Anne Burrell's Friends Left 'Puzzled' Over TV Chef's Death After It Was Ruled a Suicide and Insist She Was 'Not In The Gutter' — 'Who Knows What Happened'
Anne Burrell's cause of death has her friends in disbelief.
Aug. 4 2025, Published 7:45 p.m. ET
Anne Burrell's death continues to rock her industry, with her close pals still in shock over the TV chef's cause of death, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The popular Food Network star's death was ruled a suicide due to acute intoxication from a combination of drugs.
'She Was Not A Downer'
Burrell was said to be 'having the time of her life' just hours before her death.
According to sources close to Burrell, the TV star appeared happy just hours before her death.
"She looked like she was having the time of her life at Improv," the insider said. "Who knows what happened after that. It’s all sort of puzzling. She lived life. She was not a downer – she lived.
"For her, every day was a party in Anne’s world. She lived every day. Everyone was shocked. There was no one that was like, 'the last time I saw Anne, she was in the gutter.'"
The source added: "For it to be the night of the performance [doesn’t make sense]. She nailed it. She was on Cloud 9. She couldn’t wait for it. It was such a moment," referring to Burrell's improv performance, a new hobby she had been open about.
The TV chef was known to party hard, but her pals recalled the TV chef 'having so much fun.'
Burrell's death was confirmed by her family on June 17, after she was found dead in her Brooklyn home. At the time, the New York City Police Department reportedly said officers from the 76th Precinct responded to "an unconscious and unresponsive 55-year-old female" at about 7:50 a.m.
While it is unknown if Burrell had a prescription for an amphetamine-based medication or if she had taken a street drug containing the stimulant, her body was found "surrounded by approximately (100) assorted pills."
However, the Worst Cooks in America star's friends made clear Burrell wanted to live her life.
The Food Network star was found dead in her Brooklyn home with pills surrounding her.
"She was having so much fun with this group of new friends," the insider noted. "Anne just loved making friends. She put herself out there. Everywhere she goes, she’d make friends. She loved the party, she loved being around people, she loved entertaining."
Phil Casaceli, who ran a restaurant with Burrell for almost a year, also revealed just how hard he was hit by news of her death.
He recalled: "I was like, 'No way. I don’t believe it.' It doesn’t all make sense. She goes out, she has a great night. I don’t believe it. That [the drugs] with alcohol – to me, it just seems like an accidental thing. To me, it just doesn’t add up. She was always smiling."
While one insider pondered if Burrell had made the fatal decision while not sober.
A Tribute Fail
Burrell's death was ruled a suicide.
"Maybe she never thought about it [suicide] before, and decided to take all the pills in the cabinet [that night]," the source theorized.
Food Network has tried its best to pay tribute to its most popular star, but its effort during the premiere of Burrell's final season on Worst Cooks in America didn't go well, after only mentioning her during the last few seconds of the premiere episode.
"How could you even start this show without even acknowledging Anne Burrell's passing?" one questioned at the time. "I am shocked."
Another added: "Out of respect for Anne, that 'tribute' should have been at the BEGINNING and at the end of the premiere of this season."
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Burrell co-hosted the season alongside fellow chef Gabe Bertaccini, who previously gushed: "She really cared, and she always found time for everybody."
