Eric Adjepong's ex-wife, Janell Mack, is back in the spotlight after a court granted a protective order involving their daughter, Lennox.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleCelebrity chef Eric Adjepong's personal life has returned to the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The Top Chef finalist and Food Network personality has been ordered to stay away from his 7-year-old daughter, Lennox, for one year after a court granted a protective order amid abuse allegations.
While the underlying allegations remain under wraps, the court's decision has thrust Adjepong's years-long divorce and custody battle with his ex-wife, Janell Mack, back into the spotlight.
Janell is the former wife of the Food Network host who has made a career as an interior designer and business consultant. She has also worked as a lead human resources specialist in D.C. for the FDA and co-founded Pinch & Plate with Eric.
Before their marriage, Janell moved from Washington, D.C., to New York, where she first met Eric at a house party. Although the celebrity chef later admitted he didn't remember their first introduction, he eventually found her on Facebook through a mutual friend's profile and reached out. The online conversation soon turned into a relationship, and the couple married in 2017.
Throughout Adjepong's rise in the culinary world, including his breakout appearance on Top Chef Season 16 and later Food Network projects, Mack stood by as a pillar, helping him grow in his career while raising their daughter, Lennox. But behind the scenes, the marriage was starting to unravel.
The couple reportedly separated in 2021, and Janell filed for divorce in January 2022. She asked the court for sole physical custody of Lennox and liberal visitation for her estranged husband.
In her filing, Janell stated that their daughter had primarily lived with her since the separation and alleged she had been responsible for meeting Lennox's physical, emotional, and financial needs. She also claimed she had sacrificed employment opportunities to support Eric's growing culinary career.
In his response, the Food Network personality leveled his own allegations against Janell, accusing her of constructive desertion. According to court filings, Eric alleged that Janell's "cruel and vicious conduct" made it impossible for him to continue living in the marital home while preserving his "health, safety, and self-respect."
Eric also accused his ex-wife of "cruelty of treatment," a legal claim that can involve alleged physical, verbal, or emotional abuse severe enough to make cohabitation unsafe. In the filing, he claimed Janell had "persistently engaged in cruel conduct" toward both him and their minor daughter, alleging that the behavior made it impossible to continue the marriage while protecting his own well-being and that of their child. Janell never publicly addressed these claims.
After more than two years of legal proceedings, the divorce was finalized in August 2024, with Eric Adjepong ordered to pay USD 804 per month in child support.
Even though it has been nearly two years since their divorce, the legal battle has not stopped. New court documents have been obtained by TMZ, which reveal that a court hearing took place on July 10, 2026. The hearing resulted in a protective order that mandated the Food Network star to remain away from Lennox, her home, school, and childcare providers for a full year, until July 10, 2027.
The order also prohibits him from contacting his daughter. The specific allegations that led to the order have not been publicly disclosed. Speaking about the new ruling, Janell's attorney, Todd Mohink, told TMZ, "I believe the court did its job to protect the best interest of the child." Meanwhile, Janell herself shared a public statement on social media, writing:
"My daughter was just granted a protective order against her father because she was brave enough to speak up against who should have been one of the most trusted adults in her life."
She also said she had spent the past four years rebuilding their lives around safety while teaching her daughter about boundaries, consent and body autonomy. Adjepong, however, has denied wrongdoing while declining to discuss the underlying allegations publicly because the case involves his daughter. Through his attorney, he told TMZ:
"Because this matter involves my young daughter, whom I love deeply, I intend to protect her privacy and will not discuss the underlying allegations or other sensitive family matters publicly."
Adjepong rose to prominence after finishing as a finalist on Season 16 of Top Chef before returning for Top Chef: All-Stars. He has since become one of Food Network's most recognizable personalities, hosting Wildcard Kitchen and Alex vs America while appearing on shows including Selena + Chef.
What are your thoughts on Eric Adjepong's ongoing legal fallout with his ex-wife?
Read Next: William Shatner Found His Third Wife Nerine Kidd Dead In A Pool, 'I Saw Her Body Lying In Moonlight'