Snoop Dogg repays family who gave him free food with amazing gesture at Winter Olympics
Snoop Dogg repaid an Italian family’s generosity with an unforgettable gift after experiencing an awkward payment mishap at their bar during the Winter Olympics.
The American rapper presented five tickets to the men’s snowboard halfpipe final to the Valmadre family, who own Cronox bar in Livigno, just one day after they let him leave with his food order despite his card being declined.
Sofia Valmadre expressed her gratitude to Reuters, saying: “Today, he sent us five tickets to see the final. Grazie Snoop.”
The family watched Friday’s event where Japan’s Yuto Totsuka claimed gold, beating Australia’s Scotty James and fellow Japanese competitor Ryusei Yamada.
The incident unfolded last week when the hip-hop star placed an order at the family’s establishment for a cheeseburger, chicken wings, nuggets and chips.
Rather than collecting the meal himself, Snoop Dogg dispatched members of his team to pick up the food and settle the bill.
However, the transaction failed to process, leaving his staff unable to complete the payment.
Snoop Dogg repaid an Italian family’s generosity with an unforgettable gift after experiencing an awkward payment mishap at their bar during the Winter Olympics
|
GETTY
“He sent his staff to take it and pay, but they couldn’t pay. I don’t know why, it wasn’t going [through],” Sofia Valmadre explained.
Her mother’s response was simply to wave the rapper’s entourage away with their order, telling them not to worry about the cost.
The 53-year-old has been serving as an NBC correspondent throughout the Milan Cortina Games, whilst also holding the title of Team USA’s honorary coach.
Snoop Dogg has been enjoying himself at the 2026 Winter Olympics | GETTY
His presence at various events has seen him cheering on American athletes across multiple disciplines.
The broadcaster secured Olympic rights through a massive £4.5billion agreement with the International Olympic Committee in 2014, a deal extending until 2032.
Snoop Dogg’s Olympic involvement proved highly lucrative during the Paris 2024 Summer Games, where reports suggested he earned approximately £393,000 daily for his appearances on behalf of NBC.
His contract reportedly included additional bonuses tied to television viewing figures during the French capital’s hosting of the event.
Snoop Dogg attended the halfpipe final himself, taking a seat beside American snowboarding legend Shaun White.
White holds three Olympic gold medals in the discipline, having triumphed at Turin 2006, Vancouver 2010 and Pyeongchang 2018.
Snoop Dogg is serving as both an NBC correspondent and Team USA’s first-ever honorary coach | REUTERS
The rapper’s Olympic duties have extended beyond spectating, with White providing him with snowboarding tuition during the Games.
He also took on the bobsleigh, though his enthusiasm for that particular sport proved short-lived.
“That was my first time ever doing something like that on ice, and I was courageous enough to try it. And let me tell you, I’d do it again and again and again. I had fun. That was super fun,” he told the Today show.
“I would never do bobsledding again. That’s just not me.”
