‘Top Chef’ Alum Aaron Grissom Dies In Motorcycle Accident At 34

The “Top Chef” family is mourning one of its own. Season 12 contestant Aaron Grissom has died at 34 years old.

Grissom passed away on Tuesday following a traffic accident near his hometown of Tacoma, Wash., the Pierce County medical examiner told multiple outlets, adding that Grissom’s cause of death was ruled as “blunt force injuries.”

Grissom’s colleague Yu Nanakornphanom, who worked with him at a Tacoma ramen restaurant, told The News Tribune that the culinary star crashed his motorcycle in the Chambers Bay area. According to the paper, local police responded to the scene where witnesses were “performing CPR on a lone motorcycle rider, who had approached the turn in the road at a high speed.” Grissom was reportedly wearing a helmet and found approximately 100 feet from his vehicle.

A Bravo spokesperson acknowledged the sad news in a statement on Thursday, sharing “deepest sympathy” for Grissom’s loved ones from the network and everyone at “Top Chef.” Grissom appeared on the Emmy-winning competition’s Boston installment in 2014, placing 11th out of 16 contestants.

The Washington state native was reportedly working as a touring chef for Billie Eilish and other performers before the COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread concert cancellations. Ahead of his time on “Top Chef” he led the kitchen at Bow & Truss in Los Angeles and was the chef at Dirty Oscar’s Annex in Tacoma before helping open a second location in Montana.

Nanakornphanom recalled how his special connection to Grissom went beyond their business relationship. The reality alum donated a kidney to Nanakornphanom, who has diabetes.

“He had a lot going on,” Nanakornphanom told The News Tribune of his late friend. “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.”

— Erin Biglow