"Super Size Me" Star Morgan Spurlock Dead At 53

Morgan Spurlock – the man behind Super Size Me – passed away on May 23, 2024, from cancer complications, according to his family. "Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas, and generosity," his brother Craig said. "The world has lost a true creative genius and a special man."

Who Is Morgan Spurlock?

Super Size Me, a documentary directed and filmed by Morgan Spurlock, debuted in 2003. His experiment was governed by the following rules: to eat three full meals from McDonald's each day for 30 days, consume every item on the menu at least once within that month, order "Super Size" meals if possible, and walk about 5,000 steps a day (the last one he didn't adhere to, walking more than required).

The experiment yielded unsurprising results. After only five days, Spurlock gained almost 10 pounds. He then began experiencing depression and found he could relieve fatigue and headaches by eating at the fast-food chain. The filmmaker's general practitioner described him as "addicted" to McDonald's food. As the weeks passed, Spurlock's well-being worsened; he had difficulty with his breathing, became hot, and felt like he was having heart palpitations.

What Happened in Super Size Me?

By the end of the experiment, the then-32-year-old Spurlock gained nearly 25 pounds, saw a 13% body mass increase, his cholesterol rose to 230 mg/dL (6.0 mmol/L), and he reported experiencing mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and fat accumulation in his liver.

Super Size Me premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, becoming a sensation and sparking international debate. It raked in more than $20 million worldwide and earned the director an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature.

However, it was later discovered that Spurlock drank alcohol during the filming of Super Size Me, later admitting to "constantly drinking" from "age 13." In 2017, during the height of the Me Too movement, Spurlock acknowledged he had sexually harassed women throughout much of his adult life, beginning in college. He also admitted to cheating on "every wife and girlfriend I ever had."

In a lengthy statement, the director came to the conclusion that "I am not some innocent bystander, I am also a part of the problem." He added, "As I sit around watching hero after hero, man after man, fall at the realization of their past indiscretions, I don't sit by and wonder, 'Who will be next?' I wonder, 'When will they come for me?'"

"I am part of the problem. We all are. But I am also part of the solution. By recognizing and openly admitting what I’ve done to further this terrible situation, I hope to empower the change within myself. We should all find the courage to admit we’re at fault," he concluded.

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

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