Antonia Lofaso and Heavy D: What Most People Get Wrong

You’ve seen her on Top Chef. You’ve watched her dominate Tournament of Champions (finally taking that belt in 2025). Antonia Lofaso is the quintessential L.A. culinary powerhouse—sharp, tattoos, zero-nonsense attitude. But there is a part of her life that feels like a glitch in the simulation for people who don't follow the 90s hip-hop scene and the Food Network simultaneously.

Antonia Lofaso and Heavy D weren't just a "celebrity pairing." They were a real-deal family.

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If you grew up on "Now That We Found Love" or "Got Me Waiting," you know Heavy D was the "Overweight Lover," the charismatic, dancing frontman of Heavy D & the Boyz who basically bridged the gap between New Jack Swing and mainstream rap. If you grew up on Bravo, Antonia is the chef who makes the best meatballs in Los Angeles. Honestly, it’s one of those Hollywood stories that stayed quiet because they actually valued their privacy. No reality TV cameras in the bedroom. No messy tabloid spills. Just a chef and a rapper raising a daughter.

The Meeting at Diddy’s Kitchen

Life is weird. Before Antonia was a household name, she was a student at the French Culinary Institute in New York. To pay the bills and get some reps in, she worked at Justin’s—the restaurant owned by Sean "Diddy" Combs.

That’s where the magic happened.

Heavy D was a staple in that circle. He was Diddy’s mentor, a legend at Uptown Records, and a frequent face in the New York scene. They met, they clicked, and they started a life together. They weren't exactly "married" in the legal sense—Antonia has referred to him as her "partner"—but in every way that matters, they were a unit. By the time their daughter, Xea Myers, was born in 2000, Antonia was juggling the insane hours of a rising chef with the complexities of being with an international music icon.

Raising Xea and the 2011 Tragedy

When you’re a chef at places like Spago or Foxtail, you don't really have "weekends." Antonia has been open about the guilt of those early years—the missed swim meets and the late-night shifts while Heavy D was often the more present parent at home. He was the one taking Xea to school. He was the one there for the day-to-day.

Then 2011 hit.

Heavy D, born Dwight Arrington Myers, collapsed outside his Beverly Hills home. He was only 44. The cause was a pulmonary embolism caused by deep vein thrombosis (DVT), likely triggered by a long flight from London. It was sudden. It was brutal.

Antonia was 34 at the time. Suddenly, she wasn't just a chef trying to make it; she was a solo parent to an 11-year-old girl who just lost her hero. That kind of loss changes the chemistry of a person. It's why, when you see Antonia on TV now, there’s this layer of grit. She’s not just playing a "tough chef" character. She’s been through the ringer.

Xea Myers: The Living Legacy

If you check out Xea’s Instagram, it’s basically a digital shrine to her dad. It’s sweet, really. Even now, 15 years later, she posts about him constantly.

Antonia recently shared some pretty intimate details about how Xea is handling adulthood. Xea is now in her mid-20s and lives in a space filled with her father’s things. She still sleeps in his old bed. She has his artwork on the walls. It’s a way to keep him in the room.

What’s interesting is that Xea stayed away from the professional kitchen. Antonia joked in a recent People interview that her daughter wants nothing to do with the culinary world other than "good reservations." Fair enough. But she did inherit the creative gene. Xea has worked in production, including stints on Guy’s Grocery Games and Battle of the Decades.

Why This Connection Matters Today

In 2026, we’re obsessed with "celebrity dynasties," but Antonia and Heavy D represent something different. It was a partnership based on mutual respect for the grind. Antonia has credited Heavy D with giving her the confidence to actually pursue being a chef as a career, rather than just a job.

She was an Italian-Jewish girl from Long Island; he was a Jamaican-American rap pioneer. On paper? Maybe a mismatch. In reality? It worked.

Antonia’s restaurants—Black Market Liquor Bar, Scopa Italian Roots, and DAMA—are some of the most successful spots in L.A. because they reflect that mixed identity. You see the Jamaican influences pop up in her cooking occasionally, and she still talks about her "in-laws in Jamaica" on shows like GGG.

Lessons from the Lofaso-Myers Story

Grief isn't a straight line. Antonia’s journey shows that you can build an empire out of the wreckage of a tragedy. She didn't just survive the loss of her partner; she used that "solo mom" energy to fuel a business portfolio that most chefs would kill for.

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• Privacy is a Choice: They proved you can be famous and have a family without the world knowing your business until you choose to tell it.
• The Power of Mentorship: Heavy D’s encouragement was the catalyst for Antonia’s culinary school journey. Surround yourself with people who see your potential before you do.
• Legacy is Daily: Xea's connection to her father shows that legacy isn't about a plaque on a wall; it's about the furniture you keep and the stories you tell.

If you’re looking to support the legacy of this family, the best way is to visit one of Antonia’s spots in Los Angeles. Order the meatballs at Scopa. They’re legendary for a reason. And next time you hear a Heavy D track on the radio, remember there’s a world-class chef out there who helped keep that man’s world together while he was busy changing the face of hip-hop.

For those navigating their own loss or trying to balance an insane career with parenthood, Antonia’s story is a blueprint. It’s not about being perfect—she’s the first to admit she missed a lot of things. It’s about showing up for the win when it finally counts.

Next Steps for Readers
If you want to see the influence of this relationship on Antonia's work, watch her episode of the Girl on Guy podcast (it's an older one, but classic) where she goes deep into her history with Dwight. You can also follow Xea Myers on social media to see rare archival photos of Heavy D that you won't find in any press kit.