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Tag: Brittany Murphy

  • Brittany Murphy’s Father Is Crying Foul Over Lifetime Biopic

    Angelo Bertolotti, father of the late actor Brittany Murphy, is reportedly furious about the biopic about his daughter that aired on Saturday, September 6 on Lifetime. He is apparently upset that no one from the production of The Brittany Murphy Story had approached him or her family for their input when they made the movie.

    “I am disgusted and outraged that Lifetime decided to produce such a trashy project, defiling the memory of my beautiful, talented daughter, Brittany Murphy,” said Bertolotti to the Examiner.

    Bertolotti previously told RadarOnline.com that he intended to sue Lifetime. “Frankly, I am amazed at their audacity of calling it ‘a true story’ without conducting any research. The Brittany Murphy Story is an affront to everything my daughter was in real life. It’s hideous, unauthorized and completely untrue,” said Murphy’s father.

    He also criticized the movie for its casting choices, calling them “atrocious” and saying actor Amanda Fuller “looks absolutely nothing like [Murphy]”. Bertolotti is reportedly cyberbullying Fuller by tweeting and retweeting many comments about the actor being too fat to play his daughter.

    “He can say what he wants,” Fuller said in an interview with The TVPage.com. “He has already gone and attacked me on Twitter and I have had to block him and that is fine. He can do what he wants. But I just think it is interesting that the minute she is back in the press he is all about, ‘I am going to sue’ and all that stuff. If he really respected his daughter’s memory then I don’t know if he would be trying to make all this controversy about it. Let her rest in peace.”

    The Brittany Murphy Story explores the life of the actress who died in 2009 at the age of 32 due to what the coroner ruled was a combination of pneumonia, an iron deficiency and “multiple drug intoxication.” It details the rise of Murphy’s career, the circumstances of her death and explores Bertolotti’s claims that his daughter had been poisoned.

  • Brittany Murphy’s Father Disagrees With Biopic

    Brittany Murphy’s father Angelo Bertolotti is upset about the upcoming Lifetime biopic about his late daughter. A lot of people have issues with the biopic and claim that it isn’t giving the full story and that the actress playing Murphy does not look a thing like her.

    Angelo spoke out about the biopic to the Examiner and said,

    “I am disgusted and outraged that Lifetime decided to produce such a trashy project, defiling the memory of my beautiful, talented daughter, Brittany Murphy. Frankly, I am amazed at their audacity of calling it ‘a true story without conducting any research or consulting with any members of the family. The Brittany Murphy Story is an affront to everything my daughter was in real life. It’s hideous, unauthorized and completely untrue.”

    “Lifetime’s casting was atrocious,” he added. “Amanda Fuller, the girl playing Brittany, looks absolutely nothing like her. Everyone looks ridiculous in their bad wigs and the dialogue is nauseating.”

    Fuller defended herself and the film.

    “It is what it is,” Fuller told The TV Page. “All of our hearts were in the right place.”

    “I would have loved to have months of preparation and time to get down to a really skinny [body] so I could portray her physically better,” she continued. “And we would have loved to have had more money and more time for vocal lessons and stuff like that. But in the end, I think it became less of it being a look-alike piece and more about just trying to capture the essence of who she was.”

    Bertolotti is not only upset with the way his daughter is portrayed, but also how the film portrays him as a father.

    “To suggest that I was never in Brittany’s life since the age of 2 is absolutely despicable. I was always a part of Brittany’s life and supported both her and her mother,” he said. “Anyone who thinks that [her mother] Sharon and Brittany could afford to move from New Jersey to California by selling Tupperware should have their heads examined.”

    Bertolotti doesn’t necessarily blame Fuller for the inaccuracies in the film, but is just upset with the entire thing in general.

    “To make a film about Brittany’s life and death, while her true cause of death is pending re-investigation, is in extremely poor taste. It’s completely inappropriate,” he said.

    Bertolotti went on to say that he is planning to make his own biopic about his daughter and that it will tell the real story of her life and the people who were a part of it.

