Aaron Grissom, a former contestant on cooking competition show Top Chef, reportedly died in a motorcycle accident. Grissom was 34-years-old.
The Pierce County medical examiner said that Aaron Grissom died after suffering “multiple blunt force injuries” in a traffic incident, TMZ reports. The medical examiner confirmed that his death was an accident.
In 2014, Grissom competed as one of 16 contestants on Bravo’s Top Chef. He was eliminated quite early in the competition and was not one of the fan favorites on the series. During his time on the show, Grissom worked as a chef at North Hollywood’s Bow & Truss in L.A.
Before appearing on Top Chef, Grissom also participated in Diners, Dives, and Drive-Ins. The show featured Grissom working at the Dirty Oscar’s Annex in Tacoma. Grissom initially made a name for himself at the Tacoma eatery, which he co-owned at the time with Jake and Rachael Barth.
In addition to his TV show appearances, Grissom also reportedly worked as a cook for a number of touring singers including pop star Billie Eilish. However, the job came to a halt when the coronavirus pandemic began.
Close Business Partner of Aarom Grissom Speaks Out on the Chef’s Death
Yu Nanakornphanom, one of Grissom’s close business partners, spoke out about Aaron Grissom after his passing.
“He had a lot going on,” said Nanakornphanom. “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.”
After moving to L.A. in 2014, Grissom’s life included highs and lows. He was once arrested on domestic abuse charges for allegedly hitting his girlfriend. Nanakornphanom also shot down the rumors about Grissom’s “hot-headed” persona.
“He is not that. He might be hotheaded, but — I mean, a lot of chefs are like that,” said Nanakornphanom. However, he adds, “I think that’s really normal for chefs who are really driven.”
[H/T TMZ]
