The news broke early this morning that celebrity chef, TV star, and travel host Anthony Bourdain had committed suicide while working on his latest TV show in France. He was 61 years old, and leaves behind a girlfriend, multitudes of fans, and an 11 year old daughter.


Following so closely on the news of designer Kate Spade’s suicide is only increasing the shock. The fact that both are leaving behind young daughters makes it so much worse.

Happy Father's Day @anthonybourdain! #bestdad

A post shared by ottavia busia-bourdain (@ottaviabourdain) on Jun 16, 2013 at 4:07pm PDT

His girlfriend, Asia Argento, has made a statement via Twitter.

pic.twitter.com/dB1s994Znf

— Asia Argento (@AsiaArgento) June 8, 2018

Anthony was devoted not only to @AsiaArgento but to the justice she and other Weinstein survivors were denied for so long. His righteous anger and his “small, random acts of kindness and sincerity” is what I will remember most about him. https://t.co/3XrQHJGklv

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) June 8, 2018

His celebrity colleagues are grieving.

Heartbroken to hear about Tony Bourdain’s death. Unbearable for his family and girlfriend. Am going off twitter for a while

— Nigella Lawson (@Nigella_Lawson) June 8, 2018

A piece of my heart is truly broken this morning. And the irony, the sad cruel irony is that the last year he’d never been happier. The rest of my heart aches for the 3 amazing women he left behind.
Tony was a symphony. I wish everyone could have seen all of him. A true friend.

— Andrew Zimmern (@andrewzimmern) June 8, 2018

I…don’t…believe it. I don’t and I won’t.

— Alton Brown (@altonbrown) June 8, 2018

RIP Tony Bourdain …Wtf …in complete shock … loss for words

— michael symon (@chefsymon) June 8, 2018

Shattered… https://t.co/dYcnGw7XCp

— Tyler Florence (@TylerFlorence) June 8, 2018

RIP doubtful. Tony’s restless spirit will roam the earth in search of justice, truth and a great bowl of noodles. @Bourdain

— Tom Colicchio (@tomcolicchio) June 8, 2018

Some of them urged people to seek help.

Stunned and saddened by the loss of Anthony Bourdain. He brought the world into our homes and inspired so many people to explore cultures and cities through their food. Remember that help is a phone call away US:1-800-273-TALK UK: 116 123

— Gordon Ramsay (@GordonRamsay) June 8, 2018

I am gutted and saddened upon hearing the news of @Bourdain, a beloved presence in the culinary community. You will be missed. pic.twitter.com/GIAijn3jIL

— Carla Hall (@carlahall) June 8, 2018

Gutted to hear we’ve lost @Bourdain. If you are ever feeling alone, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1 (800) 273-8255.

— Buddy Valastro (@CakeBossBuddy) June 8, 2018

The media companies that he worked with are also paying tribute to him.

pic.twitter.com/5OVneIssUP

— Travel Channel (@travelchannel) June 8, 2018

If you or someone you know needs help, please consider contacting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text 741-741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor right away.

— Travel Channel (@travelchannel) June 8, 2018

Anthony Bourdain, the chef and gifted storyteller who took TV viewers around the world to explore culture, cuisine and the human condition for nearly two decades, has died. He was 61. https://t.co/eqFL2anGf4 pic.twitter.com/vUvIZ0QIVg

— CNN (@CNN) June 8, 2018

We’re heartbroken. If you or someone you know needs help, please consider contacting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text 741-741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor right away. https://t.co/o2qtQjp8ne

— Food Network (@FoodNetwork) June 8, 2018

And this rings absolutely true right now.

Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain both led what millions of people would consider dream lives. Their suicides are a stark testament to the horrible power of depression. Let's hope this become a clarion call for people to seek help.

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) June 8, 2018

Depression needs to be recognized for what it is – a mental illness that needs appropriate treatment by certified professionals. Being “sad” is not the same as being clinically depressed. If you don’t know the difference, ask for help from a professional.

