Anthony Bourdain told ex-wife he 'hated his fans' as he grappled with booze, drugs and prostitutes: Book
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: Anthony Bourdain died by suicide in 2018 and that raised a lot of questions for his friends and family. Four years later, reporter Charles Leerhsen has penned down a book that revolves around the late food writer's last days. It includes several text chains and his search history. Leerhsen claims that Bourdain, in his last days, was "injecting steroids, drinking to the point of blackout and visiting prostitutes, and had all but vanished from his 11-year-old daughter’s life." He also texted his ex-wife in the months leading up to his suicide that he hates everything - his fans, job, and more.
'Down and Out in Paradise: The Life of Anthony Bourdain', published in Tuesday’s edition of the New York Times, reflects on the celebrity chef's tragic death and the instances that led to that very moment. In one such incident, the 'Parts Unknown' actor texted his ex-wife Ottavia Busia-Bourdain expressing his hatred towards his work. He said, "I hate my fans, too. I hate being famous. I hate my job. I am lonely and living in constant uncertainty." The book talks about a teenager, Bourdain, in New Jersey who became successful as a chef and writer and includes information from over 80 interviews. However, some of the information included in the book, such as a statement saying "I hate my fans" which is explosive, is being contested by Bourdain's family. Leerhsen, a known biographer, also talks about the rocky relationship between Bourdain and his ex Asia Argento.
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Talking about the same, Leehren reveals a text chain between Bourdain and Argento where the celebrity chef confronts her for the leaked snaps of her with journalist Hugo Clement. This confrontation was hours before his death when Argento told him to back off and said, "Stop busting my b***s," to which he simply replied, "Ok." The book has questioned his image in the media and Bourdain's family, along with Argento, have slammed its credibility, holding Leerhsen responsible for the inaccuracies. Bourdain's brother, Christopher, told the Times, "Every single thing he writes about relationships and interactions within our family as kids and as adults, he fabricated or got totally wrong."
Apart from his dislike towards his work and allegedly his fans too, the book claims that Bourdain was hopelessly in love with Argento for two years whereas she "became so controlling that she scrutinized the social media accounts of Mr. Bourdain and his wife, blowing up when she saw images of him with his family." Leerhsen told the Times that according to him, Bourdain had realized what he had become in the last few days and hours of his life. He said, "I think at the very end, in the last days and hours, he realized what he had become. I don’t respect him killing himself, but he did realize and he did ultimately know he didn’t want to be that person he had become."