Anthony Bourdain Was Working On Detroit Documentary Before Death

DETROIT, MI — News swept across America Friday morning of the second celebrity suicide this week. The outspoken and adventurous Chef and CNN Host Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his hotel room France at the age of 61, the network announced.

Known for his show “Parts Unknown” where he took viewers into exotic kitchens across the world, Bourdain had a special affinity for Detroit. In fact, one of his last projects was a documentary about the city.

He visited the city back in 2013 for the final episode of the second season of “Parts Unknown,” in which he enjoyed his first coney dog at Duly's and raved about a DIY neighborhood barbecue joint.

He later felt inspired to pen a love letter to the city of Detroit and its people.

"I love Detroit. I love Detroiters," he wrote. "You’ve got to have a sense of humor to live in a city so relentlessly f-----. You’ve got to be tough — and occasionally even devious. And Detroiters are funny, tough — and supreme improvisers. They are also among the best and most fun drinkers in the country."

Last year Bourdain was announced as the producer for a CNN documentary series called “Detroit 1963: Once in a Great City.” It was to be based on David Maraniss' book Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story.

The project was slated for release this year. It's currently unclear what the status of the project will be following Bourdain's sudden death.

In an interview with the Detroit Free Press in 2016, he called the city "beautiful" and "magnificent" and raved about Motor City.

"The boundless hope and dreams and optimism of its builders is reflected in the architecture," he told Mark Kurlyandchik during the interview. "I feel anger seeing the extent to which it has been allowed to crumble. I feel hopeful. And I feel a tremendous appreciation that people have stuck it out and are proud of their city. They're loyal to it. It's truly a great city and the font of so many important American economic and cultural improvisations and movements. That it could have been allowed to come close to failing is a national disgrace."

CNN announced the chef's death in a tweet that described Bourdain, whose show took him and his viewers into exotic kitchens across the world, as a man who loved "great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world."

Bourdain's death comes just three days after the apparent suicide of Kate Spade, the iconic fashion designer who police said hanged herself in her Upper East Side apartment Tuesday.

RELATED: As Celebrity Suicides Gain Attention, Michigan Rates Skyrocket

Anyone struggling with mental health can get help by calling National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Image via Shutterstock

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