When Morgan Spurlock released his groundbreaking documentary Super Size Me in 2004, it sent shockwaves around the globe and had immense impacts on the fast food industry.
The film, which followed him as he ate only McDonald's for all three of his meals for 30 days straight, raked in more than $22 million at the box office, earned an Oscar nomination, forced McDonald's to change its sizing, and turned Morgan into a massive star practically overnight.
But almost as quick as his rise to the top came his harrowing fall from grace in 2017 - after he madea slew of shocking confessions that cast serious doubt on the claims made throughout the documentary.
Morgan admitted to'consistently drinking' from 'age 13' - despite him previously stating in Super Size Me that he had no prior health problems - and his glaring omission about his alcoholism sparked fierce criticism for the once-booming documentary maker.
When Morgan Spurlock released his groundbreaking documentary Super Size Me in 2004, it turned him into a massive star practically overnight
But almost as quick as his rise to the top came his harrowing fall from grace in 2017 - after he made a slew of shocking confessions that cast serious doubt on his documentary
Now, his family has confirmed that he has passed away at age 53. Amid the shocking news, FEMAIL recapped his journey from start to finish. He's seen in 2016 with his ex-wife and son
He also revealed that he had a history of sexual misconduct, writing in a lengthy post that he had cheated on multiple women, 'demeaned and belittled' a female coworker and then paid her to keep quiet about it, and was once accused of rape by a fellow college student.
Morgan's murky past quickly overshadowed his movie career - and he ultimately stopped working and stepped out of the spotlight after making the tell-all confessions in 2017.
For years, little was known about what the disgraced star was up to - but now, his family has confirmed that he has passed away at age 53 after a battle with cancer.
Amid the shocking news, FEMAIL recapped his journey from start to finish - from how he became a top movie director thanks to Super Size Me to the many controversies he faced that lead to him leaving the public eye and his sad final years.
His dazzling rise to the top: Morgan was skyrocketed into the spotlight after he released Super Size Me, which saw him eat McDonald's for 30 days straight
The documentaryfollowed Morgan as he ate only McDonald's for all of his meals for 30 days straight
Throughout the month-long endeavor, he documented how eating fast food affected his body, health, and mood
Morgan grew up in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and received a BFA in film from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 1993.
After graduating, he worked as a playwright in New York; but his major breakthrough came in 2004, when he released the documentary Super Size Me, which followed him as he ate only McDonald's for all of his meals for 30 days straight.
He alleged that he suffered from mood swings and depression, fatigue, shakes, and sexual dysfunction.His most dramatic claim was that fat accumulated in his liver thanks to the McDonald's food, causing liver damage
He also agreed to upgrade any meal to a super-size if it was offered, and made sure to consume every item on the chain's menu over the course of the experiment.
Throughout the month-long endeavor, he documented how eating fast food affected his body, health, and mood.
He claimed to consume more than 5,000 calories a day thanks to the diet, and alleged to have gained nearly 25 pounds.
He also alleged that he suffered from mood swings and depression, fatigue, shakes, and sexual dysfunction.
His most dramatic claim was that fat accumulated in his liver thanks to the McDonald's food, causing liver damage.
The documentary was a massive success, grossing more than $22 million worldwide and receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature.
It shone a fierce spotlight onto the growing obesity problem across the US and the impact that the fast food industry had on that - and as a result, McDonald's discontinued its super-sized portions.
Accused of lying in the doc: Morgan later admitted to 'consistently drinking' alcohol from 'age 13,' which cast serious doubt on the claims made in Super Size Me
While the film was extremely popular, it also sparked fierce backlash for Morgan - after some people began to question the legitimacy of some of the claims made throughout his doc
While the film was extremely popular, it also sparked fierce backlash for Morgan - after some people began to question the legitimacy of some of the claims made throughout his doc.
Some critics pointed out that he failed to provide logs documenting what exactly he ate and the amount of calories that he was intaking.
A documentary maker named Tom Naughton even made his own movie in response, called Fat Head, in which he too ate McDonald's for 30 days - and he got a 'very different' result, ultimately losing 12 pounds.
Things only got worse in 2017, when Morgan admitted that he had been 'consistently drinking' since the 'age of 13.'
'I've consistently been drinking since the age of 13, something our society doesn’t shun or condemn but which only served to fill the emotional hole inside me and the daily depression I coped with,' he wrote in a statement shared to X, formerly Twitter, while discussing the #MeToo movement.