  • Brittany Murphy’s Father Outraged Over Lifetime Movie

    Brittany Murphy left behind quite a few grief-stricken fans when she died suddenly in 2009, reportedly collapsing in the shower in her home due to a weakened state caused by pneumonia and a mixture of prescription and over-the-counter medicines. Since her death, her father has ordered testing to be done on her blood and hair after finding the details surrounding her death to be suspicious, and last year a report was released showing elevated levels of metals in her system. The same metals were found in her husband Simon’s system when he passed away just five months after her death, and rumors began to circulate that both Brittany and Simon were poisoned. Now, a Lifetime movie about the star’s life looks to be following that train of logic with a new trailer, and Murphy’s father is outraged at how it is presented.

    “I am disgusted and outraged that Lifetime decided to produce such a trashy project, defiling the memory of my beautiful, talented daughter, Brittany Murphy. Frankly, I am amazed at their audacity of calling it ‘a true story’ without conducting any research. The Brittany Murphy Story is an affront to everything my daughter was in real life. It’s hideous, unauthorized and completely untrue,” Angelo Bertolotti said.

    Bertolotti says that several elements of the story are completely untrue–such as the assertion that he deserted Murphy when she was very young–and isn’t happy with the actress who portrays his daughter, saying she looks nothing like her.

    The movie will reportedly delve into her career as well as her tragic death, and will show her rise to fame with the film Clueless.

  • Amanda Fuller to Channel Brittany Murphy in Lifetime Biopic

    Amanda Fuller, best known for roles in Last Man Standing and Grey’s Anatomy, will channel her best Brittany Murphy for a Lifetime biopic about the late actress, set to air on Sept. 6.

    It’s been five years since Murphy died at the age of 32. The Los Angeles coroner determined the actress died of natural causes as a result of pneumonia. Five months after her death, Murphy’s husband Simon Monjack died from the same illness.

    The Brittany Murphy Story depicts the close relationship between Murphy and her mother, Sharon, portrayed by Sherilyn Fenn. The story focuses on their shared ambition for the young actress, which culminated with her role in the 1995 cult classic Clueless.

    “Her desperation for approval and insecurity about her looks makes her personal life a disaster,” Lifetime said in a statement. “Unlike other stage moms, Sharon was always her daughter’s support system, but that enduring love wasn’t enough to save her sensitive Brittany from the vicissitudes of Hollywood life.”

    The movie encompasses Murphy’s early life, rise to fame and continues after her death on Dec. 20, 2009, when her biological father, Angelo Bertolutti, claimed his daughter was poisoned.

    In November, Sharon published an open letter in The Hollywood Reporter, slamming her ex-husband for propagating rumors that her death was from anything other than from natural causes.

    “We will never know for sure,” Sharon wrote. “However, we do know the Los Angeles County Coroner did extensive tests and found that she died of natural causes. And now she is a real living angel in heaven.”

    Murphy had minor roles on television before moving on to star in films, which included Clueless, Girl Interrupted and 8 Mile.

    Image Amanda Fuller, Instagram

  • Stacey Dash Joins FOX News as a Contributor

    Actress Stacey Dash will be joining FOX News Channel as a contributor, according to a press release issued by the network on Wednesday.

    “Stacey is an engaging conversationalist whose distinctive viewpoints amongst her Hollywood peers have spawned national debates,” said Executive Vice President of Programming Bill Shine. “We’re pleased to have her join FOX News.”

    A native of the Bronx, New York, 47-year-old Dash began her acting career over 20 years ago with guest appearances on The Cosby Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and St. Elsewhere.

    Dash made her feature film debut in 1987’s Enemy Territory. She followed that up with Moving opposite Richard Pryor in 1988, Mo’ Money with Damon Wayans in 1992, and Renaissance Man with Mark Wahlberg in 1994.

    Her breakout role came in 1995 when she appeared in Clueless alongside Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy, and Paul Rudd.

    More recently, Dash starred in Lap Dance, with an ensemble cast that included Carmen Electra, Mariel Hemingway, and Nia Peeples.

