Anthony Bourdain, dubbed the “renegade chef” by The New York Times, hit the headlines again due to the release of his biography. Published by Simon & Schuster, “Down and Out in Paradise: The Life of Anthony Bourdain” was written by Charles Leerhshen and is slated to be released Oct. 11.
According to Eater, Bourdain was a celebrity chef and TV show host. Bourdain traveled around the world to try various cuisines before his death in 2018.
But according to The New York Times, this biography has already instigated the ire of family and friends — some of whom maintain that the book is inaccurate.
Bourdain’s brother, Christopher Bourdain, called the book “hurtful and defamatory fiction” to The New York Times. Simon & Schuster responded to the allegation by saying, “With all due respect, we disagree that the material in the book contains defamatory information, and we stand by our forthcoming publication.”
Fox News reported that the controversy swirls around text messages between Anthony Bourdain and his estranged wife, Ottavia Busia-Bourdain. Reportedly, Anthony Bourdain told Busia-Bourdain that he hated his fans and his job. Deadline indicated that it’s unclear who provided these text messages to Leerhshen, but that Busia-Bourdain is in charge of Anthony Bourdain’s estate.
According to Deadline, the book also dives into Bourdain’s relationship with actor Asia Argento. The book is available for preorder on Amazon.