In the '90s, we were introduced to Brittany Murphy; most remember her for her breakout role in Clueless as the lovable Tai. She went on to appear in various films, and her versatile acting skills and beautiful appearance made her a popular and in-demand star. But, tragically, her life was cut short in 2009. Even now, there is a lot of confusion and speculation about her death. Exactly what happened to Brittany?
Brittany was born on November 10, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia. She began her career on television in various sitcoms such as Blossom, Frasier, and Sister Sister. After appearing in Clueless, her career took off, and she starred in films such as Drop Dead Gorgeous, Girl, Interrupted, and 8 Mile. She also regularly appeared in the cartoon King of the Hill as the voice of Luanne.
In the early 2000s, Brittany lost an alarming amount of weight, leading to rumours of eating disorders and cocaine abuse, although she always denied taking the drug. Her friend, Melanie Lynskey, said, ‘I was friends with Brittany Murphy, and the way she saw herself always broke my heart: the things she felt she had to change to be a successful actress. She was perfect as she was, but people tried to present her as "the fat one" because when she was a very young teenager, her cheeks were a little round. People tell you that you are a particular thing, and it is very difficult to combat.’
Brittany dated a few people throughout her twenties, including Ashton Kutcher and a rumoured (but never proven) relationship with Eminem. Then, in 2006, she started dating Simon Monjack.
Monjack was a British screenwriter and director, and they met during the filming of The White Hotel, a film that ended up not being released. Brittany was smitten, but many were concerned; some of Monjack’s friends and colleagues believed he was responsible for the weight loss and physical changes she underwent, as well as denying her contact with her family. His ex-fiancée, Elizabeth Ragsdale, described him as a ‘disturbed individual who was used to scamming people, and Brittany was one of his last victims.’ She spoke of how Monjack told her he had spinal cancer; when he left her while she was pregnant, she contacted his mother, Linda, who confirmed he did not have cancer. Monjack threatened to take the child away from Elizabeth if she ever made her existence known to Brittany. ‘The stakes were a lot higher with him being married to Brittany,’ she said. ‘He didn’t need anybody to know that I was out there with his son. I know why Brittany chose Simon. He worked his spell on her, and she fell for it, like I did.’
Brittany’s friend, Lisa Rieffel, said, ‘Simon took her away. He made sure no one could get to her.’
Allison Burnett, a filmmaker, met Monjack in 1999, and he told her he owned 17 Ferraris and had survived terminal brain cancer thanks to a treatment involving shark fins (all obvious lies). When she found out he was dating Brittany, she was horrified, saying, ‘I couldn’t believe that this bottom-feeding sociopath had actually worked his way up the food chain to someone who’s actually a legitimate artist’. Alison even called Brittany’s agency to warn them about Monjack’s compulsive lying, but ‘the word coming back was that her manager had tried [doing that] and had gotten fired as a result.’
After her son’s death, Linda said, ‘I certainly don't think he went out and told people he had cancer. I think he believed it.’
In 2003, the couple moved into a mansion formerly owned by Britney Spears, and Brittany’s mother, Sharon, moved in with them, too. They married in a private ceremony in May 2007.
By the end of 2009, Brittany’s career was starting to take a downturn, partially because the tabloids insisted that she was using illegal substances. Films dropped her, and she was let go from King of the Hill. She starred in low-budget films simply so she could continue to support her husband and her mother.
On 20th December 2009, Sharon said that Brittany had collapsed on the balcony in the morning, ‘She was lying on the patio trying to catch her breath,’ she recalled. ‘I said, ‘Baby, get up.’ She said: ‘Mommy, I can’t catch my breath. Help me. Help me.’
Brittany told her mother she was going to die, but her cries for help were dismissed as ‘dramatics’.
Later, 911 dispatchers received a frantic phone call from Brittany’s mother. ‘My daughter’s passed out! Brittany, please come back!’ She was found on the floor of her bathroom, the room she considered her sanctuary. Brittany Murphy was pronounced dead at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She was 32 years old.
The news of her death sent shockwaves throughout the world.
Brittany had been experiencing flu-like symptoms in the days before her death. Despite this, there was still talk of a drug overdose. In January 2010, her mother and husband said that Brittany didn’t use drugs or alcohol and that a heart condition caused her death. In February 2010, LA County Coroner Assistant Chief Ed Winter concluded that her death was a combination of untreated pneumonia, anaemia and drug intoxication from prescription and over-the-counter medicines. There were no illegal drugs in her system.
Five months after Brittany’s death, on 23rd May 2010, her husband was also found dead in the Hollywood mansion. His cause of death was also determined to be pneumonia and anaemia. Strangely, he was found in the bed that he had been sharing with Sharon since Brittany’s death (maybe it is just me who finds that strange?).
The LA County Department of Health has considered toxic mould as a possible cause of death for both Brittany and Monjack, but it was dismissed through a lack of evidence. At first, Brittany’s mother, Sharon, called the idea ‘absurd’ and denied that mould had anything to do with the deaths. However, later, in December 2011, she decided to change her mind, stating that toxic mould was, in fact, what killed her daughter and son-in-law. Monjack’s mother claimed that her son had told her there was ‘severe mould’ in the mansion, saying, ‘All I know is that before Simon’s death, he was having hallucinations that things were crawling out of his skin.’ Although that does beg the question, why didn’t he treat the mould if he knew there was a problem?
In January 2012, Brittany’s father, Angelo Bertolotti, applied to the courts to have samples of her hair handed over for independent testing, but it was dismissed after he missed two hearings. In November 2013, he claimed that a toxicology report showed the presence of heavy metals, including barium and antimony; he believed Brittany had been deliberately poisoned. Sharon said his theory was nothing more than ‘a smear’.
Brittany’s brother, Tony Bertolotti, also dismisses the idea of pneumonia-causing his sister’s death. ‘There’s no way she died of natural causes. It’s impossible. It’s bullshit, total crap. It was obvious to me that she was taken out.’
Tony believed the motivation behind Brittany’s death was money. There were rumours that Monjack was having financial difficulties, but when his wife died, she had left none of her fortune to him. Tony himself has no idea where her money is. All he knows is ‘the estate was left to Sharon, an editor of a major Hollywood newspaper – he was on the paperwork for her estate – and also a diabetes doctor from Miami she was seeing; those were the controlling names on the estate.’
There was a conspiracy theory that the government was targeting Brittany because of her friendship with a Hollywood filmmaker who was also a whistle-blower. The theory gained momentum with the paranoia Monjack exhibited in the months before his death; he had believed that he and Brittany were being watched. He went as far as installing 56 cameras on the property and apparently even had a scrambling device placed on the phone line to stop it being tapped. The whistleblower sent a letter to Brittany’s publicist asking for public support, but the publicist declined.
Another strange theory was related to the house itself. Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake had previously lived together there, and both Britney and Brittany thought there was something wrong with the property, a strange feeling, something unworldly. Apparently, it was that unnerving that it was the reason Britney Spears sold the house. After Brittany’s death, Monjack said, ‘She absolutely hated the Rising Glen House. Every time we would drive up Sunset, Brit would say, ‘Please, can we stay at the Beverley Hills Hotel?’
The circumstances surrounding Brittany Murphy’s death continue to attract discussion and controversy. Was she murdered for money? Killed to keep quiet? Or was she just a sick young girl whose body finally gave up? Either way, she will forever be remembered for her vibrant personality, professional achievements, and talent. Thanks for reading; take care of yourselves, and I will see you next time.
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