The Truth About Anthony Bourdain And Asia Argento's Relationship

After a 61-year-old rebel foodie, Anthony Bourdain, started publicly dating a 41-year-old Italian actress, Asia Argento, in 2017 they quickly made gossip headlines for their "circus freak" compatibility (via People). Until June 2018, when Bourdain tragically took his own life, the pair filled their Instagrams with claims like "this love kills fascists" (via Instagram).

Bourdain had been married twice before, first to his high-school sweetheart, Nancy Putkoski, and then to martial artist and restaurant manager, Ottavia Busia-Bordain, with whom he shared a child and matching chef's knife tattoos (via Delish). Argento also brought two children, from two previous partnerships, into the relationship (via People). By the time the world witnessed their palpable chemistry in Parts Unknown, they were ready for what Argento called a "grown-up" relationship (via USA Today). And, by all accounts, they led one that didn't abide by traditional, monogamous standards of fidelity and infidelity, where cheating was the soup-du-jour.

Did it work? If Bourdain is to be believed, the worst thing Argento ever said to him was, "You always wanna win!" (via People). Apparently, Bourdain didn't like that.

In his obituary, The New York Times called Bourdain a "renegade." The Guardian credited him for making food "sexy." The Washington Post wrote about a "roguish culinary adventurer" who took the world by storm. He was, undoubtedly, all of those things. 

But thanks to Argento, Bourdain had also become one of the loudest male chefs to actively support the #MeToo movement (via Eater). You may recall that Argento accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. Bourdain vocally supported her. In the weeks that followed Argento's accusation, he publicly asked forgiveness for the part his best-selling book, Kitchen Confidential, may have played in "celebrat[ing] or prolong[ing] a culture that allowed the kind of grotesque behaviors we're hearing about all too frequently." Why? Not out of "virtue, or integrity, or high moral outrage," but because he had met an "extraordinary woman with a particularly awful story to tell" (via Medium).

Of course, neither Argento nor Bourdain were angels. According to and E! and The New York Times, Argento herself was later accused of sexual assault (allegations she fiercely denies). And Bourdain apparently paid $380,000 dollars to her accuser to keep him silent and maybe (per Argento) to protect his "reputation as a beloved public figure" (via Vanity Fair). 

Sadly, in the end, their very unique love story was cut tragically short.