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TODAY

‘Top Chef’ contestant Aaron Grissom dies at 34

Alexander Kacala
Updated
1 min read
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Aaron Grissom, a contestant of "Top Chef," has died. He was 34 years old.

According to The News Tribune, Grissom died after getting in a motorcycle crash in Washington state. The outlet reports the Pierce County medical examiner ruled his death an accident.

Top Chef - Season 12 (Bravo / NBCU Photo Bank)
Top Chef - Season 12 (Bravo / NBCU Photo Bank)

"Bravo and the Top Chef family are saddened to learn about the passing of Chef Aaron Grissom from Season 12: Boston," a Bravo spokesperson said in a statement. "Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and friends."

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Originally from Tacoma, Washington, Grissom was one of 16 chefs on the 2014 season of Top Chef that was taped in Boston. He placed 11th in the competition.

He also appeared on the Food Network series "Diners Drive-Ins and Dives."

His former co-worker, Yu Nanakornphanom, remembered him not only for his work in the kitchen but also for a good deed he did: donating one of his kidneys to a friend who needed one.

Top Chef - Season 12 (Bravo / NBCU Photo Bank)
Top Chef - Season 12 (Bravo / NBCU Photo Bank)

“After we opened (Moshi Moshi), we talked about it. ‘I have this condition,’ I don’t know how much I can take with the business," Nanakornphanom told The News Tribune. "Then we were joking around, and he said, ‘I can give you a kidney.’ We happened to be a match — we’re both Type O. It’s very rare to find Type O.”

“He had a lot going on,” Nanakornphanom added. “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.”

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