Anthony Bourdain had two marriages during his lifetime: he married his high-school sweetheart Nancy Putkoski in 1985, and later married Ottavia Busia in 2007. He and Busia had a daughter, Ariane, before separating in 2016. After that separation, Bourdain entered a relationship with Italian actress and filmmaker Asia Argento, which continued until his death in France on June 8, 2018.
Introduction
Anthony Bourdain’s relationships were an important but often complicated part of the life of the chef, author and television host who became one of the world’s most recognizable food and travel storytellers.
Bourdain was married twice. His first marriage was to Nancy Putkoski, his high-school sweetheart, and lasted roughly two decades before ending in divorce in 2005. He later married Ottavia Busia in 2007, and the couple welcomed their daughter, Ariane, that same year. Bourdain and Busia separated in 2016 after nearly a decade together.
Following the breakdown of his second marriage, Bourdain became romantically involved with Italian actress and filmmaker Asia Argento. Their relationship became highly visible as Bourdain’s television career reached another peak, particularly through his CNN series Parts Unknown. Argento was Bourdain’s partner at the time of his death in France on June 8, 2018.
The story of Anthony Bourdain’s relationships cannot be separated entirely from his career. His marriages, fatherhood, demanding travel schedule and later relationships all unfolded alongside an increasingly global public profile.
What Happened?
Anthony Bourdain’s romantic history can broadly be divided into three major chapters: his long marriage to Nancy Putkoski, his marriage and family life with Ottavia Busia, and his final relationship with Asia Argento.
Nancy Putkoski: Bourdain’s First Wife
Nancy Putkoski was Bourdain’s high-school sweetheart.
The relationship began before Bourdain became famous. During his teenage years at Dwight-Englewood School in New Jersey, Bourdain became close to Putkoski. Later biographical accounts describe her as an important influence during his youth.
The couple eventually married in 1985.
At that point, Bourdain was still building his career in professional kitchens. His fame was still years away. His later memoir Kitchen Confidential would transform his public identity, but the marriage to Putkoski began well before that breakthrough.
Bourdain and Putkoski remained married for approximately two decades.
Their relationship eventually ended in divorce in 2005. Biographical accounts have connected the breakdown of the marriage with Bourdain’s increasingly demanding career and extensive travel, although it is important not to reduce a private marriage to a single publicly documented cause.
Ottavia Busia: Bourdain’s Second Wife
Bourdain’s second major marriage was to Ottavia Busia.
Busia was involved in martial arts and became particularly known for her Brazilian jiu-jitsu training. The couple met through New York’s restaurant world. A New Yorker profile later described how Eric Ripert helped introduce them, and the relationship developed quickly.
Bourdain and Busia married on April 20, 2007.
Their relationship was very different from Bourdain’s first marriage because it unfolded during his period of growing international fame.
Bourdain was already becoming a prominent author and television personality. His travel programs required him to spend enormous amounts of time outside the United States.
The couple also became parents.
Their daughter, Ariane, was born in April 2007. Bourdain’s relationship with his daughter became one of the most important parts of his personal life. Later accounts describe him as deeply involved in her upbringing and interested in passing on his love of food, travel and adventure.
Anthony Bourdain and Ottavia Busia’s “Unconventional” Marriage
Bourdain and Busia did not have what would traditionally be considered a conventional celebrity marriage.
His television work required extensive international travel, sometimes keeping him away from home for long periods.
Busia acknowledged the unusual nature of their relationship when their separation became public in 2016. She said that professional decisions made by both of them had resulted in an unconventional relationship, while also emphasizing that they loved and respected each other and would continue to consider themselves a family.
This is an important part of understanding their separation.
When reports of their split emerged in September 2016, contemporary coverage did not portray it as a bitter public feud. Bourdain’s representative confirmed the separation, while Busia described their relationship in relatively positive terms.
The couple had already been living somewhat separate lives because of their professional commitments.
Anthony Bourdain and His Daughter Ariane
Ariane was Bourdain’s only child.
She was born in 2007, the same year Bourdain married Busia.
Bourdain frequently discussed fatherhood in interviews and profiles, and later accounts have described the importance of his relationship with Ariane. He reportedly enjoyed preparing food for her and introducing her to different experiences.
Ariane also became involved in Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a child, following an interest shared by both parents. People reported that she began training at a young age and that the sport became one of the ways she connected with her parents.
After Bourdain’s death in 2018, Ariane remained largely out of the public spotlight.
