Even though you didn’t know them in real life, it’s understandable to grieve the passing of a beloved celebrity. Actors, musicians, and other public figures impact our lives in very real ways, so their deaths feel like a major loss – especially if they die way before their time.
That certainly rang true with Brittany Murphy’s death, which no one expected! Learn more about what happened to Brittany Murphy, the cause of death, and the aftermath.
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Who Is Brittany Murphy?
Brittany Murphy was an actress who was most famous for her roles in comedies and romantic movies, although she’s had a few critically-acclaimed dramatic roles as well.
Despite coming from a single parent household, Murphy (of no relation to Eddie Murphy) was 100% supported in her pursuit of the arts. Her mother even sold off all her possessions just to move the family to California! She was trained in singing, dancing, and acting, which would come in handy in Murphy’s first ever role – on Broadway, to boot.
Murphy’s breakthrough role was playing Tai Frasier in the classic chick flick Clueless. Proving that she’s not a one-note actress, Murphy also played a small role in Girl, Interrupted alongside other great ‘90s actresses Angelina Jolie and Winona Ryder. Later, she lent her voice to Happy Feet, even singing a cover of Queen’s “Somebody to Love” for the soundtrack.
Her other famous movies include Uptown Girls with Dakota Fanning, Little Black Book, Abandoned, Eminem’s biopic 8 Mile, and the acclaimed Sin City. Her comedic timing, talent, and beauty earned her a comparison to the late, great Lucille Ball by none other than critic Roger Ebert.
Was Brittany Murphy Married?
Brittany Murphy was linked to a few famous names during her career, like her Just Married co-star Ashton Kutcher or Little Black Book production assistant Joe Macaluso (who she was briefly engaged to).
In 2007, Murphy married screenwriter Simon Monjack. She, her husband, and her mother lived together in the same house up until her death two years later. Murphy and Monjack did not have any children together.
When Did Brittany Murphy Die?
It was announced that Brittany Murphy was dead at age 32 on December 20, 2009. She had apparently collapsed onto the bathroom floor; her husband Simon sounded the alarm. She could not be resuscitated at the scene, so she was brought to the hospital where she later went into cardiac arrest and died.
How Did Brittany Murphy Die?
There were a lot of speculations around how and why Brittany Murphy died. Initial investigations opened up a few possible leads such as toxic mould, heavy metal poisoning, and drug overdose. Some even speculated that Murphy was murdered!
The official cause of death was listed as pneumonia. Before she died, Murphy was most likely suffering from some kind of respiratory infection and was taking a lot of medication to treat it.
Was There Any Controversy Surrounding Brittany Murphy’s Death?
On May 23, 2010 – just a few months after Murphy’s death and funeral – Simon Monjack was found dead in the same house. The coroner’s report stated that Monjack died of pneumonia and anemia, the same afflictions that Murphy died from. This sparked a lot of rumours that unchecked toxic mould was actually what killed the couple, although the coroner has repeatedly dismissed that possibility.
Initially, Murphy’s mum Sharon didn’t believe in the toxic mould theory either. However, a year later, Sharon Murphy said that toxic mould was the cause of her daughter’s death. Murphy’s father Angelo Bertolotti requested for independent testing and claimed that toxicology reports proved that Murphy was deliberately poisoned. Sharon Murphy has refuted these later allegations.
Gone Too Soon
Brittany Murphy was undeniably a talented actress and a bright spark in the Hollywood industry. We’ll never know the great things she could have achieved if she had lived longer, but we can always look back at the impressive work she’s left behind.
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