Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain dead at 61

Anthony Bourdain, celebrity chef and host of CNN’s “Parts Unknown”, is dead at 61. Bourdain leaves behind a legacy of exploring culture and cuisine.

American celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain has died by suicide at age 61.

CNN confirmed his death, releasing a statement Friday saying he was found dead in his hotel room by friend and fellow chef Eric Ripert. Bourdain was filming in Strasbourg, France for his CNN series Parts Unknown. Strasbourg police and emergency officials have not released further information about his death.

CNN said in its statement:

"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."

CNN President Jeff Zucker shared an email with employees, saying “Tony will be greatly missed not only for his work but also for the passion with which he did it.”

Bourdain’s eclectic career helped revolutionize the restaurant industry and how we view “celebrity chefs.” From his debut book Kitchen Confidential to the sequel Medium Raw, outsiders got a fascinating look into Bourdain’s life and the restaurant industry as a whole.

He also didn’t shy away from discussing his mental health and history with substance abuse. In Kitchen Confidential, Bourdain spoke about how those issues have occurred within the industry, saying:

"It is one of the central ironies of my career that as soon as I got off heroin, things started getting really bad. High on dope, I was — prior to Gino’s — at least, a chef, well paid, much liked by crew and floor and owners alike. Stabilized on methadone, I became nearly unemployable by polite society."

There’s no arguing Bourdain was a master in the kitchen as well as with the media. Bourdain made it possible for us to view food differently, see travel in a new light, and perhaps learn something about ourselves in the process. Throughout his career, Bourdain’s won nearly every award the industry has to offer.

Notably, in 2013, Bourdain was honored with the Peabody Award for his work on Parts Unknown. During his acceptance speech for the award, Bourdain said:

"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, we tend to get some really astonishing answers."

With both shows, No Reservations and Parts Unknown, Bourdain traveled from Myanmar to Morocco, Cuba to Ethiopia, Iran to Nashville. Whether it was Southern or Korean barbecue, audiences loved exploring with Bourdain. We feasted our eyes on what everyday people enjoyed to eat around the world. More importantly, Bourdain found a fascinating way to reveal connections we have country to country by the very food we put on the table.

President Barack Obama joined Bourdain for an episode of Parts Unknown in Hanoi, Vietnam. Bourdain, without ever mentioning Donald Trump, spoke of how he felt America was “turning inwards” with recent talks of a certain wall being built. He applauded Obama for taking a more open route during his presidency, having conversations with countries such as Cuba and Iran.

Bourdain added his hope for more Americans to get a passport and travel, saying the experience is “useful at worst and incredibly pleasurable and interesting at best.”

Obama replied, saying when one does explore, “It confirms the basic truth that people everywhere are pretty much the same. The same hopes and dreams.”

Following the news of Bourdain’s death, many remember the impact he made not just with travel and food, but with understanding the world around us.

This story is developing. 

As always, if you or someone you know needs help, please reach out. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at their toll-free number: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You can also use the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.

As always, if you or someone you know needs help, please reach out. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at their toll-free number: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You can also use the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.