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No drugs or alcohol in Anthony Bourdain’s body

Chefs, celebrities and world leaders expressed their grief at the news of Anthony Bourdain taking his own life.

Chefs, celebrities and world leaders expressed their grief at the news of Anthony Bourdain taking his own life. Photo: Getty

A French prosecutor has released details surrounding the death of US celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, 61, who was found dead in a Strasbourg hotel room earlier this month.

Prosecutor Christian de Rocquigny confirmed on Friday that there were no toxic substances or narcotics in Bourdain’s system when he died.

“No trace of narcotics, no trace of any toxic products, no trace of medicines, no trace of alcohol,” Mr de Rocquingy told Reuters.

While the toxicology report did show therapeutic traces of an unnamed, non-narcotic medication, the ruling remained that his cause of death was self-inflicted.

Bourdain, host of CNN’s food-and-travel-focused Parts Unknown television series, was found unresponsive in his hotel room on June 8 while shooting for one of his TV shows.

CNN had confirmed Bourdain’s death and said the cause of death was suicide.

“It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain,” the network said in a statement on June 8.

“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.”

Meanwhile, Bourdain’s mother has revealed plans to get a tattoo in his memory – despite never having liked her son’s considerable ink.

Gladys Bourdain told The New York Times that she would visit her son’s tattoo artist next week to get “Tony” inked on her inner wrist.

Ms Bourdain, who used to work as an editor at the Times said her son had been cremated in France and his ashes and belongings had been sent to his younger brother, Christopher.

A private family ceremony will probably follow soon, she said, adding: “He would want as little fuss as possible.”

Findings may come as surprise

Brash and opinionated, Bourdain had spoken openly about his use of drugs and addiction to heroin earlier in his life.

Bourdain, whose career catapulted him from washing dishes at New York restaurants to dining in Vietnam with former US president Barack Obama, was once called “the original rock star” of the culinary world, “the Elvis of bad boy chefs”.

His 1999 New Yorker article, Don’t Eat Before Reading This, became his best-selling book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly which catapulted him on to the global stage.

He then hosted television programs including A Cook’s Tour and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations which won two Emmy Awards.

Bourdain, who is survived by daughter Ariane Bourdain, 11, said at the time of her arrival with second wife Ottavia Busia: “I began making some major changes in my life. I was no longer the star of my own movie. From that point on, it was all about the girl.”

In recent times, Bourdain became a leading male voice of support in the #MeToo movement. His girlfriend, Italian actress Asia Argento, was one of the main accusers against Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein.

At the time of the release of the toxicology results in France, Ms Argento posted on Twitter: “Two weeks without you.”

https://twitter.com/AsiaArgento/status/1010209681187442696

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