How Did Anthony Bourdain Die? New Devastating Details About The Tragic Death Of The Iconic Chef And World Traveler
His good friend found his body.
How did Anthony Bourdain die? Chef, writer and storyteller Anthony Bourdain is dead by apparent suicide at the age of 61. We all woke up to this shocking news. Bourdain had been brutally honest over the years about the demons he dealt with but we were not ready to lose him.
Please, my friends, talk to your friends. Check in with them. If their "I'm fine, I'm just busy" doesn't sound quite right, push harder, ask the hard question, "Are you having suicidal thoughts?" You could make a world of difference. People who suffer from depression often don't want to "bother" their friends. Yes, let's look at the details of how Anthony Bourdain died:
1. He was in France.
Anthony Bourdain was in France working on an upcoming episode of his series Parts Unknown when he was found.
2. His friend found him.
Bourdain was found unresponsive in his hotel room at the Le Chambard in Kayserberg, a village in the Alsace region of eastern France. His close friend, chef Eric Ripert found his body.
3. CNN confirmed it.
CNN, which airs Bourdain's Parts Unknown confirmed that the cause of death was suicide. Bordain had been with CNN for five years. The network released a statement Friday morning. "It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain. His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time."
4. He has a daughter.
Anthony Bourdain leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter, Ariane Bourdain. In an interview with People magazine in February, Bourdain talked about his daughter and said he felt he had things to live for since she was born. “I also do feel I have things to live for. There have been times, honestly, in my life that I figured, ‘I’ve had a good run — why not just do this stupid thing, this selfish thing…jump off a cliff into water of indeterminate depth,'” he said.
5. The article and book that started it all.
Bourdain rocketed to fame with a 1999 article called Don't Eat Before You Read This in The New Yorker." In America, the professional kitchen is the last refuge of the misfit. It's a place for people with bad pasts to find a new family," he wrote in the article. The article grew into his best selling memoir in 2000 Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. Audiences have been enthralled by his storytelling ever since.
6. His TV shows.
Kitchen Confidential changed Bourdain's life. First he hosted A Cook's Tour on the Food Network. Then he moved to the Travel Channel for Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. That show won two Emmy Awards. In 2013, Bourdain moved to CNN for Parts Unknown. Season 11 of Parts Unknown premiered in May.
7. He won a Peabody Award.
In 2013, Bourdain won a Peabody Award for Parts Unknown. The Peabody Award honors the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and online media. When accepting the award, Bourdain spoke about how he approached his work: "We ask very simple questions: What makes you happy? What do you eat? What do you like to cook? And everywhere in the world we go and ask these very simple questions and we tend to get some really astonishing answers."
If you are thinking that the world is a better place without you in it, seek help. 1-800-273-8255 is the national suicide crisis hotline. People are there to listen. The world needs you. You matter. You are important.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.