    In October 2012 Dash drew criticism for tweeting her endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

    The backlash took the form of what some considered racially-based hate tweets along the lines of “You’re an unemployed black woman endorsing @MittRomney. You’re voting against yourself thrice. You poor beautiful idiot.”

    Dash stood her ground, replying “My humble opinion… EVERYONE is entitled to one.”

    “I tweeted my opinion and when I woke up the next morning, my life had changed,” Dash said recently, looking back on the incident. “And since then, anything I say has been newsworthy.”

    Dash, who portrays herself as a paradoxical mix of down-to-earth conservative and modern-day feminist but also admits to harboring dreams of one day running for political office, still seems a little dazzled by the turn her career has taken.

    “Twenty years after Clueless I’m starting all over. All because of a tweet!”

    Dash is cashing in on the opportunity that single tweet presented, and continues to express her opinions prolifically on Twitter:

    Dash frequently retweets her critics:

    “Everyone else can just attack ’em … That way I don’t have to say anything.”

    Image via YouTube

  • James Gandolfini’s Final Film Releases Trailer [Video]

    The late actor already had one major film released since his death in 2013, but James Gandolfini has yet another film to offer his fans. The film may even remind people of The Sopranos with him playing a former criminal.

    James Gandolfini had a heart attack, and died at the age of 51 on June 19, 2013. Months later, his thought-to-be final film Enough Said was released, which co-starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The film even earned him some award nominations, and a couple of significant mentions during the speeches of the winners.

    His final film is called The Drop, and is described as a crime drama, a genre that Gandolfini became quite familiar with throughout his career. It is based on a screenplay that was written by Dennis Lehane, who has written books such as Mystic River and Shutter Island.

    The film follows a lonely bartender through a covert scheme of funneling cash to local gangsters in the underworld of Brooklyn bars. He finds himself at the center of a robbery gone wrong, while entwined in an investigation that digs deep into the neighborhood’s past.

    He will always be remembered for his role on HBO’s long-running mafia drama The Sopranos, in which he played the father of the family, Tony Soprano. James Gandolfini, in addition to the series, received several Golden Globe, and Emmy nominations during its six-season run.

    He was a treasured actor in the Hollywood community, and his sudden death shocked many people. Another death that shocked many people almost five years ago was Brittany Murphy, and a trailer for her final film was also released recently, which is being released to a limited amount of theaters this weekend.

    James Gandolfini was often type-cast in serious, and violent roles, but could have possibly changed that after his role in Enough Said. He was also an incredibly sweet person in real life, according to Edie Falco, who delivered an emotion-filled tribute to the man who played her on-screen husband for six seasons.

    In addition to Gandolfini, The Drop stars Tom Hardy, who may be most-well known for playing Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, and Noomi Rapace, who starred in the Swedish version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, and its sequels.

    The Drop is directed by Michael R. Roskam, who has previously directed Bullhead. It is set to hit theaters on September 19th, 2014, and will likely send plenty of James Gandolfini’s fans to the theater yet again to see his final film.

    Image via Youtube

  • Brittany Murphy’s Final Film Releases First Trailer [Video]

    It may come as a huge shock to people that have not heard yet, but Brittany Murphy has another film coming out. Murphy suffered her sudden death in 2009, but somehow she was a part of a film that was never able to be released.

    Brittany Murphy died in December of 2009, but it was recently revealed that she would have a new film coming out. Upon hearing the news, everyone was clearly surprised, given that it had been such a long time since her death.

    The young actress died at the age of 32 from pneumonia, anemia and cardiac arrest. The film was filmed from April until June in the year that she died, but for various reasons, it was never able to be released in theaters.

    Brittany Murphy’s final film is called Something Wicked, and has been described as a psychological thriller. The story follows a young couple embarking upon their wedding plans, when gruesome secrets from their past collide with the sinister forces of the present.

    In Something Wicked, Murphy plays the role of a psychiatrist named Susan, observing the deteriorating relationship between a newlywed couple, following a traumatic car crash. Sinister forces take control, leading the characters into a type of madness, prompting Murphy’s character to claim that there is evil in their house.

