel. (27 October 2019). "Kim Kardashian's BFF Jonathan Cheban legally changes name to Foodgod". Metro.
2. Hancock, Noelle. (January 18, 2013). "The Art of the Schmooze". [[New York Observer]].
3. Lee, Esther. (December 19, 2013). "Jonathan Cheban, Kim Kardashian's Friend, on Millionaire Matchmaker". [[Us Weekly]].
4. Stein, Joshua David. (September 16, 2016). "Dinner at TAO with the 'FoodGod' Jonathan Cheban". [[GQ]].
5. Efrem, Maia. (May 21, 2014). "5 Jewish Things About Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's Wedding".
6. "Jonathan Cheban: PR King". Los Angeles Confidential.
7. [[Kim Kardashian]] executive-produced and kickstarted the series due to her friendship with Cheban.Kardashian, Kim; Cheban, Jonathan. (Sep 21, 2010). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-FFsZXClNs Kim Kardashian, Simon Huck & Jonathan Cheban= "The Spin Crowd" (video)]. YouTube. [[Young Hollywood]].
8. (2010-08-22). "Sunday's TV Highlights: 'The Spin Crowd' on E!".
9. (July 19, 2012). "Jonathan Cheban: I'm Kim Kardashian's BEST Friend!". [[Funny or Die]].
10. (January 11, 2016). "Jonathan Cheban Leaves U.K. Celebrity Big Brother, Citing Concerns for His 'Mental Stability'". [[People (magazine).
11. (April 11, 2008). "Jonathan Cheban Launches Kritik Clothing |". Fashionwashere.net.
12. (June 13, 2011). "Jonathan Cheban Teams Up With RichRocks To Launch His First Jewelry Collection!". Hollywood Life.
13. (November 6, 2012). "Jonathan Cheban to Open Sushi MiKasa at Shelborne - Fall Tracking - Eater Miami". Miami.eater.com.
14. (November 21, 2013). "Presenters Announced for the "2013 American Music Awards" Airing Live Sunday, November 24th At 8 PM ET/PT on ABC". [[Dick Clark Productions]].
15. (January 23, 2014). "Meet Glam Screen, the smartphone cover that doubles as a mirror". Yahoo.
16. "Jonathan Cheban Builds Out The Dishh".
17. (February 23, 2015). "Burger Bandit opens in Lynbrook". [[Newsday]].
18. "Foodgod Jonathan Cheban Opens up About New Podcast, Candid First Interview with Kim Kardashian".
19. (June 18, 2013). "Jonathan Cheban Date Night — Reality Star Spotted Out With Girlfriend". Hollywood Life.
20. (September 9, 2013). "Jonathan Cheban and Girlfriend Anat Popovsky's European Getaway Brought Them Even Closer Together". E! News UK.
21. (November 18, 2013). "Jonathan Cheban Looks for Love on Bravo's Millionaire Matchmaker". E! Online.
22. (October 27, 2019). "Kim Kardashian's Pal Jonathan Cheban Legally Changes Name to Foodgod".

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