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Monday, December 21, 2009
Actress Brittany Murphy, former Edison resident, dies at age 32
By Rohan Mascarenhas/The Star-Ledger
December 20, 2009, 9:45PM
LOS ANGELES — Brittany Murphy, a former Edison resident who attained worldwide fame for her roles in "Clueless" and "8 Mile," died in Los Angeles yesterday. She was 32.
The Hollywood star died at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at 10:04 a.m., a hospital spokeswoman said. She was taken to the facility after the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call at 8 a.m. at the home Murphy shared with her husband, British screenwriter Simon Monjack, in the Hollywood Hills.
Brittany Murphy as Shellie in Frank Miller's Sin City.
The cause of Murphy’s death "appears to be natural," said Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter.
He said Murphy apparently collapsed in a bathroom Sunday morning, and authorities are looking into her medical history. An autopsy is planned for either today or tomorrow.
Before moving to California, Murphy lived in Edison.
Born Nov. 10, 1977, in Atlanta, Murphy moved to New Jersey as a child and attended Herbert Hoover Middle School, according to the Internet Movie Database website.
She honed her acting skills in regional theater before leaving to Burbank, Calif., to pursue a Hollywood career, the website said.
Angelo Orlando, president of the Edison Arts Society, last night said Murphy never forgot her Jersey roots, returning to the Middlesex County township in 2005 for a Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
"She was just a young, beautiful, vivacious lady," said Orlando, who attended the proceeding. "She seemed to have such a long future in front of her then."
Former mayor George Spadoro, who handed Murphy a key to the township during the event, said his staff had little trouble in getting the actress to return to the state.
"It was one of those very happy occasions where a hometown girl comes home," Spadoro said. "I remember her being really overwhelmed with coming back to Edison at that time of the year."
Murphy’s breakthrough role came in 1995, when she starred in "Clueless," still months away from her 18th birthday. The surprise hit went on to gross more than $50 million.
She tried to branch away from comedies after that, starring in dramas like "Girl, Interrupted" and "8 Mile" and voicing animated characters in Fox’s "King of Hill" and the movie "Happy Feet."
Murphy also attracted off-screen attention when she dated actor Ashton Kutcher.
Kutcher tweeted yesterday about her death: "2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine," Kutcher wrote, adding: "see you on the other side, kid."
Clueless" star Brittany Murphy dead at 32
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. actress Brittany Murphy, who co-starred in such films as "Clueless" and "Girl, Interrupted" but saw her career wane in recent years, died in Los Angeles on Sunday after suffering cardiac arrest in her bathroom, officials said. She was 32.
Murphy was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center about 10 a.m. PST (1:00 p.m. EST), two hours after her mother reportedly found her unconscious in the shower of the actress' Hollywood Hills home. A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Coroner said there were no suspicious circumstances, but that an autopsy would take place in the next few days.
Celebrity gossip Web site TMZ, which first broke the news, reported late on Sunday that there was "a significant amount of vomit" in the bathroom area. It said Murphy had been taking medications for 'flu-like symptoms for several days, and that there were a lot of prescriptions in the house.
There was no immediate word from Murphy's publicist beyond a statement that was issued on behalf of her family: "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."
Murphy starred in films opposite Michael Douglas, Ashton Kutcher, Eminem and Angelina Jolie, but failed to attain their level of success. In recent years, she worked mostly in low-budget movies, while her emaciated appearance sparked concerns about her health.
"(Today) the world lost a little piece of sunshine," Kutcher, a former boyfriend, wrote on his Twitter page. "(S)ee you on the other side kid."
Murphy was in the news earlier this month when she reportedly was fired from the Puerto Rico set of the indie thriller "The Caller." Her publicist said the split resulted from creative differences. When Murphy and her husband of two years, British screenwriter Simon Monjack, returned to Los Angeles, he lost consciousness on the plane and was rushed to hospital.
SMALL SCREEN SUCCESS
Murphy was last in theaters with the low-budget thriller "Across the Hall," which opened in one theater each in New York and Los Angeles two weeks ago. She recently finished work on the Sylvester Stallone action film "The Expendables."
Murphy was born in Atlanta on November 10, 1977, and raised in New Jersey. Accompanied by her mother, she moved to Los Angeles in the early 1990s in hopes of stardom.
She made her breakthrough in the 1995 feature comedy "Clueless," playing a frumpy schoolgirl who gets a makeover from Alicia Silverstone's character.
"I always felt connected to her as we shared a very special experience in our lives together," Silverstone said in a statement to People magazine. "I feel love in my heart for her -- and hope she is at peace. This is truly sad."
Murphy built on her momentum with a succession of TV roles and appeared in two films in 1999 -- "Drop Dead Gorgeous" and "Girl, Interrupted," for which Jolie received an Oscar.
Murphy worked with Douglas in the 2001 thriller "Don't Say a Word," and played Eminem's love interest in the 2002 hit "8 Mile."
