Latest news with #DuffGoldman
Daily Mail
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Food Network star Anne Burrell's friend on the private pain she hid from the world before tragic death at 55
A friend of Food Network star Anne Burrell has hinted at the anguish she secretly battled years before her shocking death this Tuesday aged 55. The Worst Cooks in America host was 'unresponsive' when law enforcement responded to a call around 7:50am on June 17, after her husband Stuart Claxton discovered her unconscious on the shower floor. The New York Fire Department confirmed to Daily Mail that they were responding to a report of a cardiac arrest, but her cause of death is still being investigated by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. Law enforcement sources have revealed a large quantity of 'unknown pills' was found near where she died, TMZ reports. Now her pal Duff Goldman, whose Baltimore bakery Charm City Cakes was featured on the Food Network, has shared a testimonial to Burrell. 'I've written and re-written this post so many times in the past 24 hours and I just don't know what to say,' he posted on Instagram alongside a photo of him with her. 'Anne and I became friends in probably 2006. She was going through some stuff and I had heard that she was feeling it so on a trip to NYC from Baltimore I had made her a cake that said 'Don't let the b******s win.' She never did,' he shared, without disclosing the nature of the problem that caused her private pain. In 2006, Burrell's media career was on the rise - she had made her TV debut the previous year as a sous chef on Iron Chef America, working under Mario Batali, and was two years away from getting her own show Secrets of a Restaurant Chef. However Goldman has now revealed that even while she publicly began to blossom as a TV personality, she was battling personal issues behind the scenes. 'We had a complex relationship and I remember the last conversation we had before our paths drifted was a pretty feisty debate about the merits of catfish. I believe the words 'trash fish,' 'tastes like mud,' and 'cake boy' were used, haha,' he shared. 'Anne and I always had a spirited and somewhat acerbic back and forth. I really never knew why our paths drifted but I always hoped that wherever she was, Anne was doing well and was finding some happiness.' While he was attending a New York City gala 'a year or two ago' with his wife Johnna Colbry and their daughter Josephine, four, Goldman saw Burrell again. Goldman explained that he 'took Josephine out to the lobby to give her a break from sitting at a table listening to speeches. We were playing with the marble columns and as we rounded one we saw Anne.' He recalled: 'Now, at this point we hadn't spoken in years, and I won't go into what we talked about but I will say that that conversation left my heart lifted and full of light, for it truly seemed to me that Anne really had found a measure of happiness and love.' Goldman opined: 'Life is tough, and we have to be tough to get through it. Anne was as tough as they come, but when you got past the armor there was a depth of compassion and kindness that was absolutely beautiful.' He gushed: 'My heart sings when I think of the love and tranquility that it seems Anne had found recently, and her genuine smile for my daughter and me in that lobby are what makes this tragedy just a little more bearable. 'Anne, wherever you are I hope they have slow moving rivers because when I get there, we'll get a couple of rods, a pint of chicken livers, and a sixer and I'll teach you how to catch and cook the best catfish you ever had. Rest up, chef.' Goldman's tribute comes after another one of Burrell's friends, chef Elizabeth Falkner, claimed that the late Food Network star was in 'pretty decent shape' when she last saw her on June 9 at dinner in New York City. In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail, Falkner, 59, revealed, 'I think Anne looks like she's in pretty decent shape these days, so it's kind of surprising to me.' Not being able to comment specifically on any health issues, if any, she might've battled before her death, she did find her passing 'so sudden and shocking.' 'I know it is very personal to me what happened, and I can't believe somebody even younger than me has just passed away. It's close to home for all of us,' she said. 'The culinary family is like family, so this hurts a lot of us. We just all feel it.' The shock comes from seeing her a few days ago at an intimate dinner she hosted - which she of course was the chef for the 'fun night' - at Soho House on June 9. 'I've seen [her] over all these years, not just on television competitions and shows, but at different parties and events and stuff, and we've always been friendly. 'But just in the last month we've been texting. I said, "Come to my dinner at Soho House, it'll be great to see you." And she brought her husband and we just had such a good time,' she shared about how the famous chefs reconnected. 'It was just so sweet. So this is just really so sudden and shocking.' Burrell even texted her the following day on June 10 to let her know that she and her husband, Stuart Claxton, had a great time. 