Simon Monjack Delayed Having Heart Surgery As He Grieved For Brittany Murphy

Scriptwriter Simon Monjack – who died suddenly on Sunday (23.05.10) aged 39, just five months after his actress wife passed away last December aged just 32 – is believed to have been trying to put off a bypass operation for his condition until after a planned charity event in September for the Brittany Murphy Foundation.

His publicist Roger Neal said: "I can tell you he was excited about what the future held in terms of the legacy of Brittany Murphy. He looked fine to me.   "As far as we know he passed away of natural causes. He did have a heart condition and he was due for bypass heart surgery.”

The writer was found unconscious at the home he shared with the late ‘Clueless’ star by her mother Sharon Murphy – who also discovered Brittany’s body in the shower of the home.   Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter has previously revealed prescription drugs were found near Monjack’s body, although he has refused to give any further details.   Sharon is “devastated” to lose her son-in-law.

Roger said: "It is a very sad day for Ms. Murphy. She’s devastated. She’s a very strong woman. I don’t know how you handle something like that. She is resting. Sharon loved Simon as a son. They were a very close family."   At the time of his passing, Simon had been setting up a charity to pay for dance and singing lessons for youngsters who can’t afford private tuition.   Roger added: “He and Sharon we both very involved in a foundation being set up to help children. He was getting ready for a whole lot of things that were very positive and very incredible… Just talking with him and Sharon, the expressions on their face, they were still sad over the loss of Brittany, which is to be expected, but he was very focused about what they were doing with this formation of the foundation and the gala and things like that. "Brittany’s dream, as was Simon’s, was to help children who want to learn to do ballet, sing, etcetera, who couldn’t afford it. The foundation would raise money for it."   The official cause of Monjack’s death is still to be determined. An autopsy and toxicology testing should take place in the next few days.  Photo: Fame Pictures