Micheline Charest, cofounder, former chair and co-CEO of scandal-plagued animation house Cinar, suddenly died April 14 while undergoing plastic surgery in Montreal. She was 51.

"Charest was passionate about children's entertainment and committed to non-violent programming," says Cinar in a statement. "Under her leadership, Cinar grew into a respected company in its field by creating characters that bring joy and stimulation to children around the world."

Cinar, however, was the focus of controversy in 1999 when it was revealed that the company invested $122 million in Bahamian funds without board approval, and that it used federal subsidies meant for Canadian content to pay U.S. scriptwriters. The scandal led to the removal of Charest and her husband-business partner Ron Weinberg from the company, which they founded in 1976.

In 2002, the Quebec Securities Commission fined each of them $1 million, though they had never admitted guilt or faced criminal charges.

In February, Cinar was sold to a group of Toronto investors for $144 million, with $18 million in proceeds going to Charest and Weinberg. The company, now called Cookie Jar, makes Arthur, Caillou, Wimzie's House and The Adventures of Paddington Bear.

Charest is survived by Weinberg and their two children.