The shock left by the suicide of Anthony Bourdain on Friday still hasn’t worn off for many, leading to fans and friends sharing their thoughts on social media and his CNN co-workers paying tribute on TV. Anderson Cooper led the charge for the network, devoting his entire show to Bourdain and sharing his thoughts on the suicide, the legacy Bourdain leaves behind, and the effect his loss must be having on people:
“Honestly, talking about him in the past tense it’s, it’s really — yeah, it’s really hard to — hard to imagine…
“But certainly, you know, the pain he must have been feeling, at least in that moment or in those moments, and the loneliness he must be feeling it’s just terribly sad to think about. And makes me very sad for him to have — to have a succumbed to that.
Cooper also shared a montage of clips of his different moments with Bourdain, including the many times the Parts Unknown host tried to get Cooper to try some new foods — like this time with Korean food.
He wasn’t the only CNN personality to show some emotion in the wake of Bourdain’s death. Kate Bolduan also fought back tears while discussing her interactions with Bourdain while reporting following the news of the suicide on Friday:
“Every time I was fortunate enough to have him on set… I’d always shout at him as he was walking out, ‘In the next life, I’m coming back as Anthony Bourdain…
“I wonder, is that why it’s so hard to process this today?”
One thing that’s clear after Friday is how much Bourdain managed to touch lives at all levels. Folks who had a personal connection to the former cook spoke highly of him, while others dug in to share how his career and spirit inspired them to travel or try new things. Like Bolduan says, it is still hard to process.
