People are Wrongly Blaming Bourdain’s Girlfriend for His Death [OPINION]

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Should people be blaming Anthony Bourdain’s girlfriend Asia Argento for his death? Morally, to place blame on someone else for someone’s death at their own hand is wrong. There was no way for Asia to know that Bourdain was going to take his life, based on what’s publicly been revealed.

While they were in a relationship, the terms of it is a private matter. TMZ reported that Asia had been photographed with a French reporter holding hands and hugging during Bourdain’s time in France filming for his series. The public doesn’t know if they had an open or closed relationship, however, and there’s indication of the former.

The actress Rose McGowan released a statement on behalf of Asia Argento, that states Asia Argento and Anthony Bourdain “loved without borders of traditional relationships, and they established the parameters of their relationship early on.” This detail of their relationship was not known to the public, when those images of Asia and the French reporter surfaced a very short time after Bourdain’s suicide, and some people immediately speculated that that was what triggered Bourdain.

While it does seem a bit odd that she would be seen out with the French reporter in that way, the picture doesn’t tell the whole story.

The thing about mental illness is that it’s not always something you can see on the outside like a physical illness; it’s internal and the person going through often doesn’t let it show. For Anthony Bourdain, on the outside, he was a well-spoken man who sparked adventure and curiosity about cultures and their food through his television series. He suffered with depression longer than anyone could have possibly known because he hid it well enough that no one could tell.

During one episode of Bourdain’s travel series “Parts Unknown,” he sits down with a therapist and talks about how he feels isolated and depressed. In Rose McGowan’s statement, Argento and Bourdain both struggled with their demons and while Agrento found help for her issues, Bourdain’s depression overran him and ultimately won.

https://twitter.com/AsiaArgento/status/1005116310366269440

To blame a person for their death is just wrong, because she didn’t know he was going to take his life. We also don’t know what triggered him or what made him decide to end his life.

In the case of Michelle Carter, who encouraged her boyfriend Conrad Roy III to commit suicide, she was found guilty. Conrad Roy III had a known struggle of mental illness and before his suicide in 2014, he had previously tried to end his life.

The difference between Roy and Bourdain is Roy tried to reach out for help. Roy reached out to his girlfriend Michelle Carter and instead of her stopping and getting him help, she was accused of encouraging him. Carter hyped him up and even offered suggestions on a method for Roy to end his life, prosecutors alleged.

Michelle Carter was sentenced to a 15 months in jail for involuntary manslaughter.

As far as the public knows, Asia Argento did none of those things to Bourdain. Nor did Bourdain reach out to anyone to talk him off the ledge. Instead, Bourdain suffered alone with his depression as he had possibly most of his life.

Or in Kate Spade’s suicide she left a letter to her daughter that said, “ask daddy” and the media began to blame her husband, Andy Spade. Anthony Bourdain did not leave a letter or a message redirecting someone to someone else for answers.

To blame Argento for Bourdain’s decision is irresponsible since everything the public knows is pure speculation.

Argento did post on her Instagram a message that she cared for Anthony Bourdain. Prior to what happened, Asia had directed an episode of “Parts Unknown,” and they photos posted on each other account of the both together.