Five weeks after Anne Burrell passed away, the cause of her death finally came out.
She died by suicide, PEOPLE confirmed. The New York City medical examiner said it was due to “acute intoxication” from a mix of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine.
RELATED STORIES
Those include things like antihistamines, alcohol, and meds often used to treat ADHD. Her reps had shared the news of her death back on June 17.
Anne was found at home on June 17
Anne died on the morning of June 17 at her home in Brooklyn, New York.
The NYPD said she was found “unconscious and unresponsive.” Emergency services got there and confirmed she had passed away.
A 911 call came in at 7:50 a.m. from someone worried she might have had cardiac arrest.
There were a lot of pills around her
The New York Times reported that Anne was found in the shower. She was unconscious and surrounded by about 100 pills, according to a document from the NYPD.
Family shared heartfelt words about her
“Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered,” her family said.
They also said, “Anne’s light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world. Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal.”
She spent her last night doing something she loved
Just the night before she passed, Anne had been doing improv with her Second City class in Brooklyn.
“She was having the best night,” actress Jane Margolis, who was in her troupe, told PEOPLE. “She’d come up with these one-liners out of the blue that were just hysterical. She really was so into it.”
Her time on Food Network made her a favorite
Anne was super well-known for Worst Cooks in America. People loved how she turned total kitchen disasters into solid home cooks.
She first showed up as a sous chef on Iron Chef America. That’s where viewers really started to notice her personality and cooking skills.
Later on, she got her own show, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, which ended up running for nine seasons and even got nominated for an Emmy.
She showed up on a lot more shows too
After that, she just kept going. She was on Chef Wanted, Chopped, Food Network Star, and most recently, a new series called House of Knives, which had just come out in March 2025.
Her path to cooking started early on
Anne was born September 21, 1969, in Cazenovia, New York.
She got into cooking early, thanks to her mom’s homemade meals and watching Julia Child on TV. That’s what sparked it.
She went to Canisius College in Buffalo and studied English and Communication before switching things up and enrolling at the Culinary Institute of America. She finished there in 1996.
Anne also taught and mentored new chefs
In the early 2000s, Anne started teaching at the Institute of Culinary Education.
From there, she slowly started stepping into the TV world, which ended up becoming a huge part of her life.
Her books were part of her legacy too
Anne also wrote two cookbooks. The first was Cook Like a Rock Star in 2011, which made her a New York Times bestseller.
Then she released Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire and Empower in 2013.
Anne leaves behind a big, loving family
Anne is survived by her husband Stuart Claxton, whom she got married to in 2021 after having met on Bumble in 2018. Also her mom Marlene, her sister Jane, and her children Isabella, Amelia, and Nicolas.
