Olympian Nick Baumgartner Jokes Martha Stewart Was Giving Away His 'Hatfishing' When She Dissed His Fedora (Exclusive)
Olympian Nick Baumgartner Jokes Martha Stewart Was Giving Away His 'Hatfishing' When She Dissed His Fedora (Exclusive)
Rachel DeSantis, Julie MazziottaThu, February 19, 2026 at 1:30 PM UTC
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Martha Stewart and Nick Baumgartner on the Today show
Today Show/Instagram
Olympian Nick Baumgartner went on the Today show wearing a fedora that Martha Stewart did not like
The snowboarder talked to PEOPLE about the funny moment
Baumgartner joked Stewart was "giving it away" that he's actually losing his hair underneath the hat
Martha Stewart had a bone to pick with Olympian Nick Baumgartner over his choice in headwear during his stop on the Today show.
The snowboarder stopped by for a visit with Stewart and Snoop Dogg on Wednesday, Feb. 18 wearing a fedora given to him by Team USA. Stewart was clearly not a fan, as she looked Baumgartner over and asked, “How about getting rid of the hat?”
In a chat with PEOPLE at Winter House in Milan, Baumgartner, 44, reflected on the funny moment — and explained why he was more than happy to keep his receding hairline covered.
“I don’t think I’ve ever worn a fedora in my life, but we got these cool hats… and I fully submersed myself in the Olympics and being a proud American,” he said. “And so I show up and I walk out with my hat and she’s like, ‘I think you need to get rid of the hat.’ And I’m like, ‘Stop it! I’m losing my hair at this point. We’re just covering things up. I’m hatfishing and you’re selling me out, you’re giving it away.”
“Hatfishing” is a slang term for men who use hats to cover receding hairlines or bald heads, a riff on catfishing.
Despite her quip, Baumgartner said Stewart, 84, was “super sweet,” and he certainly has no hard feelings.
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“She didn’t mean anything bad by it. [But] I was like, ‘Come on!’ Because the hair… the whole world’s watching, don’t make me show [my hairline],” he joked.
Baumgartner has become one of the internet’s favorite athletes at the Milan Cortina Games thanks to his hilarious Instagram posts about his time in Livigno and his search for love.
Nick Baumgartner in his fedora at Winter House on Feb. 18 2026.
Joe Scarnici/Getty
Though he finished without a medal in both of his events, Baumgartner — who won gold in Beijing in 2022 — has made the most of his time competing for Team USA, telling PEOPLE it’s been an “incredible experience.”
“I’ve been doing these Reels and having fun with my social media and it wasn’t about like, ‘Hey, I need to get followers,’” he said. “It was about finding a way to keep my mind off… If I said there’s no pressure and there’s no stress, I’d be lying to you. I want to do well. So there is some, but you find ways to not worry so much about that.”
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
