Anthony Bourdain, celebrity chef, dead in apparent suicide at 61

Famed American chef and author Anthony Bourdain is dead after taking his own life. He was 61.

CNN confirmed Bourdain’s death Friday morning.

“It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain,” the network said in a statement.

“His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller.”

“His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time.”

CNN said Bourdain was in France working on a story for his award-winning series Parts Unknown when he was found “unresponsive” in a hotel room Friday morning by his close friend and French chef Eric Ripert.

Bourdain’s death comes the same week that another American figure had taken their own life. Kate Spade was found dead in her New York apartment on Tuesday, June 5. She was 55.

Bourdain was a host on the Food Network and the Travel Channel before joining CNN in 2013.

CNN’s Brian Stelter described the storyteller as a “beloved member of the CNN family.”

“He loved travelling the globe, talking with people about life and love and death,” Stelter said. “His show was technically about cooking, about culture but really it was about the human condition. It was about exploring what makes us all tick.”