What Happened, Brittany Murphy? is a new, two-part documentary (premiering Thurs., Oct. 14 on HBO Max) that aims to reveal new information about her death and discover what really happened to her. “I agreed to do this film because I think it’s a shame that Brittany’s promising life and career has been eclipsed by the circumstances of her death,” filmmaker CynthiaHill says. “I think it’s important to celebrate Brittany’s talent as we struggle to explain the tragic circumstances of her and [her husband’s] deaths.” The documentary makes some shocking claims, including that the L.A. County Coroner’s office, in spite of their report, found 90 bottles of prescription medication in Murphy’s home, some with third-party names on them; that Monjack was a serial liar who once claimed to have been saved from terminal cancer with shark cartilage treatment; that Monjack fired his wife’s entire professional staff and took over her career; and that he stole $3 million of her money after she passed away. However, when once asked directly if his wife succumbed to bad influences (including him, presumably), Monjack had reportedly said, “I don’t know why anyone would think that. She found love. We found love. Brittany didn’t get to where Brittany was with anyone controlling her… Brittany was Brittany.” If watching the doc still leaves you with more questions, keep reading to find out everything we know about what really happened to Brittany Murphy.
What was Brittany Murphy’s cause of death?
In the early-morning hours of Dec. 20, 2009, a brief power outage occurred at Murphy’s house. The 32-year-old actress went out onto a balcony to get some air, and according to Monjack, she looked down to where her mother, Sharon Murphy (who lived with them) was watching and said,“’Mom, I’m dying. I love you.’” As Murphy collapsed on the bathroom floor, her mother rushed upstairs to be by her side and called 911. After going into cardiac arrest, Murphy died in a nearby hospital at about 10 a.m. local time. After Murphy’s passing, there was wild speculation on whether she had been using drugs (rumors persisted that she was always “spaced out”) or whether she had an eating disorder. Some were surprised when her primary cause of her death was ruled to be pneumonia. Secondary factors included an iron deficiency that would cause “a weakened state of health and would increase her vulnerability to infection.” Vicodin, prescription medications (to treat a respiratory infection, according to the report) and antidepressants were also found in her system, but overall, her death was ruled to be an accident. “She had been sick for at least two weeks. Had they taken her to a doctor or hospital, it would have been treatable,” said Los Angeles Country Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter.
What was Brittany Murphy worth when she died?
By most accounts, Murphy was worth about $10 million when she passed away.
Who inherited Brittany Murphy’s estate?
Mom Sharon inherited her daughter’s money when Brittany died, including the home they lived in. Monjack was reportedly intentionally left out from his wife’s will. However, Monjack’s former manager claims that Monjack still managed to snatch up 80 percent of Brittany’s money, in various bank accounts, before his own death. “There were huge amounts of money in [Brittany’s] pension plan and bank account, and all of that’s gone,” the manager, Jeffrey Morgenroth, told PEOPLE in 2010. “I would see it on the statements. There was money being withdrawn by Simon, hundreds of thousands.” Morgenroth also recalled that it was “fishy and weird” that he couldn’t even see Murphy to sign a tax form without Monjack taking it and sending him away.
Did Brittany Murphy have kids?
The actress had no children of her own, but it turns out, Monjack had two. Monjack’s brother and mother discovered some information on a laptop about him that no one knew while he was alive: Two women wanted child support from him. Monjack had a son, Elijah Ragsdale, and a daughter, Jazymn Newman. The latter has stated that she thinks Murphy and Monjack were poisoned. Murphy had expressed desires to become a mother before her death. “I’d love to have a child next year," she told AccessHollywood in 2009. “I’ve been very blessed to have a really great loving husband. I spend more time with my family than anyone else in the world.”
Was Brittany Murphy murdered?
Authorities still believe that Murphy’s death was accidental. That hasn’t stopped rumors and speculation, however. Monjack and his debtors are the favorite culprits in fan theories. “I believe that Simon Monjack—even if he did not kill Brittany Murphy—he allowed her to die because he did not get her to the doctor and get her help,” says one of Monjack’s exes and the mother of one of his children. “And I believe that he did the same thing to himself.” Murphy’s own brother thinks his sister died because of Monjack. “I spent years looking at this, suppressing my own anger. I think Brittany was taken out. Who killed Brittany? She didn’t die of natural causes,” her half-brother, Tony Bertolotti, said in an interview. He claims the family was told that “Conjack” married her for a visa and was a danger to her. Angelo Bertolotti, Brittany and Tony’s father and Sharon’s ex, had an independent toxicology done on his daughter because he suspected “a murder situation here.” The report found toxic metals, including rat poison ingredients, but Sharon dismissed the details. “[He] has shown he only wants to trade on Brittany’s life, career and good reputation—even at the cost of putting a cloud over her memory,” Sharon Murphy responded.
