Anthony Bourdain’s Assistant Reveals His Final Texts to Her Before His Death

At the time, the late chef had been filming his CNN series, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, in France and Woolever recalled the atmosphere in the days after the photos were released. “A [Parts Unknown] producer Helen had heard that things were apparently tense on set in France,” she continued. “Everyone was walking the tightrope, trying to give him both the emotional support he seemed to need and the space to process his pain with a measure of private dignity.”

That following day, Bourdain—who she refers to as “Tony” throughout the memoir—asked Woolever to schedule a few important events for his return to New York. She texted him, “I hope you’re doing OK,” to which he responded with his final eerie message.

“I assumed that the ‘we’ meant him and Asia, their complicated relationship,” she writes. “At 4:25 the next morning, my phone vibrated on the windowsill next to my bed, waking me from a light sleep. It was Kim, Tony’s agent. When I answered the call, she said, ‘Tony has taken his life.’” (E! News has reached out to Argento for comment but has not yet heard back.)