Joseph Brooks, an Oscar-winning songwriter and film-maker accused of sexually assaulting more than a dozen women during fake movie auditions at his New York apartment, has been found dead after apparently taking his own life, police said.
Brooks, who won the Academy Award for best song in 1977 for You Light Up My Life, was awaiting trial on more than 90 charges, all of which he denied. He was found at his Manhattan apartment on Sunday by a friend with whom he had arranged to have lunch. Police said it was not clear how long the body had been there, but indicated that a suicide note had been found.
Brooks wrote You Light Up My Life for his own film of the same title, a romantic comedy about a female comedian who dreams of being an actor and has a one-night stand with a director. Critics panned the movie at its time of release but the song took on a life of its own and a version sung by Debby Boone became one of the highest-selling recordings of the 1970s in the US, with more than 4m copies purchased. Its writer made two other films: 1978's If I Ever See You Again and 1983's Invitation to a Wedding. He had also worked as a writer of radio jingles, and later devised and composed songs for Broadway and West Endmusicals.
Brooks's trial had been on hold since 17 December 2009. A date for his case to be heard had not been set. Among the 91 charges were counts of rape, sexual abuse, criminal sexual act and assault.
Prosecutors alleged Brooks advertised upcoming film roles via the internet as a ploy to assault women. When the actor arrived for the "audition", he would inform them that they were playing a prostitute and ask them to perform sex acts, it was alleged. The evenings often involved alcohol and some women believed they may have been drugged, according to investigating police.
Brooks, who won the Academy Award for best song in 1977 for You Light Up My Life, was awaiting trial on more than 90 charges, all of which he denied. He was found at his Manhattan apartment on Sunday by a friend with whom he had arranged to have lunch. Police said it was not clear how long the body had been there, but indicated that a suicide note had been found.
Brooks's trial had been on hold since 17 December 2009. A date for his case to be heard had not been set. Among the 91 charges were counts of rape, sexual abuse, criminal sexual act and assault.
Prosecutors alleged Brooks advertised upcoming film roles via the internet as a ploy to assault women. When the actor arrived for the "audition", he would inform them that they were playing a prostitute and ask them to perform sex acts, it was alleged. The evenings often involved alcohol and some women believed they may have been drugged, according to investigating police.
