Celebrity chef Michael Chiarello’s cause of death has now been revealed.
The acclaimed restaurateur and former Food Network star passed away back on Saturday 7 October at the Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, California. He was just 61 years old.
The Napa County coroner has now confirmed that Mr Chiarello died of a severe allergic reaction resulting in anaphylactic shock – which in turn led him to suffer a heart attack, TMZ reported.
The coroner added that the 61-year-old was taken to hospital after suffering an allergic reaction and was initially brought back to life.
But he then died of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy – a brain dysfunction caused by a lack of oxygen and blood flow.
The cause of Mr Chiarello’s allergic reaction remains unclear.
The coroner confirmed that Mr Chiarello had cocaine in his system at the time of his death, according to TMZ, however, the celebrity chef did not die from a drug overdose.
Born on 26 January 1962, the California-native graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York at the age of 20.
In 1985, he was recognised as Chef of the Year by Food & Wine Magazine.
He set up Tra Vigne the following year and served as executive chef and partner at the Napa Valley restaurant until 2000. He would go on to establish 10 other restaurants across the region, including Italian eateries Bottega and Coqueta.
Mr Chiarello also had a long-running career as a TV chef, best known as the host of Food Network’s Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello, which won two Emmy awards over its seven-year run.
He also hosted shows on PBS, Fine Living, and The Cooking Channel, as well as appearing as a judge on Bravo’s Top Chef and Top Chef Masters.
Over his career, he also authored eight cookbooks and ventured into wine-making, setting up the Chiarello Family Vineyard in the Nineties.
In 2016, two former Coqueta employees sued Mr Chiarello and his restaurant group for sexual harassment and labour violations. At the time, he vehemently denied the “unfounded claims” and the lawsuit was eventually settled out-of-court in 2017.
At the time of his death, Mr Chiarello’s family released a statement, saying the chef “brought people together through the joy of shared meals”.
“We deeply mourn the loss of our beloved patriarch Michael,” the statement, obtained by Entertainment Weekly, said.
“His culinary brilliance, boundless creativity, and unwavering commitment to family were at the core of his being. He brought people together through the joy of shared meals, fostering lasting memories around the table.”
The statement continued: “As we navigate this profound loss, we hold dear the moments we cherished with him, both in his kitchens and in our hearts.
“His legacy will forever live on in the love he poured into every dish and the passion he instilled in all of us to savour life’s flavors.”
Mr Chiarello is survived by his four children and his wife, Eileen Gordon, whom he divorced in 2019.
