Ariane Bourdain Wiki: Facts on the Late Anthony Bourdain’s Daughter

It’s no surprise that people are in shock to hear of the sudden passing of one of the greats in both the journalism and culinary worlds: Anthony Bourdain. But it’s likely no one is in greater mourning than Anthony Bourdain’s daughter, Ariane Bourdain. Our Ariane Bourdain wiki endeavors to get to know the celebrity chef-journalist’s young daughter a little more.

Ariane Bourdain Has Lost Her Father at a Young Age

Some believe there’s a suicide pandemic in Hollywood lately, as the list of high-profile celebrities who have taken their own lives continues to grow. The latest name to be added is America’s favorite traveling journalist and food-lover, Anthony Bourdain.

It has been reported that Bourdain was found unresponsive in his hotel room in France while working on an upcoming episode of his hit series, Parts Unknown. Multiple sources are claiming it to be an apparent suicide.

Naturally, one of the first people to come to mind upon hearing the news is his daughter, Ariane Bourdain, who is only 11 years old.

It’s never easy to lose a parent, but at Ariane Bourdain’s age, it would be terribly hard. In fact, until seeing Ariane Bourdain’s photos or hearing that Bourdain was going to be a father at 50, many were unaware he even had a daughter!

She’s Anthony Bourdain & Ottavia Busia’s Daughter

Anthony Bourdain himself never imagined he’d be a father at 50, but life had other plans. In fact, he wasn’t too sure he’d ever have children, period!

He met Ottavia Busia while she was working at a restaurant and he was doing what he did best—traveling the world.

They were married in 2007. Although they divorced in 2016, the two produced a daughter who Anthony Bourdain loved dearly.

“I guess my whole life, as much as I might have wanted a child for the reason that everybody wants one, I always recognized that at no point until I was 50 was I old enough or up to the job,” he said in 2016.

Bourdain added, “I thought, you know what, I not only really want a child, but at this point, finally in my life, I think I’m up to the job and I’m the type of person who could do the job well and I’m financially prepared to look after a child.”

He was said to be an amazing father to Ariane.

A Shared Culinary Passion

Ariane was his pride and joy, and he wasn’t afraid to gush about her in interviews.

He explained how Ariane loved to cook, a passion they both shared. He revealed that she loved to make ratatouille (a stewed vegetable dish and a staple in French cuisine) because she loved the rat in the hit Pixar film of the same name.

“She also gets to use a knife, which fills me with terror but makes her very happy,” he joked.

Bourdain went on to explain that he believes teaching kids to cook early is best, as all teenagers should know how to feed themselves. That, and cooking with his daughter saw many great bonding moments for the two of them.

He joked that his tastes quickly evolved to that of his daughter’s when he realized how fussy kids could be. He said that sometimes he’d try to sneak a little cumin inside of Ariane’s macaroni and cheese. But she did not like it, and she wasn’t afraid to offend her dad by letting him know!

Bourdain said, “It’s impossible to try and get a kid to eat something outside of their comfort zone!”

He explained that he would often try and eat really interesting foods around her and would wait for her to show interest.

“Let her eat her mac and cheese or pasta with butter, sooner or later they come around,” he said.

He believed that if it looked appetizing or smelled good, Ariane would try it. But he added that kids have to find out for themselves. He certainly didn’t want to be one of those parents who forced his kid to eat something she didn’t want to.

Another strategy he found that worked great was saying, “This is for grown-ups, honey, I don’t think you’ll like this.”

Worked every time!

Out of the Public Eye

She was being raised outside of the public eye, which is why you won’t find too many of Ariane Bourdain’s pics. And in case you were looking for an official Ariane Bourdain Instagram account, she does not have one…remember, she’s only 11.

In fact, her parents made a point of shielding her from the public even on their own respective Instagram accounts. Any photos they posted of her do not show her face.

Reports say that Ariane was extremely close to both her mother and father. Even though her parents were no longer together, their decision to split was mutual.

Bourdain told People in 2016 that his separation from Ariane’s mother was a friendly one. He explained that he and Busia got along really, really well and that they had been living separate lives for years before they decided to call it quits. But they didn’t let their split come in the way of their daughter’s happiness or affect her negatively.

“You know, this is a girl who knows her parents are weird,” Bourdain added. “We have somehow managed to raise a very healthy, very happy, self-assured little girl who knows she’s loved, who finds her parents entertaining.”

Now, with her father’s passing, many are curious to know if she will inherit her father’s fortune from his success and if Ariane Bourdain’s net worth will see an increase. She should presumably inherit millions, as her father was one of the most successful and recognized figures in journalism and culinary TV. So, it’s easy to assume that she will be well taken care of in the future.

According to Anthony Bourdain, nothing made him happier than cooking side by side with Ariane. And we’re confident that nothing made Ariane Bourdain happier, either.

Update: Anthony Bourdain Leaves the Bulk of His Estate to Ariane

According to the filing made on Thursday, July 5, in the Manhattan Surrogate’s Court, the bulk of Anthony Bourdain’s estate, which reports are estimating at $1.2 million, will go to his daughter. (Reports had originally estimated his fortune in the ballpark of $16.0 million, but sources now those reports were inaccurate.)

At this time, because Ariane is only 11-year-old, a guardian has been chosen to safeguard her inheritance until she is no longer a minor.

Reports indicate that Bourdain had holdings that included $425,000 in savings and cash; $500,000 in “intangible property, including royalties and residuals;” $250,000 in personal property; and $35,000 in a brokerage account. However, the filing also included the mortgage of an unspecified property (reportedly worth $1.0 million), which sources believe might be the condo in Manhattan he purchased in 2014.

Bourdain listed Ottavia Busia as the executor of his estate. According to Page Six, who first obtained the documents, he left all “personal and household effects” to Busia, which she can “dispose of in accordance with what (she) believes to have been my wishes.”