New York City restaurateur and Food Network personality Melba Wilson said the late Anne Burrell seemed “healthy” and “vibrant” before her unexpected death on Tuesday, June 17.
Wilson told TMZ in an interview published on Thursday, June 19, that she spoke to Burrell just last week and described her passing as “totally unexpected.”
“Anne was fine,” Wilson said of their conversation, noting that they spoke about karaoke and Burrell’s love of board games.
“To wake up yesterday, or to hear yesterday, that she’s no longer with us is devastating,” the Melba’s Restaurant owner added. “It’s shocking. It’s unbelievable to know that someone so full of life is no longer with us.”
Wilson told the outlet that Burrell and her husband, Stuart Claxton, attended her birthday party “a month and a half ago,” where the late Worst Cooks in America host was “dancing” and “had an amazing time.”
Before her death, the popular television chef appeared in good health, according to Wilson.
“Anne never mentioned anything about being sick. That’s why this is such a big shock to us,” the restaurateur said. “She was healthy. She was vibrant. She was beautiful.”
Wilson has appeared as a guest judge on various Food Network shows, including Worst Cooks in America, which Burrell hosted, and Beat Bobby Flay.
News broke on Tuesday that Burrell had died at the age of 55. Her husband, Claxton, reportedly discovered his wife lying unresponsive on the floor of the bathroom shower in their Brooklyn, New York, home that morning.
TMZ reported on Wednesday that Burrell was “unconscious” when Claxton saw her in the shower. He called 911 to get help. Police confirmed to Us Weekly that they were alerted to the scene at “approximately 7:50 a.m.”
In a statement Wednesday, a rep for the New York City Fire Department said a 911 caller had claimed that Burrell went into “cardiac arrest” and was “DOA [dead upon arrival].”
“Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered,” Burrell’s family told Us in a statement Tuesday. “Anne’s light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world. Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal.”
Besides her husband, Burrell is survived by his son, Javier, as well as her mother, Marlene, and sister, Jane.
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