    Production on the project was delayed due to her death, and the film was not able to be completed until December of 2012. Emotions were clearly running high for the rest of the cast, and crew following her untimely death, and fans can rejoice at the fact that they are able to finally see the footage.

    Speaking on the issue, the film’s writer and producer Joe Colleran said “The first months of reviewing the footage and starting to put things together and then seeing her and hearing her voice, it’s very emotional.”

    The film is directed by Darin Scott, and in addition to Brittany Murphy, the film stars Shantel VanSanten and John Robinson as the newlywed couple. Also present in the film are Julian Morris, James Patrick Stuart, Robert Blanche and Joe Feeney.

    Something Wicked will be released soon, but only in select theaters. It will be shown first on April 4th at the Regal Valley River Center 15 in Eugene, Oregon. This is the same location where the film was shot in 2009, and in the following weeks, the film will expand to Regal Cinemas in Portland and Seattle.

    Image via Youtube

  • Brittany Murphy Final Film Gets Release Date

    Brittany Murphy’s final film, Something Wicked, has a release date, more than four years after the actress’ unexpected death.

    The movie will first be screened Apr. 4 in Eugene, Oreg., at the Regal Valley River Center 15, where the psychological thriller was filmed in 2009. It will then show in Regal Cinemas in Portland and Seattle in the following weeks.

    Due to a small budget, the film will initially have a limited release. Producers are counting on word-of-mouth to help spread the word about the project.

    The film’s official Facebook account page encouraged support for the film.

    Post by Something Wicked.
    Something Wicked tells the story of a young couple whose dark past secrets get in the way of their future marital bliss. Murphy co-starred in the project, directed by Darin Scott, with Shantel VanSanten of One Tree Hill, James Patrick Stuart of Monsters vs. Aliens), John Robinson, who starred in Elephant, and Pretty Little Liars' Julian Morris. Murphy's death in December 2009 delayed the film's production schedule, and the project was not completed until December 2012. "It is an additional responsibility, you do want her performance to be the best it can be, because unfortunately it's her last performance," said producer and screenwriter Joe Colleran. He added that "the first months of reviewing the footage and starting to put things together and then seeing her and hearing her voice, it's very emotional." “There’s an important scene where her character is unraveling and she spent a long time getting ready and focused and went for it. Personally, I think it’s one of the best scenes of her career,” Colleran said. Murphy, who starred in Clueless, 8 Mile, and Girl, Interrupted, died of pneumonia, drug intoxication, and iron deficiency at the age of 32. Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Brittany Murphy’s Final Film Released

    Brittany Murphy’s Final Film Released

    Brittany Murphy’s death shocked the world. Although it has been four years since her death, part of her will live on in her films, including the last one she made. Something Wicked will be released in theaters on April 4 and is described as a psychological thriller.

    In the film, two young lovers head off on a honeymoon even though their parents do not think that they should. After a tragedy takes place, the couple find out a horrible secret about their pasts and find themselves struggling with their recent revelation. The couple goes to Murphy’s character, a psychiatrist, for help and she is determined to help them save their new marriage.

    The film was shot in Eugene, Oregon, which is also where it will first be released. Eventually, the film will be released in other cities across the country. Murphy’s last movie role is said to be one of her best and producer Joe Colleran calls it her most chilling.

    “I would describe Brittany’s performance as the most chilling performance of her career,” said Colleran.

    Murphy died in 2009 and her death was considered suspicious at first. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was pneumonia, anemia and a mixture of drugs. Even more suspicious, Murphy’s husband, Simon Monjack died just five months later from the same causes.

    Murphy’s father did not believe that she died from anemia and pneumonia and speculated that she had been poisoned. He even filed a claim that blamed the investigators of failing to do their jobs properly. The claim was later dismissed but many of Murphy’s family members, fans and friends still believe that her death was not natural.

