NEWSChef Anne Burrell Surrounded by Dozens of Pills Inside Her Brooklyn Home as Duff Goldman Says She Was 'Going Through Some Stuff'
Late chef Anne Burrell was surrounded by 'dozen of pills' as pal Duff Goldman shared a cryptic tribute about her life.
Celebrity chef Anne Burrell was found unresponsive in the shower of her Brooklyn apartment early Tuesday morning, June 17, surrounded by "dozens of pills," per a news outlet.
According to officials, emergency responders arrived quickly at the time, but despite their efforts, the 55-year-old Food Network star was pronounced dead at the scene. The FDNY reported the cause as cardiac arrest, though the situation is still under investigation.
Anne Burrell was found dead in her Brooklyn home on June 17.
In the wake of the tragedy, fellow chef and longtime friend Duff Goldman took to Instagram to pay his respects. His emotional tribute included a photo of the two and a heartfelt message that painted a personal picture of their bond over the years.
Anne Burrell's close friend Duff Goldman posted a heartfelt tribute online.
“I’ve written and rewritten this post so many times in the past 24 hours, and I just don’t know what to say. Anne and I became friends in probably 2006,” Goldman began. “She was going through some stuff, and I had heard that she was feeling it, so on a trip to NYC from Baltimore, I had made her a cake that said ‘Don’t let the b------- win.’ She never did.”
Goldman recalled a memorable chat the two had before they eventually lost touch.
“I remember the last conversation we had before our paths drifted was a pretty feisty debate about the merits of catfish. I believe the words 'trash fish,”' 'tastes like mud,' and 'cake boy' were used, haha. Anne and I always had a spirited and somewhat acerbic back and forth,” he added.
Authorities said the chef was surrounded by 'dozens of pills.'
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“Then a year or two ago, I was at a gala in NYC with my wife and daughter, and I took Josephine out to the lobby to give her a break from sitting at a table listening to speeches. We were playing with the marble columns and as we rounded one, we saw Anne,” he shared.
Even after drifting apart, Goldman said he often thought of her and wished her well.
“Now, at this point we hadn’t spoken in years, and I won’t go into what we talked about but I will say that that conversation left my heart lifted and full of light, for it truly seemed to me that Anne really had found a measure of happiness and love,” Goldman continued.
Duff Goldman recalled their last conversation and shared sweet memories.
He closed the post with a moving message that showed just how much she meant to him.
“Life is tough, and we have to be tough to get through it. Anne was as tough as they come, but when you got past the armor, there was a depth of compassion and kindness that was absolutely beautiful,” he wrote. “My heart sings when I think of the love and tranquility that it seems Anne had found recently, and her genuine smile for my daughter and me in that lobby are what makes this tragedy just a little more bearable.”
“Anne, wherever you are I hope they have slow moving rivers because when I get there, we’ll get a couple of rods, a pint of chicken livers, and a sixer and I’ll teach you how to catch and cook the best catfish you ever had,” he finished. “Rest up, chef.”
The New York Post reported on Burrell's alleged drug overdose.
