HIS SUDDEN DEATH. KATE SNOW IS HERE WITH THE
LATEST.
LATEST. HEY, KATE.
HEY, KATE. >> GOOD MORNING, GUYS.
THE CELEBRITY CHEF, AUTHOR,
WORLD TRAVELER, INSPIRED
MILLIONS WITH HIS LOVE OF FOOD
AND CULTURE.
NOW, HIS MOTHER IS SPEAKING OUT,
TELLING NBC NEWS THAT HER
YOUNGER SON, CHRISTOPHER, BROKE
THE TRAGIC NEWS TO HER.
AND LIKE MILLIONS OF FANS ALL
OVER THE WORLD, HIS MOTHER IS
DEVASTATED.
AND WERE LEARNING MORE ABOUT
BOURDAINS FINAL MOMENTS.
>> WHATS UP, ANTHONY? >> Reporter: THIS MORNING,
ANTHONY BOURDAINS MOTHER IS
OPENING UP.
OPENING UP.
>> THIS WAS THE GREATEST SHOW. >> Reporter: JUST DAYS AFTER HER
SONS TRAGIC DEATH.
IN A PHONE INTERVIEW WITH
"TODAY," GLADYS BOURDAIN SAID SHE HEARD FROM HER SON ONSAID
SHE HEARD FROM HER SON ON MOTHERS DAY, TELLING US, THERE
WAS NEVER ANY SIGN THAT
SOMETHING WAS WRONG.
HEARTBROKEN BY HIS DEATH BY
SUICIDE, SHE DESCRIBED HIM AS FEISTY AND TALENTED.ED HIM AS
FEISTY AND TALENTED. ADDING, HE SHOULD BE REMEMBERED
AS A LOVER OF PEOPLE OF ALL
KINDS.
KINDS.
FRENCH POLICE TELL NBC NEWS, BOURDAIN WAS FOUND UNRESPONSIVE
AT HIS ROOM AT THE CHAMBARD
HOTEL.
HOTEL.
THE STAR WAS IN FRANCE SHOOTING AN EPISODE OF HIS SERIES, "PARTS
UNKNOWN."
UNKNOWN."
JUST DAYS BEFORE HIS DEATH, BOURDAIN WAS ACTIVE ON SOCIAL
MEDIA.
MEDIA. POSTING VIDEOS AND INSTAGRAMING
HIS MEALS IN THE FRENCH
COUNTRYSIDE. "THE NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTS
BOURDAIN SKIPPED DINNER THURSDAY
NIGHT AND DIDNT SHOW UP FOR BREAKFAST THE NEXT MORNING.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE.
HIS FRIEND WAS WAITING AT
BREAKFAST AND WAITING AND
WAITING.
WAITING.
HIS CLOSE FRIEND, ERIC REPIRE
FOUND HIM IN HIS HOTEL ROOM. HE CALLED HIM INSPIRING AND.
HE CALLED HIM INSPIRING AND GENEROUS, ONE OF THE GREAT
STORYTELLERS OF OUR TIME, WHO
CONNECTED SO MANY.
ANOTHER CLOSE FRIEND, JACQUES
PAPIN, SAID BOURDAINS INFLUENCE
WAS ENORMOUS.
WAS ENORMOUS. >> TONY, TO YOU, I WILL NEVER
FORGET YOU.
FORGET YOU.
>> Reporter: FOR COLLEAGUES AT
CNN, BALTIMOREOURDAINS DEATH IS DEVASTATING.REOURDAINS DEATH IS
DEVASTATING.
>> I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS.
I LOOKED AT HIM AS SOMEBODY WHO
GAVE ME HOPE FOR WHAT ONES LIFE COULD BECOME.FOR WHAT ONES LIFE
COULD BECOME.
>> Reporter: BOURDAIN HAD TALKED OPENLY ABOUT HIS STRUGGLES WITHD
OPENLY ABOUT HIS STRUGGLES WITH DRUGS AND DEPRESSION.
>> THERE WAS SOME DARK GENIE
INSIDE ME THAT I HESITATE TO
CALL A DISEASE, THAT LED ME TO
DOPE.
DOPE.
>> Reporter: HIS FORMER
RESTAURANT IN NEW YORK IS NOW A MAKESHIFT MEMORIAL, AS TRIBUTES
POUR IN FOR THE SUPERSTAR CHEF,
AND INTREPID TRAVELER WHO
BROUGHT EXOTIC CULTURES AND HIS PERSONALITY INTO OUR HOMES. HIS
MOTHER SAID WHO HE WAS ON TV
REFLECTED WHO HE WAS IN REAL
LIFE.
LIFE.
HE DIDNT DISGUISE ANYTHING, HE
WAS WHO HE WAS AND IT WAS OUT
THERE FOR EVERYONE TO SEE.
>> I THINK SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN TOUCHED BY THIS BECAUSE I
THINK WE ALL FELT LIKE WE KNEW HIM.K WE ALL FELT LIKE WE KNEW
HIM.
AND HE WAS OUR FRIEND. AND PROBABLY A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
THINKING, GOSH, I SHOULD BE
LOOKING AROUND.
LOOKING AROUND.
ARE THERE OTHER PEOPLE
STRUGGLING?
PEOPLE THAT ARENT FAMOUS. >> Reporter: EXACTLY.OUS.
>> Reporter: EXACTLY. THATS THE CONCERN FOR MENTAL
HEALTH SPECIALISTS RIGHT NOW.
WHEN THERES HIGH-PROFILE PEOPLE
THAT TAKE THEIR LIVES, THERES
SOMETIMES AN UPTICK IN THE
SUICIDE RATE.
SUICIDE RATE. IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW, IS
HAVING STRUGGLES, THERES A
NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION
LIFELINE.
LIFELINE. ITS 1-800-273-TALK.
ITS 1-800-273-TALK. >> SUICIDE HAS TOUCHED SO MANY
DIFFERENT FAMILIES THAT YOUD
NEVER KNOW.
NEVER KNOW.
WE DIDNT KNOW UNTIL A COUPLE OF
MINUTES AGO, WHAT HAPPENED IN YOUR FAMILY, TOO. HAPPENED IN
YOUR FAMILY, TOO. >> I LOST MY FATHER-IN-LAW TO
SUICIDE.
SUICIDE.
ITS BEEN YEARS AND IT DOESNT GO AWAY. YEARS AND IT DOESNT
GO AWAY. OFTEN PEOPLE MIGHT THINK THAT
ITS GOING TO BE LESS OF A
BURDEN ON THEIR FAMILY IF THEY
GO AWAY.
GO AWAY.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT IS SO NOT TRUE.ANT TO SAY THAT IS
SO NOT TRUE. WE MISS HIM EVERY DAY.
THERES A HOLE IN OUR HEARTS.
YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW?
JUST TALK TO YOUR FRIENDS. TALK TO YOUR FRIENDS AND TELL
THEM YOU CARE ABOUT THEM.