    Are you excited to watch Something Wicked and do you believe that Brittany Murphy died from a combination of natural and drug related causes or do you think she was poisoned?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Brittany Murphy: Film to Release Years After Her Death

    Brittany Murphy died more than four years ago and now word has come that her final film will soon be released. Something Wicked will premiere first in theaters in Eugene, Oregon on April 4th. The film was actually shot in that location. From there it will head to Seattle and Portland, and then on to theaters in other parts of the country.

    The indie film is described as a “hauntingly seductive thriller about obsession and young love gone wrong.” In addition to Brittany Murphy, One Tree Hill’s Shantel VanSanten and Pretty Little Liars star Julian Morris also star in Something Wicked.

    Back in 2010 Shantel VanSanten sang the praises of her late costar.

    “She had the most infectious personality and it was really great to work with her,” the actress said of Murphy, who died back in December 2009. “I was completely shocked when I found out that she passed away.”

    Brittany Murphy is said to have died of pneumonia combined with anemia and multiple drug intoxication. In a very bizarre turn of events it was just five months later that her husband Simon Monjack also died of pneumonia and anemia. Just a few months ago Murphy’s father Angelo Bertolotti issued a claim saying his daughter had been poisoned. He accused investigators of “failure to conduct toxicology tests on the specimens” of his daughter’s hair. The county coroner later dismissed those charges however.

    In addition to Something Wicked, Brittany Murphy starred in films including Clueless, Girl, Interrupted, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Don’t Say a Word, 8 Mile, Just Married, Uptown Girls, Little Black Book, and Sin City. It will be interesting to see if the late actress has the kind of pull in death that she had in life. Will her fans flock to see her film now that she has been gone for more than four years?

    It is always a strange thing when a film is released after an actor in it has passed on. It will likely be very painful for those who were closest to Brittany Murphy.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Brittany Murphy’s Last Film Finally Released

    “She had the most infectious personality…”

    Four years after her death, Brittany Murphy’s last film will be released.

    The indie film, Something Wicked, will hit theaters on April 4 at the Regal Valley River Center 15 in Eugene, Oregon, the area where it was filmed back in 2009, and will expand from there.

    The story focuses around two high school graduates: Christine, played by Shantel VanSanten (One Tree Hill), and her boyfriend who realize that she is being stalked by a psychologically tormented young man.

    Murphy, 32 years old at the time, died in December 2009 in her Hollywood Hills home after collapsing on her bathroom floor. She was pronounced dead on arrival to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after going into cardiac arrest. Two months later the L.A. County coroner said that the cause of her death was pneumonia, made worse by anemia and multiple drug intoxication.

    Her husband, Simon Monjack, died five months later, also of pneumonia and anemia.

    VanSanten, who stars in Something Wicked with Murphy told USA Today, “She had the most infectious personality and it was really great to work with her. I was completely shocked when I found out that she passed away.”

    Producer and screenwriter Joe Colleran said, “Brittany pulled off one of the spookiest scenes in the movie. There’s an important scene where her character is unraveling and she spent a long time getting ready and focused and went for it. Personally, I think it’s one of the best scenes of her career.”

    Last December, speculation about her death resurfaced when her biological father, Angelo Joseph Bertolotti, commissioned a lab report that indicated that she had rat poison in her hair at the time of her death. Bertolotti had been estranged from the family and was not even listed on her death certificate. The L.A. County Coroner dismissed the claim.

    Murphy’s fame began to rise when she appeared in films such as Clueless, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Girl Interrupted, 8 Mile, and Sin City.

    Producers of Something Wicked hope to spread the word about the psychological thriller. They are using Facebook as part of their promotion.

    Post by Something Wicked.


    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Brittany Murphy’s Last Film To Be Released Soon

    Brittany Murphy had a long and successful career even by the age of 32, when she collapsed in the shower and reportedly died of complications from pneumonia. Her death in 2009 shocked millions, and her fans seemed at a loss. Now, good news has come out of Oregon, where her last movie was filmed right before she died: the film, “Something Wicked”, will be released very soon.

    The indie is described as a “hauntingly seductive thriller about obsession and young love gone wrong” and also stars Julian Morris of “Pretty Little Liars”. Due to a small budget, the movie will only be released in limited theaters at first, starting with Eugene, Oregon before moving on to Portland and Seattle. Producers are counting on word of mouth to help spread the word and encourage success.

