Julie Powell, blogger who was the inspiration behind Julie & Julia, passes away

Olivebridge, New York - Julia Powell, the food writer and creator of a popular food blog that inspired the movie Julie & Julia, passed away suddenly. She was just 49 years old.

Julie Powel cooked and wrote her way to a book and movie deal in 2002.
Julie Powel cooked and wrote her way to a book and movie deal in 2002.  © KEVIN WINTER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

Writer Julie Powell died on October 26, at her home in Olivebridge in upstate New York, per the

The New York Times cited Powell's husband, Eric, who said she died of a cardiac arrest at her home in Olivebridge, New York, on October 26.

Judy Clain, editor-in-chief of Little, Brown and Company, the publisher of Powell's 2005 book Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, said in a statement, that Julie "was a brilliant writer and a daring, original person and she will not be forgotten."

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Powell, became famous after she decided to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in her tiny loft within a year, while writing about the experience.

Her blog, launched in 2002, pulled in thousands of regular readers who were very into her snarky retelling of her adventures in the kitchen. It eventually led to a book deal and a 2009 movie, directed by Nora Ephron and staring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.

Julie Powell's blog inspired Julie & Julia

Julia Child wasn't a fan of Julie Powell's blog

Julie Powell is survived by her husband Eric Powell.
Julie Powell is survived by her husband Eric Powell.  © Stephen Lovekin / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

The movie's success put Julia Child's cookbook on the bestseller list for the first time.

Child, who passed away in 2004, never saw the movie, but she knew about Powell's project – and she wasn't a fan.

Per The New York Times, the famous cook didn't get Powell's humor and took the blog excerpts she read as an insult.

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Powell's second and last book, Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession, wasn't as well received as her first. The subject matter – extramarital affairs and butchery – was significantly darker.

Powell is survived by her husband, brother, and her parents.

Cover photo: KEVIN WINTER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

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