Anthony Bourdain Dead at 61

Tragic news to share this morning: Anthony Bourdain, the author of Kitchen Confidential and star of numerous TV shows, has died. He was 61. CNN, the network that produced his award-winning travel show Parts Unknown, shares the sad news this morning, noting that the cause of death was suicide. Bourdain was in France shooting a forthcoming episode of Parts Unknown with chef Eric Ripert, who found him unresponsive in his hotel room this morning.

CNN released a statement about his passing:

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.

After rocketing to stardom with the release of his restaurant industry memoir Kitchen Confidential in 2000, Bourdain remained one of the strongest voices in food media. He’s filmed hundreds of hours of television, published numerous acclaimed books about kitchen life, and generally changed the tone and purview of food media in a major way.

Stay tuned for more updates on the passing of Anthony Bourdain and remembrances from the people who knew him.

• CNN’s Anthony Bourdain dead at 61 [CNN]
• All Anthony Bourdain Coverage [E]

If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741. For international resources, here is a good place to begin.