'Clueless' Star Brittany Murphy Dies at 32

[Keith Ranville]

Murphy starred in such films as Clueless, Girl Interrupted, 8 Mile, and Don't Say a Word. Murphy was reportedly fired from her last film, The Caller, after reports she was problematic on set.

Sources told TMZ that Murphy's mom discovered her unconscious in the shower. When paramedics arrived, they quickly determined Murphy was in full cardiac arrest and immediately administered CPR. They continued CPR in route to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center -- several miles away -- and Murphy was unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The LA County Coroner's is picking up Murphy's body from Cedars Sunday afternoon and will launch an investigation.

http://www.shewired.com/Article.cfm?ID=24127

[Byron]

What a bummer, I always liked her.

Can't help but to think some drugs were involved, though, like with Jacko.

[Mishe Vanatta]

Terrible news!  I loved her acting.

[Kris Conover]

U.S. star Brittany Murphy dies at 32
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-21 08:50:05         Print

    BEIJING, Dec. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. star Brittany Murphy who stared in films such as "Clueless" and "8 Mile" died Sunday in Los Angeles at age 32.

    Her death was pronounced at 10:04 a.m. by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center near Beverly Hills. Hospital spokeswoman declined to tell the cause of her death or any other details.



Actress Brittany Murphy waits to attend the Max Azria 2008/2009 fall collection show during New York Fashion Week February 4, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo)

[Kris Conover]

Murphy was transported to the hospital after she was reportedly going into cardiac arrest at her home with her husband in West Hollywood.

    The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to an emergency call that is listed as belonging to her husband at about 8 a.m..

The bubbly, free-spirited actress starred in several movies, including "Just Married," "Don't Say a Word" and "Riding in Cars with Boys." She also voiced the character Luanne on the animated TV series "King of the Hill."

    Lately she was reportedly fired from her last project "The Caller" after reports said she was problematic on set.

    The Los Angeles police are investigating the case.

    (Agencies)

[Kris Conover]

Actress Brittany Murphy arrives for the European premiere of "Happy Feet " at the Empire cinema in London November 26, 2006. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo)

[Kris Conover]

Actress Brittany Murphy arrives for the European premiere of "Happy Feet " at the Empire cinema in London November 26, 2006. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo)

[Kris Conover]

Actress Brittany Murphy poses at the party for the opening of the Carolina Herrera boutique in Los Angeles November 13, 2006. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo)

[Kris Conover]

LOS ANGELES — Brittany Murphy, the actress who got her start in the sleeper hit "Clueless" and rose to stardom in "8 Mile," has died in Los Angeles. She was 32.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Spokeswoman Sally Stewart said Murphy died at 10:04 a.m. Sunday. She would not provide a cause of death, or any other information.

According to TMZ, which broke the news, Murphy died of cardiac arrest.

Murphy was recently fired from the upcoming movie "The Caller," and has battled allegations of drug use over the years. An autopsy will be conducted on Monday, according to RadarOnline.com.

The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call at 8 a.m. Sunday from a home that is listed as belonging to British screenwriter Simon Monjack, who is married to Murphy, spokesman Devon Gale said. Gale said one person was transported to a hospital.

Messages left for Murphy's manager, agent and publicist by The Associated Press weren't immediately returned.

Born Nov. 10, 1977 in Atlanta, Murphy grew up in New Jersey and later moved with her mother to Los Angeles to pursue acting.

Her career started in the early 1990s with small roles in television series, commercials and movies. She is best known for parts in "Girl, Interrupted," "Clueless" and "8 Mile."

[Kris Conover]

Her on-screen roles declined in recent years, but Murphy's voice gave life to numerous animated characters, including Luanne Platter on more than 200 episodes of Fox's "King of the Hill" and Gloria the penguin in "Happy Feet."

She is due to appear in Sylvester Stallone's upcoming film, "The Expendables," set for release next year.

Her role in "8 Mile" led to more recognition, Murphy told The Associated Press in 2003. "That changed a lot," she said. "That was the difference between people knowing my first and last name as opposed to not."

Murphy credited her mother, Sharon, with being a key to her success.

"When I asked my mom to move to California, she sold everything and moved out here for me," Murphy told the AP in 2003. "I was really grateful to have grown up in an environment that was conducive to creating and didn't stifle any of that. She always believed in me."

She dated Ashton Kutcher, who costarred with Murphy in 2003's romantic comedy "Just Married."

Kutcher tweeted Sunday morning about Murphy's death: "2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine," Kutcher wrote. "My deepest condolences go out 2 Brittany's family, her husband, & her amazing mother Sharon."

[Kris Conover]

Danny Groner

Video Editor/Online Assistant Editor at TheWeek.com
Posted: December 20, 2009 02:40 PM

Brittany Murphy Was Recent Subject of Controversy

The Hollywood community is stunned today by news of the death of actress Brittany Murphy. Murphy, 32, was best-known for her roles in Clueless, 8 Mile, and most recently, Sin City. (TMZ was the first to report the death, with Wikipedians hard at work searching for a more reliable site to credit before posting it as truth.)

If the rumors turn out to be true, there's bound to be speculation about the cause of Murphy's death. Initial reports cite cardiac arrest, the same cause that was attributed to Michael Jackson's death this summer. Murphy made headlines earlier this month when her husband had a brief health scare that led him to the hospital. And she reportedly parted ways on bad terms from production of the upcoming movie The Caller. See Saturday Night Live's spoof of Murphy below:

[Kris Conover]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/20/brittany-murphy-dead-dies_n_398576.html

Earlier in her career, Murphy was accused of having an eating disorder which some believed was tied to a **** habit. In 2005 she denied the allegations, saying:

    "Wow. No, just for the record I have never tried it in my entire life, I've never even seen it, and I don't leave the house too much, except to go to work," she said. "My worst vice is caffeine. [The rumor is] really pretty darn far-fetched -- it couldn't be further from the truth. I have known people over the course of my life that have bad problems with drugs, and it's something really serious."

Update: At 3:25 p.m., Wikipedia added the death to Brittany Murphy's page. It has the Chicago Tribune as the source.

[Keith Ranville]

Yup' so sad.. so young.. so untimely.