Actress Brittany Murphy died four years ago. Why are some people now calling it murder?

Brittany Murphy’s death shocked her fans around the world. On December 20, 2009, the “Uptown Girls” and “8 Mile” star was found dead—a result of pneumonia, anemia and prescription drug intoxication, according to the coroner’s examination.

Foul play wasn’t suspected until recently when Murphy’s father, Angelo Bertolotti, commissioned a lab report, which he says shows high levels of heavy metals that exceed the high level poison ranking defined by the World Health Organization. “I have a feeling that there was a definite murder situation here,” he told “Good Morning America. “It’s poison, yes, I know that.”

According to ABC News, the report obtained by Bertolotti stated: “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.”

The report has not swayed the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office, which stands by its initial report on Ms. Murphy’s death.

“I’m not going to rest until my daughter’s untimely demise is properly investigated, which hasn’t happened so far. Her case deserves more than a superficial glance,” Bertolotti said in a press release.

But Murphy’s mother, who claims Bertolotti was absent from much of their daughter’s life, says the idea that her daughter was murdered is unfounded. “We will never know for sure,” she wrote in an essay published by the Hollywood Reporter. “However, we do know the Los Angeles County Coroner did extensive tests and found that she died of natural causes.”

Bertolotti theorizes that Murphy (and her husband, Simon Monjack, who died five months later) was poisoned with heavy metals. But one of the most obvious signs of heavy metal poisoning—lines on the fingernails—were not visible during the coroner’s autopsy.

And why is her estranged father convinced she was murdered in the first place?

RadarOnline reports that Murphy’s husband, Simon Monjack, was a conspiracy theorist who “disappeared after 9/11 and bizarrely later claimed he’d been working as a secret government advisor to then British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a close pal has revealed.”

According to the anonymous source, “[Monjack] was a hysterical conspiracy theorist who believed among other things that 9/11 was an inside job and that he was constantly being followed by government spies,” the source said. “After the September 11 attacks, he told his family and friends that he was secretly advising Tony Blair on British government defense policy, even though he had no credentials in that field or experience! He even had fake passports with various identities. He was a sociopath who used all this bullish*t in his life to exploit and manipulate others.”

Whether or not Monjack was working for the British government or not, it’s still unclear why that would lead to his and his wife’s murder. Bertolotti isn’t giving up though. “Vicious rumors, spread by tabloids, unfairly smeared Brittany’s reputation. My daughter was neither anorexic nor a drug junkie, as they repeatedly implied,” Bertolotti said. “I will not rest until the truth about these tragic events is told. There will be justice for Brittany.”

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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We love you, New York.

EcoSalon is here for New York Fashion Week (NYFW), covering the latest looks from eco fashion designers. See our coverage so far on beloved independents like Gretchen Jones and John Patrick, and check back daily as we’re discovering new lines while we’re at it.

With NYFW in full swing, the streets are packed with style, and we’ll be bringing you exclusive news and pictures all weekend. To stay up to date on both the latest runway looks and street style, follow the tag NYFW here at EcoSalon. Tonight we’ll be checking out Ivana Helsinki’s show, then heading to the Yield Exhibit at the Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn. Stay tuned, and hope to see you there!

Sundresses we love. Shorts: the same cannot always be said. The right pair of shorts on the right frame can be cute, chic and fashion forward. But then there are the pairs best left in the dark. (That’s not the only thing we’re seeing all over the place: what’s with everyone in New York smoking again? We even found ciggy butt litter at our event room last night!) In other words: Please, Anything But Shorts. There, we said it.

This weekend marks an event we will never forget: 9/11, a decade ago. In honor of one of the world’s greatest cities and the dynamic and resilient spirit of its people, we look back on one 9/11 survivor’s touching tale of healing from the trauma of that day.

Sailed Manhattan lately? It is an island, after all. Our volcano-hunting travel writer and NYC dweller Shira Levine does just that, and finds a new appreciation for her home, New York City.

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ColumnNatalie Chanin’s bi-weekly column, Material Witness, offers a seasoned designer’s perspective on the fashion industry, textile history and what happens when love for community trumps all.

My work in my hometown of Florence, Alabama, began as a project to make two-hundred, one-of-a-kind, hand-sewn t-shirts. My initial concept was simple: go home to Alabama, find quilters who could sew the simple embroideries I wanted to use, make a film about old quilting circles, and show the whole project during New York Fashion Week.

I arrived in Alabama in late December 2000 and the adventure began. During February 2001 Fashion Week, the embroideries of our Alabama artisans found supporters in people like Julie Gilhart – at that time with Barneys New York – and a slew of other fashion journalists and specialty stores. As those first deliveries sold, we made a second round of t-shirt samples to satisfy buyer’s requests and a company was born.

After these first two seasons, I envisioned the t-shirt line growing into a full-scale collection for women that included skirts, jackets, tops and accessories. Exactly a decade ago today I arrived in New York with my first full-scale collection, thinking I was ready for everything New York Fashion Week had to throw at me.
The world changed just two days later.

I was in New York’s Meat-Packing District when the first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. By the time I made it back to my hotel, the second tower was on fire. We all know how the horror progressed. So many friends and colleagues lost loved ones and friends on that day. Sitting here, 10 years later, I think that I’m only now beginning to fully understand the impact that 9/11has had on my work and life.

While I was already on the path to slow design and to building a sustainable company, I believe the experience of 9/11 made me cling even stronger to sustainability as a way of work and life. It made the need to create with meaning stronger. It cemented my path with desire for a different kind of business, a different kind of world, a different kind of message – a message that started, for me, with fabric and thread.

