'Top Chef' Eric Adjepong Allegedly Violated Ex-Wife's Restraining Order Before Daughter's Protective Order

"Top Chef" star Eric Adjepong allegedly violated a restraining order against his ex-wife, Janell Mack, more than a year before his daughter obtained a protective order against him ... TMZ has learned.

Here's the deal ... Janell took Eric to court in January 2025 and successfully obtaining a temporary protective order that barred him from contacting her by "any means."

Well, one day after the order was set -- on Jan. 23 -- Eric allegedly asked his former wife via the "OurFamilyWizard" parenting app to FaceTime him.

A court summons was issued ... and Eric was reminded to never contact her again. The protective order was effective through Feb. 4, 2025.

Eric told TMZ via his attorney ... "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. 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."

Eric also posted this statement on Instagram ... "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."

It's unclear what Eric allegedly did that enabled Janell to get a protective order in the first place. The pair were married between 2017 and 2021, and share a 7-year-old daughter named Lennox.

We broke the story ... on Wednesday, the former couple's daughter Lennox successfully obtained a year-long protective order after Eric was accused of sexually abusing her. The allegations were brought to Child and Family Services on May 1, which then notified Washington, D.C. police, who found no probable cause that a crime occurred.

However, a Howard County, Maryland judge issued a final protective order against Eric on July 10 ... which will last 1 year.

The Food Network personality told TMZ through his attorney he is abiding by the 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."