Eight things we learned from Anthony Bourdain's powerful final interview

The chef discussed his daughter and his girlfriend Asia Argento in his final interview

Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain was an opinionated man of wide-ranging interests - many of which he touched on in his final interview, published posthumously.

In the tell-all, two-and-a-half-hour interview with Popula before his death by suicide on June 8, Bourdain discussed everything from his thoughts on luxury, to his opinions on the New York Times op-ed section.

Although the outspoken chef shared details of his life throughout his career, both in his books and on television as the host of Parts Unknown, there was still a significant amount his fans didn’t, and will never, know about the beloved chef.

These are eight things we learned about Anthony Bourdain from his final interview.

His taste for expensive things was extremely limited

As a successful celebrity chef, Bourdain could easily have lived in the finest homes money could buy - but the idea never appealed to him.

Although he made exceptions for “expensive plumbing” and the occasional nice hotel room, Bourdain knew that a perfect house wouldn’t make him happy - it would instead make him “sad, and terrified.”

With fears of cleaning out gutters and being stuck in one place, the well-travelled chef saw something unappealing about committing to just one house - no matter how nice.

He gave away all the royalties from his New York Times-bestselling book

Bourdain made a name for himself with his memoir Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, where he openly described what goes on in the kitchens of well-known restaurants - the good and the bad.

However, Bourdain revealed that he chose to give away his profits from the success of the book - to “various, deserving people.”

The chef declined to say to who - simply stating that he'd "gotten enough out of that book."

He was in love with his girlfriend, Asia Argento

Throughout the interview, Bourdain referenced his Italian actress girlfriend of two years often.

In addition to admitting that he was in love, he discussed Argento’s views as they aligned with his own - referring to her thoughts on the boringness of early retirement and her strength in coming forward as a Harvey Weinstein accuser.

He hated the New York Times opinion section

A lengthy portion of Bourdain’s final interview was comprised of his thoughts on the New York Times op-ed page - which were less than favourable.

“It’s the f*ckin’ worst,” he said before elaborating on the writers he had the most issue with.

Bourdain’s views extended to comparing one column to “watching your grandparents breakdance naked.”

What he views are the differences between Italian parenting and American parenting

Bourdain, who had an 11-year-old daughter with former wife Ottavia Busia, said “her mama… her mum is awesome,” before revealing Busia’s parenting technique.

According to Bourdain, American parenting is warning your child “don’t go near the window, it’s dangerous, you might get hurt.”

In comparison, “Italian parenting is saying, ‘Don’t go near the window, you’ll fall out the window, you’ll break your neck, you’ll die, and you’ll never see your parents again.’”

He doesn’t think Bill Clinton should have been thrown out of office for the cheating scandal

Prior to his death, Bourdain was an outspoken supporter and advocate of the #MeToo movement.

But despite own feminist views, Bourdain was adamant that Bill Clinton’s removal would have been wrong.

Although he described the former president as “a piece of s**t, entitled, rapey, gropey, grabby and disgusting," and acknowledged that he would never vote for him again, the late chef said that “impeaching the guy over Lewinsky was ridiculous.

“It was the shaming, discrediting, undermining the woman that made both of them unsuitable for any future endeavours. I don’t think they should have pulled him from office.”

He often imagined Harvey Weinstein’s eventual death

Speaking of the discussion that he had had with “a number of people,” Bourdain revealed that he pictured Weinstein’s death coming when the former Hollywood producer was at his most vulnerable.

“Naked in his famous bathrobe,” Bourdain said, and dying from a massive stroke while scrolling “through his contacts list trying to figure out who he can call, who will actually answer the phone.”

He thought Richard Branson was “kind of a douche”

Referring to Barack Obama’s well-known post-White House getaway with billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson, Bourdain said he himself wouldn’t have chosen the same vacation - because “I think Richard Branson is kind of a douche. That’s not who I wanna hang out with. You know… time is short.”

You can read the interview in full here.