Celebrity chef Anne Burrell’s death ruled a suicide
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Anne Burrell’s cause of death ruled a suicide
The cause of death was “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine,” police say. The celebrity chef, known for her shock of platinum hair and her energetic presence on culinary competitions and shows for two decades, was found dead June 17 at her home in Brooklyn. She got her start on the network as a sous chef on “Iron Chef America” and went on in 2008 to host her own show, “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef,’ which ran for nine seasons. Most recently, she appeared on the competitive cooking show “House of Knives,�” which debuted in March. The night before she died, according to reports, she had performed at the Second City New York in Brooklyn alongside fellow students of its classes.
Food Network star Anne Burrell’s sudden death last month at age 55 has been ruled a suicide, according to the New York Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Police say the cause of death was “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine,” according to a statement provided to The Washington Post. Amphetamine is a stimulant found in prescription drugs used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and ethanol is a compound in alcohol. Diphenhydramine and cetirizine are antihistamines.
The celebrity chef, known for her shock of platinum hair and her energetic presence on culinary competitions and shows for two decades, was found dead June 17 at her home in Brooklyn. At the time, the New York Police Department reported that a woman was found “unconscious and unresponsive” at an address that matched Ms. Burrell’s.
The police were investigating her death as a possible drug overdose, according to an internal document viewed by the New York Times that said she was “discovered in the shower unconscious and unresponsive surrounded by approximately (100) assorted pills.”
As a mentor to rookie cooks on the show she hosted, “Worst Cooks in America,” Burrell shared her exacting culinary techniques – and her exuberant personality. She got her start on the network as a sous chef on “Iron Chef America” and went on in 2008 to host her own show, “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef,” which ran for nine seasons. Over the decades, she appeared on a slew of shows including “Chef Wanted,” “Chopped” and “Food Network Star.” Most recently, she appeared on the competitive cooking show “House of Knives,” which debuted in March.
According to news reports, Burrell had recently taken up comedy improv. The night before she died, according to reports, she had performed at the Second City New York in Brooklyn alongside fellow students of its classes.
Following her death, her family released a statement calling her “a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend.” “Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal,” it read.
Burrell was born in New York and trained at the Culinary Institute of America and the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners. She worked at New York’s Felidia restaurant, under the famed chef Lidia Bastianich, and got her start as a TV personality as a sous chef to Mario Batali on the “Iron Chef” competition. (Batali was later accused of sexual harassment, and he and his former partner Joe Bastianich agreed in 2021 to pay a total of $600,000 to at least 20 women and men who said they were sexually harassed while they worked at Manhattan restaurants owned by the Batali-Bastianich group.)
In 2021, she married Stuart Claxton, a marketing executive. Other survivors include her mother; a sister; and a stepson.
In her 2013 cookbook, “Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire & Empower,” Burrell wrote that she considered herself a cook at heart more than a TV personality. “It doesn’t matter how many shows I have or how many books I write, cooking is in my soul and if the shows and all the celebrity stuff disappeared tomorrow, I’d go right back into the kitchen and pick up my wooden spoon and start cooking,” she wrote. “It’s just who I am.”
Anne Burrell’s death ruled as suicide
Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America co-host Anne Burrell died by suicide. Burrell, 55, was known for her trademark spiky blonde hair and sparkly personality. She was found dead at her home in New York City on 17 June. Her family said in a statement: “Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal”
The longtime co-host of Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America died by suicide, the New York Office of Chief Medical Examiner confirmed.
The chef died by “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine”.
Burrell, known for her trademark spiky blonde hair and sparkly personality, died at her home in New York City on 17 June. She was 55.
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The New York City Police Department said that Burrell was found “unconscious and unresponsive” and pronounced dead at the scene.
“Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend – her smile lit up every room she entered,” her family said in a statement at the time.
“Anne’s light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world. Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal.”
Burrell began her television career as a sous chef on Iron Chef America, eventually landing her own Emmy-nominated show, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, which ran for nine seasons.
Burrell is survived by her husband, Stuart Claxton, whom she married in October 2021.
