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Sad news this week out of the world of social media:
Food influencer Michael Duarte — best known by the Instagram handle @FoodWithBearHands — died on Saturday, November 8, in what has been described as a “horrible incident.”
“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our valued client and dear friend, Michael Duarte,” Alooma Media Group, his talent agency, wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday.
“He was a true & 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.”
Michael Duarte had amassed over 2 million on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube due to his cooking videos, the sharing of his beloved recipes and videos of his grilling creations.
His biography on Instagram read “my purpose is to share to the world food to people who need it the most.”
A GoFundMe page set up to cover funeral expenses and take care of Duarte’s family said the father of one passed away in Texas just three days after he celebrated his ninth wedding anniversary with wife Jessica.
The couple share a 6-year-old daughter, Oakley.
“The world may know him as ‘FoodwithBearHands,’ but to us, he was a loving husband, father, brother, and a great friend to many,” the GoFundMe page description states.
“This heartbreak came without warning, leaving Jessica to incur the expense of bringing him back home to California and covering funeral expenses.
“During this time, and in the months/years ahead, we want to make sure that Jessica and Oakley are taken care of as Michael would have wanted them to be. Your support would bring comfort, stability, and a reminder that they are not carrying this weight alone.”
As of November 12, the GoFundMe page has raised over $63,000, more than half of its $100,000 target.
A California native, Duarte got his first job at a Mexican restaurant owned by his uncle when he was 14 years old.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Duarte left his job in San Diego and started posting cooking videos on social media.
Around that time, he wrote on Instagram, he had a “mental health crisis” and went to rehab, later writing that he “realized how happy creating content made me” and also realizing that it could be an actual business.
Duarte’s widow, Jessica, shared a heartfelt tribute to her late husband via Instagram on Sunday, November 9. It read as follows:
It’s been 24 hours since my world came crashing down. I’m numb, angry, depressed. Words can’t describe this kind of pain. I never thought I would be writing this.
To the world you were foodwithbearhands but to us you were a loving husband and father. You didn’t deserve this. I will love you forever and I will be strong for our daughter and I know how much you loved us. If everyone can stop and please pray for our family. To my husband I will miss you…until we meet again.
Michael Duarte Cause of Death: Food Influencer Killed in “Horrible Incident” was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.