'Super Size Me' Documentary Star Morgan Spurlock Dead at 53

Morgan Spurlock

Morgan Spurlock, perhaps best known for the 2004 documentary Super Size Me, has died. He was just 53.

The documentarian's family confirmed on Friday, May 24, that he had passed away in New York the previous day due to complications of cancer, with his brother, Craig, telling People in a statement, "It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan. Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas and generosity. The world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked together with him."

Most school-aged people in the early aughts were likely shown the fast food-centered film, which earned Spurlock an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature after he spent an entire month eating every meal at McDonald's, during which his weight increased while his energy fell, alongside other unsettling side effects, in an exploration of the industry and its impact on consumers.

He also produced 2008's World Is Osama bin Laden, 2011's The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, and Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!

However, after addressing the #MeToo movement in late 2017, he stepped down from his position at his production company as he admitted to being "part of the problem,” according to Variety. In a social media post, he recounted a series of infractions, including a sexual harassment settlement from a former assistant.

The family did not share what type of cancer Spurlock was battling nor when he was originally diagnosed, but he did share during his McDonald's experiment that he had begun suffering from depression and that a doctor observed that the diet was “pickling his liver,” which looked like an “alcoholic’s after a binge.” It later came out that he was also struggling with alcohol abuse at the time, bringing into question the validity of his findings.

Spurlock is survived by his two sons, Laken and Kallen, his parents, Phyllis and Ben, and brothers Craig and Barry, as well as his ex-wives Alexandra Jamieson and Sara Bernstein.

Next: Train Founding Member Charlie Colin Dead at 58 After Freak Accident