Morgan Spurlock, maker of “Super Size Me,” has confessed to sexual misconduct, saying, “I am the problem”
On Wednesday, December 13th, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock confessed to past acts of sexual misconduct. In light of accusations rocking industries all across the country — and the world — Spurlock admitted that he is “part of the problem.”
Spurlock, best known for his 2004 documentary Super Size Me, posted his statement via Twitter, where he shared a link to a personal essay on his website. The director revealed that he was accused of rape during college, but says — at the time — he thought the sex was consensual. And that, he admits, is the problem.
"In my mind, we’d been drinking all night and went back to my room," he wrote. "We began fooling around, she pushed me off, then we laid in the bed and talked and laughed some more, and then began fooling around again. We took off our clothes. She said she didn’t want to have sex, so we laid together, and talked, and kissed, and laughed, and then we started having sex."
He then recalls that the young woman began to cry. “We stopped having sex and I rolled beside her. I tried to comfort her. To make her feel better. I thought I was doing ok, I believed she was feeling better. She believed she was raped. That’s why I’m part of the problem.”
Spurlock also revealed that a former assistant accused him of sexual harassment eight years ago, and they eventually reached a private settlement.
"I would call my female assistant 'hot pants' or 'sex pants' when I was yelling to 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."
Because of these past incidents, Spurlock wrote that he hasn’t thought “Who’s next?” in recent weeks, but, “When will they come for me?”
“I’m sure I’m not alone in this thought,” Spurlock wrote, “but I can’t blindly act as though I didn’t somehow play a part in this, and if I’m going 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. […] I am part of the problem. We all are. But I am also part of the solution.”
While we’re glad Spurlock has come forward and taken accountability for his past actions, his statement is also arguably peppered with various excuses for his behavior. He mentions past childhood abuse and an alcohol dependency problem, to name just a few. Still, he also wrote that he hopes to “empower the change within myself” by coming forward.
We hope his words are authentic and that other men guilty of sexual misconduct will also deeply reflect on their behavior. You can read Spurlock’s full essay here.
