The beloved food influencer and culinary expert, Michael Duarte, has passed away in what has been described as a “horrible accident.”
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His talent agency, Alooma Media Group, confirmed his death via a press release.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our valued client and dear friend, Michael Duarte,” the talent agency wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday. “He was a true [and] loyal partner, a trusted collaborator, and above all, a remarkable person. His passion, professionalism, and creativity left a lasting mark not only on our team but on everyone who had the privilege of working with him.”
According to a GoFundMe created to support his family, the creator, who had a combined following of over 2 million across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube for his cooking videos, is survived by his wife Jessica, whom he was married to for nine years, and their 6-year-old daughter, Oakley.
According to the GoFundMe page, Duarte tragically passed away after an unspecified “horrible accident” while traveling in Texas.
“We ask that you lift Michael’s family up in prayer during this extremely difficult time,” the description added. “This heartbreak came without warning, leaving Jessica to incur the expense of bringing him back home to California and covering funeral expenses.”
As of this writing, the fundraising campaign has earned over $61,000.
Michael Duarte Cultivated His Fanbase During the Pandemic
Duarte gained over 839,000 followers on Instagram alone with his cooking videos. He began sharing these clips during the pandemic as a hobby and kept posting while helping to rebuild a restaurant.
“On my days off, I started posting food videos again – my first one was with my daughter,’ he explained in a biography on Instagram.
“That’s when I realized how happy creating content made me,” he added. “Over time, I began to see it wasn’t just a hobby – it could be a business, something bigger than myself.”
The Oct. 25 post is now filled with mourning fans in the comments section.
“Rest in peace, great man,” one top comment read.