The Instagram food influencer gunned down by Texas police in last month during an alleged “erratic” outburst posted about mental health struggles and rehab before he was killed.
Michael Duarte, 36, opened up about past hardships in an Instagram post on Oct. 25 — two weeks before he was shot dead on Nov. 12.
“I hit a breaking point and had a mental health crisis that led me to rehab,” Duarte wrote in the heartfelt post, describing troubles he endured in the thick of the Covid-19 lockdown.
Michael Duarte, 36, shared a story of his personal hardships and triumphs just days before he was killed. Instagram/@foodwithbearhands
“Looking back, I know that breakdown came from feeling like I had failed at life,” he added. “The shutdown hit me hard and took a big toll on my confidence.”
The nature of Duarte’s past struggles and rehab remains unclear.
He paired his October admission with the story of his difficult childhood where he was raised by a single mother, who began a years-long breast cancer battle by the time he was just a teen.
“She was my mom and my dad. Every Father’s Day, I’d give her a card because she was the one who took me fishing, hunting and taught me so many things about life,” Duarte wrote.
Duarte was known for his over-the-top and mouthwatering barbeque recipes that he posted across social media. @openfiremeatup’s profile picture foodwithbearhands’s profile picture foodwithbearhands/Instagram
“She didn’t always know how to do everything, but she always supported me in whatever I wanted to learn.”
Duarte’s mother died by the time he was 21, he wrote, leaving him on his own. He made his way into cooking — which helped lift him out of his breakdown years later after he’d gone rehab.
Duarte’s life seemed to have taken a happy turn since those troubled days, however, with his Instagram “foodwithbearhands” exploding to more than a million followers.
His videos showed an exuberant man full of life and humor, which he poured into his jaw-dropping and mouthwatering barbeque creations.
Duarte had also just celebrated his 9-year anniversary with his wife in early November.
The couple regularly posted loving photos with their young daughter smiling in their arms, and their adorable black dog nearby.
But tragedy struck just three days after the anniversary celebration while the California couple was driving through west Texas.
Duarte regularly posted photos of a happy life with his wife and young daughter, and their dog. Instagram/aloomamediagroup
Duarte was killed by a police officer on a Saturday morning after cops were called to Castroville, where a 911 call reported a “male subject with a knife acting erratically.
“Duarte was exhibiting erratic behavior and making threats to kill everyone,” police said after the shooting.
“He was attempting to assault Fire and EMS personnel who had responded to the scene as the deputy pulled up,” officials added.
Then Duarte’s behavior escalated, police said, forcing them to open fire.
“Duarte charged toward the deputy while yelling, ‘I’m going to kill you.’ The deputy discharged two rounds from her duty weapon,” police said.
He was treated at the scene, but died after being transported to a hospital.
His wife Jessica has said the “outpouring of love” from his followers has been crucial to getting their family through his death.
“I’m still struggling with the fact that he is no longer with us but l’m starting to see his purpose was SO much bigger,” she wrote on social media after the incident. “I’m starting to see God work in mysterious ways that I’ve never experienced before and hoping that will bring our family some peace.”