Celebrity Chef Anthony Bourdain Dead at 61 From Suicide

Celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain, was found dead at a hotel in Paris where he was filming an upcoming episode of his award-winning CNN series, Parts Unknown. CNN confirmed Bourdain’s cause of death was suicide. He was 61.

Bourdain was found by his friend and French chef, Eric Ripert.

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

“Tony was an exceptional talent,” CNN President Jeff Zucker said in an email to employees. “Tony will be greatly missed not only for his work but also for the passion with which he did it.”

Bourdain won a Peabody Award in 2013 for Parts Unknown.

Suicide is a growing problem in the United States. On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a survey showing that suicide rates increased 25% across the U.S. over a period of nearly two decades ending in 2016.

—

How to get help: Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.