What was Michael Duarte's cause of death? Details explored after food influencer's demise at just 36

Food influencer Michael Duarte died on Saturday, November 8, this year, as announced by his family and team. He died just three days after celebrating his ninth anniversary with his wife, Jessica.

Duarte's agency, Alooma Media Group, shared a post on Instagram on November 9, announcing his death. The food influencer is survived by his wife, Jessica, and their six-year-old daughter, Oakley. Soon after, a GoFundMe page was also set up to support Jessica and Oakley with the expenses.

In the GoFundMe page, Michael Duarte's family described the reason for his death as a "horrible incident". The exact details of the incident are unknown. The influencer, known by his handle 'FoodwithBearHands', was traveling to Texas when the incident occurred.

On the GoFundMe page, Duarte's family is asking for financial help to get his body from Texas to his home in California. It 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."

The family has also stated that Michael Duarte's funeral plans are currently undecided, but people will be updated about them later.

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Alooma Media's statement after Michael Duarte's death

Michael Duarte was known for his cooking videos and sharing his recipes, especially BBQ and grilling, on his social media handles. He had over 2 million followers across his pages on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Duarte's agency, Alooma Media, shared a statement on Instagram on November 8, announcing his death and writing:

"Michael was so much more than a client to us at Alooma. 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."

The agency hailed Duarte's compassion, kindness, and integrity, adding:

"His warmth, kindness, and generosity were felt in every interaction, and he had a way of making everyone around him feel valued and inspired. Michael’s passing is a tremendous loss to all who knew him. His legacy of integrity, compassion, and dedication will continue to live on through the lives he touched."

Michael Duarte had shared his story via an Instagram post on October 25. He was born in Calipatria, California, and joined his uncle's Mexican restaurant, Nana Dora's, at 14. He worked at several restaurants before joining Dave & Buster's.

He started posting cooking videos during COVID but had to stop due to a mental health crisis, which led to him going into rehab. He returned and left his job before joining Ruth's Chris Steak House.

Duarte did plenty of jobs like washing dishes, grilling steaks, and interacting with customers at the company. He went back to uploading videos on social media and stuck to it consistently.

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Edited by Aditya Singh