A New Anthony Bourdain Biography Reveals His Final, Heartbreaking Texts
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More than four years have passed since the death of Anthony Bourdain, who died by suicide in June 2018 while on location in France filming his CNN series, Parts Unknown. Since then, questions about his death have fueled explorations of the late chef's life and work, from the documentary film, Roadrunner, to Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography, both released last year.
On October 11, we'll see the release of what's reportedly the first unauthorized biography of Bourdain: Charles Leerhsen's Down and Out in Paradise: The Life of Anthony Bourdain, published by Simon & Schuster. On Tuesday, The New York Times published a preview of the book, which details Leerhsen's reporting of the biography, many of the sources who spoke to the author for the book (and some who refused), and texts Bourdain sent in his final days. According to the Times, Bourdain's family is already unhappy with the book, with his brother, Christopher, emailing the publisher in August, "calling the book hurtful and defamatory fiction, and demanding that it not be released until Mr. Leerhsen’s many errors were corrected."
Felice Javit, vice president and senior counsel for the publisher, reportedly responded, “With all due respect, we disagree that the material in the Book contains defamatory information, and we stand by our forthcoming publication.” Leerhsen conducted more than 80 interviews, while also obtaining various files, texts, and emails from Bourdain's computer and phone in his research for the book.
Even through the glimpse The New York Times offers about the biography, we learn much more about what Bourdain was going through in the final years of his life. "I hate my fans, too. I hate being famous. I hate my job," Bourdain reportedly wrote to his ex-wife, Ottavia Busia-Bourdain, whom he stayed close with even after they separated. “I am lonely and living in constant uncertainty.”
The report also details correspondence between Bourdain and his then-girlfriend, actress Asia Argento, in 2018. Five days before Bourdain died, Argento was photographed dancing with another man in Rome. "I am okay,” Bourdain wrote to Argento, as detailed in Down and Out in Paradise. "I am not spiteful. I am not jealous that you have been with another man. I do not own you. You are free. As I said. As I promised. As I truly meant. But you were careless. You were reckless with my heart. My life."
Down and Out in Paradise publishes the final communication between Argento and Bourdain, which happened the day Bourdain hanged himself. Bourdain asked Argento, "Is there anything I can do?" She replied, "Stop busting my balls." Bourdain, responded with a simple, "OK."
Read the full report from The New York Times for everything else Bourdain's family and friends have said about the biography.
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