filed under: Brittany Murphy

BRITTANY Murphy is driving the crew on her new movie crazy. Her behavior on the LA set of Across the Hall has gotten increasingly bizarre, according to spies. Murphy has been making outrageous demands while acting "like a diva," said one insider. "She's extremely difficult. When she gets to the set, it comes to a grinding halt. She's so hot and cold, you never know." According to our sources, Murphy insists on having diagonally cut peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the crusts removed. "She needs one every hour. It's painstaking — her assistant takes about a half an hour making each one," said one crew member. Another issue is Murphy's ever-present oddball husband, Simon Monjack, who lurks around the set and intervenes so much that producers had to call a meeting to discuss how to deal with him. Murphy's rep could not be reached for comment.

Is someone trying to harm Brittany Murphy?

A source who used to work for the perky star says she talks darkly of "a high-powered Hollywood player" who is allegedly stalking her.

And when her then-boyfriend, Simon Monjack, disappeared for 10 days in April, Murphy claimed he had been kidnapped by agents of this mysterious figure, says the source.

"When he came back, he had head injuries," says the former insider. "He was pale and sometimes had trouble standing."

Not only that, but the former staffer also claims Murphy said she was unable to pay him because the money had been used for ransom.

However, the alleged kidnapping seems to exactly coincide with the dates reported by The National Enquirer that Monjack, a British citizen, was jailed by U.S. immigration authorities for overstaying his visa.

Monjack, a screenwriter, is not short of enemies. Several anonymous sources have posted unflattering stories on the Internet about his past relationships. On June 13, a man identifying himself as Arturo Globenfeldt posted a message on Monjack's Imdb.com page claiming he owes him $16 million in film investment money. Globenfeldt, whose blog indicates he is in Portugal, did not immediately respond to an e-mail.

A rep for Murphy also did not respond to a request for comment.