American chef Anthony Bourdain hanged himself in a French hotel room, CNN said on Friday (June 8), in the second high-profile suicide of a US celebrity this week.
CNN confirmed his death Friday, saying his close friend found him unresponsive in his hotel room in France, where he was filming an upcoming episode of his award-winning series Parts Unknown.
Through the show, he took viewers into far corners of the world to explore the local food and culture. In 2013, it recieved a Peabody award.
But it was his best-selling memoir, Kitchen Confidential, released 18 years ago, that first made him a household name.
Bourdain's death comes after fashion designer Kate Spade hanged herself Tuesday (June 5) in her Manhattan apartment.
According to the latest CDC data, nearly 45,000 people committed suicide in 2016, making it one of the leading causes of death on the rise in the US.
The CDC added that although mental health is often blamed for suicides, more than half of the people who took their own lives in 27 states in 2015 had not been diagnosed with a mental illness.
CNN released a statement saying, "It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, AnthonyBourdain. 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."
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