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Anne Burrell reflected on finally settling down in her 50s after “living the rock star chef life” in a podcast interview shortly before her death.
In a March 13 conversation with Tori Spelling on the actress’s misSPELLING podcast, Burrell shared how she met husband Stuart Claxton on Bumble after deciding to finally try out dating apps in her late 40s.
When asked why she waited to settle down, Burrell reflected, “From when I was a kid, I don’t know why, but I always was like, I am not getting married until I feel like I have something in life to share — until I have accomplished stuff.”
In her 20s and 30s, she said, “I was living my best life! I was like, living the rock star chef life. I was working a lot, and I had a great social life.”
“But I just started to feel like, all right, you’re getting a little old to keep on doing this,” Burrell added of how her feelings began to shift.
She and Claxton tied the knot on Oct. 16, 2021, and she became a stepmother to his 22-year-old son, Javier.
Anne Burrell/Instagram
“Kids were never on my radar, really,” the chef shared. “I love being an aunt. I have nieces and nephews. So I’m like, [being a stepmom] is the perfect amount of parenting for me.”
Several of Burrell’s famous friends reflected on her wedding day in their tributes following her death.
Rachael Ray shared how Burrell “honored” her by having her as a bridesmaid, “something I’d only done once before for my sister.”
“Despite being surrounded by incredible chefs, she never once made me feel self-conscious about not being one — she always treated me as one of the gang,” she shared.
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Alex Guarnaschelli recalled how Burrell was “so excited to get married and celebrate life” on her big day.
“No one does it with the level of genuine, unbridled gusto she does. In fact, no one comes close,” wrote the chef’s fellow Food Network star. “She was excited to add doting wife and stepmother to her extensive resume of achievements.”
Burrell died on the morning of Tuesday, June 17, at her home in Brooklyn, N.Y. She was 55.
She is survived by Claxton and Javier, as well as her mother, Marlene, and sister, Jane, plus Jane’s children Isabella, Amelia and Nicolas and her brother, Ben.
“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.”
