4 Food Network Stars Who Have Sadly Passed Away

The Food Network has given fans beloved stars, trips around the world, and exquisite culinary recipes. Unfortunately, some of its stars are no longer with us.

Many of the deaths were shocking, with many fans still reeling from the loss. Here are four deaths that shocked Food Network fans. 

Anne Burrell

Fans were stunned when the Worst Cooks in America judge died at the age of 55 in June of this year. It appeared sudden, as the night before, she was reportedly in good spirits at a New York improv class. Her husband reportedly found her unresponsive in the shower of their Brooklyn home the following morning. Authorities later determined that she died by suicide as a result of a lethal combination of prescription drugs. 

The New York native’s love for cooking was born through her mother’s home-cooked meals and her love of Julia Child. After studying Communications in college, she went on to attend culinary school.

Outside of Worst Cooks in America, she appeared on Iron Chef America, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Chef Wanted, Chopped, Food Network Star, and House of Knives. 

Anthony Bourdain

Another unfortunate suicide was that of Bourdain. Viewers loved the famed Food Network star who took them around the world for unique eats. Bourdain died at the age of 61 in France in 2018. His former assistant, Laurie Woolever, revealed in her memoir Care and Feeding, that she told her then-boss, “I hope you’re doing OK,” to which he replied, “I’ll live, and we’ll survive,” per an excerpt obtained by People. Woolever reportedly believed the “we” referred to Bourdain and his then-girlfriend, Asia Argento, who he’d recently discovered was having an affair with another woman when photos of her kissing another man were published online. 

The Parts Unknown star told his assistant to ignore the press. The following day, she’d learned Bourdain had taken his own life. Argento later defended herself against claims that she contributed to Bourdain’s death, saying in a chat with Daily Mail: “People say I murdered him. They say I killed him. I understand that the world needs to find a reason. I would like to find a reason too. People need to think that he killed himself for something like this. He cheated on me too. It wasn’t a problem for us.”

Carl Ruiz

The celebrity chef died unexpectedly at the age of 44 while visiting friends in Bel Air, Maryland. CBS reports he died from blocked arteries in September 2019. The day before his death, the famous foodie had been visiting restaurants in Baltimore. At the ime of his death, he owned La Cubana restaurant and made frequent appearances on The Food Network. He’d made a name for himself cooking Cuban food.

“On behalf of the La Cubana family, with heavy hearts, we are deeply saddened to share the passing of our beloved Executive Chef Carl Ruiz,” La Cubana posted on its social media sites. “No words can fully express our sadness at the sudden loss of our dear friend and brother,” the post said.

Fatima Ali

The Top Chef staple died at the age of 29 in 2019 amid a cancer battle. In 2017, she announced that she had Ewing’s sarcoma, which affects bone and soft tissue. She kept fans updated on her health on her social media pages.

Born in Pakistan, she moved to America at the age of 18 to attend culinary school. Per The New York Times, she began her career as a junior sous chef at Café Centro in New York before becoming the youngest executive sous chef at Stella 34 Trattoria at the Macy’s in Herald Square. Before appearing on Top Chef, she made history as the first Pakistani woman to win Chopped.