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Top Chef star Eric Adjepong allegedly violated a restraining order against his ex-wife, Janell Mack, more than a year before his daughter obtained a protective order against him, according to court documents obtained by TMZ. But here’s the real story the food world needs to hear: The violations didn’t stop at one—they show a pattern of what happens when a celebrated chef operates above the rules off-camera.
Janell took Eric to court in January 2025 and successfully obtained a temporary protective order that barred him from contacting her by “any means.” Sounds clear-cut, right? Wrong. One day after the order was set—on January 23—Eric allegedly asked his former wife via the “OurFamilyWizard” parenting app to FaceTime him. That’s not a gray area; that’s a direct violation. A court summons was issued and Eric was reminded to never contact her again. The protective order was effective through February 4, 2025.
Now, here’s where the timeline gets heavy. According to TMZ, Adjepong has been ordered to stay away from his daughter, Lennox, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Janell Mack, for one year, after allegedly abusing her. Court proceedings began in May, with the final hearing taking place on July 10. The hearing resulted in an order requiring Eric to stay away from Lennox, her residence, her school, and her childcare providers through July 10, 2027. That’s a year of complete no-contact—something a court deemed necessary to protect his seven-year-old daughter.
For context, Eric Adjepong is an American chef who was a finalist on season 16 of Bravo’s Top Chef and a contestant on season 17 of Top Chef All-Stars. He’s also hosted multiple Food Network shows and judged competitions across the network. The wins, the platform, the respect in the culinary world—that’s all part of his public profile. But the kitchen skills don’t translate to respecting court orders.
Adjepong’s response through his attorney frames the January violation as a technicality—that the alleged violation entailed Mr. Adjepong contacting his ex-wife regarding their daughter through the OurFamilyWizard app, a court-mandated communications app used during the parties’ divorce and custody proceedings. But that’s exactly what the restraining order prohibited: contacting her “by any means.” There’s no asterisk for parenting apps. There’s no exception for “it was about the kid.” The court was clear, and he violated it anyway.
The bigger picture here is the gap between what happens on a cooking competition show and what happens in family court. Adjepong’s been built up as a cultural ambassador—he was a finalist on Season 16 of Top Chef in Kentucky, where he used his platform to introduce viewers to traditional Ghanaian cuisine. That’s real and that’s valuable. But celebrity and skill don’t insulate anyone from accountability. After more than two years of legal proceedings, the divorce was finalized in August 2024, with Eric Adjepong ordered to pay $804 per month in child support. This isn’t a quick settlement or a private resolution—this is a years-long, brutal family conflict playing out in the courts.
No criminal charges have been filed in this matter. But that distinction doesn’t erase the protective order or the violation that preceded it. The protective order prohibits Adjepong from contacting his daughter without permission and visiting her until he completes parenting classes and therapy. A judge looked at the evidence and determined that his access to his daughter needed to be restricted. That’s the weight here.
The 16BARS take: When a chef who’s been trusted with major platform and exposure can’t follow a basic court order protecting his ex-wife, it raises questions about accountability in the culture. The violation reveals something harder than any cooking challenge—that restraining orders only work if people actually respect them.
