Chef and TV Host Anthony Bourdain Is Dead At Age 61

CBR

Anthony Bourdain, Chef, TV Host & Comics Writer, Dies at Age 61

By Kevin Melrose

Published Jun 8, 2018

Anthony Bourdain, the celebrated chef, author and television host, was found dead this morning from an apparent suicide. He was 61.

Anthony Bourdain, the celebrated chef, author and television personality who made his graphic novel debut in 2012, was found dead this morning of an apparent suicide. He was 61.

According to CNN, home of his award-winning series Parts Unknown, Bourdain was in Strasbourg, France, filming an upcoming episode. He was found unresponsive in his hotel room this morning by his friend, celebrity chef Eric Ripert.

"It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain," the cable network said in a statement. "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."

A fixture of New York City restaurants, Bourdain rose to fame in 2000 with the release of his book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, which spun out of his New Yorker article, "Don't Eat Before Reading This." Outspoken and passionate, about food, politics and people, Bourdain followed a series of bestselling books with his own shows -- A Cook's Tour, followed by No Reservations, The Layover and, finally, Parts Unknown -- and appearances on Top Chef and other programs.

In 2012, Bourdain expanded into comics with the Vertigo graphic novel Get Jiro, a collaboration with Joel Rose and Langdon Foss about a near-future, food-obsessed Los Angeles where master chefs rule like crime lords. It was followed in 2015 by the prequel, Get Jiro: Blood and Sushi, with Rose and Ale Garza. Bourdain and Rose re-teamed earlier this year at Dark Horse for Hungry Ghosts.

Bourdain spoke unflinchingly about some of his fellow celebrity chefs, and about himself, openly discussing his former use of cocaine, heroin and LSD. A well-known drinker and smoker, he gave up the latter in 2007 with the birth of his daughter.