Anthony Bourdain committed suicide on June 8th. His death was a shock until some associated his abrupt decision with tabloid photographs of girlfriend Asia Argento cavorting with a young Italian journalist.
But now this comes to light: Bourdain and his attorney were helping Argento navigate a settlement and $380,000 pay off to an underage actor she allegedly raped. It’s mind boggling.
Bourdain had been Argento’s steadfast supporter, speaking out against her alleged rapist, Harvey Weinstein. He was fully committed to her cause, to #MeToo, and loyal to his girlfriend.
According to the New York Times story this evening, the actor Jimmy Bennett, now 22, sent a letter of intent to Bourdain’s lawyer last November. That lawyer, Richard Hofstetter, was also representing Argento at the time. The intent to sue was also sent to Argento’s lawyer, Carrie Goldberg.
The amount of hypocrisy here is overwhelming. Goldberg, for one, has carried on and on via social media about Weinstein, all the while defending Argento but knowing this case was pressing against Argento. And think of it– the Bennett claim came in November, just a few weeks after the Weinstein case broke.
Bourdain told several interviewers he imagined “Weinstein beaten to death.” He called out Hillary Clinton for not coming down harder on Weinstein when the stories came out. But at the very same time, he was helping Argento gag Jimmy Bennett, who accused her of raping him at 17? What was going on here?
Imagine that Bourdain was helping Argento get out of a jam involving sexual misconduct while he was defending her and denouncing Weinstein. And then at the same time, photos turn up in Italian and UK tabloids of Argento cavorting with a young Italian journalist. Something is not right here. Was Bourdain so caught up in Argento’s cause and then so Svengali’d by here?
Proud to know you @AsiaArgento
And to bask in your reflected glory https://t.co/uVBYAxNsHg— Anthony Bourdain (@Bourdain) March 2, 2018
I ain’t “woke”. I was lucky enough to meet one, truly extraordinary woman @AsiaArgento pic.twitter.com/XgpVYyrsxN
— Anthony Bourdain (@Bourdain) December 12, 2017
https://t.co/3XtQnbxjEV timely
— Anthony Bourdain (@Bourdain) November 14, 2017
