The upcoming documentarySuper Size Me 2: Holy Chickenhas been dropped by its distributor, YouTube Red, following director Morgan Spurlock’s self-imposed admission about his own pastsexual misconduct. The movie was picked up by YouTube Red for $3.5 million following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and while a theatrical release date has not been set for the documentary, it was being planned for a 2018 debut before the film was dropped. Here’s what the studio had to say in a brief statement about cleaning their hands of the documentary.
“We feel for all of the women impacted by therecent statements made by Morgan Spurlock. In light of this situation, we have decided not to distribute Super Size Me 2 on YouTube Red.”
Morgan Spurlock took to Twitter last week to admit his past sexual indiscretions, which includeaccusations of rapewhen he was in college. There were no formal charges or investigation brought forth against Morgan Spurlock at that time, with the director admitting he thought they were having consensual sex. The director also revealed that he paid a former assistant who threatened to expose him as a sexual harasser before she quit. The director revealed that he would often call her demeaning names like “hot pants” or “sex pants” around the office, while also admitting his history of sexual infidelity, his issues with alcohol abuse and beingsexually abusedhimself when he was a young boy. The filmmaker also stepped down from his Warrior Poets production company, with partners Jeremy Chilnick and partner Matthew Galkin revealing in a statement below they are also pullingSuper Size Me 2from its Sundance Film Festival premiere next month.
“Due to Morgan Spurlock stepping down from Warrior Poets, we the partners have decided that this is not the appropriate time forSuper Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Therefore, we will be removing the documentary from the festival’s slate.”
While there have been no shortage of stories coming out about sexual misconduct over the past few months, the director’sadmission of sexual misconductis quite rare. The director has also been dropped from the upcoming documentaryThe Devil We Knowby director Stephanie Soechtig, which is slated to debut at the Sundance Film Festival next month. Morgan Spurlock’s documentarySuper Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!, which follows the director opening up his own fast food restaurant, isn’t the only film to be dropped after sexual misconduct charges have surfaced. The Orchard dropped Louis C.K.’s filmI Love You, Daddyafter several women came forward with claims of sexual harassment. The studio paid $5 million for the film after is debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, but the studio ultimately sold the film back to the director. You can read more in the report fromThe Hollywood Reporter.