People were certainly outraged by his revelation, since one of the major claims in the movie was that eating the fast food gave him liver problems - something that actually could have been caused by his years of heavy drinking.
In addition, if he drank during the experiment it would have meant that he lied about only consuming McDonald's products during the 30-day period.
Things only got worse in 2017, when Morgan admitted that he had been 'consistently drinking' since the 'age of 13.' He's seen in 2009
During a check-up with a doctor in the documentary, Morgan was asked if he had consumed any alcohol, and he stated, 'None.'
'I can only eat things that are for sale over the counter at McDonald's - water included,' he insisted.
'Since it's now come out that Morgan Spurlock neglected to mention his alcoholism in Supersize Me, is there any value in the documentary anymore?' one outraged viewer scathed on Reddit afterwards.
'Needless to say, that was a pretty glaring omission and I don't think anyone would have cared about the movie had he mentioned that many of the health issues he experienced in the movie were likely because of his years of alcoholism.
'Not saying eating a s**tload of McDonald's for a month wouldn't be unhealthy too but Spurlock led us all to believe his diet was squeaky clean prior to the experiment.
'The guy's whole career (which is now over it seems) was basically based on a lie.'
Sexual misconduct admissions: Morgan confessed to 'demeaning and belittling' a coworker - and revealed a fellow college student once accused him of rape
Morgan also made a series of shocking confessions regarding sexual misconduct -revealing that he had cheated on numerous women. He's seen with his first wife, Alex Jamieson, in 2005
In the 2017 post in which he admitted to suffering from alcoholism, Morgan also made a series of shocking confessions regarding sexual misconduct.
While discussing the #MeToo movement, he said he was 'part of the problem,' while revealing that he had cheated on numerous women and even 'demeaned and belittled' one of his female coworkers.
'I can't blindly act as though I didn't somehow play a part in this, and if I'm going to truly represent myself as someone who has built a career on finding the truth, then it's time for me to be truthful as well,' he wrote.
In the lengthy post, he recalled a time in college that a girl he 'hooked up with on a one night stand accused him of rape.'
'There were no charges or investigations, but she wrote about the instance in a short story writing class and called me by name,' he explained.
He also said there was a 'time he settled a sexual harassment allegation at his office,' adding, 'It wasn't a gropy, feely harassment. It was verbal, and it was just as bad.'
Morgan admitted to calling his female assistant 'hot pants' or 'sex pants' when he was 'yelling at her from the other side of the office.'
'Something I thought was funny at the time, but then realized I had completely demeaned and belittled her to a place of non-existence,' he continued.
The filmmaker said he ultimately paid her a settlement after she quit and threatened to 'tell everyone.'
He also confessed to being 'unfaithful to every wife and girlfriend he ever had.'
He was married and divorced twice to Alexandra Jamieson and Sara Bernstein, and he has two sons, named Laken, born in 2006, and Kallen, born in 2016.
He theorized that 'sexual abuse he suffered as a boy' and his 'father leaving his mother when he was a child' had contributed to his problems.
Stepping out of the spotlight: Following his admissions, Morgan stopped making movies - and he's now passed away at age 53 from cancer
In 2017, following his admissions, he stepped out of the spotlight and stopped working in the movie industry. He is seen in the last photo of himself he uploaded to Instagram in 2022
Following the success of Super Size Me, Morgan went on to launch his own production company and released nearly 70 films - including a sequel to Super Size Me, called Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!
But in 2017, following his admissions, he stepped out of the spotlight and stopped working in the movie industry.
A year and a half later, Business Insider reported that he had opened up a pop-up chicken sandwich restaurant, called Holy Chicken, in New York City.
He chatted with the publication about the impact of his admissions, and he revealed that he had spent time in 'rehab' afterwards and was now sober.
'I thought some people would get upset, I thought some things may go away, but I never thought it would be complete slash and burn of everything,' he admitted.
'Within eight days, our whole company was decimated. I tried to keep it going. I went to rehab.
'Today is day 641 [of being sober]. But I can't blame anyone for walking away when they did.
'I'm definitely a different person than I was a year-and-a-half ago. My priorities are different.'
Now, his brother Craig has revealed that he has died at age 53 from cancer.
'It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,' he wrote. '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.'
It's unclear what kind of cancer Morgan was suffering fromor how long he had been battling it.
