Chopped Junior Winner Fuller Goldsmith Dead at 17
Chopped Junior winner and former Top Chef Junior competitor Fuller Goldsmith has died. He was 17.
Goldsmith died following a long struggle with cancer, production company Magical Elves confirmed in an Instagram post Wednesday.
"We are devastated after hearing about the loss of our Top Chef Junior alum, Fuller Goldsmith," the company, which produces the cooking competition series, said. "He was an incredible chef and the strongest kid we've ever met."
"From the minute he was introduced to us, we knew he would make an impact on everyone around him and be a positive force in cooking world. To his family, we give all our love as they mourn the loss of someone truly special. 💜" the post concluded.
Top Chef Junior host Vanessa Lachey commented on the post, sharing her grief in Goldsmith's death.
"We all Loved Fuller so much! And will never forget his contagious smile, laugh and butter tricks," Lachey wrote. "Sending so much Love to his family. 💔 We will never forget you Fuller!"
In February, Goldsmith shared that the leukemia had returned.
"Unfortunately the news regarding the tumor was not what I was hoping. The same Leukemia is back," he shared on Instagram, adding that he would be starting proton radiation within weeks.
"I will have 12 days of radiation and then more chemo to make sure it's gone once and for all. Round 5- I'm ready to fight!" he wrote.
Goldsmith was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) when he was just 3 years old. In late 2018, the cancer returned for the fourth time and he sought experimental chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy in Seattle. He entered remission and returned home to Alabama in the summer of 2020.
The young chef had dreams of attending culinary school and opening restaurants of his own.
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