[BK001]

CNN's Anthony Bourdain, famous chef and world traveler was found dead in his room while on location for an episode of the award winning show Parts Unknown.

Bourdain was in France working on an upcoming episode of his award-winning CNN series "Parts Unknown." His close friend Eric Ripert, the French chef, found Bourdain unresponsive in his hotel room Friday morning

I always enjoyed his shows. So sad.

Anthony Bourdain, chef-turned-TV host, dies at 61: Reports

[BK001]

CNN is reporting that Bourdain's death was definitely a suicide. He leaves behind an 11 year old daughter.

[Chi33]

Anthony Bourdain just committed suicide. Wow.

[CFrance]

I am so sad about this. When he was on Food Network doing A Cook's Tour, our company closed-captioned every single one of his shows, and later when we did captioning for Travel Channel. He was my culinary idol, and did so much for people on the fringe. I was so glad when he cleaned himself up, got married again, had a daughter & quit smoking because of her.

Two famous, wildly successful people in three days. You think some people have it made, but you never know what demons they may be suffering. I'm so sorry for both them and their families.

[DonH57]

Totally sad to hear. I found it hard to believe when I learned of his death. He was a great story teller. I enjoyed his shows and read a copy of his book " Kitchen Confidential". The man faced many demons in his life some of which he conquered but one never really knows what others are facing day to day. Prayers to his family.

[Madelaine Amee]

Terrible loss to me - I loved his show and made sure I watched every episode I could. I would never have eaten some of the food he ate in these different countries, but I loved his philosophy on life. Great loss.

The report states that he was found hanged in his hotel room in France. I cannot imagine breaking into a hotel room to find something like that, there are multiple ways to kill oneself, but hanging ......................

I am sure there will be more written about this.

[manaboutown]

Sadly, he had some serious substance abuse issues.

Bourdain had been known for being an unrepentant drinker and smoker. In a nod to Bourdain's (at the time) two-pack-a-day cigarette habit, renowned chef Thomas Keller once served him a 20-course tasting menu which included a mid-meal "coffee and cigarette": a coffee custard infused with tobacco, together with a foie gras mousse.[84] Bourdain stopped cigarette smoking in the summer of 2007 because of the birth of his daughter.[85] He is also a former user of cocaine, heroin, and LSD. In Kitchen Confidential he wrote of his experience in a trendy SoHo restaurant in 1981: "We were high all the time, sneaking off to the walk-in refrigerator at every opportunity to 'conceptualize.' Hardly a decision was made without drugs. Cannabis, methaqualone, cocaine, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms soaked in honey and used to sweeten tea, secobarbital, tuinal, amphetamine, codeine and, increasingly, heroin, which we'd send a Spanish-speaking busboy over to Alphabet City to get."[86] In the same book, Bourdain frankly described his former addiction, including how he once resorted to selling his record collection on the street in order to raise enough money to purchase drugs.

[New Englander]

Really sad. He was so successful. Why?

[tomwed]

I heard this on the TV so I may get things wrong. At 47 he was working in a kitchen just making ends meet, not a famous chef. He writes a book that tells what goes on in a kitchen. It takes off and 14 years later was doing quite well. Forget the wealth, he must have had many, many friends he could talk to. Why?

[manaboutown]

Suicide is a common end for drug and/or alcohol addicted people.

Suicide: One of Addiction’s Hidden Risks | Psychology Today

Addiction and Suicide - AddictionCenter

[My Post]

I really like his books. He gave you the insider feel similar to Ruth Reichel. In his last one that came out a few years back, he writes a whole chapter on the guy who is in charge of cutting all the fish up at Le Bernardin every morning. Book is worth it just for that chapter. Fascinating. 100s of pounds of the worlds best seafood and he can't leave nary a bone even one time.

[Tweety Bird]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

Suicide is a common end for drug and/or alcohol addicted people.

Suicide: One of Addiction’s Hidden Risks | Psychology Today

Addiction and Suicide - AddictionCenter

Good article in Psychology Today.

[Madelaine Amee]

I just read extracts from the last interview he gave where he said he was probably the happiest he has ever been, had a new lady, loved his daughter dearly and was writing a book with her ............ and then went on to say something about ending it all when you are at the top of your game and several other odd comments. Very strange.

I am sure his ex wife will get help for the daughter, she is going to need it. 11 yrs old and having to deal with this.

[kcrazorbackfan]

So incredibly sad to hear of his death. We really enjoyed watching his shows from places we know we would never travel to and his eating food we knew we would never eat.

[Madelaine Amee]

I watched the hour long tribute to him last night on CNN. It was very moving, he was so much alive, so tall, big, healthy looking man and to think he ended it all like that. How very sad. One of the commentators who knew him well said he was the man all men want to be and all women want to be with!

He had an amazing and rare talent to be able to communicate in a seemingly very genuine way with people of all walks of life. The episode he did in the hills of Virginia was such an insight into how people from different areas think and live.

Such a loss.