Why Anthony Bourdain’s Friends Were Concerned About His Relationship with Asia Argento

Beloved chef Anthony Bourdain's suicide remains a mystery, but what about his relationship with Asia Argento?

A friend of Bourdain told People magazine that the 61-year-old “was madly in love with Asia.” The insider claimed Bourdain was “lovestruck,” adding, “He would have done anything for her, and that was a little red flag for some of his friends.”

The source added, “That being said, none in our circle of friends knew he was struggling in any life-or-death way. Honestly, I don't think anyone knew. I don't think Eric [Ripert] knew the depths of his pain. The shock of Tony's death is almost as profound as the pain.”

“Even his closest friends are still waiting for some mystery to be uncovered,” the friend emphasized. “We knew his nerves were shattered a little; his marriage had fallen apart, he was way, way overworked and overdriven, but unstable… no one had a clue.”

Asia's good friend Rose McGowan has come to her defense in an open letter, claiming that Asia and Anthony had a “free relationship” and “loved without borders of traditional relationships.” She added, “Anthony was open with his demons, he even wrote a book about them. In the beginning of their relationship, Anthony told a mutual friend, 'He's never met anyone who wanted to die more than him.' And through a lot of this last year, Asia did want the pain to stop. But here's the thing, over their time together, thankfully, she did the work to get help, so she could stay alive and live another day for her and her children. Anthony's depression didn't let him, he put down his armor, and that was very much his choice. His decision, not hers. His depression won.”

“Anthony's internal war was his war, but now she's been left on the battlefield to take the bullets,” Rose explained. “It is in no way fair or acceptable to blame her or anyone else, not even Anthony. We are asking you to be better, to look deeper, to read and learn about mental illness, suicide and depression before you make it worse for survivors by judging that which we do not understand, that which can never fully be understood. Sometimes we are stuck in the unknowable, and that is where we are now, a massive wave of darkness that threatens to swallow everyone in its wake.”

Days before his death, Asia was photographed spending time in Rome with a French reporter. She was reportedly spotted holding hands and hugging the reporter, but the photos have been pulled in the wake of Bourdain's death. One of the photographers recently expressed regret, telling La Verità. “A picture is not worth a life. If that shot triggered suicide... this would make me suffer.”