Eric Adjepong barred from being alone with daughter amid abuse findings

A judge has issued a protective order against celebrity chef Eric Adjepong, citing evidence that he abused his daughter.

The Ghanaian-American chef, TV host, and cookbook author must complete parenting classes and reunification therapy before he can have unsupervised contact with his daughter.

The Maryland judge determined that "there is a preponderance of the evidence to believe" chef and TV host Eric Adjepong physically abused his daughter, leading to a protective order that currently prohibits him from contacting the child without supervision.

Adjepong denies any wrongdoing.

In a statement to The Washington Post, Adjepong noted, "Because this matter involves my young daughter, whom I love deeply, I intend to protect her privacy and will not discuss the underlying allegations or other sensitive family matters publicly other than to say that these allegations arose in the context of a long-running divorce and custody proceeding, which finally concluded on 2 June, 2026."

Adjepong is known for bringing West African cuisine to the culinary mainstream. He rose to fame as a finalist on Top Chef: Kentucky and Top Chef All-Stars before going on to host Food Network programmes including Alex vs. America and Wildcard Kitchen.