Britney Murphy Autopsy: Prescription Drugs To Blame?

Britney Murphy Autopsy:Brittany Murphy – from 8 Mile and Just Married – has died. She was found unconscious in her shower yesterday and pronounced dead shortly afterwards, following what has been described as a ‘full cardiac arrest’.

An autopsy is set to take place on Brittany Murphy’s body as soon as today, and some outlets are already speculating on the cause – with everything from prescription drug abuse to cocaine to eating disorders to diabetes being chucked around. No doubt we’ll be told what killed Brittany Murphy before too long, but it’s never good to be presented with that many potential factors.

The good news is that 2009 is almost over. It’s been a year of almost relentless celebrity death. Michael Jackson died. Farrah Fawcett died. Patrick Swayze died. Bobby Robson died. Wendy Richard. Steven Wells. Tony Hart. Jade Goody. Natasha Richardson. Keith Floyd. Stephen Gately. Maggie Jones. And now, as if applauding the In Memoriam montage at the Oscars next year wasn’t already shaping up to be a near-herculean feat of endurance, we’ve got to add Brittany Murphy to the list as well.

Brittany Murphy died yesterday, aged 32. We’ll let The Boston Herald do the heavy lifting here:

L.A. firefighters responded to a 911 call from the home at about 8 a.m. yesterday. It was Murphy’s mother, Sharon, who discovered her unconscious in the shower… She was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center shortly after 10 a.m. TMZ reported that Murphy’s husband didn’t want an autopsy performed on her. The Web site also said some prescription drugs were found in her house and foul play is not suspected in her death.

An autopsy is likely to take place today, and that should give some indication of what killed Brittany Murphy although – if the rumours of drug use are true – this would mean waiting for the results of a toxicology test, which could take a number of weeks.

The Sun today reports that Brittany Murphy was hooked on painkillers following a number of cosmetic surgery procedures, so that’s one potential cause. Then there’s her appearance and erratic behaviour to take into consideration as well – at a recent film premiere Brittany was both startlingly thin and unsteady on her feet, plus two months ago she was said to be ‘frantically screaming’ about non-existent gunshots, plus there’s the film that Brittany Murphy was recently fired from for being difficult. Then there are her mother’s claims that she was also diabetic.

It’s knotty, but the truth will come to light before long. For now, at least we have her work to reflect on. Maybe you liked Brittany Murphy in Sin City, or maybe you preferred her earlier work in comedies like Clueless and Just Married. For us, though, we’ll always remember Brittany Murphy as the least appropriate Tinkerbell of all time. Sad.

Britney Murphy Dies

Britney Murphy Dies:Some shocking news coming out of Hollywood today: Brittany Murphy has died of cardiac arrest at 32. The actress, who was known for her roles in Clueless and Just Married, was found unconscious in the shower by her mother at Murphy’s West Hollywood home on Sunday morning, reports TMZ.

A spokesperson for Cedars Sinai Medical Center told People magazine that Murphy died at the facility Sunday at 10:04 a.m. PST. The actress’s rep, Nicole Perna, also confirmed the news, releasing a statement Sunday afternoon that said: “In this time of sadness, the family thanks you for your love and support. It is their wish that you respect their privacy.”

As news of her death spread on Sunday, stars took to their Twitter accounts to pay tribute to the actress.

Her ex-boyfriend and Just Married costar Ashton Kutcher Tweeted, “see you on the other side kid … 2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine. My deepest condolences go out 2 Brittany’s family, her husband, & her amazing mother Sharon.”

Jessica Simpson: “Brittany Murphy was an incredible ray of Light to so many people. Her smile was contagious. My prayers are with her family and loved ones.”

Lindsay Lohan: “My deepest condonlences go out to all of Brittany Murphy’s loved ones& may she rest in peace….She was a great talent w/a beautiful soul xo”

Eliza Dushku: “My heart aches having just learned of Brittany Murphy’s death. We were friends time-to-time thru the yrs. I always admired her pure spirit.”

Simon Pegg: “Just heard about Brittany Murphy. How very sad. Met her briefly after Sin City. Seemed a great girl. My sympathy to her friends and family.

Kevin Smith: “Never met her, but sad to hear about Brittany Murhpy. G’night, Ms. Murphy; hope you’re rollin’ with the homies someplace nice.””

Kat Dennings: “R.I.P Brittany Murphy…this is so awful”

Alyssa Milano: “Brittney Murphy and I did a USO Tour together in 2003. ? She was a sweet soul, with a lot of talent and heart.”

Brandy: “OMG!!!!!! I feel terrible about Britney Murphy:( I really love her work… Whats up with 2009 man? R.I.P. -My prayers go out to her family.”

Melissa Joan Hart: “I’m so sad to hear of the passing of a peer of mine! RIP Brittany Murphy! We will miss you and all the talent you shared!

Josh Groban: “Hollywood loses another bright soul….how many more? A decade of decadence and devastation. Time to wake up.”

Fred Durst: “RIP Brittany Murphy. What a sweet human being. My prayers are with her friends and family.”

Murphy was married to British writer-director Simon Monjack, who directed her in White Hotel. Before her wedding in 2007, she was previously engaged to best-boy grip Joe Macaluso and talent manager Jeff Kwatinetz.

The actress was known for her roles in films like 8 Mile, Girl Interrupted, Sin City, Uptown Girls and Don’t Say A Word, and she voiced the character of Luanne in TV’s King of the Hill.

In recent years, her career has been in decline and she made headlines last month when she was replaced by Twilight actress Rachelle Lefevre on The Caller. Her rep denied reports that she had been fired from the film, released a statement saying, “She was not nor has she ever been fired from any job big or small … [due] to creative differences Ms. Murphy and the production mutually parted ways.”

TMZ reports that Monjack told hospital staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center he did not want an autopsy performed on his deceased wife. However, the L.A. County Coroner’s will reportedly launch an investigation into her death.