'She's like, "Thanks so much for inviting us. It was a truly lovely time and very delicious. Please send me some pics so I can post." 'And I said, "It was so great to see you, Anne."' The pals even made a pact to 'talk more often.' 'We were like, "Let's just make a point of talking and texting more often,"' Falkner shared, while noting that she is 'very grateful' to have had a special night with the beloved chef and other guests last week. 'I'm just bummed. I feel like [our friendship] just got cut really short fast,' she added. The Worst Cooks in America alum spoke highly about being a mother. 'When she came to the dinner at Soho House, she said that she was very much enjoying being a stepmother,' Falkner said, referring to the star's stepson Javier, 20. 'And her husband's so sweet. She just seemed to be in such a good place. That's the best way for me to describe it. Because being a chef and being a television personality is two major full-time jobs, but enjoying your life outside of that can be challenging. And I think she was definitely enjoying her life outside of that whole world of the networks and all that stuff.' Burrell spoke exclusively with Daily Mail back in April about marital bliss. Her and Stuart got married in 2021 after meeting on a dating app in 2018. 'October will be four years,' she said at the City Harvest gala. 'It seems like it's been four minutes. I don't know if it's a honeymoon [phase], but I feel like it's settled into married life days which I really enjoy.' Falkner, who appeared on cooking shows like Iron Chef and Top Chef, recalled meeting Burrell's husband before they got married in 2021. 'I randomly saw her in Rome outside of a restaurant, and I was like, "Oh my God, that's Anne Burrell walking by!" And we said hey and stuff,' Falkner revealed, noting that she and Stuart were on a 'pre-wedding trip.' Describing her passing 'really unfortunate,' 'so sad,' 'unexpected' and even 'tragic,' Falkner believes Burrell's death is a huge loss to the restaurant community since everyone involved is 'another kind of family.' Falkner, herself, said that being a chef is a 'highly stressful job,' but it was something that Burrell mastered throughout her career. 'The thing about Anne Burrell is she wasn't only a TV chef, she was a really good, really good cook, really good chef. She educated a lot of people,' the James Beard Foundation's board of trustees member told Daily Mail. 'I don't even know how she had the patience to do Worst Cooks in America, because I think that would be a challenging show to do patience wise. But she was the real deal. She could cook a lot. She had mad skills. It was always fun watching her cook. I told her I loved watching her on House of Knives.' She added, 'She's one of those people that's kind of intimidating and certainly hardcore as chefs can be. I mean, you kind of have to be that way. It's the only way to teach people how to deal with ingredients and not to mess it up all the time. But she was definitely very sweet... She had a certain kind of sparkle.'
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Friend Of Food Network Star Anne Burrell Reveals Her Private Battle Before Tragic End
Anne Burrell's tragic passing at 55 has shaken the culinary world, and now, a close friend is opening up about the private struggles she faced behind the scenes. Celebrity chef Duff Goldman, one of Burrell's longtime Food Network colleagues, revealed that despite her upbeat public image, Anne had been quietly dealing with emotional challenges. His remarks come as new details emerge about the beloved chef's final days, adding depth to the heartbreak surrounding her untimely death. Goldman has shed light on the private pain Anne Burrell kept hidden before her tragic end. On Thursday, June 19, the 50-year-old took to Instagram with a picture of himself and the late chef, alongside a lengthy and emotional caption. "I've written and re-written this post so many times in the past 24 hours, and I just don't know what to say," he began. Goldman revealed that Burrell was going through a tough time back then, and he baked her a cake to lift her spirits. The words inscribed on the cake read, "Don't let the b*st*rds win." He noted that she "never did." The Food Network star recalled their complex relationship and mentioned how their last conversation before drifting apart was a passionate debate about catfish. "I believe the words' trash fish,' 'tastes like mud,' and 'cake boy' were used, haha," he wrote. Goldman admitted he never understood why they lost touch but always hoped Burrell was happy. The pastry chef recounted an unexpected moment a couple of years ago when he ran into her at a gala in New York City. "I was at a gala in NYC with my wife and my daughter, and I took Josephine out to the lobby to give her a break from sitting at a table listening to speeches. We were playing with the marble columns, and as we rounded one, we saw Anne," Goldman shared. The TV personality revealed that he and Burrell chatted after years of not speaking. Though he didn't share the specifics of their conversation, Goldman said it "left my heart lifted and full of light," making it clear the "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" star had found happiness and love. Goldman continued, describing Anne Burrell as someone who was "tough as they come," but beneath her armor, there was a "depth of compassion and kindness that was absolutely beautiful." He revealed that the "love and tranquility" the TV host seemingly found before her demise, alongside the genuine smile at him and his daughter at the lobby that day, brought him comfort and helped soften the pain of her loss. Ending his tribute, Goldman wrote, "Anne, wherever you are I hope they have slow moving rivers because when I get there, we'll get a couple of rods, a pint of chicken livers, and a sixer and I'll teach you how to catch and cook the best catfish you ever had." He signed off tenderly, "Rest up, chef." Anne Burrell was found dead in her Brooklyn home on the morning of June 17, 2025. Her husband, Stuart Claxton, discovered her unresponsive in the shower and called 911 to report a cardiac arrest. Emergency medical services arrived and pronounced her dead at the scene at approximately 7:50 a.m. According to the NYPD, Burrell was found unconscious and unresponsive, and investigators reportedly discovered a large quantity of unidentified pills near her body. The medical examiner has not yet released an official cause of death, and no foul play has been confirmed. Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances, including the presence of the pills, as part of a routine inquiry in such cases. Burrell's death shocked many, including her friend, Elizabeth Falkner, who revealed the chef was in decent shape. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Falkner stated, "I think Anne looks like she's in pretty decent shape these days, so it's kind of surprising to me. It's just really so sudden and shocking." Falkner went on to recall the last time she saw Burrell, which was a week before her demise at an intimate dinner party she hosted. "I said, 'Come to my dinner at Soho House, it'll be great to see you.' And she brought her husband, and we just had such a good time," she recalled. "It was just so sweet." Following the dinner, Falkner said she and Burrell had decided to stay in touch constantly. "We were like, 'Let's just make a point of talking and texting more often,'" Falkner shared. "I'm very grateful to have had that special night. I feel like [our friendship] just got cut really short fast."
Daily Mail
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Anne Burrell's friend talks 'complex relationship' with Food Network chef: 'She was going through some stuff'
Food Network star Anne Burrell has been fondly remembered by her friend and fellow chef Duff Goldman after she was discovered dead in her New York apartment. The Worst Cooks In America co-host was found 'unconscious and unresponsive' when law enforcement responded to a call 7.50 am this Tuesday, June 17. The New York Fire Department confirmed to Daily Mail that they were responding to a report of a cardiac arrest, and at present her cause of death is still being investigated by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. Now Goldman, whose Baltimore bakery Charm City Cakes was featured on the Food Network, has shared a testimonial to his late pal. 'I've written and re-written this post so many times in the past 24 hours and I just don't know what to say,' he wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of him with her. 'Anne and I became friends in probably 2006. She was going through some stuff and I had heard that she was feeling it so on a trip to NYC from Baltimore I had made her a cake that said 'Don't let the b******s win.' She never did,' he said proudly. 'We had a complex relationship and I remember the last conversation we had before our paths drifted was a pretty feisty debate about the merits of catfish. I believe the words 'trash fish,' 'tastes like mud,' and 'cake boy' were used, haha,' he shared. 'Anne and I always had a spirited and somewhat acerbic back and forth. I really never knew why our paths drifted but I always hoped that wherever she was, Anne was doing well and was finding some happiness.' While he was attending a New York City gala 'a year or two ago' with his wife Johnna Colbry and their daughter Josephine, four, Goldman saw Burrell again. Goldman explained that he 'took Josephine out to the lobby to give her a break from sitting at a table listening to speeches. We were playing with the marble columns and as we rounded one we saw Anne.' He recalled: 'Now, at this point we hadn't spoken in years, and I won't go into what we talked about but I will say that that conversation left my heart lifted and full of light, for it truly seemed to me that Anne really had found a measure of happiness and love.' Goldman opined: 'Life is tough, and we have to be tough to get through it. Anne was as tough as they come, but when you got past the armor there was a depth of compassion and kindness that was absolutely beautiful.' He gushed: 'My heart sings when I think of the love and tranquility that it seems Anne had found recently, and her genuine smile for my daughter and me in that lobby are what makes this tragedy just a little more bearable. 