New details have emerged about the death of chef Anne Burrell, who died in June 2025 at age 55.
According to a New York Police Department report obtained by PEOPLE, investigators discovered a “suicidal note” in the primary bedroom of Burrell’s Brooklyn home following her death on June 17, 2025. The report also states that “suicidal” journal entries were found on the bed in the same room.
Police said that in the early morning hours of June 17, a redacted individual described as “married to Anne” — an apparent reference to her husband, Stuart Claxton — noticed that their bed was made, which he reportedly told authorities was unusual. Claxton then found Burrell on the bathroom floor with numerous over-the-counter pills scattered nearby.
According to the report, he attempted to wake her by shaking her and slapping her face before calling 911 when she did not respond.
Claxton told police that Burrell had never previously attempted suicide and had never spoken about it. He also said she had not shown any signs that she would harm herself, according to the report.
Emergency responders were dispatched at 7:50 a.m. local time after a 911 caller expressed concern that Burrell had suffered cardiac arrest, according to a New York City Fire Department report obtained by PEOPLE. EMS pronounced her dead at the scene. An NYPD spokesperson previously confirmed she was found “unconscious and unresponsive.”
In July 2025, the New York City medical examiner ruled Burrell’s death a suicide. The cause was determined to be acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine and amphetamine. Diphenhydramine and cetirizine are antihistamines, ethanol is found in alcohol, and amphetamine is commonly prescribed to treat ADHD.
Earlier reporting from The New York Times, citing an internal NYPD document, stated that Burrell was discovered unconscious in the shower surrounded by approximately 100 assorted pills.
Representatives for the longtime Worst Cooks in America host confirmed her death in a statement obtained by PEOPLE on June 17. Burrell met Claxton on the dating app Bumble in 2018, and the couple married on Oct. 16, 2021.
She is survived by Claxton and his son, Javier, as well as her mother, Marlene; her sister, Jane, and Jane’s children, Isabella, Amelia and Nicolas; and her brother, Ben.
Anne Burrell was an American chef, television personality and bestselling cookbook author known for her bold personality, spiky platinum hair and passion for teaching home cooks.
Born on September 21, 1969, in Cazenovia, New York, Burrell developed a love for cooking at a young age, inspired by her mother’s home meals and Julia Child’s television programs. She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and later studied at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in Asti, Italy, refining her expertise in Italian cuisine.
Burrell worked in several high-profile New York City restaurants before transitioning to television. She became a Food Network star through shows such as Secrets of a Restaurant Chef and, most notably, as the longtime host of Worst Cooks in America, where she mentored struggling cooks with humor and tough love.
In addition to her TV career, she authored cookbooks including Cook Like a Rock Star. Known for her energetic teaching style and culinary skill, Burrell became one of Food Network’s most recognizable personalities.