A judge issued a protective order against ‘Top Chef’ star Eric Adjepong involving his daughter, but police found no evidence of abuse

A Maryland judge has issued a yearlong protective order involving “Top Chef” star Eric Adjepong and his seven-year-old daughter, Lennox. According to The Washington Post, the order was granted on July 10 after the court found there was a preponderance of evidence to believe Adjepong physically abused the child. The order remains in effect until July 10, 2027, and allows him to see his daughter only under supervised visits.

The ruling also prevents the 38-year-old chef from contacting, harassing, abusing, or threatening either his daughter or his estranged spouse, Janelle Davis-Mack. In addition, the court ordered Adjepong to complete parenting classes and reunification therapy. Despite the ruling, Adjepong has strongly denied the allegations and said he has always parented his daughter safely and in an age-appropriate manner.

The case has drawn attention because both legal proceedings and public statements paint very different pictures of what happened. While the court found enough evidence to issue the protective order, Adjepong says separate investigations reached different conclusions. He has also chosen not to discuss the allegations in detail, saying he wants to protect his daughter’s privacy.

No child should ever be caught in something this painful

Davis-Mack filed the petition for protection on May 1 after a nurse who examined Lennox submitted a report to DC’s Child and Family Services Agency. The report prompted an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC. A police spokesperson said the department’s Youth Investigations Branch looked into the allegations but found no probable cause. The case was then referred back to the child welfare agency.

Adjepong later stated on social media that the Metropolitan Police Department closed its investigation without filing criminal charges. He also said DC’s Child and Family Services Agency completed its own review and reached an “unfounded” finding.

In court records, Adjepong described the past several weeks as the most difficult period of his life. He He noted that the allegations surfaced during a long-running divorce and custody dispute that concluded on June 2. He added that he would not discuss the claims further because he wants to protect his daughter’s privacy.

Davis-Mack shared a statement on Instagram praising her daughter for speaking up against someone she believed should have been among the most trusted adults in her life. Her attorney, Todd K. Mohink, said that the court’s decision was made to protect the child’s best interests.

Adjepong and Davis-Mack married in May 2017 and welcomed Lennox the following year. They separated in October 2021 and finalized their divorce in August 2022. Since then, they have remained involved in legal disputes. Those include a January 2025 allegation that Adjepong contacted his ex-wife in violation of a separate protective order connected to a domestic violence case.