Originally appeared on E! Online
More details are coming to light surrounding Anne Burrell’s shocking death.
Days after the Food Network host was found dead at her New York home on June 17, the New York City Police Department is investigating the 55-year-old’s death, per an internal document obtained by The New York Times, as a possible drug overdose.
According to the document, the late chef was “discovered in the shower unconscious and unresponsive surrounded by approximately 100 assorted pills,” after which emergency medical workers pronounced her dead at the scene.
And while the outlet also confirmed that an autopsy has been completed, per the city medical examiner’s office, findings regarding Burrell’s cause of death are still pending.
Hours after the tragic news broke, the New York City Fire Department told E! News that authorities had received a 911 call that suggested she had gone into cardiac arrest.
Police also confirmed to NBC News that they were called to an address in Brooklyn—one matching Burrell’s personal information — in the early hours of June 27 after receiving a call about “an unconscious and unresponsive 55-year-old female.”
READ Anne Burrell Death Investigation: 911 Call Indicated Possible Cardiac Arrest
Following her death, the Worst Cooks in America host’s family, which included her husband Stuart Claxton, paid a heartfelt tribute to the TV star.
“Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend—her smile lit up every room she entered,” her family said in a statement shared with E!. “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.”
Meanwhile, friends and colleagues — including Gigi Hadid, Duff Goldman and Bobby Flay — took to social media to express their own heartbreak.
“I am heartbroken to hear of the loss of the Great Anne Burrell,” Hadid wrote alongside a photo from her and Birrell’s 2022 joint TV appearance on Beat Bobby Flay. “As a longtime fan, getting to share this day with her was a dream come true.”
For his part, the Ace of Cakes star reflected on his “complex” relationship with his fellow chef.
“Anne and I became friends in probably 2006,” Goldman wrote on Instagram June 19 alongside a photo of himself with Burrell. “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 bastards win.’ She never did.”
“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,” he continued. “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.”
PHOTOS Anne Burrell
