Russell Crowe donated $5,000 to a destroyed Beruit restaurant, in memory of Anthony Bourdain.
Russell Crowe
Beruit's LeChef was one of thousands of buildings destroyed in the chemical blast in Lebanon's capital earlier this month and Russell made a donation to a GoFundMe page, which was set up to get the restaurant back up and running.
Journalist Richard Hall tweeted: "Someone called Russell Crowe made a very generous donation to our Le Chef fundraiser. But not sure if it's *the* @russellcrowe" and Russell replied: "On behalf of Anthony Bourdain. I thought that he would have probably done so if he was still around. I wish you and LeChef the best and hope things can be put back together soon."
'Parts Unknown' star Bourdain, 61 - who died by suicide in 2018 - was a big fan of LeChef and had visited the restaurant in 2006 and 2010.
Speaking in 2010 about his trips, he said: "First order of business, we went back to Le Chef. We made a point of going back with the exact same camera crew and producer, who were stuck with me in 2006. And we met with largely the same people, even went to the places we didn't get the opportunity to visit last time, and we met with people from the previous episode."
Meanwhile, a message on the restaurant's GoFundMe page, mentioned Bourdain's visits, explaining: "Beirut's Le Chef, and its beloved frontman, Charbel, need our help to rebuild after last week's horrific explosion. The restaurant has survived war and economic crises, but the port explosion left it in shambles.
"Le Chef has been a staple of Gemmayze, the neighborhood closest to the blast site, since it opened in 1967. Charbel's infamous 'Welcoooome', and the restaurant's warm food and even warmer hospitality have been a constant source of comfort for so many over the years. Anthony Bourdain, who stopped by Le Chef on both of his visits to Beirut, described it as 'a legendary spot, famed for its simple, straightforward, home-style classics'.
"Let's not let this be the end for this legendary spot. Your donations will go toward replacing the electricity, windows, refrigerator, gas stove, and other essentials that were damaged, so that Le Chef can open its doors, staff can return to their jobs, and Charbel can welcome us all again soon."
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