That privacy has been respected by many of the people who have written about Bourdain’s life, although memories of their father-daughter relationship have appeared in biographies and retrospective reporting.
When Did Anthony Bourdain and Ottavia Busia Separate?
Bourdain and Busia separated in 2016 after approximately nine years of marriage.
The separation was publicly confirmed in September 2016.
At the time, reports emphasized that their professional commitments played a major role in creating an unconventional family arrangement. Busia said the two still loved and respected each other and would remain a family.
There is an important distinction between separation and divorce in contemporary reporting.
Some later biographies describe their marriage as ending in divorce, while the public announcement in 2016 centered on their separation. The most consistently documented fact is that they were no longer living as a conventional married couple by 2016.
Bourdain’s later relationship with Asia Argento began during this period.
Asia Argento: Anthony Bourdain’s Final Partner
Asia Argento was an Italian actress and filmmaker whom Bourdain met while filming an episode of Parts Unknown in Rome.
Their relationship developed in 2016, following Bourdain’s separation from Busia.
Argento appeared in Bourdain’s professional world as well as his personal life. Their connection became increasingly public in 2017, and contemporary coverage described them as a couple.
The relationship attracted substantial attention because both were internationally recognizable figures.
Bourdain was known for his travel journalism, food writing and television work, while Argento was an established Italian actress and filmmaker.
Their relationship also became significant during the period when Argento publicly discussed allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein.
Bourdain was publicly supportive of Argento during that period. Their relationship was therefore taking place against a highly consequential cultural and professional backdrop.
Bourdain and Argento’s Relationship in His Final Years
Bourdain’s relationship with Argento continued through the final years of his life.
Later accounts, including the 2021 oral biography Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography, examined the intensity and complexity of their relationship through interviews with friends, colleagues and people who knew Bourdain. Vanity Fair’s reporting on the biography described their relationship as deeply significant to Bourdain during the final period of his life.
However, later accounts contain interpretations and recollections from individuals rather than a complete public record of the couple’s private life.
For that reason, claims about exactly what happened between Bourdain and Argento in the final days of his life should be treated carefully.
It is established that they were romantically involved. It is also established that Argento was his partner when he died. More detailed claims about their private conversations and the precise state of their relationship immediately before his death are based on later reporting, recollections and published accounts rather than a complete public record.
Anthony Bourdain’s Death in 2018
Bourdain died on June 8, 2018, while in France working on Parts Unknown.
He was 61.
CNN, Bourdain’s television network, announced his death and reported that he had died by suicide. His death shocked the culinary, television and travel worlds.
Argento issued a public statement mourning Bourdain and describing him as her love and a deeply important person in her life.
Bourdain was found dead in his hotel room in Kaysersberg, France, while working on an episode of Parts Unknown. Contemporary and subsequent biographical sources have consistently documented the circumstances as a suicide.
His death also brought renewed public attention to his relationships, especially his connection with Argento.
However, it is important not to assume that a romantic relationship explains an individual’s suicide. Mental health, personal circumstances and suicide are complex subjects, and retrospective speculation should not be presented as established causation.
Key Details About Anthony Bourdain’s Relationships
- First wife: Nancy Putkoski.
- Marriage to Putkoski: 1985.
- Divorce from Putkoski: 2005.
- Second wife: Ottavia Busia.
- Marriage to Busia: April 20, 2007.
- Child: Daughter Ariane, born in April 2007.
- Separation from Busia: Publicly confirmed in September 2016.
- Later partner: Italian actress and filmmaker Asia Argento.
- Relationship with Argento: Began in 2016 and was publicly established by 2017.
- Death: June 8, 2018, in France.
- Age at death: 61.
Background: How Bourdain’s Career Affected His Personal Life
Bourdain’s professional transformation was extraordinary.
He went from working in restaurant kitchens to becoming an internationally recognized author and television host. His 2000 book Kitchen Confidential made him a literary and culinary celebrity, while programs such as No Reservations and Parts Unknown transformed him into a global travel storyteller.
But the career also required extraordinary mobility.
Bourdain spent significant amounts of time traveling around the world for television production. That schedule affected his family life and became particularly relevant during his marriage to Busia.
Busia’s own career and interests also meant that both partners had demanding lives.
Their decision to maintain an unconventional family arrangement illustrates a recurring theme in Bourdain’s personal story: his professional life was unusually consuming.
What Officials and Organizations Said
There was no single official explanation for the end of Bourdain’s marriages.
