Who Are Anthony Bourdain's Ex-Wife and Daughter?

From House Beautiful

CNN announced early Friday morning that legendary chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain has died of an apparent suicide.

"It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain," the network said in a statement. "His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food, and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time."

Bourdain, who was 61 years old, was reportedly in Strasbourg, France, filming an upcoming episode of this award-winning travel show Parts Unknown. CNN reports that close friend and chef Eric Ripert found Bourdain unresponsive in his hotel room.

Bourdain, who was dating actress, activist, and director Asia Argento at the time of his death, leaves behind his 11-year-old daughter Ariane, as well as ex-wife Ottavia Busia. Here is what we know about them:

Ottavia Busia

Ottavia Busia was born in a small town in Lombardy, Italy, according to People. She came to the U.S. in 2002, where she began working in the restaurant industry, eventually meeting Ripert, who thought she'd be a good match for Bourdain.

Busia and Bourdain had their first date in a cigar bar in 2007. Bourdain quickly became enamored with Busia, and within weeks, the two married on April 20, 2007. Later that year Ariane was born.

"I guess my whole life, as much as I might have wanted a child for the reason that everybody wants one, I always recognized that at no point until I was 50 was I old enough or up to the job. I thought, you know what, I not only really want a child, but at this point, finally in my life, I think I’m up to the job and I’m the type of person who could do the job well and I’m financially prepared to look after a child," Bourdain told TheTakeOut. 

Busia and Bourdain's marriage lasted nine years, with the two bonding over their love of the restaurant industry and Brazilian jujitsu (Bourdain was a blue belt). However, his work kept him away from Busia and Ariane for most of the year - 250 days, according to Bourdain - which took a toll on their relationship. The two decided to part ways in 2016. "As a marriage, clearly it's not ideal but there's no injured party here, nobody's angry, nobody feels like the injured party, nobody feels like a victim. So we'll proceed like that," he told People.

Read More (...)