The culinary and wider community have come together this evening to mourn the loss of chef wizard, TV presenter, and storyteller Anthony Bourdain.
Bourdain was travelling through France, filming an episode of the 11th season of his wildly successful TV show Parts Unknown, when he passed away. He had filmed an episode in Hong Kong just last week.
Television production is a tough business. Prior preparation prevents piss poor performance . On location with director @AsiaArgento and DP @dukefeng52 Chris Doyle in Hong Kong TONIGHT @PartsUnknownCNN pic.twitter.com/0od1mtOmsv
— Anthony Bourdain (@Bourdain) June 3, 2018
Close friend, Eric Ripert, found the celebrity chef unresponsive in his hotel room Friday morning. Bourdain, aged 61, is believed to have taken his own life.
CNN, who broadcast Parts Unknown, released a statement earlier today:
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.
Over the past year, Bourdain had been outspoken in his criticism of sexual harassment in restaurants and in Hollywood, vocally supporting his partner, Italian actress Asia Argento as she came forward with allegations against disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein.
He previously worked in top positions in some of New York City’s most celebrated restaurants, and has earned accolades for his food writing and travel journalism. He is best known as host of cultural adventure shows, Parts Unknown and No Reservations.
He is survived by his 11-year-old daughter, Ariane.
Friends, colleagues and admirers have all taken to social media to celebrate his life, express their condolences to his family, and to reflect on his profound influence, both on their own lives and on culinary and popular culture at large.
Stunned and saddened by the loss of Anthony Bourdain. He brought the world into our homes and inspired so many people to explore cultures and cities through their food. Remember that help is a phone call away US:1-800-273-TALK UK: 116 123
— Gordon Ramsay (@GordonRamsay) June 8, 2018
RIP Anthony Bourdain.
I read and loved Kitchen Confidential while I was working as a chef at Groucho St Jude in Glasgow. It was the first book since Down & Out In Paris & London that captured some of the intensity, danger and excitement of life in a kitchen.
— Alex Kapranos (@alkapranos) June 8, 2018
I cannot comprehend the news that #anthonybourdain is dead from an apparent suicide. I am truly stunned and lost. An incredible genius gone far too soon. This one really hurts.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) June 8, 2018
Anthony. One of my idols. Unapologetic, passionate and one of the best storytellers on the planet. Thank you for making food so exciting. And always standing up for everything right. Horrible. Why why why. Be at peace now 🙁
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) June 8, 2018
My deepest condolences to his families and loved ones. He sometimes spoke of his battle with depression. I am saddened to hear it took him from us while he still had so much left to share. https://t.co/MDMXlDZdNX
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) June 8, 2018
Truly devastated about @Bourdain. I have no words. Please if you need help, reach out. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
— Busy Philipps (@BusyPhilipps) June 8, 2018
According to AFSP, there are nearly 45,000 suicides every year in the US. Shocking. I was saddened to hear of the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. RIP. It illustrates that success is not immune to depression. We all need to be more aware of our friends who are suffering
— Bryan Cranston (@BryanCranston) June 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/CarsonDaly/status/1005048904574959618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goodmorningamerica.com%2Fculture%2Fstory%2Fcelebrities-mourn-death-parts-unknown-host-anthony-bourdain-55744731
In 2008 I worked at Townsend Lobster in Provincetown. Anthony Bourdain came in with like 20 family members. Kids running everywhere. He sassed me about not knowing the menu prices, tried guessing the lobster weight, twinkled his blue eyes, and bought lunch for everyone.
— Ariel Dumas (@ArielDumas) June 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/ArielDumas/status/1005059765372964865
Here is the thing…just one of the things that makes this so hard and confusing. I think everyone wanted to be Anthony Bourdain.
I did. We all did.— John Berman (@JohnBerman) June 8, 2018
This is utterly heartbreaking. Thank you for opening our eyes to parts of the world both cherished and unknown. What a legacy. Sending peace and love to his family. If you or someone you love needs help, please reach out or call 1-800-273-TALK. https://t.co/mkht3wTY5m
— Mandy Moore (@TheMandyMoore) June 8, 2018
Anthony Bourdain was always open about his demons and the darkness surrounding him – alcoholism, depression, etc. He just wrote and spoke about it with such wit and liveliness that it became easy to forget how real it was for him. RIP.
— Jeff Blehar is *BOX OFFICE POISON* (@EsotericCD) June 8, 2018
If you would like to talk to someone about mental health, please call the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (ages 5 to 25) or BeyondBlue on 1300 22 4636. If you are in crisis, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
