Fans are rallying around Guy Fieri in light of his most recent Instagram post. Over the weekend, the Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives star shared a touching tribute to his late friend, fellow celeb chef Carl Ruiz.
"Happy 50th birthday to my brother/friend/chef Carl 'The Cuban' Ruiz," Fieri wrote on social media. "Miss you my brutha RIP." He shared a carousel of personal photos with Ruiz, including a snap with his son and a hilarious behind-the-scenes shot showing Ruiz on a metal bull.
Fans were quick to honor Ruiz and offer shows of support for Fieri in response to his heartfelt dedication. "Miss seeing him on your shows. He was a hilarious human being," one user commented. "Sorry for your loss, Guy 🙏," another added.
"Those were some of my favorite, Guys Grocery Games shows ... when Carl was on them ❤️," a third person wrote. Others called him the "goat," "man of the century," and "the funniest."
Ruiz, who sadly passed away in 2019 at the age of 44, was a regular on Fieri's Food Network shows. The friends first met during a 2012 episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, when Ruiz's restaurant Marie's Italian Specialties was featured on the series. He went on to appear on as a judge on Guy's Grocery Games and Guy's Ranch Kitchen in later years.
"I’m heartbroken that my friend chef Carl Ruiz is gone," Fieri wrote on Instagram after Ruiz's untimely death. "I have no words to describe what a great friend he was to me and my family. His ability to make me laugh and smile under any circumstances was only outshined by his talent as a chef."
"Over the years, I’ve met a lot of great people but a friend like Carl is one in a hundred million," he added in the post. "Carl 'The Cuban' Ruiz will forever live on in my heart and in those of all who loved him."
Megan Schaltegger is an NYC-based writer. She loves strong coffee, eating her way through the Manhattan food scene, and her dog, Murray. She promises not to talk about herself in third person IRL.
