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Celebrity Chef Anne Burrell’s Death Investigated as Possible Overdose
The death of Food Network star Anne Burrell is being investigated as a possible drug overdose after her body was found in her Brooklyn, New York, home near numerous pills. Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding her passing.
A close friend, who spoke with the press but wished to remain anonymous, described Burrell as a “true force of nature” with a vibrant, outgoing personality. However, the friend also hinted at the pressures of fame, stating that Burrell’s “big personality” sometimes masked internal struggles.
“Once she was on TV and on her way to being a celebrity chef…she was famous, she was doing the food and wine circuit stuff. She was busy — I kind of felt like she wasn’t totally happy,” the friend shared.
Just months before her death, Burrell, 55, had revealed on Tori Spelling’s “Misspelling” podcast that she was exploring a career in acting and taking improv classes. She humorously recounted being the oldest in her class, surrounded by students with Master of Fine Arts degrees, and wondered if they perceived her as “this old lady.”
Burrell had also taken a break from her popular Food Network show, “Worst Cooks in America,” for its 28th season, telling Spelling she felt she had “more to do in my life.” She expressed excitement about upcoming projects, hinting at new ventures she wasn’t yet ready to publicly announce.
Burrell, who grew up near Syracuse, New York, cited Julia Child as an early inspiration. She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and worked at prominent New York restaurants like Felidia and Centro Vinoteca before her television debut in 2008 on “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef.” Two years later, she launched the hit show “Worst Cooks in America” with chef Beau MacMillan.
Her friend concluded, “America loved her. What you saw on TV was the real Anne.”