Brittany Murphy Dies at 32
Leaving many fans and theater-goers in shock, the 32-year old actress Brittany Murphy passed away this past Sunday morning. The star of such moves as 8 Mile, Clueless and Just Married, leaves behind husband Simon Monjack, a British screenwriter and family. The couple had no children.
Murphy and her husband lived in the Hollywood Hills, where the ambulance was called to at 8 AM Sunday morning. Monjack, who married Murphy in private Jewish ceremony in 2007, was reported to have made the 911 call. While paramedics attempted to revive her, she was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Authorities do not believe there was foul play involved, but speculation as to how she died–and questions about why–are on the minds of her fans and loved ones. Many are assuming her untimely death was due to drug use, but so far as reports go, only prescription medications have been found and the coroner’s first pronouncement of cause as natural.
Yet other fans conjecture that the thin framed woman may have gotten too thin in recent years. Cardiac arrest, which is the immediate cause of death, is one of the complications of anorexia. A recent set-back, in which she was fired from a movie project, may have haunted the actress.
Murphy has broken up from a previous engagement before she marries Monjack. Only months before, she and a production assistant on the film "Little Black Book," were an item. She had also been engaged once before, in 2004, to Jeff Kwatinetz, the CEO of a talent agency in Hollywood. Most notably, however, Murphy was tied to Ashton Kutcher, her co-star in the film Just Married.
A screenwriter, Monjack is known to have had financial difficulties, including having been involved in a lawsuit. He was sued for nearly half a million dollars by a banking and mortgage company and he was evicted from one of his residences. According to research, she was the breadwinner in the home.
Murphy was found in the bathroom of her home, and it’s believed that she was experiencing flu-like symptoms during the previous week. So far, Coroner Ed Winter has stated that it appears the young actress died from natural causes. Prescription medications were removed from her home, according ot the LA coroner’s office.
Brittany Murphy’s family released a statement to the press: “The sudden loss of our beloved Brittany is a terrible tragedy. She was our daughter, our wife, our love and a shining star. We ask you to respect our privacy at this time.”
