We’ll never know why Anthony Bourdain killed himself in France in June. We’ll never know the entirety of what he was going through psychologically, emotionally, perhaps even physically. There isn’t always a “why.” There is rarely “a reason.” But as months have gone by, we have gotten more information about his final months on this earth. We’ve gotten more information about his relationship with Asia Argento, and we’ve gotten HER version of events regarding the then-teenager she allegedly raped. Argento claimed that her victim was basically blackmailing her and instead of going to the police, she talked to Bourdain about it and he decided to give hundreds of thousands of dollars to her victim. That would have happened just a few months before Bourdain’s suicide. Well, here’s something else I didn’t know: Asia was apparently featured in several episodes of Bourdain’s CNN show, Parts Unknown. CNN isn’t going to air those episodes now.
CNN is pulling all episodes of “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” featuring Asia Argento, following allegations that the Italian actress and activist sexually assaulted an underage former co-star. The outspoken #MeToo activist, who was dating Bourdain at the time of his suicide earlier this year, appeared in two episodes of the show filmed in Rome and Southern Italy and directed another episode in Hong Kong. All three have been removed from CNN’s streaming service CNN Go, the network announced.
“In light of the recent news reports about Asia Argento, CNN will discontinue airing past episodes of ‘Parts Unknown’ that included her, until further notice,” a CNN spokesperson told Buzzfeed News on Saturday.
Last month, the New York Times reported that Argento paid former child actor Jimmy Bennett $380,000 in hush money after he accused her of sexually assaulting him when he was 17 and she was 37. Argento staunchly denied “any sexual relationship” with Bennett, but acknowledged the payment – claiming her former beau Bourdain “personally undertook to help Bennett economically” fearing the bad press. But text messages leaked to the press allegedly show Argento admitting to having sex with Bennett when he was underage, alongside a photo that appears to show the pair shirtless in bed together.
What’s better, to completely refuse to air those episodes now or to air them and remind everyone that Asia Argento was likely a manipulative predator and that Bourdain couldn’t see it? I don’t know. It makes me sad either way. I think CNN is probably making the right decision to completely blank on anything having to do with Argento. But it won’t stop the questions about what she told Bourdain versus what really happened, and why.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
This makes me sad. I am trying to not think about this but I feel that maybe her actions had something to do with his death. If folks pile on me about this have at it, I am not going to argue with you, it is a shitty thing to put out there.
If he hadn’t struggled with depression and addiction his entire life, he could have survived her and this. So I guess you can’t say she was “the cause”. But come on man, he survived for 60 something years in that condition. His last public act was to unfollow her on social media. Now all of this comes out. Yeah, she had something to do with it.
She about month before he killed himself was filmed with a younger man, being very affectionate with him. A young version of Anthony and she put it on her Instagram. Then going on Social media to say she is still with Anthony. A form of social gas lightening. That had to trigger something, especially Anthony knowing she had done it before and he probaby helped pay them off.
I have to agree. She’s such a SHADY person, I can’t help but think she’s a user. When the news first broke that Bourdain took his own life, the rumors immediately swirled that he had seen pictures taken by a paparazzo of Asia holding hands with and kissing another man. The paparazzo has since refused to have the photos published and issued multiple apologies and stated his regret that he believes the images played a role in Bourdain’s choice to end his life. It doesn’t help that close friends and relatives said Bourdain was suicidal over other women leaving him in the past. I’m not willing to throw that stone and imply that Asia played a role because there’s just no way of ever knowing if that’s true, but I will say that unfortunately it seemed like Bourdain got mixed up with a bad woman, and to all of us that loved him and are still so sad he’s gone, it sucks to know that he was probably used by her.
Honestly, do we even KNOW for sure that she did get Bourdain to give blackmail money to her victim? We DON’T know, and there’s no way for me to be convinced by HER words (spoken about a dead man) that she did. She and Rose Gowan are both hypocrites and deeply dishonorable. Rose TOOK WEINSTEN’S MONEY to stay silent about him and thus chose not to warn any other potential victims about him—then, “bravely” (i.e. w no hope of a career left) over 20 years later, decided to speak up, FAR too late to have saved other young women from his lethal abuse—though somehow still in time to deeply and broadly congratulate HERSELF for the whole #metoo movement, a group founded by another woman, a movement that which Rose abducted from her. And Asia—she too stayed silent at the expense of potentially hundreds of women—then she spoke up, and THEN it tuns out she is a sexual abuser (of an actual child) herself!! I’m sorry, but 2 faced Rose made the movement look less serious and widespread than it is, due to her own crazed self absorption, and now to many the predator Asia makes it appear practically disingenuous to some, even impotent.( I can’t remember how many comments on other webs I’ve read about this, far too many.) It isn’t fair that the movement is losing its impact due to these two mean spirited opportunists, and it needs to gain more sympathy and dedication back among those whose dispositions about it were cynical to start with, and now have begun to judge it outright poorly. We need a fresh, trustworthy face—or better yet, fresh faces—to front and sympathize it, not people from the movie industry alone. Idk. I despise Asia for traumatizing a young man’s life, and for jeopardizing the many lives that might have been preserved with help from the uniting group of #metoo. I can’t help but feel she has irreversibly weakened that movement.
SashaB: Bourdain did it. Asia was broke. I don’t know why you don’t want to believe it.
