Anthony Bourdain Did Not Take Drugs Before He Died
Bourdain Image by Getty Images
(JTA) — Anthony Bourdain, a celebrity chef and writer who hosted popular food and travel shows on CNN, did not have narcotics in his body when he died.
Bourdain’s death earlier this month at age 61 was ruled a suicide by hanging by French police, after his body was found in a hotel bathroom in Kaysersberg, a small French village, where he was working on an upcoming episode of his CNN series “Parts Unknown.”
The New York Times reported over the weekend that no drugs were found in his body except a regular dose of a nonnarcotic medicine.
Bourdain had been upfront about his use of cocaine, heroin and other drugs, and had filmed a 2014 episode of “Parts Unknown” that explored the nation’s opioid epidemic, where he talked about his own drug use.
In 2013, Bourdain traveled to Israel for an episode of “Parts Unknown,” where he explored the culinary traditions of Jews and Arabs and reflected on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the show he said his father was Catholic and his mother was Jewish, but that he was raised without religion.
If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
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