Academy Award–winning composer Joseph Brooks was found dead in an apparent suicide on Sunday at his Upper East Side apartment. Brooks, who won an Oscar for writing “You Light Up My Life,” faced a string of sexual-assault charges and eleven counts of rape, having allegedly lured women to his apartment using an online ad offering auditions for a film role and sexually assaulting them after making them drink drugged wine as part of a fake acting exercise. The 73-year-old’s son, Nicholas Brooks, is in jail, charged with murdering his girlfriend, Sylvie Cachay, at the Soho House in December. Joseph Brooks reportedly penned a suicide note, which has not been released. Details from the scene, via the Post:
’Light Up’ composer, alleged rapist Brooks kills self [NYP]
’You Light Up My Life’ songwriter found dead in suicide, police say [CNN]
Related: The Curious Case of Joseph and Nicholas Brooks [NYM]