Did Brittany Murphy’s mother kill her?
Because Murphy and Monjack died in such short order, some fans speculate that the only person left in the house—Murphy’s mother, Sharon—could have been involved. That theory wasn’t helped by the fact that Sharon allegedly shared a bed with Monjackin the weeks after Brittany died, apparently because of grief or other reasons. Tony Bertolotti has said that dad Angelo (who’s since died) thought Sharon had a hand in Murphy’s death, while Tony has said he believes that Monjack seemed to be dating Sharon more than Brittany.
Did Brittany Murphy overdose?
Despite persistent rumors that she had a drug problem, Murphy, Monjack and her mother all denied that she used drugs or had an eating disorder. “There have been so many rumors in the past couple years!” Murphy said in 2004. “I’d rather not perpetuate something that isn’t true… But no, I’ve never had an eating disorder. And I don’t do drugs. I have a glass of champagne now and then. I’m generally the person dancing at a party who everybody always thinks is the intoxicated one, but I’m really not.” While she did have some drugs in her system at the time of her passing, the coroner didn’t list overdose as the cause of death in her autopsy.
Who is Brittany Murphy’s husband?
Murphy was married to British filmmaker Simon Monjack, who was eight years her senior. He wrote and directed the film Two Days, Nine Lives and is credited for the story in the film Factory Girl. He and Murphy were reportedly working on a version of the novel The White Hotel, about Sigmund Freud, when she died. Murphy and Monjack met in 2006 and, after a brief courtship, married the next year in her Hollywood Hills home. But Monjack had his eyes on Murphy for some time. “No one knows this, but I took Brittany’s first photograph for a magazine. It was Jane Magazine,” he once said, adding that back then, she was “too young to touch… To make a long story short, I was very patient.” There were rumors of all kinds during their marriage, including that Monjack had been in prison and had considerable debts, but both denied that they were anything other than a couple in love. They couldn’t decide on one engagement ring, so they bought two, according to jeweler Neil Lane. “Simon told me, ‘You know, you only live once.’ He did it with a lot of love and sentiment," Lane once recalled.
Did Brittany Murphy’s husband die too?
Monjack’s body was found in the same Hollywood home where Murphy died, five months after her death, on May 23, 2010. He was found, reportedly, by Sharon Murphy. The same assistant chief coroner who handled Brittany’s case said, “Brittany’s mom made the 911 call. He was unresponsive when responders arrived and was pronounced dead at the house.” Still, not everyone believes the official story. “It was more likely that ‘Conjack’ died after years of heavy drug abuse which included heroin… his body would have broken down, based on everything that I eye-witnessed,” an unnamed Monjack friend once told Radar Online. Linda Monjack, Simon’s mother, said that her son had a “slight heart attack” before Murphy’s death, and it’s also been reported that he claimed to be having seizures as well.
What was Brittany Murphy husband’s cause of death?
The primary cause of Monjack’s death, just like Murphy, was pneumonia. He was ruled to have severe anemia. “Just like Brittany,” Assistant Chief Coroner Winter said. There were also some prescription drugs in his system, but not enough to cause any overdose. Sharon’s mother was pleased when Monjack’s preliminary autopsy results came out, because they proved that he had not overdosed on drugs either. “I am calling on the media to stop the reckless innuendos, that my daughter and son-in-law misused any kind of prescription medications,” she asked in a statement.
Did Brittany Murphy’s house have mold?
Because of the bizarre and similar deaths of both Murphy and Monjack, health officials decided to investigate the possibility that black mold in the house may have contributed to their deaths. However, that investigation turned up nothing conclusive.
What happened to Brittany Murphy’s house?
Murphy’s house seems to have always been haunted. She bought the house from Britney Spears in 2003. Spears had her own terrible time there, according to a makeup artist who once said Spears had a friend do reiki healing on the actress. “[Spears] swears to God that he opened some spirit portal or something, and these bad spirits had come in … and they were trying to, like, push her down the stairs or something crazy," the makeup artist said. “It was so bad that she left. She went to the Casa Del Mar hotel to stay there and never went back to the house. She goes, ‘I know you’re gonna think I’m crazy. I’m not crazy. I know what I saw, I know what I felt.’" Sharon Murphy, hoping to avoid a foreclosure auction, ultimately sold the Hollywood house in 2011 for $2.7 million. Since then, it was completely reconstructed in 2013 and sold in 2017 for $14.5 million. It sold again on December 29, 2020 for $12.2 million.
How can I watch What Happened, Brittany Murphy?
The documentary is available to stream exclusively on HBO Max. Next, Get LulaRich Quick! Why a Docuseries About ‘Dead Fart Leggings’ Will Be Your Newest TV Obsession
