Television personality and “Top Chef” star Eric Adjepong allegedly violated a temporary protective order obtained by his ex-wife, Janell Mack, just one day after a court issued the directive in January 2025, according to court records and reporting by TMZ. The alleged infraction involved communication over a court-mandated parenting application regarding their seven-year-old daughter, Lennox.
Temporary Protective Order and the Alleged App Violation
In January 2025, Janell Mack filed against Eric Adjepong and successfully obtained a temporary protective order that barred him from contacting her by “any means,” according to TMZ. One day after the order was set, on January 23, Adjepong allegedly asked his former wife via the “OurFamilyWizard” parenting app to FaceTime him, prompting a court summons and a judicial reminder to maintain no contact. The protective order remained effective through February 4, 2025.
Adjepong’s legal representation defended the contact in a statement provided to TMZ. “The alleged violation entailed Mr. Adjepong contacting his ex-wife regarding their daughter through the OurFamilyWizard app, a court-mandated communications app used during the parties’ divorce and custody proceedings,” his attorney stated. “The alleged violation was dismissed because the court recognized that the required method of communication was the OurFamilyWizard app, creating a conflict with the protective order.”
The former couple was married between 2017 and 2021. The specific events that led to Mack obtaining the initial protective order in January 2025 remain unclear from public court records.
Did you know?
Court-mandated parenting applications like OurFamilyWizard are frequently utilized in high-conflict divorces to log all communications between co-parents, though protective orders can sometimes create complex legal overlaps regarding required logistics for shared children.
Subsequent Protective Order Involving Their Daughter
More than a year after the initial dispute over the parenting app, a Howard County, Maryland judge issued a final, one-year protective order against Adjepong on July 10, 2026, on behalf of his seven-year-old daughter, Lennox, according to TMZ. The filing followed allegations of sexual abuse brought to Child and Family Services on May 1.
Child and Family Services notified Washington, D.C. police regarding the allegations, and police ultimately found no probable cause that a crime occurred, TMZ reported. Despite the police findings, the Maryland family court issued the final year-long protective order.
Public Statements From the Family
Following the legal proceedings, both parties issued public statements addressing the situation on social media and through legal representation. Adjepong addressed the broader controversy on Instagram, writing, “The past several weeks have been among the most difficult of my life. I have remained silent not because I lacked a response, but because I believe integrity is measured by how you conduct yourself when your character is being questioned. Others can choose rhetoric. I will choose truth.”
Adjepong also stated through his attorney that he is abiding by the current order, adding, “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.”
Janell Mack released a separate statement via Instagram regarding the protective order obtained by their daughter. “My daughter was just granted a protective order against her father because she was brave enough to speak up against who should have been one of the most trusted adults in her life,” she wrote.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the temporary protective order issued against Eric Adjepong?
Janell Mack successfully obtained a temporary protective order against Eric Adjepong in January 2025, which was effective through February 4, 2025.
What caused the alleged violation of the 2025 protective order?
Adjepong allegedly used the “OurFamilyWizard” parenting app to ask his ex-wife for a FaceTime call regarding their daughter one day after the order was set, though the violation was later dismissed because the app was court-mandated for custody proceedings.
Who obtained the protective order issued in July 2026?
A Howard County, Maryland judge issued a final one-year protective order on July 10, 2026, on behalf of Adjepong and Mack’s seven-year-old daughter, Lennox.
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