Top Chef alum Aaron Grissom died after being involved in a motorcycle accident. He was 34.
“Aaron Grissom died on September 8,” the Pierce County medical examiner in his native state of Washington told Us Weekly on Friday, September 11. “The cause of death has been ruled as multiple blunt force injuries due to a traffic accident.”
Grissom competed on season 12 of Top Chef in 2014. He finished in 11th place out of 16 contestants.
“Bravo and the Top Chef family are saddened to learn about the passing of Chef Aaron Grissom from Season 12: Boston,” a Bravo spokesperson said in a statement to Us. “Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and friends.”
Grissom had a lengthy resume outside of his time on Top Chef. He worked as the chef at Bow & Truss in North Hollywood, Dirty Oscar’s Annex in Tacoma, Washington, and ramen bar Moshi Moshi in Tacoma.
The reality star’s colleague and friend Yu Nanakornphanom told The News Tribune on Friday that he was living in Mexico with his girlfriend amid the coronavirus pandemic. He left Moshi Moshi in 2019 and began cooking for touring singers, including Billie Eilish, before the global health crisis forced musicians to postpone their shows.
“He had a lot going on,” Nanakornphanom, to whom Grissom donated a kidney, explained. “I think he had a good future ahead of him. He’s always learning to do something. He was driven. He lived his life fully.”
Grissom is sadly not the first Top Chef alum to pass away this year. Top Chef Masters season 3 winner Floyd Cardoz died in March after testing positive for coronavirus.
“I am beyond saddened to wake up today and hear the news of my dear friend @floydcardoz’s passing,” host Padma Lakshmi wrote via Instagram at the time. “Nobody who lived in NY in the early aughts could forget how delicious and packed Tabla always was. He had an impish smile, an innate need to make those around him happy, and a delicious touch. This is a huge loss… not only for the professional food world, but for Indians everywhere. My heart goes out to his wife Barkha and their whole family. RIP Floyd.”
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