Working with needle and thread automatically connects you to the moment. It is a methodical work that physically ties you with thread to your hands. It calms the mind. It gives room for the soul to expand. Over the last decade, we have built a community of sewers, artisans and now an ever growing DIY community that understands the value of making.
Maybe this is a place for people to come together.

Think about this idea as it relates to food. My home in the South is peppered with an ugly past and things that happened not so long ago. My friend, food writer, director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, (and hero) John T. Edge once said this about the possibility to heal our differences and deal with our past: “We have this burden of the past upon us. We’ll deal with that history. But we’re looking for opportunities; we’re looking for places to deal with that history. And I think one great place to deal with that, to sit across from our fellow man, is at a barbecue restaurant…I think there’s hope in barbecue.”

In our sewing workshops in Alabama and across the nation, I have seen legions of people – men and women – from many backgrounds, businesses and differing pathways in life, sit together in peace, laughter, genuine interest and support. Differences have been aired, backgrounds have been shared, and problems have been resolved. Each person leaves this time of living in the moment with needle and thread with a better understanding for themselves, the other and with a sense of calm that was not present before. Watching this process evolve has cemented the fact for me that making together creates a place for conversations to grow.

What if communities of makers could come together over needle and thread (insert cooking, building, any work that requires hands and mind)?  What if, by doing so, we could focus on those basic needs that we all share – food, shelter, and clothing – and begin to appreciate our sameness? Could needle and thread, this making, provide a place where civil discourse trumps civil acts of violence? Could we use this as a place to meet and begin to heal the past while creating a future together?
I think just as John T. Edge believes that “there’s hope in barbecue,” there’s just as much in the power of making.

Natalie Chanin is owner and designer of the American couture line Alabama Chanin and author of three books including Alabama Stitch Book  (2008), Alabama Studio Style (2010) and the upcoming Alabama Studio Sewing + Design which comes out spring 2012. Look for her bi-weekly column, Material Witness here and follow her on Facebook and her own blog at Alabama Chanin.

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Interview9/11 survivor Manu Dhingra sought comfort and peace in the simple act of preparing food to cope with his PTSD.

If I am stressed, you can probably find me in the kitchen. For me, cooking is a way of downloading, processing and dealing on a conscious level with daily challenges.

But I have nothing on Manu Dhingra.

Working in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, he survived the terror attacks but suffered second and third degree burns to 40% of his body. As in many traumatic experiences, physical healing takes less time than the emotional, and after years of physical therapy, Dhingra was confronted by the harsh reality of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“After 9/11, everyone was so supportive and so loving and I felt that… so you don’t even realize what the PTSD does and how it impacted a lot of people. You slowly but surely know that you’re not getting back to your normal life. You feel that things will never get better. You think ‘I’m just in a rut’ but years pass and nothing has really changed. You can be happy and enjoy moments of life but you drift back to the moment of ‘I’m not really happy,’” says Dhingra.

Then came food.

Enrolling in culinary school and discovering a passion for cooking, Dhingra found a way to deal with his demons, and his inspiring story is being told in the upcoming short film Asha, premiering in New York City and online on September 11, 2011.

Dhingra is open and honest, willing to talk about an emotional transition that most of us could never imagine, but opening up with his story, especially in a film, isn’t easy.

“It was really hard, just to talk about it… it was a hard thing to admit to yourself that you went through a lot of the PTSD stuff. It was very therapeutic also. You don’t even realize how much stuff you had to deal with until you have to talk about it,” he says.

With the heavy realization of spiritual discontent weighing on his shoulders, Dhingra’s recovery began with taking a serious look at what he could do to make positive changes. He tried to go back to the finance world, but realized that what he really wanted was to simplify.

“I was a little lost. What I really enjoyed about life when I was growing up and a lot of my memories were around, were socializing, food and family and friends. I always enjoyed that environment,” Dhingra says, adding that after his realization, he decided to see if food could in fact be an avenue for change, and enrolled in culinary school. He soon had a newfound passion, and with it a way to deal with his PTSD.

But what is it about food that can help someone that has undergone serious trauma come out on the other side, alive, functioning and moving forward? For Dhingra, cooking is now a way to not only deal with the inner emotional scars of PTSD but also the outer ones. “[I had to] create something and constantly look at my arms and hands, which was something I had avoided,” he says of the grafts covering him.

It could also be the inherent connection that we all have to eat food. “I never met anybody that doesn’t enjoy amazing food experiences. Whether it’s creating it themselves or they’re taking part in someone else’s creation,” he adds.

After a restaurant attempt that almost took the passion for cooking out of him, Dhingra started gluttNY, a smaller venture that now allows him “to socialize more and plan one-off events,” like pop up dinners. The business’ debut feast was titled Eat It Before It Eats You.

Ultimately, the moving part of Dhingra’s story is his desire to help other people, no matter what their traumatic experience. “I think you can substitute 9/11 with a lot of things, any shock to the system – a tsunami, hurricane… you can substitute many different experiences and you might end up where I am.”

The film, beyond showing his passion for food and its ability to help him tackle PTSD, is a courageous tale about moving forward. “You’re pushing your boundaries and you’re getting out of your comfort zone and you have to keep going forward. You hope that some good comes out of it and somebody sees it and says ‘I am going through something similar and I can relate to it.'”

That is something we can all connect to, no matter what our experiences.

Check out the trailer for Asha here and learn more about Manu Dhingra’s story at www.ashathefilm.com.

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