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Simon Monjack, Brittany Murphy's Husband, Found Dead at Home

Simon Monjack and Brittany Murphy (AP/Dan Steinberg, file)

LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) Simon Monjack, the husband of Brittany Murphy, was found dead at his Los Angeles home late Sunday, five months after the Hollywood actress died, police said.

PICTURES: Brittany Murphy Dead at 32

Though police are investigating the British screenwriter's sudden passing, the preliminary cause of the death is natural causes, police spokesman Sgt. Louie Lozano told The Associated Press.

"We concluded there no signs of foul play or any criminal activity involved," said Sgt. Alex Ortiz, another police spokesman.

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 residence, said Sgt.  Lozano said. Sgt. Ortiz said he didn't know who called. Monjack and Murphy had shared their home with Murphy's mother, Sharon.

Ortiz said that the Los Angeles Coroner's Office was taking over the investigation because criminal activity had been ruled out, and would provide more details later on the death and circumstances surrounding it.

At his wife's funeral in December, a visibly emotional Monjack talked about their relationship and called her his best friend and soul mate. The two married in 2007.

He had said that they had been planning a family and contemplating a move to New York.

Murphy, best known for her major roles in "Clueless," "Girl Interrupted," and "8 Mile" in 2002, died Dec. 20, at age 32 after collapsing at home. The Los Angeles County coroner's office concluded Murphy's death was accidental, but likely preventable.

Monjack is credited as producer and co-writer of the 2001 film "Two Days, Nine Lives" and executive producer of the 2006 "Factory Girl."

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PICTURES: Brittany Murphy Dead at 32

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December 21, 2009 - Brittany Murphy Dead: Natural Causes to Blame, Says Coroner, But Police Are Investigating


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