White House photo by Pete Souza.
Anthony Bourdain is dead.
The chef, author and superstar host of the cooking show Parts Unknown committed suicide in a Paris hotel this morning, according to a report from the show’s network, CNN:
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.
Anthony Bourdain made his name with the tell-all book Kitchen Confidential, a behind-the-scenes look at elite restaurants and the wild times of the people who cook for them — most notably Bourdain himself. The book was a best-seller in 2000, and Bourdain turned that success into a new career for himself as a globe-trotting host.
Perhaps his most famous moment was his $6 dinner with President Barack Obama at a small bun cha cafe in Hanoi, Vietnam (photo above). It was a remarkable and whimsical moment that nearly anyone would be proud of.
Anthony Bourdain was twice-married and twice-divorced; his second wife was fellow chef Ottavia Busia. They divorced in 2016, and Bourdain leaves behind his 11-year-old daughter with Busia, Ariane.
See our full Anthony Bourdain biography »