A French prosecutor confirmed Saturday the cause of death of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain was suicide and said there is no evidence of foul play.
"There is no element that makes us suspect that someone came into the room at any moment," Christian de Rocquigny, the prosecutor of Colmar in France's Alsace region, said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press.
Rocquigny said Bourdain hanged himself in the bathroom of his hotel room with a bathrobe belt.
A medical expert concluded there were no signs of violence on Bourdain's body and that toxicology tests were being done to determine if the 61-year-old took any medications or other drugs.
The renowned cook, writer and host of the CNN series Parts Unknown took his life Friday in the Le Chambarda luxury hotel in the ancient village of Kaysersberg. The owner of the hotel, Olivier Nasti, who is also a chef, paid tribute to his colleague Saturday.
"It is with great respect for the leader, the author, the TV entertainer, the visionary Anthony Bourdain that I express all my condolences to his family and to the anonymous people around the world who he made dream so much," Nasti said in a statement.
Bourdain was found dead Friday morning by his friend, chef Eric Ripert, in Bourdain's hotel room, where he was working on an upcoming episode Parts Unknown.
"Tony was an exceptional talent. A storyteller. A gifted writer. A world traveler. An adventurer. He brought something to CNN that no one else had ever brought before," CNN Chief Executive Jeff Zucker wrote in a letter to staff. "This is a very, very sad day."
Bourdain first gained recognition with a 1999 New Yorker essay, "Don't Eat Before Reading This," which was his frank appraisal of the New York culinary scene. In 2000, the article was adapted into a book, The New York Times' best-seller, Kitchen Confidential.
"In America, the professional kitchen is the last refuge of the misfit," Bourdain wrote in his article.
Rise to fame
Bourdain was born in New York City, and brought up in the suburb of Leonia, New Jersey. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1978. From there, he worked his way up in New York kitchens from dishwasher to line cook to head chef.
In 2005, Bourdain began hosting his own show, the Travel Network's No Reservations, traveling around the world in the hunt for local cuisine. Bourdain later moved to CNN to host Parts Unknown beginning in 2013, a show that has won five Emmys and a Peabody Award.
"Stunned and saddened by the loss of Anthony Bourdain," celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay tweeted. "He brought the world into our homes and inspired so many people to explore cultures and cities through their food."
In 2016, Bourdain traveled to Hanoi where he interviewed then-U.S. President Barack Obama, sitting down with him over a plate of noodles at a restaurant.
Bourdain was married and divorced twice, having one child with his second wife, Ottavia Busia. At the time of his death, Bourdain was dating actress Asia Argento. Bourdain was a strong advocate of the #MeToo movement — Argento being one of the women who accused disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault.
Suicide rates up
"Through space and time, Anthony. Your love will find you again," tweeted actress Rose McGowan, a leader of the movement who has accused Weinstein of sexual assault. McGowan also said anyone contemplating suicide to call a hotline.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates have climbed in nearly every state between 1999 and 2016. In 2016, nearly 45,000 Americans took their lives, according to the CDC.
"We're saddened to hear of the tragic loss of Anthony Bourdain," the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline tweeted. "Please know you are never alone, no matter how dark or lonely things may seem."
Bourdain's death follows this past week's suicide of fashion designer Kate Spade in New York.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his condolences to both the Bourdain and Spade families.
Before leaving for Canada to attend a summit of the world's leading industrialized economies, Trump told reporters at the White House he enjoyed Bourdain's show. Trump described the late food critic as "quite a character."
Obama tweeted about the time he and Bourdain sat down for the informal meal in Vietnam.
To reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, call 1-800-273-8255.
