Images from the tragic passing of Food Network icon Anne Burrell last year reportedly reveal ‘numerous pills’ and ’empty medicine containers’ scattered around.
The well-known culinary personality was discovered deceased in the shower of her Brooklyn residence by emergency responders at 55 years old last June.
In July, it was determined by the New York City medical examiner that her death resulted from suicide, caused by ‘acute intoxication’ from a mix of amphetamine, ethanol, and antihistamines diphenhydramine and cetirizine.
On Tuesday, the New York Police Department (NYPD) unveiled images from the scene, showcasing a bathroom floor littered with pills in a dish near the toilet, alongside bottles of Advil, Zyrtec, Motrin, and a ValuMeds allergy-relief antihistamine. These photographs were shared with People.
Another image captured cigarette remnants beside a lighter on the floor.
The Daily Mail has contacted the NYPD for their comments on the matter.
Photos from the scene of Food Network star Anne Burrell’s death last year reportedly show ‘dozens of pills’ and ’empty medicine bottles’; Burrell pictured in 2022
Burrell was found lifeless in the shower of her Brooklyn home by first responders at the age of 55 last June. The New York City medical examiner ruled her death a suicide
The NYPD also released a video of Burrell and her husband, Stuart Claxton, returning home that same night, showing them walking through their exterior gate leading to their Brooklyn apartment.
Another clip shows them entering the lobby of their building and Burrell leaning against a wall as they wait for the elevator.
Inside the elevator, she is reportedly seen with her hands crossed, turning her head away from Claxton while he talks. She then stares at the elevator wall while he gestures toward her.
Burrell later reportedly appears close to saying something, before stopping herself.
Her husband made the grim discovery of her lifeless body at around 7.40am on June 17, 2025, and paramedics pronounced her dead at approximately 8am, according to a police report obtained by TMZ.
Burrell was not given the overdose‑reversing drug Narcan when first responders found her body in the shower of her Brooklyn home, police have previously revealed.
Officers at the scene reportedly found a bowl containing a mix of over‑the‑counter medications near her body, per the report.
While naloxone – commonly sold under the brand name Narcan – is widely used to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses and can also blunt some effects of amphetamines, the report states that paramedics determined Burrell was beyond help and did not administer the drug.
The revelation came after investigators said they found what appeared to be a ‘suicidal note’ and troubling journal entries in the late chef’s bedroom in the aftermath of her shock death.
Images showing Burrell’s bathroom floor scattered with pills and medicine bottles were shared with People on Tuesday
The NYPD also shared a video of Burrell and her husband, Stuart Claxton, returning home that same night; They are seen in an Instagram photo
Emergency medical teams responded to the home that she shared with Claxton, but she was pronounced dead at the scene; they are seen in April 2025
A report from the New York City Police Department also noted that a person identified as her spouse told police Burrell had ‘never attempted suicide in the past’ and ‘never talked about it,’ adding that she had shown no warning signs or behavior suggesting she would take such action.
Early in the morning when Burrell was found dead, her husband had ‘noticed that the bed was made in their room which is not normal,’ per the police report.
Claxton then discovered her on the bathroom floor ‘with a bunch of over the counter pills on the floor,’ whereupon he began ‘shaking her and slapping her face’ in a bid to wake her up and then dialed 911 when his efforts failed.
NYPD documents indicated that there were ‘approximately (100) assorted pills’ around her body when she was found, according to the New York Times.
She was reportedly pronounced dead on the scene after an EMS crew tried to perform CPR on her but was unsuccessful in the attempt to revive her.
Claxton – who married Burrell in October 2021 in her hometown in upstate New York – is said to have last seen her alive at around 1:00am on June 17 last year, six to seven hours before he came upon her unresponsive in the bathroom.
The evening before she died she had performed in an improv show at a Brooklyn comedy club, having taken classes at its training center.
Her shattered family reacted to the news of her death with a statement saying that ‘her smile lit up every room she entered’ and that her ‘light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world.’
Burrell was thrust into the spotlight and became best known as the longtime host of Worst Cooks in America; Burrell and chef Marc Murphy seen in 2019
Worst Cooks in America returned to the Food Network in January for its first episodes since Burrell died, leaving fans feeling bereft.
Burrell had won the loyalty of audiences with her long run on the show, after developing her expertise in Mediterranean cuisine by working as a chef at a string of New York hot spots including Felidia and Savoy.
Her interest in cooking was born when she was a little girl, thanks in part to the influence of another popular TV chef, Julia Child.
If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.
