Adam Richman's Touching Tribute To Anthony Bourdain

Yes, Anthony Bourdain threw some serious shade at Adam Richman's show "Man v. Food" when he said Richman's gluttonous behavior during the show's eating challenges perpetuated stereotypes about Americans and inspired goat herders in Afghanistan to join ISIS (via Los Angeles Times). And yes, during the same stand-up routine in 2015, Bourdain said people only watched "Man v. Food" to see if Richman was going to die. Bourdain said the same thing to David Letterman during an appearance on "The Late Show" four years earlier, according to Miami New Times.

But make no mistake, Richman and Bourdain were friends. Richman told Food Republic, just months after Bourdain's Letterman appearance, that he and Bourdain texted each other often and even hung out together. Richman revealed in an exclusive interview with Mashed that Bourdain apologized for what he said on Letterman's show. "Our producer was like, 'I think you got the first apology out of Tony in 11 years,'" Richman said. Bourdain gave Richman some advice, too, to go with the apology, and Richman has cherished that advice ever since. Richman recalled Bourdain telling him to ignore the "sick Fs that are hoping something bad happens to you" just because you have the courage to put something out there for public consumption. "You have to focus on yourself and your stories," Bourdain advised. 

Richman told Mashed in the exclusive interview that he was still navigating all the attention that comes with fame when Bourdain trashed his show "Man v. Food." Later, Richman was able to separate Bourdain's opinion of the show from his opinion of its host. "Tony didn't like 'Man v. Food.' He liked me. And he made that very, very clear," Richman said. The host even treasured his friendship with Bourdain so much, that he was still grieving exactly three years after Bourdain's death. 

Richman recently offered a tribute to Bourdain on Twitter writing, "Just realized that today was the day we lost you. Those times I want to call or text you & I realize I can't still feel like a gut punch." He went on to say that as the new guy on the food scene Bourdain "proved that the measure of great men was how they treat lesser men. I miss you, Tony." The star's Twitter followers responded with notes of sympathy. "So long as we keep those lost in our hearts and memories, they will never truly be gone," one user replied. Others on Twitter acknowledged that they grieved over Bourdain, too. Another tweeted, "Never met him, but I looked up to him, his loss still hurts me to this day."