Simon Monjack, Brittany Murphy's Widower, Found Dead in Los Angeles

By PopEater Staff Posted May 24th 2010 08:00AM

Simon Monjack, the husband of late actress Brittany Murphy, was found dead Sunday night in his Hollywood Hills home, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. He was 39. The screenwriter was reportedly found by his mother-in-law, Sharon, in the master bedroom of the house he once shared with Murphy.

"The preliminary cause of death is natural causes," Sgt. Louie Lozano told the Associated Press. Another police spokesman, Sgt. Alex Ortiz, said, "We concluded there were no signs of foul play or any criminal activity involved."

Ortiz said that the coroner's office was taking over the investigation because criminal activity had been ruled out.

According to his spokesman, Monjack was due for a heart bypass. "Simon needed a [heart] bypass. I was told he needed a bypass, and I said to him, 'Simon, you have so much going on, let's keep you healthy.' I said, 'You want to be healthy. Don't you?' He said yes, but he said, 'The bypass can wait,' " his rep told PEOPLE.

Officials told reporters that a 911 call for a medical emergency was placed at 9:46 PM Sunday night. When emergency responders arrived at the home, Monjack was pronounced dead. It's unclear if medics tried to revive him.

Watch the 'Today' Show Interview w/ Monjack:

No illegal drugs were found in the house, according to Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter.

Sharon Murphy, Brittany's mother, also lives at the home.

Brittany Murphy was found dead Dec. 20 in her bathroom by Monjack. The final coroner's report, released Feb. 23, states that she had "elevated levels" of Vicodin and drugs from over-the-counter cold medicine in her system, but no illegal substances. The office concluded Murphy's death was accidental, but likely preventable. She was 32.

In an interview following the results, Monjack said, "I took very good care of my wife ... She was on an antibiotic and she was taking cough medicine and doing all the right things."

At her funeral in December, a visibly emotional Monjack talked about their relationship and called her his best friend and soul mate. He had said that they had been planning a family and contemplating a move to New York.

Monjack and Sharon Murphy recently took the 8,000 sq. ft home off the market, reportedly because they did not feel comfortable showing the home to potential buyers. It went up for sale in March for $7.25 million.

Monjack -- who penned and produced 2006's 'Factory Girl' -- wed Murphy in 2007 in a small, private ceremony at their house. The marriage seemed to come out of nowhere, as the couple never announced their engagement and hardly ever made public appearances together.

Their nuptials came amid a swirl of controversy. According to an Us Weekly report -- which has since been taken off of their website -- Monjack, who is British, was on the verge of being deported because he overstayed his visa. He split from his ex-wife just months before marrying Murphy.

Tags: brittany murphy, simon monjack

Comments

(203)

Monday 24 May

By Val

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You read my mind!!!! The woman found both of them dead. Why was she still living in the house after her daughter died. Kind of strange, maybe....

By wreckonice

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Hello, Val, That is the 60 million dollar question--why did the mother live in the house with Simon???It makes you wonder if there was a relationship going on between them. That is shocking but drugs make people do weird things. Hope there was not any foul play but I will continue to look for info on this situation. How about U?

By qzsusie

She was still in the house because Murphy took care of her Mom. And from what i heard the Husband got nothing. Everything was left to the Mom. So she lived in the house because it now belong to her not the husband. But thats what they said.

By Liz

They were family, all they had left were each other!

I just knew he was going to die, he died of a broken heart! People were sooo mean to him for the way he grieved. They are now together, I hope they rest in peace.

By linds

None of us will "continue to look into this situation" because we have our own lives to lead & LIVE...I surely hope this isn't how you spend your day, following up on the deaths of people you don't know...just saying! There are certainly better things to do with any day.

Wednesday 26 May

By trish73

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Wreckonice, and the rest of you morons! Why would you read something into Brittany's mother, and husband, having something going on. You're an idiot. He lost the woman he loved, and Brittany's mother lost a daughter, can't you look past your filthy little minds? They were both mourning, for someone they loved, and lost. But, you filthy minded half-wits have to make something out of it. you all need to take a jump off the nearest bridge. What a bunch of morons!!!

By Theresa

Are you seriouse? You have been watching to many soaps. Families live together all the time. She and her son-n-law were most-likely very close. Why would he ask her to move out?...they'er family! I am really starting to wonder about the mind-set of the American people....dark very demonic group of people in cyber world!

By jake

Something fishy is going on here! FATAL ATTRACTION??? The mother wanted her son-in-law all for herself. She killed her own daughter so she can be with him. Perhaps, the widower has found a new love, so the mother do him too. Just a theory!!! I hope this is not the case.

Monday 31 May

By lindyskye

it IS strange that he still lived with the mother. I thought she didn't even like him when brittany was alive. He seemed sooooo strange. I don't know what the attraction was, but now there is another mystery, Did he just drop dead?? Young for that, don't you think? The mother will need to do some soul searching for sure. The whole thing is sad. Drugs are evil.

By Tex

Just offer your condolences and then slither back under that rock.

By sueb

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You watch too much TV and Movies. Try to learn the difference between Hollywood and reality.

OK we need Columbo since so many R CONvinced 'he died of a broken heart'....Well, of course his heart stopped, whether or not it was broken, I cannot say...but 2 B dead, your heart must B stopped. So, that's a give N. I think blame it on the HOUSE is another theory proposed which also CONfuses things. Why not take a poll? How many say: 1)broken heart....or....2)HOUSE....or....3)the MAMA!!!

By mdf0220

Me thinks the America public watches too much tv and now are putting a plot from a really bad film noir on this tragic story. Why was her mother there? Oh, i dunno? Because they are family and maybe she needed to be close to someone after her daughters death? DUH...

By goodmorning

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This is an strange, and very unusaul two celebrity's dead?Something smells fishy about all this.

By D

He died of a broken heart.

By arnel evans

I agree with you.

By TUNE A FISH

I think you are correct.I hope they are together now.

By LB

That could B true Bcause I use 2 know a n8ghbor that was like that 1st the wife died & a mo. later he died (husband) & as I last heard the only son died a year later & he was 42.

By jude

Brittany death accidental.Simons broken heart.

By double h

neither one was an accidental overdose..... suicide

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