Anthony Bourdain's lost period in Caribbean after first marriage breakdown almost broke him

Executive Producer and narrator chef Anthony Bourdain. Photo / AP

Anthony Bourdain had revealed in the past that he was "regularly suicidal" after his separated from his first wife.

The celebrity chef opened up about his history of destructive behavior in his book Medium Raw, which was published in 2011.

After his first marriage to wife Nancy Putkoski ended in 2005, Bourdain recalled that he was "aimless and regularly suicidal", the Daily Mail reports.

During a particular stint in the Caribbean, he wrote of getting "the kind of drunk where you've got to put a hand over one eye to see straight" and would "peel out" in his 4x4 for nightly trips to the brothels.

Bourdain said his state of mind improved when he met a woman in London soon after.

He said that's when his "nightly attempts at suicide ended".

Bourdain had also previously been open about his past struggles with drugs and spoke of being a recovering heroin addict.

The chef married his second wife, MMA fighter Ottavia Busia - the mother of his only child - in 2007 but they split in 2016.

He met his actress girlfriend Asia Argento when they shot an episode of his show Parts Unknown shortly after breaking things off with his wife Busia.

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#Firenze @asiaargento La Primavera

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Argento and Bourdain were seen together apparently happy as recently as two weeks ago prior to his shock suicide.

Bourdain was found dead on Friday in his hotel room in Kaysersberg, France after killing himself.

His chef friend Eric Ripert, who was the one to find Bourdain in the bathroom, knew something was wrong when he didn't show up for their planned dinner.

Bourdain had been in the area filming an episode with his CNN crew for a segment on Alsatian food.

Usually, the 61-year-old would eat breakfast and dinner at the hotel's pub, the Winstub, with Ripert, the executive chef at Manhattan's Le Bernadin.

"We thought it was strange," waiter Maxime Voinson told The New York Times on Saturday. "Mr Ripert thought it was strange."

On Friday morning, Bourdain again did not show up for breakfast.

"His friend was waiting at breakfast," the waiter told the Times. "And waiting and waiting."

Meanwhile, the TV star's camera crew had set up to film at an outdoor market in nearby Strasbourg.

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With director @asiaargento , Director of Photography @dukefeng52 Christopher Doyle , @xiaohaixiao Jenny Suen, and the band DAVID BORING on set during filming of @partsunknowncnn HONG KONG ( This Sunday on CNN)

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Ripert reportedly had a hotel receptionist unlock the hotel room door. Inside, he found that Bourdain had killed himself in his bathroom.

Bourdain's mother, Gladys, 83, told The Times on Saturday that she was shocked by the news of her son's death.

"It's really too difficult," she said.

"He was an incredible guy. I really can't talk about him ... He was brilliant and sharp and funny. He is the last person in the world I'd imagine to do something like that."

However, according to the Times, Ripert told Gladys that her son had been "in a dark mood these last couples of days".

WHERE TO GET HELP:

If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111.

OR IF YOU NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE ELSE:

• LIFELINE: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)
• SUICIDE CRISIS HELPLINE: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633
• NEED TO TALK? Free call or text 1737 (available 24/7)
• KIDSLINE: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7)
• WHATSUP: 0800 942 8787 (1pm to 11pm)
• DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757