'Top Chef' Star Eric Adjepong Banned From Unsupervised Visits With Daughter Following Abuse Findings

Food Network personality Eric Adjepong is navigating a significant legal development after a Maryland judge issued a protective order restricting his contact with his 7-year-old daughter. The court found‘preponderance of evidence’that Adjepong physically abused his child, Lennox, resulting in a yearlong order that requires all visits to be supervised and mandates parenting classes and reunification therapy. The protective order stems from a petition filed by Adjepong’s ex-spouse Janelle Davis-Mack in May 2026, following a report made by a nurse to Washington D.C.’s Child and Family Services Agency.

What makes this case particularly noteworthy is the divergence between the judge’s ruling and conclusions from law enforcement and child services agencies. The Metropolitan Police Department closed its investigation without filing charges, and the Child and Family Services Agency marked their investigation as‘unfounded.’Despite these determinations, the judge still sided with the protective order based on evidence presented in court, highlighting how different agencies can apply varying standards when evaluating the same allegations.

Adjepong has stated he parents his daughter‘appropriately, safely and in an age-appropriate manner’and has chosen not to discuss the specifics publicly to protect his child’s privacy. His ex-spouse, Davis-Mack, has expressed her commitment to believing and protecting her daughter’s voice. The case demonstrates how complex custody disputes become when allegations enter the picture, and raises questions about how different systems evaluate evidence. What’s your take on how courts should balance findings from various agencies when making decisions about child protection?