Famed filmmaker Morgan Spurlock passed away on Thursday evening due to complications related to cancer, his family announced. He was 53 years old.
“It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” said Craig Spurlock, who collaborated with Morgan on several projects, in a statement to Variety on Friday. “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.”
Spurlock gained widespread recognition in 2004 with the release of his documentary “Super Size Me.” The film, in which he documented his own health deterioration over 30 days of consuming only McDonald’s food, was both critically acclaimed and controversial. It received an Oscar nomination and sparked a broad discussion about eating habits. However, the accuracy of Spurlock’s experiment has been questioned, particularly after he admitted to heavy drinking during the filming.
Spurlock directed several other notable films, including 2008’s “Where in the World Is Osama bin Laden?”, 2011’s “POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold,” and 2013’s “One Direction: This Is Us.” He also starred in and executive produced the FX reality show “30 Days” from 2005 to 2008.
Spurlock’s personal life included three marriages. He was married to Priscilla Sommer from 1996 to 2003, Alex Jamieson from 2006 to 2011, and Sara Bernstein from 2016 until their divorce earlier this year.
He is survived by his parents, Ben and Phyllis Spurlock, and his two sons, Laken, 17, from his marriage to Jamieson, and Kallen, 8, from his marriage to Bernstein.