Hours after the death of boyfriend Anthony Bourdain, Italian actress Asia Argento tweeted out a touching statement.
“Anthony gave all of himself in everything that he did. His brilliant, fearless spirit touched and inspired so many, and his generosity knew no bounds,” she wrote. “I am beyond devastated.”
The 61-year-old died on Friday in France of an apparent suicide.
He and Argento had been dating since 2016, after the pair met while Bourdain was in Rome filming his Emmy-award winning series “Parts Unknown.”
Bourdain told People in September 2017 that his relationship with Argento thrived because she understood his on-the-go lifestyle.
″[Asia] has spent a lifetime in film since she was 9 years old. She comes from generations of filmmakers on both sides of the family,” said Bourdain. “She’s a really accomplished director and writer, along with being a longtime actress and a real sponge for culture, music, literature. So she’s enormously helpful and inspiring.”
He also joked that they were “both circus freaks in the same circus—or different circuses, I guess.”
Publicly, Bourdain was a staunch advocate for Argento ― particularly after the explosive New Yorker article published in October 2017 revealed that in she was sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein in 1997.
“I am proud and honored to know you,” Bourdain had tweeted at the time. “You just did the hardest thing in the world.”
Since that point, up until his death, Bourdain was a huge supporter for the Me Too movement. In addition to backing Argento and other women who came forward, Bourdain also spoke openly about the “bro” culture and sexual harassment that existed in the culinary world.
This piece has been updated.
If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.
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