Anthony Bourdain dead: Rose McGowan writes open letter calling for conversation around suicide and says late chef’s relationship with Asia Argento was ‘without borders’
Rose McGowan has written an open letter in the wake of friend Anthony Bourdain’s suicide and said he had a “free relationship” with girlfriend Asia Argento.
In the lengthy letter received by The Hollywood reporter, McGowan, 44, revealed she was in the presence of Argento, 42, who Bourdain, 61, supported when she spoke out about Hollywood sex pest Harvey Weinstein as part of the Me Too campaign.
Rose McGowan has penned and open letter regarding Anthony Bourdain’s suicide last week (Matthew Eisman/Getty Images)
McGowan began: “Sitting across from me is the remarkable human and brave survivor, Asia Argento, who has been through more than most could stand, and yet stand she does.
“She stood up to her monster rapist and now she has to stand up to yet another monster, suicide. The suicide of her beloved lover and ally, Anthony Bourdain.”
The US actress has pleaded for people not to blame his girlfriend Asia Argento (RENA LAVERTY/AFP/Getty Images)
Since the chef’s tragic passing, filmmaker Argento has been blamed by online trolls after TMZ reported that she was pictured holding hands with another man in Rome days before his death.
The actress continued: “I write these truths because I have been asked to. I know so many around the world thought of Anthony Bourdain as a friend and when a friend dies, it hurts. Many of these people who lost their ‘friend’ are wanting to lash out and blame. You must not sink to that level. Suicide is a horrible choice, but it is that person’s choice.
Online trolls have blamed filmaker Argento for Bourdain;s suicide after she was pictured holding hands with another man days before (Instagram)
“Anthony was open with his demons, he even wrote a book about them. In the beginning of their relationship, Anthony told a mutual friend, ‘He’s never met anyone who wanted to die more than him.’ And through a lot of this last year, Asia did want the pain to stop.”
“But here’s the thing, over their time together, thankfully, she did the work to get help, so she could stay alive and live another day for her and her children. Anthony’s depression didn’t let him, he put down his armor, and that was very much his choice. His decision, not hers. His depression won.”
She added that the couple, who began dating in 2017 “loved without borders of traditional relationships, and they established the parameters of their relationship early on. Asia is a free bird, and so was Anthony. Was. Such a terrible word to write. I’ve heard from many that the past two years they were together were some of his happiest and that should give us all solace.”
The couple had a ‘loved without borders of traditional relationships’ (Instagram)
She finished pleading readers not to blame Argento and highlighting the need for better understanding of mental health.
“NOT do the sexist thing and burn a woman on the pyre of misplaced blame.
“Anthony’s internal war was his war, but now she’s been left on the battlefield to take the bullets. It is in no way fair or acceptable to blame her or anyone else, not even Anthony.
“We are asking you to be better, to look deeper, to read and learn about mental illness, suicide and depression before you make it worse for survivors by judging that which we do not understand, that which can never fully be understood.
“Sometimes we are stuck in the unknowable, and that is where we are now, a massive wave of darkness that threatens to swallow everyone in its wake.”
The star asked for greater conversation around mental health (Ming Yeung/Getty Images)
The charismatic chef and writer shot to fame after his book, Kitchen Confidential, was published in 2000, which shone a light into the underbelly of professional cooking.
He went onto win several Emmys and a Peabody for his broadcasting work.
