Celebrity Chef Dead at 61 After Allergic Reaction

Celebrity chef Michael Chiarello died Saturday after having an acute allergic reaction that sent him into anaphylactic shock. The former Food Network star and restaurateur was 61. He had been in the hospital for a week prior to his death, People reports. His company, Gruppo Chiarello, released a statement Sunday saying that Chiarello spent his final moments surrounded by family and friends, Entertainment Weekly reports. It's not clear whether the allergy was food-related, TMZ reports. Chiarello died at Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, California, where he opened his renowned first restaurant Tra Vigne in the 1980s. He later opened Bottega and Ottimo, also in Napa Valley, and Coqueta in both Napa and San Francisco.

His show, Easy Entertaining With Michael Chiarello, ran on Food Network for 10 seasons; he was also a judge on Top Chef and was featured on shows including The Next Iron Chef, Chopped, and many talk shows. (He also had controversies, settling two sexual harassment lawsuits filed against him in 2016.) Starting in 1999, he was also in the wine business, starting Chiarello Family Vineyards; the following year he started NapaStyle, a line of artisanal foods as well as kitchen and home products. He had been named Chef of the Year by multiple outlets. He is survived by his wife and four children. (More obituary stories.)