Celebrity chef Anne Burrell was found “unconscious and unresponsive” at the scene of her death, the New York City Police Department said.
At about 7:50 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17, officers from the 76th Precinct responded to “an unconscious and unresponsive 55 year old female,” police told PEOPLE. EMS “responded and pronounced her deceased on scene,” police said.
A cause of death is pending an autopsy with the Office of Chief Medical Examiner to determine the cause of death.
Police did not name Burrell as the deceased, as they are working to notify the victim’s family. However, an online search confirms the Food Network star’s address matches the Brooklyn, N.Y., one police provided in their statement.
Representatives for the star announced Burrell’s death in a release obtained by PEOPLE.
“Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend, her smile lit up every room she entered,” her family said in a statement. “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.”
Burrell began her career in television after teaching at the Institute of Culinary Education in the early 2000s.
She became a star by appearing on Iron Chef America, Chef Wanted, Chopped and Worst Cooks in America. In March 2025, the Cazenovia, N.Y., native was featured on the competition series House of Knives.
In addition to her on-camera work, Burrell released two cookbooks: 2011’s Cook Like a Rock Star, which was a New York Times bestseller, and Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire and Empower.
The Worst Cooks in America host is survived by her husband Stuart Claxton, and his son, Javier, as well as her mother, Marlene, and sister, Jane, her children Isabella, Amelia and Nicolas, and her brother Ben.
She and Claxton met on Bumble in 2018, before marrying in October 2021.
“I have to say, I love being married,” she told PEOPLE exclusively during City Harvest’s 40th Anniversary Gala in April 2023. “We’re together all the time because Stuart works from home. It’s the being together all the time, but it’s also the adventure together.”
