Food Network star Anne Burrell was not given the overdose‑reversing drug Narcan when first responders found her lifeless in the shower of her Brooklyn home, police have revealed.
Burrell’s husband Stuart Claxton made the grim discovery at around 7.40am on June 17, 2025, and paramedics pronounced her dead at approximately 8am, according to a police report obtained by TMZ on Thursday.
Officers at the scene reportedly found a bowl containing a mix of over‑the‑counter medications near her body, per the report.
In July, the New York City medical examiner ruled her death a suicide, citing ‘acute intoxication’ from a combination of amphetamine and ethanol, as well as the antihistamines diphenhydramine and cetirizine.
While naloxone – commonly sold under the brand name Narcan – is widely used to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses and can also blunt some effects of amphetamines, the report states that paramedics determined Burrell was beyond help and did not administer the drug.
The revelation comes after investigators said they found what appeared to be a ‘suicidal note’ and troubling journal entries in the late chef’s bedroom in the aftermath of her shock death at 55.
Food Network star Anne Burrell was not given the overdose‑reversing drug Narcan when first responders found her lifeless in the shower of her Brooklyn home, police have revealed
While naloxone – commonly sold under the brand name Narcan – is widely used to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses and can also blunt some effects of amphetamines, the report states that paramedics determined Burrell was beyond help and did not administer the drug
A new report from the New York City Police Department revealed that a letter indicating suicidal intent was recovered from Burrell’s bedroom, alongside a journal containing entries described as ‘suicidal,’ according to People.
The report also noted that a person identified as her spouse told police Burrell had ‘never attempted suicide in the past’ and ‘never talked about it,’ adding that she had shown no warning signs or behavior suggesting she would take such action.
Early in the morning when Burrell was found dead, her husband had ‘noticed that the bed was made in their room which is not normal,’ per the new police report.
Claxton then discovered her on the bathroom floor ‘with a bunch of over the counter pills on the floor,’ whereupon he began ‘shaking her and slapping her face’ in a bid to wake her up and then dialed 911 when his efforts failed.
NYPD documents indicated that there were ‘approximately (100) assorted pills’ around her body when she was found, according to the New York Times.
She was reportedly pronounced dead on the scene after an EMS crew tried to perform CPR on her but was unsuccessful in the attempt to revive her.
Claxton – who married Burrell in October 2021 in her hometown in upstate New York – is said to have last seen her alive at around 1:00am on June 17 last year, six to seven hours before he came upon her unresponsive in the bathroom.
The evening before she died she had performed in an improv show at a Brooklyn comedy club, having taken classes at its training center.
Her body was discovered on her bathroom floor by her husband Stuart Claxton (right), whom she married in October 2021 in her hometown in upstate New York
Worst Cooks in the World returned to the Food Network last month for its first episodes since Burrell died, leaving fans bereft; she is pictured on the series in 2021
‘I just started taking acting classes,’ she remarked that March on Tori Spelling’s podcast. ‘I started yesterday, actually… It’s like an improv for actors’ class.’
She shared that there were ‘like eight people in the class. I’m the oldest one. Every other person has like: “Oh, I have a master’s in fine arts in theater.”‘
Burrell joked: ‘I wonder if these delightful and super talented kids look at me and they’re like: “What’s this old lady doing here?”‘
At that point she had recently shocked fans by announcing a hiatus from Worst Cooks in America after season 28, which aired from January to February last year.
‘I can cook, yes, I can do TV, but also, what else? I’ve got more to do in my life, I feel like,’ she told Spelling, clarifying she was only ‘dipping her toe’ into acting.
‘I feel very excited about it. I’ve got a few other things that I’m working on as well, which I’m not quite ready to share yet. Hopefully, exciting things [are] coming.’
Her shattered family reacted to the news of her death with a statement saying that ‘her smile lit up every room she entered’ and that her ‘light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world.’
Worst Cooks in America returned to the Food Network last month for its first episodes since Burrell died, leaving fans feeling bereft.
Burrell had won the loyalty of audiences with her long run on the show, after developing her expertise in Mediterranean cuisine by working as a chef at a string of New York hot spots including Felidia and Savoy.
Her interest in cooking was born when she was a little girl, thanks in part to the influence of another popular TV chef, Julia Child.
If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.
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