On June 8th, the world was shocked to hear the news that Anthony Bourdain had taken his own life, passing away at the age of 61. He was found unresponsive in a hotel room in France and, once the news spread, there were plenty of people coming forward to mourn his loss and celebrate his life.
There were tributes from various celebrities, including Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Josh Homme, and Barack Obama. In addition to this, there were the less well-known out there who were nonetheless deeply affected by Bourdain - such as the restaurant owner who revealed how the celebrity chef had turned his life around at a pivotal moment.
However, there were few tributes as heartbreaking as the one shared by his partner, Asia Argento. The Italian actress and director had been dating Bourdain for two years at the time of his death, after meeting through his show.
Argento shared a statement on the tragedy soon after his passing, which read:
"Anthony gave all of himself in everything that he did. His brilliant, fearless spirit touched and inspired so many, and his generosity knew no bounds. He was my love, my rock, my protector.
"I am beyond devastated. My thoughts are with this family. I would ask that you respect their privacy and mine."
In the past, Bourdain has spoken about how Argento completely changed his life, and opened his eyes to the struggles that women all over the world experience each day.
This was exemplified in the #MeToo and Time's Up movements, of which Argento was a figurehead - with Bourdain supporting her every step of the way.
Argento gave a powerful speech at the Cannes Film Festival this year, in which she spoke about the time she was sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein, calling out members of the audience that covered up for his crimes and still need to be "held accountable for their conduct".
Bourdain shared his partner's speech, referring to it as a "dropping a tactical nuke into the ceremony" and leaving the audience "stunned, deeply uncomfortable".
Now, Argento has shared a photo of the pair, which was taken on 27 May, just 12 days before her partner died.
Displaying the two of them in a red open-top convertible, in Florence, Italy, she also included a heartfelt quotation from Dante's The Divine Comedy.
The translation of the quote reads:
"There is no greater sorrow than to be mindful of the happy time in misery, and that thy Teacher knows.
"But, if to recognise the earliest root of love in us thou hast so great desire, I will do even as he who weeps and speaks."
Argento has previously shared photos of the time she has spent with Bourdain, some of which are truly heartbreaking to see, knowing what eventually came to be.
She also travelled with Bourdain during the filming of his show, Parts Unknown.
As well as Argento, and his legions of fans, Bourdain is survived by his 11-year-old daughter, Ariana.
