Food Influencer Michael Duarte Dies Days After Confrontation with Police
LOS ANGELES, CA - Michael Duarte, a California-based social media personality known for his cooking videos under the username @foodwithbearhands, has died, just days after celebrating his wedding anniversary. duarte, 33, was involved in a fatal encounter with law enforcement on November 11, 2025, following an alleged threatening approach toward officers.
According too law enforcement statements provided to TMZ, Duarte “approached officers threateningly” and, despite repeated warnings “to get on the ground by the deputy,” failed to comply.Details surrounding the shooting remain under investigation. Duarte amassed over 839,000 followers on Instagram, building a dedicated audience with his engaging food content.
Duarte began sharing cooking clips online during the COVID-19 pandemic as a hobby, continuing even while working to rebuild a local restaurant. “On my days off, I started posting food videos again – my first one was with my daughter,” he shared in an Instagram biography.”That’s when I realized how happy creating content made me. Over time,I began to see it wasn’t just a hobby – it could be a business,something bigger than myself.”
A GoFundMe campaign launched following his death has already raised $64,646 as of this writing, aimed at supporting his wife and daughter.
Tributes have poured in from fans and fellow creators. One commenter on Duarte’s pinned Instagram post wrote, “Love you man.I’m at a loss for words. Too young, too big a heart. We were supposed to do a video or something this week. Rest easy.” Another shared, ”Mike, rest in peace my dear friend. Thank you for all of your kind words… from making family meals at Ruth’s to teaching me how to be a quarter of as good as you were with the video edits. I will be praying for your wife and daughter more than ever!”