Celebrity News December 20, 2019
Brittany Murphy: A Look Back at Her Mysterious Death 10 Years Later
Today marks the 10-year anniversary of Brittany Murphy's tragic death.
A decade later, the death of the "Clueless" star — who collapsed and died on the floor of her bathroom at just 32 years old — remains a mystery.
At the time, her mother Sharon said Brittany had complained of breathing problems. She told The Hollywood Reporter she thought toxic mold that was later found in Brittany's house may have contributed to her daughter's death, but added, “We will never know for sure.”
Brittany's autopsy cited pneumonia, iron-deficiency anemia, and an accidental mix of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
Shockingly, Murphy's 40-year-old husband Simon Monjack died just five months later of pneumonia. He, too, had several prescription drugs in his system at the time of his death.
In 2013, Brittany's father Angelo Bertolotti had her hair tested to rule out any foul play. The results included high levels of toxic metals, including barium, which is used in some rat poisons.
He told “Good Morning America” at the time, “I have a feeling that there was a definite murder situation here. Yeah, it's poison. Yes, yes, I know that.”
Sharon blasted Bertolotti in THR, claiming he was an absentee father and that the test results were based on “the most flimsy of evidence."
Meanwhile, L.A. County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter addressed the lab results in an interview with E!, saying, "We could have reopened the case, but we didn't think it warranted it."
Brittany Murphy’s Death: Coroner Speaks Out about Possibility of Reopening Investigation
View StoryWinter continued, “[T]he only thing they found was heavy metals present, but I guess either our folks or a doctor explained to them it was due to Brittany coloring her hair… It was determined it was from color. She wasn't poisoned, and we stand by the cause of death. She died from over-the-counter medicines, pneumonia, and anemia."
Angelo died in January 2019. A source told RadarOnline.com that the 92-year-old was "unconscious" for months leading up to his death. “There were complications,” the insider said, with no indication of the underlying condition.