Anne Burrell left a suicide note dated the morning of her death, a new police report has revealed.
The New York City Police Department confirmed to People that the note was left in the master bedroom of Burrell’s Brooklyn, New York, home and was discovered by investigators after her death on June 17, 2025.
Investigators also found several more “suicide” diary entries on the bed in the same room, according to the police report.
The Food Network chef was found unconscious in his home around 7:50 a.m., an NYPD spokesperson told Page Six at the time.
Emergency services quickly arrived at the scene and pronounced her dead. She was 55 years old.
Two days after Burrell’s death, sources confirmed to the Post that her husband, Stuart Claxton, discovered her body on the shower floor.
Officials said she was found unconscious next to dozens of pills, but added that it was too early to speculate whether the pills played any role in her death.
On June 20, 2025, the New York City Police Department told Page Six that the “America’s Worst Cooks” star’s death is being investigated as a possible drug overdose.
A month later, it was revealed that Burrell had died by suicide.
Her death was determined to be “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine,” according to the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office.
Diphenhydramine and cetirizine are antihistamines, and ethanol is a compound found in alcohol. Amphetamines are often used to treat ADHD.
In her last photo posted on Instagram five days before her death, Burrell appeared happy and healthy.
Burrell’s fellow Food Network star Melba Wilson also told TMZ that he was “in good spirits,” claiming he was “healthy and full of life” before he “died of shock.”
“It’s a shock to wake up yesterday or yesterday to hear that she’s no longer with us. It’s shocking. It’s unbelievable to know that someone so vibrant is no longer with us,” Wilson added.
“That’s why this is such a shock to us. She was healthy, vibrant and beautiful,” Wilson said.
But Burrell’s friends painted a different picture to Page Six, saying they knew the star was “going through a hard time.”
“I know she was struggling. She used to be on TV and was on her way to becoming a celebrity TV chef,” a friend said days after her death.
“She was famous and worked on the food and wine circuit. She was busy and I felt like she wasn’t completely happy,” the friend added. “People with big personalities can hide things.”
Despite her extraordinary personality that fans saw on TV, Burrell’s friends said that she suffered from loneliness and fear of addiction because “she grew up in an alcoholic situation.”
“Like the rest of us, she had her demons… She didn’t really accept me.[As a TV star]you have a lot of great moments. In private, you’re going to be disappointed.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
