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Fans pay tribute to Anthony Bourdain on 2-year anniversary of his death

The beloved chef's fans are missing him now more than ever.
/ Source: TODAY

It’s been two years since beloved celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain died at the age of 61, and his fans are missing him now more than ever.

The “Parts Unknown” host is being remembered for challenging viewers to leave their comfort zones and travel to unfamiliar places while using food as a way to bring break down cultural barriers and bring people closer together.

Today, on the anniversary of Bourdain's death, tributes have been pouring in on Twitter, with many wishing he were here to address the killing of George Floyd and protests across the U.S. demanding an end to police brutality against black and brown people.

“What would you say about our state of affairs now?” one person wrote. “Your ability to shed light on common ground is deeply missed. You are deeply missed.”

Added another, “Few people inspired me in a way that #AnthonyBourdain did. His passion for the stories of the underrepresented is a quality so few have. He didn’t just want to talk in someone’s shoes, he wanted to learn how they got those shoes and why they wear those shoes.”

Bourdain died by suicide on June 8, 2018. He was found unresponsive by fellow chef and close friend Eric Ripert in his room at the Le Chambard hotel in Keyersberg, France, where the two were filming an episode for “Parts Unknown.”

Though the “Kitchen Confidential” author had no narcotics in his system at the time of his death, he had talked openly in the past about his struggles with drugs and depression.

“There was a dark genie inside me that I very much hesitate to call a disease that led me to dope,” he told NBC Nightly News in 2014.

Two years later, Bourdain opened up to a therapist about his mental health while shooting "Parts Unknown" in Argentina.

“I’d like to be happy. I’d like to be happier,” he revealed. “I should be happy. I have incredible luck. I’d like to be able to look out the window and say, ‘Yay, life is good.”

Though fans are remembering Bourdain on the anniversary of his death, many will also likely honor him on his birthday, June 25.

Last year, Ripert and chef José Andrés announced the first #BourdainDay as a tribute to Bourdain's legacy.

“We decided to celebrate his birthday instead of June 8 — because that was obviously a sad day — to highlight his many contributions,” Ripert told TODAY Food at the time.

"To participate, upload a video or picture of ourself toasting to 'Tony' on social media, including the hashtag #BourdainDay.”

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.