    “Something Wicked will hit theaters beginning April 4 in Eugene, Oregon (to honor where we were shot) at the Regal Valley River Center 15! We’ll roll out to several Regal Cinemas in Portland and Seattle the following weeks, with more theaters to come. The better we do in theaters, the more cities will be added so we need your help getting the word out. Full press release to be posted shortly. Stay Wicked!” reads the film’s Facebook page.

    Bizarre stories about Murphy’s death began to make their way around the web last year, including one from her father that suggested she may have been poisoned. Murphy’s husband, Simon Monjack, died just five months after she did after showing some of the same symptoms, which led to Murphy’s father requesting tests from samples of her hair and other materials. The tests reportedly showed high levels of heavy metals, which are commonly found in rat poison. However, his claims have not been confirmed.

    “Vicious rumors, spread by tabloids, unfairly smeared Brittany’s reputation,” said Angelo Bertolotti. “My daughter was neither anorexic nor a drug junkie, as they repeatedly implied. Brittany and Simon were ridiculed by The Hollywood Reporter, when they complained of being under surveillance and in fear for their lives. I will not rest until the truth about these tragic events is told. There will be justice for Brittany.”

    Murphy had many roles in her all-too short career, but those close to this film are saying it’s one of her best. One scene, in particular, will get the audience’s attention.

    “Brittany pulled off one of the spookiest scenes in the movie,” producer and screenwriter Joe Colleran said. “There’s an important scene where her character is unraveling and she spent a long time getting ready and focused and went for it. Personally, I think it’s one of the best scenes of her career.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Brittany Murphy Lab Report Contested By Expert

    Brittany Murphy, the young actress who died in 2009 at the age of 32, was originally declared dead as a result of pneumonia and anemia, but her father claims he had hair and tissue samples tested which showed high levels of heavy metals in her system. Now, an expert who looked over the lab reports says the claim that she was poisoned is “ridiculous”.

    Murphy’s father, Angelo Bertolotti, says he believes strongly that his daughter was murdered, and that she spent the last few months of her life in fear of someone who was allegedly tapping her phone and following her. After she supported a Homeland Security whistleblower–Julia Davis–Murphy was reportedly put under surveillance by the government. When the samples that Bertolotti sent for testing came back with the heavy metals levels elevated, rumors began making the rounds that she had been given rat poison. That’s not necessarily the case, says director of forensic medicine at the University of Florida Dr. Bruce Goldberger.

    “It’s ridiculous,” Goldberger said. “A hair test alone, without any clinical signs or symptoms, cannot be used to establish poisoning…She was a beautiful woman and likely had numerous hair treatments. Chemicals in the hair treatment would alter the chemistry of her hair sample.”

    Bertolotti says he wants to find answers about his daughter’s death–and about the suspicious death of her husband, Simon Monjack, who died just five months after she did from similar symptoms–and clear her name.

    “Vicious rumors, spread by tabloids, unfairly smeared Brittany’s reputation,” said Bertolotti. “My daughter was neither anorexic nor a drug junkie, as they repeatedly implied. Brittany and Simon were ridiculed by The Hollywood Reporter, when they complained of being under surveillance and in fear for their lives. I will not rest until the truth about these tragic events is told. There will be justice for Brittany.”

    The L.A. Coroner has no plans to review the case.

    Image: Wikimedia Commons

  • Brittany Murphy Was Under Government Surveillance, Dad Says

    Brittany Murphy was just 32 when she died suddenly at her home; because of her youth and fame, many automatically assumed drugs were to blame. When it was announced that she had passed from a combination of anemia and pneumonia, fans mourned the tragic loss of such a bright young talent; but when Murphy’s husband, Simon Monjack, died of exactly the same causes five months later, many became suspicious that another element was involved in the deaths. One of those people was Murphy’s father, Angelo Bertolotti.

