Writer Julie Powell has died suddenly after suffering a heart attack at just 49 years old, her family has confirmed.
Powell was behind the popular food blog the Julie/Julia Project which inspired a best-selling book and a hit movie starring Meryl Streep.
She died at her home in Olivebridge, in upstate New York on October 26.
Her husband, Eric Powell, confirmed to The New York Times that his wife died of a sudden cardiac arrest.
In recent months, Powell, who described herself as “a vaccinated, boosted person,” became an advocate for Covid vaccination efforts.
So, as a vaccinated, boosted person, I've not been tested for Covid. Is it possible for me to be at this point? The Long Covid thing worries me, but also keep in mind that I'm a hypochondriac.
— Julie Powell (@licjulie) June 15, 2022
However, Powell’s controversial form of advocacy often involved demonizing the unvaccinated.
She provoked outrage last year by arguing that “COVID does kill some of the right people” because “anti-vaxxers/maskers are dying in legions.”
I would argue that COVID does kill some of the right people. The anti-vaxxers/maskers are dying in legions.
But yes. It’s a real shame about Kavanaugh.
— Julie Powell (@licjulie) October 1, 2021
Powell’s friends have described her as a “brilliant writer and a daring, original person.”
Her editor Judy Clain said: “We are sending our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved Julie, whether personally or through the deep connections she forged with readers of her memoirs.”
After writing her hit 2005 memoir Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, Powell appeared on Food Network’s Iron Chef America and The Martha Stewart Show.
She went on to write for The New York Times, Bon Appétit, and Food & Wine and won the James Beard Award twice.
