Pneumonia killed Brittany Murphy’s husband in Los Angeles, coroner’s office says

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Coroner: Pneumonia killed Brittany Murphy husband

LOS ANGELES — Brittany Murphy’s husband Simon Monjack died from pneumonia, the same illness that killed his actress wife months earlier, coroner’s officials said Wednesday.

Monjack, 40, had a slightly enlarged heart and some prescription medications were found in his body, but not at levels that contributed to his death, Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said.

Monjack was found dead May 23 at the Hollywood Hills home he shared with his actress wife and her mother. Officials initially suspected a heart attack and confirmed Wednesday that Monjack died of natural causes.

Winter said the deaths of British-born screenwriter and Murphy had been referred to county health officials since they died of pneumonia, but did not know if an investigation was ongoing. The health department declined comment.

A list of medications was not immediately available but would be included in a full report issued in about two weeks, Winter said.

Murphy, star of films such as “Clueless” and “8 Mile,” died in December and coroner’s officials determined she died of a combination of pneumonia and that anemia and prescription medications played a role.

Winter says both their deaths were likely preventable.

“In simple English — they didn’t take care of themselves,” Winter said. “They didn’t seek medical advice from a doctor. Brittany could have survived if she had gone to a hospital and Simon I think could have done the same.”