Brittany Murphy’s Husband Found Dead-UPDATED

In a truth is stranger than fiction scenario, the husband of the late starlet Brittany Murphy, Simon Monjack, 39, was found dead in their home this morning. As you recall, Brittany Murphy died unexpectedly in December 2009. Although initial reports thought that the death might be related to a drug overdose, the autopsy report stated that Brittany died an accidental death from pneumonia complicated by iron-deficiency anemia and “multiple drug intoxication.” Monjack was a British screenwriter and producer of the 2001 film “Two Days, Nine Lives” and executive producer of the 2006 “Factory Girl.” He married Murphy in 2007.

Firefighters responding to an emergency call from a woman at 9:40 p.m. found the 39-year-old Monjack dead at the Hollywood Hills home he shared with Brittany Murphy’s mother, Sharon. Police spokesman Sgt. Alex Ortiz reported, “We concluded there no signs of foul play or any criminal activity involved. ” According to the Associated Press, “the preliminary cause of the death of British screenwriter Simon Monjack is natural causes, ” however an autopsy will, of course, be done. Stay tuned…

UPDATE: May 26, 2010

There are reports that Simon Monjack needed to undergo bypass surgery, but that he was putting it off until September, after a benefit event he was planning in Brittany Murphy’s honor. In January, Monjack’s mother Linda told People magazine that her son was “unwell” and that he had suffered “a slight heart attack” a week before Brittany’s death. This makes a heart attack the most likely cause of Monjack’s death, however the planned autopsy will confirm or refute this.

For more information about bypass surgery see our blog about Burt Reynolds and Rue McClanahan.