The body of food icon Anthony Bourdain remains in France for the time being due to bureaucratic complications.
The mother of the deceased stated that because the family is still waiting for the French government to release the remains for their transfer to the US, plans for the funeral are currently set on hold.
Anthony Bourdain took his own life on Friday last week. The famous CNN host hanged himself with a bathrobe belt at his hotel room in France.
The body was discovered by his very good friend and colleague, Eric Ripert. Bourdain and Ripert were spending the last couple of days together in Kaysersberg-Vignoble in order to prepare the latest episode of Parts Unknown, Bourdain’s culinary and travel show.
According to Gladys Bourdain, the mother of the TV chef, it would take at least a couple of more days until the formalities are cleared out.
The 83-year-old also said that she was not at all surprised at the delay, as such things were typical for the country. Bourdain also added that since she has lived in France for five years, she is familiar with the slowness of the bureaucracy there.
The funeral is going to be organized by Bourdain’s second wife, Ottavia Busia Bourdain, with whom he shares his only child, the 11-year-old Ariane.
Even though the couple separated in 2016, their relationship ended in a civilized matter, and the two of them remained friends until the very end.
In the past year, Bourdain started dating 42-year-old Italian actress Asia Argento, a leading voice in the #MeToo movement that brought down powerful men like Harvey Weinstein. The iconic travel expert was very supportive of his girlfriend’s fight for justice and equality.
No representatives from the French Ministry of Justice, who are responsible for the post-mortem investigation, could be reached for comments on the situation with the remains of the famous chef.
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