How did Brittany Murphy die? ‘What Happened, Brittany Murphy?’ casts lens on actress’ murky life

Brittany Murphy passed away in 2009 at just 32 years old. Her death grabbed the headlines of every news channel at the time.

There were several theories related to her death. However, after 12 years, new information is being revealed regarding her death, along with the final moments she spent with her husband, Simon Monjack.

He also passed away shortly after Murphy’s death.

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Throwback into Brittany Murphy’s death and the investigations

On December 20, 2009, the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical request at 8 am from Brittany and Simon’s home. The former had seemingly fainted in the bathroom, and firefighters were unsuccessful in reviving her.

She was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and passed away after going into cardiac arrest. In an interview with the Associated Press, Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said that the death seemed natural.

An autopsy the next day led to the cause of death being mentioned as deferred on the death certificate. The following year, the Los Angeles County coroner said the leading cause of death was pneumonia alongside iron-deficiency anemia and multiple drug intoxication.

The coroner later released a report saying Brittany Murphy had been taking prescription medication for a long time, including high levels of various drugs. However, they were legal, and the death was called an accident.

Previously, her mother, Sharon Murphy, and her husband had claimed that she never used drugs or alcohol, so they were not the cause of her death. They believed she died from a heart condition called mitral valve prolapse.

In 2011, following the death of Simon, Sharon said mold was the reason behind the deaths of her daughter and son-in-law, though she initially denied it when Simon died in 2010.

Brittany Murphy’s father, Angelo Bertolotti, applied to the Superior Court of California in 2012 and asked for samples of his daughter’s hair for testing from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office. The suit was dismissed when he did not appear at the hearings.

Bertolotti alleged in 2013 that according to a toxicology report, his daughter’s death was caused by deliberate poisoning by heavy metals like antimony and barium.

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Brittany Murphy’s life explored in documentary

Simon Monjack and Brittany Murphy at the 2007 Award of Hope Gala (Image via Getty Images)

What Happened, Brittany Murphy? is a new documentary set to air on October 14 on HBO Max. It delves into the past of Monjack, including interviews with his mother, Linda, and brother, James, along with Britanny’s former fiancee, Elizabeth Ragsdale.

According to the series, Monjack and Ragsdale got engaged, and the latter became pregnant. Simon then paid for a plane ticket for Elizabeth to New York and said he would meet her there.

Ragsdale mentioned in the documentary that when she reached New York, she called Monjack. However, before she could start her conversation, he hung up and left her pregnant and abandoned.

As for Monjack, the documentary’s director Cynthia Hill said that he was a disturbed individual who conned people, and Brittany was his last victim. She added that he had a pattern of behavior which became evident when they did more research.

In the documentary, makeup artist Trista Jordan, who also worked with Brittany Murphy, said that the actress’s appearance during the final months was somewhat different. She said that her eyes were sunken, she looked sad and was in a lot of pain.

Fans and followers will find out a lot more when the documentary airs in a few days.