Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock has died aged 53.
Best known for his 2004 ‘Super Size Me’ documentary – which followed him for 30 days as he claimed to consume a diet of only McDonald’s food – passed away Thursday (23.05.24) from cancer-related complications, his family announced on Friday.
His brother Craig Spurlock, who worked with his sibling on several projects, said in a statement to Variety: “It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan.
“Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas and generosity. Today the world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked together with him.”
Morgan’s ‘Super Size Me’ film showed his health deteriorate over the course of the month he was gorging no McDonald’s.
The film received an Oscar nomination and sparked spurred widespread debate about eating habits – but the accuracy of his project has been questioned in years since, as he later admitted to drinking heavily throughout filming.
The award winner’s reputation fell apart in December 2017 when he confessed on X to sexually harassing women and being unfaithful to “every wife and girlfriend I have ever had”.
He also admitted to paying a settlement to a female assistant who he would regularly refer to as “hot pants” or “sex pants”.
Morgan said the situation was “funny at the time” before he realised he had “completely demeaned and belittled her to a place of non-existence”.
He also described a time in college when a “one-night stand” ended with the girl he was with in tears while the two were having sex.
The day after his admissions he stepped down from his production company.
He also directed 2008’s ‘Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?’, 2011’s ‘POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold’ and ‘One Direction: This Is Us’ in 2013.
He also starred in and executive produced FX reality show ‘30 Days’ from 2005 to 2008.
Morgan was married to Priscilla Sommer from 1996 to 2003, before he got hitched to second wife Alex Jamieson in 2006, before their divorce in 2011.
He was married to his third wife, Sara Bernstein, from 2016 until their divorce earlier this year.
Morgan is survived by his parents Ben and Phyllis Spurlock, and his two sons, Laken, 17, who he had with Alex, and Kallen, eight, his boy with Sara.
