Fatima Ali, known for her stint on the reality show Top Chef, died Friday after a battle with a rare form of bone cancer. She was 29 years old.
Also known as “Chef Fati,” Ali was a beloved competitor on the show in 2017 for Season 15. Fellow chef Bruce Kalman, a close friend of hers, posted the sad news of her passing on Instagram.
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“It’s with a heavy heart we say goodbye to Fatima Ali today, as she has lost her battle with cancer,” he wrote. “I will miss you Fati, and you will be in my heart forever. I’ll always remember the great times we had, especially our interview during the tailgating episode discussing football, stadiums, and Taylor Swift.”
Ali suffered from Ewing’s sarcoma, which is a rare, terminal cancer that infiltrates the bones and soft tissue. She was diagnosed in late 2017 but announced she was in remission in February 2018.
In October of last year, Ali penned an essay about her cancer, when she was told by doctors that it had returned; she was also told by medical professionals that she had only one year to live.
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“A cloud of death is following me. It’s followed me all the way to the first class lounge at LAX. I have never flown anything but basic economy on a domestic flight, but my illness has forced me to upgrade my life,” she wrote in the essay. “When we think we have all the time in the world to live, we forget to indulge in the experiences of living,” she continued. “When that choice is yanked away from us, that’s when we scramble to feel.”
Ali last posted to her Instagram account from her hospital bed on January 10, when she wrote: “I’m sick and unfortunately I’m getting sicker.”
“I thank you a million times over for when you have given me joy,” she wrote.
The New York City-based chef was a contestant on Chopped in 2013 and had a guest spot on soap General Hospital in 2007.
Many people shared their condolences for Ali on social media.
As of this writing, there have been no announcements about a funeral or public vigil.
— With files from Arti Patel
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