Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, responsible for giving information to the masses with documentary films, has passed away at 53 today.
The family of Morgan Spurlock announced his sad death today, saying he “passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends” in New York. The cause has been revealed as complications from cancer.
Craig Spurlock, Morgan’s brother, said, “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.”
Morgan Spurlock was the driving force behind the Warrior Poets production company, starting with his breakout documentary, Super Size Me, which exposed the dangers of fast food in America. Shortly after, his production studio took off, and many projects were quickly developed that challenged modern conventions, such as elderly gambling (in CNN’s Morgan Spurlock Inside Man) and immigrant labour (FX’s 30 Days). Over thirteen years, through Warrior Poets, Spurlock found additional success producing and directing nearly 70 documentary films and television series.
But not everything was as it seemed, as back in 2017, Spurlock posted a TwitLonger confession to X (back then, Twitter) that revealed he was “part of the problem” during the #MeToo movement. The confession revealed past infidelities in marriage, workplace harassment, and struggles with alcohol.
TRIGGER WARNING: Morgan Spurlock’s post is incredibly visceral, so those who want to read it can find it here. The fallout with his production company from the confession was well documented by IndieWire in 2019, and how the Warrior Poets company suffered.
Morgan Spurlock is survived by his two sons, Laken and Kallen; his mother, Phyllis Spurlock; his father, Ben (Iris); his brothers, Craig (Carolyn) and Barry (Buffy); multiple nieces and nephews; and his former spouses, Alexandra Jamieson and Sara Bernstein, the mothers of his children.
