Anthony Bourdain, globetrotting chef and TV host, dies at 61

Anthony Bourdain, the owner and chef of Les Halles restaurant, sits at one of its tables in New York in 2001.

CNN reported that suicide was the cause of Bourdain's death. Bourdain, 61, was in France working on his CNN series on culinary traditions. 

Bourdain's breakthrough as an author came with the 2000 publication of his "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly." The book created a sensation by combining frank details of his life and career with behind-the-scenes observations on the culinary industry.

Bourdain waits for his first sample of Canadian cheese in Mendels Creamery at Kensington Market in Toronto in 2002.

Bourdain in Sydney in 2005.

In his television shows, Bourdain globe-trotted to scores of countries, telling colorful stories that wove local tastes and flavors while showing reverence to history and people and showcasing his own unflappable charm.

Bourdain has a drink at Tintol in New York's Times Square in 2006.

Bourdain acts as a judge on "Top Chef" with Padma Lakshmi and Buzz Aldrin in 2010.

Bourdain stands outside of Atomic Liquors in Las Vegas in 2013, where he was hosting the CNN talk show "Parts Unknown Last Bite. "

Anthony Bourdain on Pier 57 in New York in 2015.

Bourdain had been planning on opening a food market on the pier but canceled the project in 2017.

Bourdain shares a meal with President Barack Obama at the Bun Cha Huong Lien restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2016.

"Total cost of bun Cha dinner with the president: $6.00,” Bourdain tweeted. “I picked up the check.”

Bourdain and Eric Ripert present their new "Good & Evil" dark chocolate bar at Williams-Sonoma in New York in 2016.

CNN said Bourdain's body was found in his hotel room by Ripert, a French chef and close friend.

Bourdain and Asia Argento attend the 2018 Women In The World Summit at Lincoln Center in New York on April 13, 2018.

Bourdain, who was twice married, had been dating Argento, the Italian actress and director who has accused former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. 

Argento said Friday on Twitter that Bourdain was "my love, my rock, my protector. I am beyond devastated."

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