Inside a ‘Top Chef’ star’s child abuse case and custody battle in Howard County

A Howard County judge has barred Food Network host Eric Adjepong from being alone with his daughter in a ruling the “Top Chef” alumnus said stems from a longstanding and acrimonious custody battle with his ex-wife.

In a case that has drawn national attention, associate Circuit Judge Maurice Frazier ruled that there was enough evidence that Adjepong had abused the 7-year-old. The judge granted a petition for a protection order on July 10 after Adjepong roughly scrubbed her during a bath, causing her to bleed, and called her the “worst daughter ever,” according to a description of the incident in the ruling.

For the next year, Adjepong, who shares custody with his ex-wife, is limited to supervised visits with his daughter. The judge also ordered him to complete parenting classes and reunification therapy. Adjepong has submitted documentation since to the court showing that he completed a 9-hour co-parenting seminar.

The son of Ghanaian immigrants, Adjepong rose to fame as a finalist on season 16 of the reality competition television series “Top Chef,” using flavors and ingredients that he said told the story of the transatlantic slave trade. His cuisine draws influences from West Africa, the Caribbean and American South. He has appeared since on multiple culinary reality shows and hosts the Food Network show “Alex versus America.”

After the case drew headlines, the nonprofit Save the Children, for which Adjepong served as an ambassador, said it was “deeply concerned” and paused its work with him.

The ruling follows investigations by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Child and Family Services Agency in Washington, D.C.

A Howard County nurse who treated the 7-year-old in April contacted Child and Family Services with concerns, according to court records. According to the nurse, the girl said her father had been bathing her with excessive force using a loofa even after she told him it was uncomfortable.

The agency notified the police department’s Youth Investigation Branch of an abuse allegation on May 1, but detectives found no probable cause that a crime had occurred and referred the case back to Child and Family Services. A spokesperson for the agency declined to comment on the matter, citing federal and local confidentiality laws.

In a statement provided by his attorney, Barry Coburn, Adjepong said he loves his daughter deeply. He cited concern for her privacy and declined to discuss the matter publicly “other than to say that these allegations arose in the context of a long running divorce and custody proceeding.”

“It is my fervent hope that in the future my ex-wife and I can resolve these matters privately and through the proper legal channels, rather than in the press, if only for the well-being of our daughter,” he said in the statement.

Adjepong and his daughter’s mother, Janell Davis-Mack, separated in October 2021 after four years of marriage and divorced the following year. The chef now lives in Washington, where he operates the contemporary Ghanaian restaurant Elmina, while Davis-Mack lives in Columbia.

Adjepong told a Howard County court that their shared custody agreement fell apart after he received a traffic citation in November 2024.

In January 2025, Adjepong asked the court to intervene, claiming that Davis-Mack had refused to let him see or FaceTime with his daughter because he faced charges of speeding, reckless driving and driving while impaired. Adjepong said his daughter was not in his care when he received the citation and voluntarily agreed not to drive her.

Several days later, Davis-Mack asked the court for sole custody of their daughter, citing that Adjepong drove at a speed of 116 mph while impaired by a controlled dangerous substance. She said he was getting ready to open his Washington restaurant, which would significantly reduce his free time, and already had volunteered to cut his visitation back to one week a month.

While the court was sorting through the dispute, Adjepong was served with a protective order barring him from contacting his ex-wife by any means. Police charged him in late January 2025 for violating the order when he sent Davis-Mack a message via a mobile app that is used by families to manage child custody agreements.

Davis-Mack later dismissed her petition for the protective order, and Adjepong agreed to not contact his ex-wife except as specified in their custody agreement.

Neither Davis-Mack nor her attorney responded to a request for comment.

Earlier this year, Adjepong again asked a Howard court to intervene, claiming that Davis-Mack was not complying with their custody agreement. The judge ruled in his favor and also ordered Davis-Mack to pay $1,351 by April 3 to Adjepong’s counsel for fees to resolve the matter.

On June 2, just weeks before the judge ruled on the bathing incident, the former couple struck a new agreement with extensive terms to maintain joint legal and shared physical custody of their daughter.