    Berlotti pleaded with the courts to be allowed to test hair, blood, and tissue samples from both his daughter and Monjack, saying he was convinced that something wasn’t right. Eventually, the tests were done, and the shocking results were released earlier this week. According to lab reports, Murphy had extremely high amounts of heavy metals in her system, which are commonly found in rat poison and insecticides.

    “Ten (10) of the heavy metals evaluated were detected at levels higher that the WHO [The World Health Organization] high levels. Testing the hair strand sample identified as” back of the head” we have detected ten (10) heavy metals at levels above the WHO high levels recommendation. If we were to eliminate the possibility of a simultaneous accidental heavy metals exposure to the sample donor then the only logical explanation would be an exposure to these metals (toxins) administered by a third party perpetrator with likely criminal intent,” read the report.

    Berlotti says that around the time of her death, Murphy was afraid to be in her own house because she was under surveillance by government operatives who tapped her phone and followed her around after she openly supported Homeland Security whistleblower Julia Davis. Davis says she was labeled a “domestic terrorist” after she exposed flaws in security that allowed terrorists access to the U.S. while she was employed as a border patrol guard in California.

    It’s not clear at this time whether a criminal investigation has been opened into Murphy and Monjack’s deaths, but her father says he won’t rest until the truth comes out.

    “Vicious rumors, spread by tabloids, unfairly smeared Brittany’s reputation,” said Bertolotti. “My daughter was neither anorexic nor a drug junkie, as they repeatedly implied. Brittany and Simon were ridiculed by The Hollywood Reporter, when they complained of being under surveillance and in fear for their lives. I will not rest until the truth about these tragic events is told. There will be justice for Brittany.”

    Image: Wikimedia Commons

  • Brittany Murphy May Have Been Poisoned

    When actress Brittany Murphy died suddenly in 2009, the coroner’s office determined that she died of complications from a combination of pneumonia and anemia. However, a new report shows that Murphy and her husband, Simon Monjack, who died of the same causes several months later, may not have died from natural causes, but from being poisoned (possibly from rat poisoning).

    The coroner’s office never checked for any poisonous substances in Murphy or her husband. Murphy’s father, Angelo Bertolotti, who was dissatisfied with the cause of death, sued the police for samples of Murphy’s hair, blood and tissue to have tested by an independent firm. Now, the results are in, and they seem to confirm Bertolotti’s suspicions. The lab report states:

    Ten of the heavy metals evaluated were detected at levels higher that the WHO [The World Health Organization] high levels. Testing the hair strand sample identified as” back of the head” we have detected 10 heavy metals at levels above the WHO high levels recommendation.
    If we were to eliminate the possibility of a simultaneous accidental heavy metals exposure to the sample donor then the only logical explanation would be an exposure to these metals [toxins] administered by a third party perpetrator with likely criminal intent.

    Bertolotti is now hoping that the police will re-open his daughter’s case, so they can find the person who did this to Murphy and bring her justice.

    “Vicious rumors, spread by tabloids, unfairly smeared Brittany’s reputation,” Bertolotti said in a statement. “My daughter was neither anorexic nor a drug junkie, as they repeatedly implied. Brittany and Simon were ridiculed by The Hollywood Reporter, when they complained of being under surveillance and in fear for their lives. I will not rest until the truth about these tragic events is told. There will be justice for Brittany.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Brittany Murphy Had Rat Poison In Her System When She Died

    Brittany Murphy quickly became one of the most beloved young actresses of our generation when she found success in “Clueless”, “Girl, Interrupted”, “Sin City”, and as the voice of Luanne on the popular Fox animated series “King Of The Hill”. When she died suddenly in 2009 at the age of 32, her fans were heartbroken, and many wondered how someone so young and in seemingly good health could pass so quickly.

    It was originally announced that she had died of pneumonia after collapsing in the shower, but rumors quickly spread that she was addicted to drugs and they ultimately led to her death. All along, her father–Angelo Bertolotti–said that the rumors were completely untrue and insisted that something wasn’t right about her death. He requested a test of his daughter’s hair, blood, and tissue to find answers, and now, the shocking results have been released.

