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While filming episode 8 of Top Chef season 22, Tristen Epps received a call that changed the course of his experience on the show. During the Restaurant Wars challenge, Epps was informed that his father figure, Russell Lance Long, had suffered a stroke and was in a medically induced coma. By the next morning, he had passed away.
Despite his loss, Tristen chose to stay and compete. He explained,
“When someone believes in you that much, you don't want to let them down, and so I do not want to disrespect my family by giving up.”
Tristen Epps explains decision to remain on Top Chef after his father's death
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Emergency call during Restaurant Wars
The moment took place during the preparations for the Restaurant Wars challenge, a key episode in the competition. A producer walked into the kitchen and informed Tristen,
“I got a call from your mom. There's a family emergency. I don't know exactly what's happening.”
After stepping away to make a call, Epps confirmed with his mother that his stepfather had suffered a stroke and was in a coma. The next morning, he received the news that his father had died. Tristen mentioned on Top Chef,
“This really wavers my focus right now, but my mom said he would never want you to quit on this dream, don’t you dare leave. So I will do what he would want me to do.”
He mentioned that staying aligned with what his parents had told him. Russell Lance Long, who raised Epps for over two decades, passed away on September 13, 2024, at the age of 67. According to his obituary, Long served in the U.S. Navy until his retirement in 1996 and later worked in the medical field until his retirement in 2024.
Team support and outcome
Following the news, Epps’ Top Chef teammates expressed their support. Lana Lagomarsini said,
“It’s important to all of us to succeed and make it worth his while to be here… if he just wants us to go ahead and push, that's exactly what we're gonna do.”
Vinny Loseto reflected on the atmosphere within the team after Epps returned to the kitchen—
“We put a lot of pressure on ourselves going into this cook because we wanted to perform for Tristen after the news he received...For chefs, the best thing you can do to cope is cook, and that's exactly what he did.”
At the judges’ table, Tristen was named the winner of the challenge. Tom Colicchio remarked that Epps' parents should be “commended” for how they raised him.
Post-episode reflection
On May 2, 2025, Epps reflected on the Top Chef episode in an Instagram post, stating that the events shown brought him back to a moment that significantly changed his perspective, referencing the filming that occurred seven months prior. He described it as a "moment that changed everything."
He shared that since the day of his father's death, he had been spending time with family and friends, grieving, celebrating his father’s life, and finding ways to cope.
“I am eternally grateful for my support system, including the cast and crew of the show that were there for me in the moment, and those that have been there since,” Epps wrote.
He mentioned that revisiting the moment on television had been difficult for his family and requested privacy. Tristen ended the post by encouraging people to reconnect with others in memory of his father, who was recognized for regularly checking in on loved ones.
New episodes of Top Chef premiere on Thursdays at 9 pm ET on Bravo.
