The culinary world was shook to its core when it was announced on June 8th, 2018 that celebrity
chef Anthony Bourdain had passed away at age 61 of an apparent suicide.
As we mourn for the loss of America's favorite bad boy chef, here are some parts of his story
you may not know.
When the contents of Bourdain's will were made public, it came with a surprise.
Even though estimates put his net worth at somewhere around $16 million, his will totaled
only $1.2 million.
The difference may just come down to sensible inheritance planning, with Variety reporting
that Bourdain had also placed assets in a trust, which doesn't have to be disclosed
publicly.
However, the chef himself once told Wealthsimple,
"Reports of my net worth are about ten times overstated.
I think the people who calculate these things assume that I live a lot more sensibly than
I do."
When Vanity Fair interviewed some of the fixers that accompanied Bourdain on all of his trips,
they said he was only able to open a savings account when he was 44 years old, and that
his whole team often stayed in very undesirable hotels.
When Vanity Fair interviewed Bourdain's fixers, they agreed that as he got more and more popular
and started to be recognized, something was changing.
By the time he moved to CNN, those who worked with him could see that the increasing fame
and the rush to get the camera shots needed for the show, instead of spending time getting
to know the people behind the food, were making him miserable.
One fixer said he no longer went out at night with the crew, that he opted for room service
alone, and that the final bright light was the Hong Kong episode directed by his girlfriend
Asia Argento.
There, they say, he was happy.
After Bourdain's passing, news outlets and social media weren't just mourning the loss
of one of television's most down-to-earth stars, they were also pointing fingers and
trying to get to the bottom of why he chose to take his life.
According to CBS News, one of those targeted as the answer to that question was Argento.
Just days before Bourdain's death, photos were taken of Argento with another man, and
conclusions were drawn.
When she spoke out against the accusations, though, she didn't deny she had been cheating,
but just expressed that outside observers can never truly know what goes on between
two people.
"He had cheated on me, too.
It wasn't a problem with us."
Argento seemed to be saying the two had an understanding, adding that he traveled "265
days a year."
"When we saw each other we took really great pleasure in each other's presence.
But we are not children."
In 2018, the media started reporting on a strange saga unfolding around Argento.
Argento, who was a massive advocate for the #MeToo movement, had reportedly agreed to
pay actor and former co-star Jimmy Bennett $380,000 not to press charges for assaulting
him as a minor.
According to The Cut, Argento claimed she hadn't been the one to buy his silence, it
was Bourdain.
The whole thing is incredibly complicated, and centers around an incident that allegedly
happened in 2013, when Bennett was 17 years old.
Exactly what happened isn't clear, but what doesn't seem to be up for debate is that Bourdain
had already paid Bennett $250,000.
Everyone who saw Bourdain on television or heard him speak formed a very clear picture
of him, he was a well-spoken man who was able to find those things that would allow him
to connect with anyone, anywhere.
But several months after his death, GQ talked to some of the people who had known him best,
and they painted a very different picture of who he actually was.
Chris Collins, the TV producer that worked with Bourdain to develop No Reservations and
Parts Unknown, said that his on-screen persona was nothing like the real person.
Their first outing, to Japan, was apparently a nightmare, and Bourdain was extremely shy.
As Collins described,
"[Bourdain] did not engage with us.
He would not acknowledge our presence."
Apparently, that only changed in Vietnam, where he found a, quote, "instant cultural
touchstone" that brought him out of his shell.
"So, back in Vietnam.
One of my favorite places on Earth and all of the things I need for happiness."
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).