In the wake ofAnthony Bourdain‘s death, the American chef’s friends and colleagues are reflecting on his final days.
“He was normal, normal. Just like himself,” chef Jean-Yves Schillinger tells PEOPLE exclusively.
The chef, 55, entertained Bourdain and French chefEric Ripertat his Michelin two-star restaurant JY’S in Colmar, France, on Tuesday, participating in an on-camera conversation for Bourdain’sParts Unknown.
“I didn’t see anything unusual,” Schillinger says.
However, in an interview with theNew York Times,Bourdain’s mother Gladys said Ripert told her that “Tony had been in a dark moodthese past couple of days.” Gladys also said she had no indication that her son was thinking about suicide.
Slaven Vlasic/Getty
A police spokesperson in Strasbourg, France, confirmed Bourdain’s death to PEOPLE on Friday but would not confirm the cause of death. The manner of death was classified as a suicide.
Neilson Barnard/Getty
“It was a long time that I hadn’t seen him. I knew him from his restaurant in New York and when he arrived here Tuesday. It was just like he always was. He was very professional, just as always,” he explains to PEOPLE.
RELATED VIDEO: Chefs like Anthony Bourdain Face Constant ‘Behind-the-Scenes’ Anxieties: ‘When The Shift Stops What Do You Do?’
“We went to the beer garden in Freiburg together and we were just talking, talking, talking about everything for two hours,” he tells PEOPLE. “In Germany, I was surprised because he was very well known there. People recognized him, came over, asked for an autograph, for selfies. It was surprising because in France, no chefs, the public don’t know him, but in Germany, his show is very popular and many people know him.”
“He was okay, he was like he was on television,” Schillinger continues. “I could never have imagined that one, two days later he would be dead.”
Reflecting on Bourdain’s legacy, Schillinger tells PEOPLE, “He wasn’t a three-star chef, but he did make food accessible to people and that’s something.”
Owen Hoffmann/Patrick McMullan/Getty
Christine Speisser, who is the only woman in France to hold the title of Master Butcher/Caterer, tells PEOPLE she was scheduled to film forParts Unknownon Friday morning, when Bourdain was discovered in his hotel room.
According to Speisser, the television crew had everything set up at the outdoor market in Strasbourg’s Place Broglie — where she was to show Bourdain around — and was ready for Bourdain and Ripert to arrive around 10 a.m.
“For me, it was something exceptional,” she tells PEOPLE. “It was an honor to receive chef Bourdain.”
“People knew he was coming to the market and everything was in place, ready to film,” she continues, adding that a production assistant arrived and said “there’s a big problem.”
RELATED VIDEO: Remembering Anthony Bourdain’s Life and Career
“They didn’t say what was happening, they probably didn’t know everything,” says Speisser’s friend Christelle Schenck, 36, who had come to help out with the filming.
After waiting for an hour, the team packed up and departed without a clear explanation.
“Apparently they need to cancel, we were told. They said we’ll call you back,” Schenck adds.
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
“Nothing suggested the involvement of a third person,” Rocquigny told PEOPLE.
A medical expert did not find any signs of violence on Bourdain’s body andtoxicology tests are being performed, the AP reported.
Rocquigny explained to PEOPLE that “an autopsy is the priority” as police in Colmar continue investigating Bourdain’s death.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “help” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go tosuicidepreventionlifeline.org.
source: people.com
