Jessica Duarte, wife of food influencer Michael Duarte, has broken her silence following his fatal shooting by police. Michael Duarte, known for his social media presence as "FoodWithBearHands," was killed by a Medina County sheriff's deputy in Texas after responding to a 911 call.
The incident occurred when authorities were called to a scene where Duarte was reportedly acting erratically and threatening to kill everyone with a knife. He allegedly attempted to assault first responders and refused commands to drop the weapon, instead telling officers, "I'm going to kill you," before being shot. He was pronounced dead at a San Antonio hospital.
Jessica Duarte expressed her grief and the struggle with her husband's loss, while also addressing what she called "false narratives" in the media coverage surrounding his death. She stated that the reporting was disheartening and disrespectful to her husband's legacy and asked for the public to refrain from sharing unverified information due to the ongoing investigation.
The couple's family and talent agency had initially reported Duarte's death as a "horrible accident." Duarte, a California-based content creator, commanded a large following for his barbeque videos and had previously been open about his mental health struggles, including a breakdown during the Covid-19 pandemic for which he sought psychiatric treatment. He and his wife had a 6-year-old daughter.
