Sixteen years to the day after her tragic passing, a renewed spotlight falls on the Hollywood Hills home where actress Brittany Murphy and her husband, Simon Monjack, died months apart. The property, which Murphy purchased from pop icon Britney Spears, has just been listed for sale at a staggering nearly $18 million.
A House Shrouded in Tragedy
Brittany Murphy bought the fully furnished home on Rising Glen Road from Britney Spears in 2003 for $3.85 million. The Clueless star settled into the sprawling Los Angeles property, where she would later marry British screenwriter Simon Monjack in April 2007. The couple lived there with Murphy's mother, Sharon.
Tragedy struck on December 20, 2009, when Murphy, aged just 32, was found collapsed in the home by her mother. She was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The coroner ruled her death was caused by untreated pneumonia, severe anemia, and drug intoxication from a combination of prescription and over-the-counter medications.
In a devastating turn, just five months later in May 2010, Simon Monjack, 40, was also found dead at the property. His death was similarly attributed to acute pneumonia and severe anemia.
Eerie Claims and Unexplained Fears
The pair of untimely deaths have fuelled lasting mystery and speculation about the mansion. Following Monjack's death, his mother, Linda Monjack, publicly raised concerns about 'severe mold' in the house, claiming her son had experienced disturbing hallucinations before he died. However, this theory was officially ruled out by the medical examiner in 2010.
Intriguingly, both Brittany Murphy and the home's previous owner, Britney Spears, reportedly felt something was amiss in the property. Spears's former makeup artist, Julianne Kaye, recounted on a podcast how the singer believed a reiki healing session had opened a 'spirit portal' in the house, leading to such frightening experiences that Spears fled to a hotel and never returned.
Murphy herself allegedly expressed deep discomfort with the home. According to a 2011 report, Monjack shared that his wife 'absolutely hated the Rising Glen house' and often pleaded to stay elsewhere, though he described the bathroom where she died as her personal 'comfort zone.'
A Property 'Reborn' with a Hefty Price Tag
After Murphy's death, her mother Sharon initially struggled to sell the home, eventually listing it for $2.7 million in 2011. The property changed hands several times before its current listing in December 2024 for $17,995,000 (approximately £14.2 million).
The sales listing, handled by agent David Parnes, insists the home has been 'reborn' after a 'complete metamorphosis', including a newly redesigned exterior. This dramatic renovation and price hike aim to distance the estate from its sombre past, even as the sixteenth anniversary of Murphy's death ensures the mansion's haunting history remains firmly in the public eye.