    Both Murphy and her husband, Simon Monjack–who died five months after Murphy after exhibiting some of the same symptoms she had before her death and was therefore also tested–had extraordinarily high levels of heavy metals in their system, which are commonly found in rat poison.

    “Ten (10) of the heavy metals evaluated were detected at levels higher that the WHO [The World Health Organization] high levels,” read the lab report. “Testing the hair strand sample identified as” back of the head” we have detected ten (10) heavy metals at levels above the WHO high levels recommendation. If we were to eliminate the possibility of a simultaneous accidental heavy metals exposure to the sample donor then the only logical explanation would be an exposure to these metals (toxins) administered by a third party perpetrator with likely criminal intent.”

    It’s unclear at this time whether Mr. Bertolotti will pursue a criminal investigation, but the revelation of what was in the couple’s systems opens up a whole new batch of questions. For now, Murphy’s father takes comfort in proving that he was right all along about his daughter’s reputation.

    “Vicious rumors, spread by tabloids, unfairly smeared Brittany’s reputation,” said Angelo Bertolotti. “My daughter was neither anorexic nor a drug junkie, as they repeatedly implied. Brittany and Simon were ridiculed by The Hollywood Reporter, when they complained of being under surveillance and in fear for their lives. I will not rest until the truth about these tragic events is told. There will be justice for Brittany.”

    Image: Wikimedia Commons

  • Just How Real-Time is Google’s Real-Time Search?

    Update: According to reports, it took Google about six minutes to gather it’s "real-time" search results for a San Franciso earthquake.

    Original Article: As you have no doubt heard by now, actress Brittany Murphy tragically passed away over the weekend. As saddening as that news was for many, people wanted information about it. As with any other celebrity death or big news event, people scrambled to find updates. This need for fresh info is really where real-time search has its greatest potential.

    Google has only recently begun showing "real-time" results in its search results, pulling tweets from Twitter, updates from Facebook fan pages, blogs, news, outlets, etc. The idea behind Google showing such results, is that people can find the freshest info possible that relates to their query.

    Have you found Google’s real-time search results useful for finding fresh information? Discuss here.

    Real-time search is generally thought of as providing results as they are posted online. In its truest sense, that’s what it is, but Google’s so-called real-time search may not be as real-time as initially thought. It’s close, but not quite there.

    Danny SullivanSearch industry expert Danny Sullivan followed Google’s real-time search coverage of Murphy’s death closely. He found that Google’s real-time results were "wildly out of sync" with the results on Twitter itself. He noted that while Google’s most recent result would say that it was 2 minutes old, Twitter would have 700 more results rolling in.

    "In fact, I found that Google’s real time results often simply stopped scrolling for minutes at a time," says Sullivan. "To get them to restart, I’d have to reload the page."

    But is Google’s "real-time" results being slightly behind real-time necessarily a bad thing? As Sullivan says, a lot of this no doubt has to do with Google’s own filtering, and he didn’t notice any spam getting through. There is a pretty good chance that those 700 Twitter results contained plenty of spam and/or redundancies (although Sullivan did find a few redundancies in Google’s results too).

    Matt CuttsGoogle’s Matt Cutts commented on Sullivan’s report, weighing in on the search engine’s handling of alleged real-time results. According to him, the news of Murphy’s death was broken at 1:37 PM, and first tweeted about at 1:40 PM. He says Google’s real-time results began two and a half minutes later, noting tht this was "entirely algorithmic."

    "I think Danny makes fair points about better tools being needed to search the real-time stream and to highlight the important links/stories," says Cutts. "At the same time, the real-time stream worked as intended to highlight a breaking story and to show the flavor of how people are reacting to the event. The rest of the search results are also there to help give important news and context. And even the Google real-time results did a fair job of highlighting news articles, not just tweets."

    That said, Cutts does acknowledge that Google can do better, but thinks they’re doing a pretty good job for a first-time test of real-time search. Would you agree with him? Share your thoughts here.

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    > Yahoo Rolling Out Something Kind of Like Real-Time Search