When his separation from Busia became public in 2016, Bourdain’s representative confirmed the split, while Busia publicly emphasized that the relationship remained respectful and that they would continue to consider themselves a family.
After Bourdain’s death, CNN announced the news and described the circumstances as suicide. Argento subsequently released a statement mourning him and asking for privacy.
Later biographies and documentaries have provided additional personal accounts, but they should be distinguished from direct statements made by Bourdain or his family.
Why Anthony Bourdain’s Relationships Matter
Bourdain’s relationships provide useful context for understanding the person behind his public image.
His first marriage began before fame. His second marriage coincided with his transformation into an international television star. Fatherhood became another major part of his identity, while his final relationship unfolded during a period when he had become one of the most recognizable figures in food and travel television.
His story also demonstrates the tension between a demanding creative career and family responsibilities.
Bourdain’s work required him to spend long periods away from home. His relationship with Busia evolved around that reality, and his role as a father required him to navigate the same challenge.
Rather than presenting his relationships as a simple celebrity timeline, the available evidence shows a more complicated picture: long-term relationships, changing professional demands, parenthood, separation and a final partnership that became part of his public legacy.
What Happens Next?
There is no new personal development involving Anthony Bourdain himself because he died in 2018.
Interest in his relationships continues through biographies, documentaries, archival interviews and renewed public interest in his work.
A recent example is Tony, an A24 film inspired by Bourdain’s early life and memoir. Vanity Fair noted that the film is a fictionalized interpretation rather than a conventional factual biography, meaning scenes involving relationships should not automatically be treated as historical records.
For readers researching Bourdain’s personal life, the safest approach is to distinguish between documented events—his two marriages, his daughter and his relationship with Argento—and later dramatizations or interpretations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many times was Anthony Bourdain married?
Anthony Bourdain was married twice. His first wife was Nancy Putkoski, whom he married in 1985, and his second wife was Ottavia Busia, whom he married in 2007.
Who was Anthony Bourdain’s first wife?
His first wife was Nancy Putkoski, his high-school sweetheart. They married in 1985 and divorced in 2005 after approximately 20 years of marriage.
Who was Anthony Bourdain’s second wife?
Anthony Bourdain’s second wife was Ottavia Busia, a martial artist known for Brazilian jiu-jitsu. They married in April 2007 and had one daughter, Ariane.
Did Anthony Bourdain have children?
Yes. Bourdain had one child, his daughter Ariane, with Ottavia Busia. Ariane was born in April 2007.
Who was Anthony Bourdain dating when he died?
Bourdain was in a relationship with Italian actress and filmmaker Asia Argento when he died in June 2018. The two had met while filming Parts Unknown in Rome and began their romantic relationship in 2016.
When did Anthony Bourdain and Ottavia Busia separate?
Bourdain and Busia publicly confirmed their separation in September 2016 after approximately nine years of marriage. Busia described their relationship as unconventional because of the professional decisions and lifestyles of both partners.
Was Anthony Bourdain married to Asia Argento?
No. Asia Argento was Bourdain’s romantic partner, but they were not married. Their relationship began after his separation from Ottavia Busia and continued until Bourdain’s death in 2018.
What happened to Anthony Bourdain?
Anthony Bourdain died by suicide on June 8, 2018, at the age of 61, while working in France on Parts Unknown. His death was announced by CNN, and his passing prompted worldwide tributes from the culinary, television and travel communities.
Sources of the Content
- Biography.com — Biographical information covering Bourdain’s marriages, family and career.
- CBS News / Associated Press — Contemporary reporting on Bourdain and Ottavia Busia’s 2016 separation.
- UPI — 2016 reporting on the separation and Busia’s comments about their unconventional relationship.
- The New Yorker — Profile of Bourdain and Busia’s relationship and family life.
- People — Reporting on Bourdain’s daughter Ariane and her relationship with her father.
- Vanity Fair — Retrospective reporting on Bourdain and Asia Argento and later biographical accounts.
- ITV News — Contemporary reporting on Argento’s response following Bourdain’s death.
- EBSCO / Biography reference — Background on Bourdain’s marriages, relationship with Argento and death in France.
Fact-checking note: Bourdain’s private relationships have generated substantial retrospective reporting and speculation. This article relies on documented relationships and contemporary statements and avoids presenting unverified claims about the precise reasons for his divorces or the private circumstances surrounding the final days of his relationship with Asia Argento as established facts.