'Anne, wherever you are I hope they have slow moving rivers because when I get there, we'll get a couple of rods, a pint of chicken livers, and a sixer and I'll teach you how to catch and cook the best catfish you ever had. Rest up, chef.' Goldman's tribute comes after another one of Burrell's friends, chef Elizabeth Falkner, claimed that the late Food Network star was in 'pretty decent shape' when she last saw her on June 9 at dinner in New York City. In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail, Falkner, 59, revealed, 'I think Anne looks like she's in pretty decent shape these days, so it's kind of surprising to me.' Not being able to comment specifically on any health issues, if any, she might've battled before her death, she did find her passing 'so sudden and shocking.' 'I know it is very personal to me what happened, and I can't believe somebody even younger than me has just passed away. It's close to home for all of us,' she said. 'The culinary family is like family, so this hurts a lot of us. We just all feel it.' The shock comes from seeing her a few days ago at an intimate dinner she hosted - which she of course was the chef for the 'fun night' - at Soho House on June 9. 'I've seen [her] over all these years, not just on television competitions and shows, but at different parties and events and stuff, and we've always been friendly. 'But just in the last month we've been texting. I said, "Come to my dinner at Soho House, it'll be great to see you." And she brought her husband and we just had such a good time,' she shared about how the famous chefs reconnected. Falkner paid tribute to Anne on her Instagram after hearing about the shocking news 'It was just so sweet. So this is just really so sudden and shocking.' Burrell even texted her the following day on June 10 to let her know that she and her husband, Stuart Claxton, had a great time. 'She's like, "Thanks so much for inviting us. It was a truly lovely time and very delicious. Please send me some pics so I can post." 'And I said, "It was so great to see you, Anne."' The pals even made a pact to 'talk more often.' 'We were like, "Let's just make a point of talking and texting more often,"' Falkner shared, while noting that she is 'very grateful' to have had a special night with the beloved chef and other guests last week. 'I'm just bummed. I feel like [our friendship] just got cut really short fast,' she added. The Worst Cooks in America alum spoke highly about being a mother. 'When she came to the dinner at Soho House, she said that she was very much enjoying being a stepmother,' Falkner said, referring to the star's stepson Javier, 20. 'And her husband's so sweet. She just seemed to be in such a good place. That's the best way for me to describe it. Because being a chef and being a television personality is two major full-time jobs, but enjoying your life outside of that can be challenging. And I think she was definitely enjoying her life outside of that whole world of the networks and all that stuff.' Burrell spoke exclusively with Daily Mail back in April about marital bliss. Her and Stuart got married in 2021 after meeting on a dating app in 2018. 'October will be four years,' she said at the City Harvest gala. 'It seems like it's been four minutes. I don't know if it's a honeymoon [phase], but I feel like it's settled into married life days which I really enjoy.' Falkner told Daily Mail, 'I'm just bummed. I feel like [our friendship] just got cut really short fast' (pictured is an exclusive photo of Falkner with her pal at Burrell's former Brooklyn restaurant, Phil And Anne's Good Time Lounge, shared with Daily Mail) Falkner, who appeared on cooking shows like Iron Chef and Top Chef, recalled meeting Burrell's husband before they got married in 2021. 'I randomly saw her in Rome outside of a restaurant, and I was like, "Oh my God, that's Anne Burrell walking by!" And we said hey and stuff,' Falkner revealed, noting that she and Stuart were on a 'pre-wedding trip.' Describing her passing 'really unfortunate,' 'so sad,' 'unexpected' and even 'tragic,' Falkner believes Burrell's death is a huge loss to the restaurant community since everyone involved is 'another kind of family.' Falkner, herself, said that being a chef is a 'highly stressful job,' but it was something that Burrell mastered throughout her career. 'The thing about Anne Burrell is she wasn't only a TV chef, she was a really good, really good cook, really good chef. She educated a lot of people,' the James Beard Foundation's board of trustees member told Daily Mail. 'I don't even know how she had the patience to do Worst Cooks in America, because I think that would be a challenging show to do patience wise. But she was the real deal. She could cook a lot. She had mad skills. It was always fun watching her cook. I told her I loved watching her on House of Knives.' She added, 'She's one of those people that's kind of intimidating and certainly hardcore as chefs can be. I mean, you kind of have to be that way. It's the only way to teach people how to deal with ingredients and not to mess it up all the time. But she was definitely very sweet... She had a certain kind of sparkle.'