I feel the same.
He was vulnerable to depression for most of his adult life. That combined with a crazy toxic woman like Argento who is well known for using people was always going to hit him hard when it went wrong.
She has been exposed for what she is – her ‘career’ is over.
I can’t look at pictures of her anymore without seeing a smug, manipulative smirk.
Same! She looks like she’s secretly laughing at you through the camera… I miss Tony and I’m sorry this person pulled the wool over his eyes. I think he would have had a very hard time squaring everything that we now know about AA with his own moral code.
His last texts about do you continue the fight? And she blamed him for her paying the kid off…so he knew about the kid. He knew who she was.
I can’t believe he’d kill himself, and his death seems so shady.
It’s all falling into place for me now and I’m disgusted with Asia. Poor Tony. He deserved so much better. Eff her.
We don’t know what was going on. He was fighting his demons. His choice. He ended his life.
They may have been together because they were both “kaputt” in some way. Who knows. Blaming her is the easy way, but depresson is never easy nor linear.
Everytime a “great man” dies, people blame a woman for not stopping him, not supporting him enough or because it’s so easy to believe that women are plain evil man eaters out there to destroy as many honest men as possible.
@clarisse yep. courtney love is still blamed for kurt’s death. just like people think elliot smith’s girlfriend killed him. including bourdain all 3 of these men had histories of mental illness and addiction, some even suicide attempts in the past but some would still rather blame the woman.
Oh please! Asia is a predator and you two are too busy virtue signaling to even look at what she did! She’s a rapist for Christ’s sake! This is about Asia and what she DID, and how it may have affected Tony.
You’re making a fair point for the wrong one, the wrong one. Save it for someone who deserves it. This is not Courtney Love, or any other woman who was unfairly blamed.
Totally agree, and it’s heartbreaking. He may have realized he’d been conned. I saw those episodes. He really seemed to genuinely love her.
I have only watched a few of the “Parts Unknown” shows but did happen to catch the Rome episode and Southern Italy too. What struck me was that they seemed “darker” in tone that the other episodes I watched (Newfoundland, Nashville and Antarctica) does anyone here watch them, and if you do did it seem off to you too? I can’t explain it, they just seemed more out of step with the other shows I saw.
His Detroit and West Virginia episodes are among my favorites…and Liberia when he got sick for the first time. His humor in that episode, was so funny and made you like him instantly.
I’m glad the pulled the episodes so she won’t earn my residuals from them.
@Mac-they are still on Netflix, so she’s still making the residuals from there. 🙁
weren’t those directed by Asia? Bourdain loved the Rome episode and said it was one of the highlights of his career. I hadn’t seen it yet but was planning to watch it after hearing him say that.
Asia is the daughter of one of Italy’s most famous horror film directors, Dario Argento. I assumed her work would be darker.
It does however confirm that women are always held to higher standards no matter what. Not approving her behavior but they were quick to cut her offf, Charlie Rose Mat Lauer layer Harvey phucking weistein #NotSoMuch
I get what you’re saying and don’t disagree, but I think it’s important to remember, too, that those men worked on different networks. Also, they were earlier in what we are calling the #MeToo era. I do wonder if reactions may have been swifter if those men weren’t among the first accused during all this. But yes, society judges women more harshly for sure.
My thoughts exactly!
They had broken up in the days preceding his death.
Asia needs to be scrubbed from his work. Knowing what we do of how she used Bourdain and manipulated him, including as a part of the show, she needs to be erased from his legacy.
Yes. Erased. He may have been teetering along a ledge for years but his involvement with this despicable lying user was the final push off in my opinion. I can’t quite believe I’m saying that, but yes, this once, that’s what I believe happened.
I agree with you. Well said.
Yep. Its definitely starting to look that way.
He was one of my favorite tv personalities and I adored his shows. I miss him. Asia gives me the freaking creeps. Glad CNN is not going to give her any oxygen but I admit in my heart of hearts, I would like to see the episodes.
I feel exactly the same! She crreeeeps me out, and he was my favorite. I had a standing Sunday night “date” with him and Kamau Bell. She threatened to move to Africa and disappear and I wish she would. Except, I want her punished too. Hypocrite. (and yes, you can be both a victim and perpetrator, but she stood up for #metoo like the high and mighty). Ok, rant over. Off to work!
Hmmm, I’m an Anthony Bourdain fan but uncomfortable with this rhetoric blaming her for his death. The Chef Jeff character from season 2 of Master of None resembled Bourdain a little too closely for my tastes. I think these were two extremely complicated individuals. I’m not for one second defending her or anything to do with the horrific abuse allegations that have come to light, but laying his suicide at her feet doesn’t sit right with me.
AGREED. Thank you for saying what I wanted to say, and so eloquently. The man made his own choices, God rest his soul.
THANK YOU.
You can have anxiety/depression your entire life and still be triggered into self harm. Betrayal, loss, heartbreak, you name it, can all be triggers. The timing of all of this leads me to believe she had something to do with the suicide.
I wonder if they’re also scrubbing all mentions of Mario Batali from his show?
Let’s just think for a minute what would have Bourdain do today if he was still alive? how would have him managed this scandal and what would have make him feel all that is happening, given what we know now about his mental health issues. I agree that when a person suffers mental health and suicide tendencies as Bourdain did there’s never just one reason when they finally do it. But …