Queer celebrity chef Anne Burrell’s death ruled a suicide
Anne Burrell died June 17 at age 55. She was found unresponsive in her home in Brooklyn and was pronounced dead soon afterward. She died due to “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine,” according to the medical examiner. These substances include alcohol and over-the-counter antihistamines. There were about 100 pills scattered around Burrell when first responders found her in the shower.
Burrell died June 17 at age 55. She was found unresponsive in her home in Brooklyn and was pronounced dead soon afterward.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s report, released Thursday, said Burrell died due to “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine,” as quoted by The New York Times and other media outlets. These substances include alcohol and over-the-counter antihistamines.
There were about 100 pills scattered around Burrell when first responders found her in the shower, the Times reports. The combination of alcohol and antihistamines can interfere with heart and lung functions and can be fatal if the dose is high.
The Times sought comment from her family, but they declined through a spokesman. Immediately after her death, they had released a statement saying that her “light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world.”
“Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal,” the statement continued.
She had been performing improv comedy at Second City in Brooklyn the night before her death.
Burrell first came to the public eye as a sous-chef on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America. She later got her own show, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, which ran for nine seasons on the network beginning in 2008.
She also appeared on Chef Wanted, Chopped, and Food Network Star, and hosted Worst Cooks in America. She was a frequent guest on Today, sharing recipes with viewers.
“She remained a constant presence on the [Food Network], accumulating legions of fans for her culinary prowess, platinum swoop of hair and ebullient demeanor,” the Times notes.
The final season of Worst Cooks in America, subtitled Talented and Terrible, will air on the network beginning Monday. Gabe Bertaccini cohosted the season with Burrell.
Burrell is survived by her husband, Stuart Claxton, his son, her mother, and two siblings. Before meeting Claxton, she was in a relationship with a woman, chef Koren Grieveson.
Chef and Food Network star’s cause of death ruled a suicide
Anne Burrell died in her home in Brooklyn, New York, on June 17. The cause of death was “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine and amphetamine” Burrell first appeared on the Food Network in 2005 as a sous chef for celebrity chef Mario Batali.
Chef and Food Network star Anne Burrell’s death has been ruled a suicide, the New York Times reported.
The New York Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said the cause of death was “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine and amphetamine” which is the interaction of alcohol, amphetamine and diphenhydramine and cetirizine, which are over-the-count antihistamines, the Times wrote.
Burrell died in her home in Brooklyn, New York, on June 17, the Food Network wrote in a press release. An internal document reviewed by the Times, revealed that Burrell was “discovered in the shower unconscious and unresponsive surrounded by approximately (100) assorted pills.”
Born and raised in New York, Burrell first appeared on the Food Network in 2005 as a sous chef for celebrity chef Mario Batali on “Iron Chef America.” Later on, she became a host on the channel, helming “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef” and “Worst Cooks in America.”
“Anne was a remarkable person and culinary talent — teaching, competing and always sharing the importance of food in her life and the joy that a delicious meal can bring,” the Food Network wrote in an Instagram post.
Burrell is survived by her husband, mother and sister, as well as many other cherished relatives and friends. Many Food Network fans have already taken to social media to express sorrow at her death.
Anne Burrell’s Death Has Been Ruled a Suicide
The cause of death was listed as “acute intoxication.” She is survived by her husband, her mother, her sister, and her brother. She appeared on numerous TV shows, including Worst Cooks in America and House of Knives. She also served on the advisory board of the Garden of Dreams Foundation and the City Harvest Food Council.
“Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered,” her family said in a statement, according to People. “Anne’s light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world. Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal.”
Burrell first appeared onscreen in 2005 as Mark Ladner’s sous-chef on Iron Chef America. She quickly went on to join numerous Food Network shows, including Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Chef Wanted, Chopped, Food Network Star, and the newly released competition series House of Knives. She was also involved in her community. Burrell served on the advisory board of the Garden of Dreams Foundation, was a celebrity ambassador for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and was a member of City Harvest’s Food Council.
Burrell is survived by her husband, Stuart Claxton; her stepson, Javier; her mother, Marlene; her sister, Jane; her children, Isabella, Amelia, and Nicolas; and her brother, Ben.
This post has been updated.