Why Anthony Bourdain’s Assistant Only Spoke with Him Via ‘Encrypted Messaging’ During the #MeToo Movement (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Laurie Woolever with Anthony Bourdain.Photo:CNN

CNN

Anthony Bourdain’s longtime assistantLaurie Woolever worked from home long before the pandemic.

“I felt very lucky just as a homebody, an introvert at heart, it was like, ‘I don’t have to go to an office. I don’t have to put on nice clothes,'” she tells PEOPLE. “I was very lucky. It was a very good job with Tony.”

Anthony Bourdain, Asia Argento.Matthew Eisman/Getty

In her upcoming memoirCare and Feeding(out March 11), Woolever reveals that she did speak out against Batali to multiple outlets. Woolever only spoke anonymously but Batali somehow learned of Bourdain’s encouragement.

She writes: “A few days before Thanksgiving, I got an email from Mario, subject line ‘Threat,’ that stopped my heart. ‘Hey woolie i just got a crazy email about a story in the washington post from someone I’ve never met. Are you involved in an article ? Spaghetti is love, mb.'”

“An anonymous ‘concerned friend’ had emailed [Mario], claiming to have evidence that Tony and Asia were forcing me to dig up dirt on Mario, in order to ‘increase the fame and glory they’d gained through alignment with the #metoo movement.’ Mario had forwarded Tony the email, asking him if it was true, and Tony denied it all.”

Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever.David Scott Holloway

David Scott Holloway

The situation made Bourdain and Woolever anxious. According to Woolever, Bourdain believed that no one could have known the details Batali received from the anonymous friend unless one of their emails had been hacked.

“After that, Tony and I limited our communications to an encrypted messaging app, and I used a VPN whenever I went online,” she continues.

Batali did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Ecco

Woolever’s job working for Bourdain was primarily remote, but she did get to travel some. Once a year she would pick from the list of locations he was going forParts Unknownand join him. She would get to hang with the CNN crew, and also report out her own travel stories for magazines.

“I was very valued. There would never be a reason to leave,” she tells PEOPLE of her role. “I could see that as long as I stayed with him, there would be interesting, fulfilling projects to do in addition to the standard assistance stuff. I was well compensated. He paid for my health insurance. It was interesting work. It allowed me to take care of my son. The travel was phenomenal. I don’t know that I ever would’ve left.”

source: people.com