Morgan Spurlock, the once celebrated documentary filmmaker who proved how dangerous fast food could really be, has died, his cause of death confirmed by his family.
Morgan rose to fame with his Oscar-nominated 2004 feature Super Size Me, a documentary capturing the psychological and physical damage from eating McDonald’s every day for a month.
News of his death was confirmed on May 24, with his family sharing additional details. He was just 53.
Morgan Spurlock, ‘Super Size Me’ Filmmaker, Cause Of Death
According to his family, Morgan Spurlock died Thursday May 23 in upstate New York due to complications of cancer.
“It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” says Craig Spurlock, Morgan’s brother, who worked on several projects with him.
“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 leaves behind two children, Laken and Kallen, as well as his parents (mother, Phyllis Spurlock and father Ben) and two brothers, Craig and Barry, along with their families.
Morgan’s Rise and Fall of Fame
Super Size Me had a powerful impact on the public conversation about fast food and poor nutrition in our country. Astonishingly, McDonald’s discontinued its “super-size” option following the film’s release. Twenty years later, it’s still talked about and used for educational purposes in schools.
The movie’s success allowed Morgan to start a production company, Warrior Poets, and produce even more documentaries on controversial topics, from minimum wage and immigrant labor to the war in Afghanstain and beyond.
However, in 2017, Morgan pegged himself to be “part of the problem” at the height of the #MeToo movement. In a lengthy social media post, he admitted he had settled an allegation of sexual harassment from a former assistant. He also said he had been accused of rape in college.
The admission effectively ended Morgan’s documentary career and forced him to step down from his production company.
