Anthony Bourdain died of “a broken heart” said his celebrity chef pal, who recently opened up to Us Weekly months after the CNN Parts Unknown star committed suicide in France.
Chef Daniel Boulud, who was good friends with the late Anthony Bourdain, opened up about his pal to Us Weekly during the Citymeals on Wheels 32nd Annual Power Lunch for Women in New York City on Wednesday, November 14.
“His heart was broken, I think,” Boulud told Us of Bourdain’s death.
“I don’t know exactly but I know … I know that what he did was something that was a shock to everyone, absolutely,” he continued.
Boulud recalls Bourdain as a man who was full of life and love for his family and his work, traveling the world to allow viewers the opportunity to see parts of this planet they never would have without his assistance on his series’ Parts Unknown , The Layover , No Reservations , and A Cook’s Tour .
“Anthony, I have many memories, as a friend, as a man who could connect with anyone and make people dream about food,” he told Us. “Best memory, of course, is when he took me to Lyon and we did a show on Lyon.”
The two traveled in 2014 to Boulud’s hometown of Lyon, France, where they met with fellow culinary expert Paul Bocuse.
Bocuse was both a mentor and a friend to Boulud.
“He took me to the school that I grew up as a kid and we sat down with 8-year-old children at the cafeteria and talked food with the children and had a lunch with the kids,” Boulud noted.
“Tony was so impressed by the quality of the food they were serving the children and I think that touched me a lot,” Boulud explained.
It was on June 8 that Bourdain was found dead in his hotel room in France by his friend and fellow chef Eric Ripert.
The two were in the midst of filming an episode of Parts Unknown for the show’s then-current season.
For a year prior to his untimely passing, Bourdain was in a relationship with actress Asia Argento.
He was married twice. Bourdain’s first wife was Nancy Putkoski. His second wife was Ottavia Busia and the couple had one child, a daughter named Ariane.
CNN recently aired the final episode of Parts Unknown , where Bourdain traveled the Lower East Side of Manhattan and spoke to artist, music, and trendsetters of the 70s, which made the gritty area the place to be if you wanted to make an impact in the entertainment business.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. For readers outside the U.S., visit Suicide.org or Befrienders Worldwide for international resources you can use to find help.