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Celeb Reactions To Anthony Bourdain’s Death

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The culinary world woke up on June 8, 2018, to news no one wanted to hear.

Anthony Bourdain, the chef, author, and CNN “Parts Unknown” host who spent two decades making the world feel smaller and more connected through food, was found dead in his hotel room in Kaysersberg-Vignoble, near Strasbourg, France. He was 61, and his death was ruled a suicide. His close friend, chef Éric Ripert, discovered him unresponsive while the two were filming an upcoming episode together. Within hours of CNN confirming the news, tributes poured in from chefs, actors, musicians, and politicians who had crossed paths with him over his remarkable career.

• Bourdain died by suicide at 61 in Kaysersberg-Vignoble, France, while shooting “Parts Unknown”; his friend Éric Ripert found him.
• Girlfriend Asia Argento called him “my love, my rock, my protector” in an Instagram statement asking for privacy for his family.
• The tributes arrived just three days after designer Kate Spade’s suicide, pushing many public figures to point followers toward mental health and crisis resources.

Asia Argento’s Statement

Argento, the Italian actress and director who had been Bourdain’s partner, posted a photo of the two of them on Instagram alongside a message that captured the weight of the loss for those closest to him. She described him as devoted, fearless, and generous — the qualities that had defined both his relationships and his decades of work.

He was my love, my rock, my protector. I am beyond devastated. My thoughts are with his family. I would ask that you respect their privacy and mine.

Argento’s request for privacy was echoed by much of the culinary world in the hours that followed, even as tributes continued to flood social media from people who felt they’d lost more than a television personality.

Chefs And Food-World Peers React

Gordon Ramsay called Bourdain a talent who “brought the world into our homes,” while Jamie Oliver said he was shocked to lose a chef who “broke the mould.” “Top Chef” host Tom Colicchio labeled him a “trailblazer,” and chef and writer Andrew Zimmern wrote on Instagram that he felt like he’d “lost a family member today, someone who has taught me so much about life, culture, travel, and cooking.” These were peers who had watched Bourdain turn restaurant-kitchen grit and street-food curiosity into a television format nobody else had managed to pull off.

Actors, Musicians, And Political Figures Weigh In

The tributes stretched well beyond the kitchen. Former President Barack Obama, who appeared on “Parts Unknown” sharing noodles and beer with Bourdain in Hanoi in 2016, tweeted that Bourdain “brought the world into our homes and inspired so many people to explore cultures and cities through their food,” adding he was heartbroken by the news. Actress Julianne Moore said Bourdain’s writing “taught us to love food but also to love the way it makes us feel,” and comedian Patton Oswalt remarked that Bourdain’s “radical empathy” was sorely needed. Musicians Questlove and Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers shared personal memories of meeting him, while Chrissy Teigen, Mia Farrow, and Questlove separately praised his rare knack for bridging cultures and connecting strangers over a shared meal.

Mental Health In The Spotlight

Bourdain had been open for years about past struggles with addiction, and his death — arriving just three days after fashion designer Kate Spade’s suicide — pushed suicide prevention and mental health resources to the center of the conversation online. Many of the tributes that praised his empathy and curiosity closed with reminders to check in on friends and family, a pairing of grief and public-health messaging that ran through nearly every statement released that day.

For a broader look at how celebrities have handled painful public moments in real time, see how some stars have responded under pressure in front of the cameras, or how other tragic losses have rippled through Hollywood in pieces like this look at celebrities who died far too young.

Bourdain was in the middle of filming a “Parts Unknown” episode in France’s Alsace region when he died, meaning CNN was left to decide how to handle unfinished footage from a season that was never completed the way he’d planned it.