Homaro Cantu's Wife Speaks Out After Husband's Apparent Suicide

CHICAGO — The wife of famed chef Homaro Cantu, who was found dead from an apparent suicide Wednesday, spoke out on Facebook Wednesday, implying his legal troubles were "just another case of someone trying to make a buck off of him."

Katie McGowan had two children with Cantu, who was found dead around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at his planned Crooked Fork Brewery at 4419 W. Montrose Ave., authorities said.

READ MORE ABOUT CANTU'S LIFE AND LEGACY HERE

"Thank you everybody for the outpouring of love for Homaro Cantu," McGowan wrote on Facebook.

"Among his many gifts, he was the most generous person I ever met. If you are one of the hundreds of people who asked him to donate to your school or charity each year — I know for a fact that he said yes. If you are one of the many many who asked him for a favor, or help, I am positive he made a phone call on your behalf, or found you a job, or comped your meal. He truly believed that he could change the world by just working a little harder or coming up with a new idea." 

The post went on to address speculation in the media about the reason for Cantu's suicide.

"Please don't believe all the garbage in the news," she wrote. "It was just another case of someone trying to make a buck off of him or take credit for his ideas. If you want his legacy to live on, go try his food, experience his visions. That's all he wanted."

Cantu recently had closed iNG in the West Loop, and he was facing a lawsuit from an investor in moto seeking to oust him because of financial issues.

Matthias Merges, chef and owner of Yusho, A10 and Billy Sunday, said he saw Cantu four days ago. They live a few houses apart in Old Irving Park, and their kids attend the same public school.

They chatted — small talk, school stuff, a little business.

"He definitely had a strain, from all publicity going around [from the lawsuit]. As we all know, it's tough. He talked about it. He just said, 'It's a difficult situation. I told him just hang in there and power through it.

"I don't even know what to think. I see his girls almost every day."

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