Warner Brothers is the reason Brittany Murphy died, her husband, Simon Monjack, told The Daily Beast during an interview. While the Los Angeles coroner’s office has not yet released an official cause of death yet for the actress, they have indicated that it appears to be from natural causes, and no foul play was involved.
During the interview, which became publicized on January 28, Monjack told The Daily Beast that he is about to file a wrongful-death lawsuit against the studio. He said he feels the studio caused his wife to have a heart attack by allegedly firing her from the sequel to the smash box office hit ‘Happy Feet’ just weeks before her death.
Monjack also claimed that the studio killed Murphy by slowing her chances of reviving her once-booming career. Her hit movies include 1995’s ‘Clueless,’ her break-through role during which she reportedly “stole (co-star and former prominent actress) Alicia Silverstone’s career,” and 2002’s ‘8 Mile Road.’ Murphy was devastated by the move, which her widower claims was made after reports that she was fired from ‘The Caller’ because she was reportedly drunk on the Puerto Rican set.
“It’s a cruel town,” Monjack also said. “Warner Brothers relied on conjecture and hearsay about the Puerto Rico film for why they canceled Brittany’s role (as the voice of Gloria) in ‘Happy Feet.’ You’re disposable as an actress or actor.” He also said they weren’t willing to pay her a fair wage, only agreeing to a $10,000 a day, five-day minimum contract, plus box office bonuses, even though the 2006 original made over $380 million worldwide.
Monjack also feels he has just cause to file a suit against Warner Brothers because all the rumors about his wife’s partying and alleged drug use cost her roles in recent years. “All she wanted to do was to make movies,” he said. “She was waiting for the role that would revive her career, waiting for the call from Penny Marshall or Gary Fleder, people she had worked with before, that they might remember how talented an actress she was and call with a new magical role.”
Written by: Karen Benardello