Influencer Michael Duarte, known as “FoodWithBearHands,” dies at age 39 after being shot in Texas
- Nov 11
- 3 min read
11 November 2025
Food and grilling influencer Michael Duarte, who built a devoted online community under the name “FoodWithBearHands,” died on November 8, 2025, following a fatal shooting during an incident in Texas, his agency and family confirmed.
Duarte’s career began in Southern California, where he worked in restaurants and learned to cook at his uncle’s small Mexican eatery in Calipatria. He later shared that during the COVID-19 pandemic he suffered a mental-health crisis and pursued rehab before channeling his passion for cooking into social-media content. His following surged across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube topping two million where he shared barbecue and grilling recipes with a mission: “to share food to people who need it the most.”
His online brand combined enthusiasm for comfort food with authenticity. He described cooking as more than a hobby: it became his business, his purpose, and a way to reach people. In his posts, he spoke openly about the ups and downs of his journey mental-health struggles included and portrayed the kitchen not just as a set but as a space of community.
Duarte leaves behind his wife Jessica, to whom he had been married for nine years, and their 6-year-old daughter Oakley. Shortly before his death the couple celebrated their anniversary; his sudden passing prompted an outpouring of grief from followers and friends in the barbecue-enthusiast world. A GoFundMe established for his family described the heartbreak as coming “without warning” and noted Jessica faced the challenge of repatriation and funeral arrangements.
Official details of the incident remain limited. Police responding to a 911 call in Castroville, Texas, arrived around mid-morning for a disturbance involving a male subject with a knife acting erratically. According to reports the deputy issued multiple verbal commands to drop the knife and get on the ground; the subject allegedly charged toward the deputy while shouting threats. The deputy fired twice and Duarte was struck, then transported to a San Antonio hospital where he was pronounced dead. An investigation by law-enforcement authorities remains ongoing.
Duarte’s talent agency, Alooma Media Group, paid tribute describing him as “a devoted husband to his wife Jessica, a loving father to his daughter, brother and a loyal friend to so many around the world.” They emphasised his warmth, kindness and creative spirit as core to the legacy he leaves behind.
For followers of the creator economy and social-media culture the story underscores the human fragility behind the screen. A high-impact personal brand, driven by cooking and community, ended abruptly and unexpectedly. The juxtaposition of online success with off-screen vulnerability reflects a wider narrative in influencer culture: visibility does not insulate against life’s uncertainties.
As the barbecue-social sphere absorbs the loss, those who knew Duarte remember not only his recipe videos but the genuine warmth he brought. He used food as a connector and made his platform inclusive as much about people and story as about grills and smoke. The faith he inspired among fans now contrasts with the sudden absence of his presence.
In the coming weeks the focus will shift toward how his family navigates this period, how his digital community remembers his impact, and how the circumstances of his death are clarified. Beyond the incident the legacy lies in the content he left, the lives he touched and the community he built around shared meals and authenticity.
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