There's no questioning that the death of Brittany Murphy was a tragedy. The actress, known for her roles in both television and film, was just 32 years old when she died.
Initial reports indicated Brittany died from cardiac arrest. Later, it was revealed that she had been battling flu-like symptoms. The coroner ruled her death was an accident, as a result of anemia combined with the over-the-counter and prescription drugs found in her system. She was using the medication to treat a bout of pneumonia.
Fans weren't so sure, however. Something wasn't adding up about the actress's sudden death. Her husband, Simon Monjack, acted strangely following her death. Some questioned his decision to keep living with Brittany's mother after the actress died.
Ultimately, Sharon Murphy was the one to find Simon dead in the same room of the home five months later. To this day, many are still seeking the truth in this bizarre, puzzling story of a talent taken too soon.
It's hard to believe it's been 11 years since Brittany Murphy's untimely death. The actress was just 32 years old when first responders arrived at her Los Angeles residence after she collapsed in the bathroom. It was December 20, 2009, and hours later, Brittany died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after going into cardiac arrest.
Fans were devastated by the loss. It was ruled an accidental death and the case was closed, but a suspicion that there was more to the story lingered. "She was really sick with pneumonia, very anemic, and she was taking medication," Coroner Assistant Chief Ed Winter told People magazine.
Contrary to popular belief and rumors of a substance abuse issue, Brittany did not have illegal drugs in her system. "It was only prescription and over-the-counter meds," the coroner's assistant noted.
Her husband, Simon Monjack, famously asserted Brittany couldn't do illegal drugs because of a heart murmur. No proof of that claim was ever made clear.
Brittany lived in the home with Simon and her mother, Sharon. Brittany had bought the home, fully furnished, from Britney Spears for $3.9 million in 2003, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Britney had resided in the home with Justin Timberlake before their split. The parallels between the two women are admittedly eerie, and like the Britney before her, Brittany grew to feel the space was unlucky.
Brittany was going through a tough time just before her death. Her career had stalled, and the offers she was getting didn't meet her talent. It was so much so that Simon believed that gossip about alleged drug use and unprofessional behavior was a conspiracy against her.
Simon speaking out about Brittany's death on various occasions caused more questions to arise. Some found it strange that the assumption was made by both Simon and Sharon that Brittany was being dramatic when, by their account, she was pleading for her life.
"She was always so dramatic," Sharon told The Hollywood Reporter.
"I've replayed that so many times. She asked if she could use the oxygen, but Simon said her heart could stop with oxygen, and anyway he then had another seizure, a long, horrific seizure." Simon had been suffering from seizures and a heart condition.
Many also took issue with the fact Simon did not allow for an autopsy. Initially, he said it was because he didn't want her body defiled. Later, he'd say it was in accordance with his Jewish faith.
An already suspicious situation took another unexpected turn when five months after Brittany's death, Simon died of the same thing.
"It was just a tragic set of circumstances,” LAPD Commander Andrew Smith told People.
"It's a sad, sad case."
Perhaps the saddest fact that's come since Brittany's death is the knowledge that it didn't have to end that way.
"She had been sick at least two weeks," Ed Winter told The Hollywood Reporter.
"Had they taken her to a doctor or hospital, it would have been treatable"
"This death could've been preventable," the assistant coroner said in a separate statement to People.
"Murphy was planning on seeing a doctor, but she unfortunately passed away before she did. This was a case of a person with pneumonia who was anemic and was taking medication when she should've been getting medical treatment."
