Brittany Murphy: Online foundation shuts down, refunds donations

Brittany Murphy: Online foundation shuts down, refunds donations

After it was reported the group did not have nonprofit status, a Web site for the scandal-plagued Brittany Murphy Foundation was briefly shut down over the weekend.

This online foundation, run by Murphy's husband, Simon Monjack, and mom, Sharon Murphy, has been collecting donations for arts education for children for a month, but TMZ.com uncovered it is not registered as a charity with the IRS or state of California, as required by law.

This web site was taken offline one hour after TMZ.com contacted for comment. On Sunday, it relaunched with a posted message that said it would no longer accept donations, "until we have our non-profit status approved before proceeding to insure that we can truly honor Brittany's charitable desires."

However, this isn't the first scandal linked to the troubled Brittany Murphy Foundation.

Monjack canceled the foundation's launch party, earlier this month, after a source told UsMagazine.com that he was suggesting attendees donate $1,000 per individual and $10,000 from corporations.

A source informs, "Everyone thinks it's very tacky that he is making it so much about money."

Brittany Murphy was found dead Dec. 20 at the age of 32 of pneumonia "exacerbated" by multiple drug intoxication, the Los Angeles County Office Chief Investigator confirmed to Us.