Italian actress Asia Argento issued a statement saying she is "beyond devastated" at the loss of boyfriend Anthony Bourdain, who died by suicide at 61 on Friday.
The renowned chef, author and television host was found Friday morning in his hotel room in France, where he was filming an episode of his CNN show, "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown," the network said.
"Anthony gave all of himself in everything he did,'' Argento wrote on Twitter and Instagram. "His brilliant, fearless spirit touched and inspired so many, and his generosity knew no bounds.
"He was my love, my rock, my protector. I am beyond devastated. My thoughts are with his family. I would ask that you respect their privacy and mine."
Bourdain's death also caused an outpouring of tributes and condolences from fellow chefs and celebrities.
Argento, 42, had been dating Bourdain since 2016. She wrote on Instagram on May 30 that she had just directed an episode of "Parts Unknown," which aired on June 3. She also posted a photo of a touching moment the two shared in Florence, Italy.
During his relationship with Argento, Bourdain became a strong supporter of the #MeToo movement. She had been one of its major faces since coming forward to say she was raped by movie producer Harvey Weinstein.
He lauded a fiery speech Argento gave at the Cannes Film Festival last month about Weinstein and ongoing problems of sexual misconduct in the film industry.
"From the second she said she’d been invited to present an award, I knew it would be a nuclear bomb," Bourdain told Indiewire in an article published last week.
"I was so proud of her. It was absolutely fearless to walk right into the lion's den and say what she said, the way she said it. It was an incredibly powerful moment, I thought. I am honored to know someone who has the strength and fearlessness to do something like that."
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resource.