Who was Carmel Musgrove? Here's why producer Joel Silver is facing lawsuit over young assistant producer's death
The entire entertainment industry was left in dismay when a 28-year-old production assistant named Carmel Musgrove died in Bora Bora in 2015. Her nude body was found “floating in a lagoon” after an extensive search. The French law enforcement authorities started an investigation and came to a conclusion that she “drowned” while taking a swim in unfavorable weather conditions. The incident took place at Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux's honeymoon celebration in Bora Bora.
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However, her parents did not believe the outcome of the investigation and filed a wrongful death suit in 2017. They sued Joel Silver, under whom Musgrove used to work, and Silver Pictures for the wrongful death of their daughter.
Following the suit, Joel Silver is now set to learn if he will be facing a trial over Carmel Musgrove’s death, let’s take a look at how Musgrove's death became so much more than just an accident.
Who was Carmel Musgrove?
Born on December 30, 1986, in San Diego, California, Carmel Musgrove was a production assistant who started working as an intern with one of the most renowned film producers, Joel Silver. She started working in Silver’s LA-based production company Silver Pictures. After her impressive performance as an intern, Musgrove was offered a job at Silver Pictures and later became Silver’s assistant.
She worked with him on a lot of projects and served as an assistant producer on films such as ‘The Nice Guys’, ‘Non-Stop’ and ‘The Gunman’.
Trip to Bora Bora and her untimely death
Musgrove accompanied Silver on then-newlyweds Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux's honeymoon celebrations in Bora Bora. However, the happy occasion turned really tragic for everyone as Musgrove went missing on August 18, 2015. Her body was found floating in the lagoon on August 20 at 1 am. French law enforcement authorities launched an investigation and compiled all the important information regarding her untimely demise.
The investigation found out she died because of overconsumption of cocaine and alcohol. The authorities also revealed that fatigue due to overwork, heatstroke, and her decision to take a swim in unfavorable conditions also played a major role in her death.
On the other hand, her parents were devastated after hearing the news of their daughter’s death and filed a lawsuit against Silver, his company and another employee of Silver Pictures, Martin Herold.
Second autopsy and foul play
Musgrove's parents were unhappy with the initial investigation and hired a famous medical examiner, Dr Michael Baden, to review the autopsy. Baden is known for reviewing autopsies for the likes of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. On the other hand, various reports claimed that her parents thought that their daughter was murdered.
Will Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux be involved in the trial?
The judge will hear the arguments from both sides before giving his verdict if Joel Silver would face a trial or not. If the answer is yes, the motion would prevent the claims against Silver from being taken to trial at the Los Angeles Superior Court. This means Aniston might be called into court to give evidence.
