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Joel Silver Sued for Wrongful Death in Assistant’s Drowning


— August 28, 2017

In the aftermath of a tragic accident that occurred back in 2015, Hollywood producer Joel Silver is being sued. In 2015, his former assistant, Carmel Musgrove, drowned “during a star-studded trip to Bora Bora for Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux’s honeymoon,” and now her family is suing Silver. The family filed the lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court, alleging that “Silver, his company Silver Pictures, and Silver’s personal chef Martin Herold are responsible for her wrongful death.”


In the aftermath of a tragic accident that occurred back in 2015, Hollywood producer Joel Silver is being sued. In 2015, his former assistant, Carmel Musgrove, drowned “during a star-studded trip to Bora Bora for Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux’s honeymoon,” and now her family is suing Silver. The family filed the lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court, alleging that “Silver, his company Silver Pictures, and Silver’s personal chef Martin Herold are responsible for her wrongful death.”

But what happened, exactly? Well, according to court documents, “Musgrove was found dead by Bora Bora authorities on Aug. 20, 2015 — her nude body found floating on the banks of a nearby lagoon just 500 yards away from her Four Seasons Hotel bungalow.” Two days beforehand she was reported missing after spending the day with Silver’s family and consuming alcohol, cocaine, and marijuana with Herold later in the day. According to the lawsuit, “after retreating to her room around 11 p.m. she allegedly emailed Herold a message that read ‘Xxx’ around midnight.”

Image of Carmel Musgrove
Carmel Musgrove; Image Courtesy of Daily Mail, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

The next day, her friends couldn’t find her and set out to look for her in the afternoon. However, her body wasn’t discovered until around 1 a.m. the next morning. So how did she die? Was there any foul play? An investigation concluded Musgrove’s death was “the result of a number of factors… including overconsumption of alcohol, consumption of cocaine, fatigue caused by overwork, heat stroke after the fishing trip and a midnight swim during unfavorable weather conditions.” Out of all those factors that contributed to Musgrove’s death, the family’s lawyers claim at least four of them “are traceable to conduct involving the defendants.”

What about the defendants, though? Have any admitted to any level of fault or taken responsibility for what happened the night Musgrove died? The short answer is no, at least not yet. According to court documents, Silver said “he knew Musgrove and Herold sometimes drank together but that he never saw anything relating to drug use.” Since the lawsuit was filed, Silver and his representatives have not responded to a request for comment. However, shortly after Musgrove’s death, he released the following statement “through his publicist:”

“Joel Silver, his family, and his staff are devastated by the passing of Carmel Musgrove. Carmel was a dear friend and respected colleague with a very bright future ahead of her. They will all miss her dearly.”

Sources:

Producer Sued for Wrongful Death in Assistant’s Drowning During Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux’s Honeymoon

Joel Silver Sued for Wrongful Death in Assistant’s Bora Bora Drowning

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