Brittany Murphy
Credit: J. Vespa/WireImage

The bizarre and sudden death of Brittany Murphy in 2009 is now being explored in a new HBO Max documentary aptly titled, What Happened, Brittany Murphy? The actress reportedly died of natural causes – a combination of pneumonia, anemia and multiple drug intoxication – but a new and damaging light has been placed on her husband, Simon Monjack.

Last week the director of the series, Cynthia Hill, described Murphy’s husband as a “con-man”. Now, a sneak peek (per E News!) from the investigation suggests Monjack undertook some pretty strange behavior just days after her death. In an interview with former Radar Online journalist, Amber Ryland, she recalls camping outside the Murphy residence following her death to report on the news.

“The amount of reporters and paparazzi sort of dwindled off and we stayed,” Ryland says in the documentary. “We were told to stay, spent the night in my car. It was almost 24/7.”

On Christmas day, Ryland’s boss asked her to purchase flowers and deliver them to the house.

Brittany Murphy
Actress Brittany Murphy and husband Simon Monjack attends L’Oreal Paris’ “A Night of Hope” hosted by L’Oreal president Carol J. Hamilton, Diane Keaton and Andie MacDowell to benefit The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) at Murano on November 7, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/WireImage)

“I said, ‘Merry Christmas. I’m just so sorry about Brittany,'” she continued “I said, ‘My card’s there if you want to talk but no pressure.'”

Ryland remembers being “shocked” when she received a call from the man less than an hour later.

“I said, ‘Hi.’ And he said, ‘This is Amber, right?'” Ryland continued. “And I said, ‘Yeah.’ And he said, ‘Thank you. I got your flowers.’ And he was kind of silent for a minute and he said, ‘You know you’re the only one I’ve called.’ And I said, ‘Oh.’ [He said,] ‘You’re the only one that I want to talk to.’ I had access to him now.”

We will have to wait to learn what ensued, when the two-part documentary is be released from October 14. The behaviour is strange given the very recent passing of his wife. At the time a Los Angeles County Coroner, Craig Harvey, said all drugs Murphy was taking before her death were prescription medications and the manner of death was ruled an accident.

Monjack died in May 2010 of similar causes which makes this case especially curious.

Stay tuned.