Brittany Murphy, a rising Hollywood star known for her roles in Clueless, Sin City, 8 Mile and Girl Interrupted, met a tragic end at the tender age of 32. Her death, initially deemed due to natural causes, remains shrouded in mystery.

On 20 December 2009, Murphy was discovered collapsed in the bathroom of her Hollywood Hills residence by her mother, who she had called for assistance. She was swiftly taken to a local hospital, where she sadly passed away shortly after.

The official LA County Coroner determined that the actress's death was caused by pneumonia, with severe iron deficiency and intoxication from over-the-counter medicines also contributing.

In the 2021 HBO series What Happened, Brittany Murphy?, deputy medical examiner Dr Lisa Scheinn suggested that Murphy could have been battling the disease for some time, attempting to push through it, reports the Mirror.

Dr Scheinn added: "If she had gotten to a hospital early enough, you can detect pneumonia on the chest X-ray. It's very easy to do. They could have possibly started treatment. But she would've had a chance."

At the time of her death, Murphy's iron levels were dangerously low, with her haemoglobin level described as "very anaemic" at just 3.0, while a normal rate ranges between 12 and 15.5.

In a bewildering turn of events that has left many puzzled, just five months later, in May 2010, Brittany's husband, Simon Monjack, passed away in the very same house from the identical condition. The 40 year old's death was attributed to a mix of pneumonia, anaemia and medication intoxication, sparking fervent speculation.

While theories ranging from poisonings to the impacts of an alleged eating disorder have circulated, some armchair detectives believe the couple's demise was due to toxic mould concealed in their home and infiltrating their lungs.

Despite this theory gaining momentum online, Los Angeles County Coroner's Office Assistant Chief Ed Winter categorically dismissed this possibility.

According to Winter, toxicology reports and autopsies found no evidence mould played any part in their deaths, with no spores being discovered in either of their lungs.

Murphy's father, Angelo Bertolotti, advocated for further investigation and, in 2013, commissioned independent toxicology tests after he accused Brittany's mother of poisoning the couple, with traces of metal detected in their hair.

However, these allegations were not substantiated with no evidence of any poison being found in her toxicology report, and the metals were instead believed to have originated from everyday items such as hair dye or hairspray, and crucial signs of heavy-metal poisoning in the bloodstream or nail patterns were missing.

Since the death of her daughter, Murphy's mother, Sharon, has lived in seclusion, staying away from the public eye.