Anthony Bourdain’s toxicology report showed no traces of narcotics in his system, according to French officials. The beloved chef and television host was found dead on June 8 in Kaysersberg, France; his death was ruled a suicide by hanging.
In the toxicology report, the only thing investigators found was a “trace of a nonnarcotic medicine in a therapeutic dose,” according to what the local prosecutor told the New York Times in a text message.
Bourdain and the chef Eric Ripert had been staying at a hotel in the Alsace region of France while filming an episode of his CNN show Parts Unknown. After missing breakfast, Bourdain was found dead in his hotel room.
The chef was cremated in France, and his mother Gladys Bourdain told the Times there will likely be a small, private ceremony.
Bourdain, who worked in renowned New York kitchens including as executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles, rose to public prominence with a 1999 New Yorker article “Don’t Eat Before Reading This,” which provided a glimpse into the grit of professional kitchens. This essay was expanded in his book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. Bourdain published multiple other books and hosted a series of food-related travel shows, including Parts Unknown, which first aired in 2013.
He and his wife Ottavia Bourdain, who he had an 11-year-old daughter with, separated in 2016. Bourdain had been romantically involved with the Italian actress Asia Argento, and was a strong supporter of the #MeToo movement after she came forward with allegations against Harvey Weinstein.
Following his death, celebrities, fans, politicians and the culinary world mourned his loss.
If you or someone you know might be at risk of suicide, here are ways to help: Call 1-800-273-8255 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Available 24 hours a day and seven days per week, it provides free and confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or distress.
