Uncover the Secrets of a Hollywood Home's Past

The Hollywood Hills Residence: A Tale of Two Deaths

The late Brittany Murphy's tragic collapse in this Hollywood Hills home on December 20, 2009, at the age of 32 sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry. Just five months later, her husband, Simon Monjack, was found dead on the property. Since then, numerous mysteries have surrounded their deaths, from reports of otherworldly encounters to rumors about the possible role of the house in this confounding story.

Over the past 15 years, the house has changed hands several times. The current owners, who purchased it in 2020, have recently put it up for sale again with an asking price of $17,995,000. Alamy images showcase the property, but a quick search of the address reveals its deeper, more mysterious story.

The House's Rebirth and Renovation

The listing makes it clear that the house has undergone a complete transformation since Murphy's time there. Its exterior has been newly redesigned, the front entry has been recently reimagined, and the interiors and outdoor living spaces have been refreshed. This rebirth gives the property a new lease on life, but it cannot erase the shadows of its past.

According to property records, Murphy purchased the fully furnished home in 2003 from Britney Spears for $3.85 million. She lived in the house with Monjack for nearly six years before their tragic deaths. The memories of their time there still linger, adding an air of mystery to the property.

The Day Brittany Died

On the fateful day, Brittany's mother, Sharon Murphy, who lived with the couple, called 911 when the "Clueless" star collapsed at 8 a.m. after experiencing flu-like symptoms for a few days. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded promptly, and the actress was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead. Her cause of death was determined to be untreated pneumonia, combined with anemia and drug intoxication from prescription and over-the-counter medications.

However, Simon's mother, Linda Monjack, raised speculation that there was "severe mold" in the home before her son's death. In 2013, she told the Daily Mail, "All I know is that before Simon's death, he was having hallucinations that things were crawling out of his skin." This theory was previously dismissed by the medical examiner's office in 2010.

Otherworldly Encounters and Superstitions

Both Brittany and the home's former owner, Britney Spears, reported having a sense that something was amiss about the place. Spears, who was dating Justin Timberlake when she lived in the house, allegedly claimed to have had an otherworldly encounter that led her to leave the property and never return.

Spears' former makeup artist, Julianne Kaye, recounted the situation on an episode of the "We Need to Talk About Britney" podcast in February 2021. She explained, "She had that place up on Sunset Plaza — and I'm just gonna say, this is really weird … She calls me … I had my friend do reiki healing on her. He had come up; I guess she'd had a crazy partying weekend and needed to relax. He left, and she swears to God that he opened some spirit portal or something, and these bad spirits had come in … and they were trying to, like, push her down the stairs or something crazy."

While Murphy never claimed to see spirits, she did seem to have a sense that something was off about the home. In a January 2011 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, shortly after Murphy's death, Monjack shared that his late wife tried to avoid the home at all costs. He said, "She absolutely hated the Rising Glen house. Every time we would drive up Sunset, Brit would say, 'Please, can we stay at the Beverly Hills Hotel?' I'd say: 'Honey, you've got to be realistic. We have our house, a 10,000-square-foot home. We're going to stay in it.'"

The Unlucky Real Estate History

The home has had an unlucky streak on the real estate market in the past. It was listed for sale and rent several times in the last several years, with the most recent listing for $75,000 per month. The six-bedroom, nine-bathroom, 9,400 sq ft. spread was briefly listed for sale by the current owners in the summer of 2024 with a price tag of $19 million before being removed. The current asking price of $17,995,000 is a one-million-dollar discount, but after nearly three months, it is still looking for its next resident.