CNN Star’s Last Text Before Taking His Own Life
Ads to help pay the bills.THE TEST…
Anthony Bourdain, the renowned celebrity chef, sent a chilling final text to his assistant Laurie Woolever the day before his suicide on June 8, 2018, at age 61. As detailed in Woolever’s memoir Care and Feeding, published in 2025, Bourdain responded to her message, “I hope you’re doing OK,” with, “I’ll live, and we’ll survive.” This exchange occurred while he was filming Parts Unknown in Kaysersberg, France, at Le Chambard hotel, where he was found hanged by his friend chef Eric Ripert. Woolever interpreted “we” as referring to Bourdain and his partner Asia Argento, amid rumors of strain following Argento’s photographed encounter with a French journalist.
Bourdain’s final communication came after he asked Woolever to schedule appointments for his return to New York—including a lunch, haircut, doctor visit, and jiu-jitsu session—suggesting he had plans beyond that fateful day. However, at 4:25 a.m. the next morning, Woolever received a call from Bourdain’s agent confirming his death, shattering her perception that his frequent, flippant mentions of suicide were not serious. The text “I’ll live, and we’ll survive” stands out as hauntingly ironic, given that he took his life hours later, leaving behind a legacy as an influential chef and storyteller who rose to fame with Kitchen Confidential and his TV shows.
NOTE: Be sure to sign up for my FREE newsletter, the 47 Report, to receive up-to-date information about the Trump administration you won’t find anywhere else until it’s old news.
Bourdain’s death stunned the culinary and entertainment worlds, with Woolever’s memoir shedding light on their complex relationship and his emotional state. The article notes that Argento, who dated Bourdain from 2016 to 2018, later addressed accusations of causing his suicide, stating in a 2018 DailyMailTV interview, “People say I murdered him… He cheated on me too. It wasn’t a problem for us.” Bourdain, a recovering heroin addict who honed his craft in New York kitchens like Brasserie Les Halles, left behind an 11-year-old daughter, Ariane, from his second marriage to Ottavia Busia. His final text encapsulates a fleeting hope that tragically did not hold, marking the end of a vibrant yet troubled life..