As Ben Shapiro notes, the media needs to examine how it covers suicide.

In an age of mass media, the so-called Werther Effect becomes more prominent. One of the most durable findings in social science is the temporary uptick in suicide rate that often follows heavy media coverage of suicide. People who are vulnerable to suicidal thoughts are far more likely to commit suicide in the wake of such coverage. The Werther Effect is named after The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe; that book supposedly caused suicides all over the continent when it came out thanks to its rather romantic depiction of a lovelorn young man shooting himself. But the Werther Effect has been confirmed in the aftermath of Marilyn Monroe’s suicide, for example; the months after her death, there were 303 excess suicides (higher than average) in the United States. As The Atlantic reported, when Netflix released the suicide-glorying 13 Reasons Why, “Google queries about suicide rose by almost 20 percent in 19 days after the show came out, representing between 900,000 and 1.5 million more searches than usual regarding the subject… Seventeen out of the top 20 searches were significantly elevated, and the biggest increases came with terms related to suicidal thoughts and ideation, like ‘how to kill yourself.’” Many European countries have laws regarding reporting on suicide; after implementing such laws, suicide rates declined. That doesn’t mean we should attempt such First Amendment violations in the United States. It does mean that we in the media should seriously consider our reportage.

After Kate Spade’s death, writer Bethany Mandel wrote about her own father’s suicide and its impact on her.

In the wake of high-profile suicides like Spade’s, there is a great deal of discussion about the person who committed the deed and far too little about the survivors, who are especially in need of support and guidance.

Suicide is one of the top causes of death in the country across demographics, and one of the least funded or researched. As a result, we have little understanding about what leads those like Kate Spade, or my father, to commit the act. We don’t talk about the act, nor do we talk about the impact it has on those around the deceased.

We often hear from those who have attempted suicide but survived that they believed the world would be better off without them. While sharing suicide-prevention hotline numbers can help a great deal, sharing the perspectives and grief of those left behind can as well. Because those still in this world but contemplating an exit must know that their feelings of self-worthlessness are not shared by those who love them.

If someone is contemplating suicide, they should know the utter devastation that will be left in their wake. While those who have died may have thought the world a better place without them, we survivors are living witness to the fact that it is not, that our worlds will not ever be whole without them in it.

Mandel tweeted more today after the Bourdain news broke.

My father got in a rut and felt like he couldn't climb out of it. He felt like suicide was his only way out; he was paralyzed by anxiety and depression, and he couldn't snap out of it. (The drugs he was doing weren't doing him any favors, either)

— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) June 8, 2018

This week I can't help but think of what he missed, more than usual. He missed meeting the man who made me happier than I ever thought possible, he missed meeting some beautiful, funny, kind, silly grandkids.

— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) June 8, 2018

When you end things you're not just ending the pain of today, but also denying yourself and your loved ones the possibility of a better tomorrow. My dad had better tomorrows on the horizon. I wish he had been able to stick around for them.

— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) June 8, 2018

I've heard from a lot of folks over the last day who have strugged with suicidal thoughts and depression. Stories like Spade and Bourdain are triggering not just for my grief, but also their ideation.

— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) June 8, 2018

If Bourdain had everything and he still chose to do this, why am I sticking around?

But I'd like to be a little angel on a shoulder of someone out there who may be thinking this. There are better days coming. Stick around for them. For your sake, for your friends & family.

— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) June 8, 2018

I've never been clinically depressed, but Lordy, I've been situationally depressed and suicidal. I buried two parents and two grandparents in my teens. Sadness is a thing I am intimitely familiar with.

— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) June 8, 2018

But better days came forth. They came out of that darkness. That darkness helped me appreciate the light. And God has blessed me with a lot of light. I'm glad I stuck around for it and convinced myself I deserved to be happy. That I could be happy.

— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) June 8, 2018

There are better days ahead.

There is someone willing to listen, if you are ready to talk.

Be the someone that people can talk to.

Remember that this week, there are two young girls who have lost a beloved parent. Pray for them.