Michael Duarte, a California-based food influencer who built a following of more than 2 million across social media platforms, died Saturday in what his family called a “horrible accident” while traveling in Texas.
Alooma Media Group, Duarte’s talent agency, confirmed his death in an Instagram post.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our valued client and dear friend, Michael Duarte,” the agency wrote. “He was a true & loyal partner, a trusted collaborator, and above all, a remarkable person.”
Duarte created cooking content under the handle “FoodWithBearHands,” posting BBQ and grilling videos across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. According to his Instagram bio, his purpose was “to share to the world food to people who need it the most.”
His wife of nine years, Jessica, and their 6-year-old daughter, Oakley, survive him, PEOPLE noted. A GoFundMe campaign was established to help the family with costs to return Duarte’s body to California and cover funeral expenses.
“This heartbreak came without warning,” the campaign description stated. “We ask that you lift Michael’s family up in prayer during this extremely difficult time.”
Duarte’s path to social media began in Calipatria, California, where he started cooking at age 14 in his uncle’s Mexican restaurant. He later worked in restaurants around San Diego before turning to content creation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an Instagram post, Duarte wrote that he returned to creating videos after attending rehab for a “mental health crisis.”
“My first one was with my daughter,” he wrote. “That’s when I realized how happy creating content made me. Over time, I began to see it wasn’t just a hobby — it could be a business, something bigger than myself.”
The agency remembered Duarte as a “devoted husband to his wife Jessica, a loving father to his daughter, brother and a loyal friend to so many around the world,” adding that “his warmth, kindness, and generosity were felt in every interaction, and he had a way of making everyone around him feel valued and inspired.”
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