The following year, she co-starred with Kutcher in the romantic comedy "Just Married," and played Dakota Fanning's babysitter in "Uptown Girls." But the movies failed to generate much commercial or critical heat. Her last major role was in the 2005 comic-book adaptation "Sin City."
Murphy enjoyed more enduring success on the small screen, providing the voice of the vacuous Texan Luanne Platter in the cartoon series "King of the Hill." She also voiced a penguin in the 2006 box office hit "Happy Feet."
Clueless' actress Brittany Murphy dies after collapsing in shower; death 'appears to be natural'
Originally Published:Sunday, December 20th 2009, 2:15 PM
Updated: Sunday, December 20th 2009, 11:32 PM
To/FilmMagic
Actress Brittany Murphy was rushed to the hospital Sunday morning. She was pronounced dead on arrival, according to TMZ. 
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Hollywood stunner Brittany Murphy, who found big-screen success after her breakout role in "Clueless," died Sunday after collapsing in the shower.
Los Angeles cops are investigating the 32-year-old's sudden death, but a coroner official said it "appears to be natural."
An autopsy is pending - over the objections of her British screenwriter husband, Simon Monjack, who told hospital staffers he didn't want one, according to the gossip Web site TMZ.
The screen siren and singer was in full cardiac arrest and could not be revived after her beloved mother - who told paramedics the actress was diabetic - found her unconscious in the shower, TMZ reported.
Five paramedics who arrived after the 8 a.m. 911 call feverishly administered CPR as Monjack wandered around in his pajama bottoms, a witness told RadarOnline. Murphy was pronounceddead at 10:04 a.m. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Murphy had been suffering from flulike symptoms for days and was throwing up profusely in the hours before she died, TMZ said. "There were a lot ... a lot of prescriptions in the house," a source said.
The troubled starlet rose to fame in 1995 as the sidekick Tai in "Clueless," who went from awkward wallflower to snotty hottie. She has appeared in more than 25 movies since then, including 1997's "Bongwater," "Girl, Interrupted" in 1999, "8Mile" and "Sin City."
Murphy, whose gravelly voice rocked the animated film "Happy Feet," even broke into the dance club world with the hit single "Faster Kill Pussycat."
Murphy lived in Edison, N.J., before moving to California when she was 13 and landing her first television role in "Blossom."
She underwent a transformation from a too-pudgy-for-Hollywood brunette to a bone-thin blond - with cleavage ample enough to land her in Maxim's 100 hottest women in 2006.
Speculation over her weight loss haunted her for years, but she dismissed reports that her weight was connected to drug use or an eating disorder.
"I have never tried [cocaine] in my entire life,"she told Jane magazine.
Friends openly worried that she had become addicted to the prescription painkiller Vicodin after undergoing plastic surgery.
"Brittany has been living life on the edge," one source told Britain's Daily Mail.
She was set to play a small role in Sylvester Stallone's upcoming film "The Expendables," due out in August. Earlier this month, she abruptly left the Puerto Rico set of "The Caller.
'Today, the world lost a little piece of sunshine': Tributes for Brittany Murphy as coroner rules out drugs death
By Georgina Littlejohn and Scott Warren
Last updated at 11:16 AM on 21st December 2009
Brittany Murphy, pictured at a film premiere in Los Angeles just three weeks ago, has died from a suspected heart attack at the age of 32
American actress Brittany Murphy's shock death at the age of 32 was not caused by drugs, the LA coroner said yesterday.
Miss Murphy, who had a wild reputation and was allegedly hooked on tranquilisers, died of a heart attack yesterday.
She was found unconscious at 8am in the shower by her mother at the home she shares with her husband, the British screenwriter Simon Monjack.
When medics arrived she was in full cardiac arrest and they continued giving her CPR until she got to Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, near Beverly Hills.
But she was unresponsive and pronounced dead on arrival at 10.03am.
Demi Moore's husband Ashton Kutcher, who split from Miss Murphy in 2003 after seven months together, said: ‘My deepest condolences go out to Brittany’s family, her husband, and her amazing mother Sharon.’
He added three minutes later: ‘2day the world lost a little piece of sunhsine. See you on the other side kid.’
Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton paid tribute to the star but said he had seen her death coming.
He wrote: 'Absolutely devastating. Especially because this comes as no surprise! We, and those who knew Brittany personally, saw this coming.'
The Clueless, 8 Mile and Sin City star was fired from an upcoming film for being difficult on set.
Friends were also quoted as saying: 'Brittany's bee living life on the edge. She definitely had a drug problem and we have begged her to seek help.'
An unconfirmed report suggested she had become addicted to prescription drugs since taking painkillers after cosmetic surgery.
However, Ed Winter, Assistant Chief Coroner for Los Angeles County, tried to kill off speculation by saying there was no evidence that foul play or drugs played a part in her death.
'It appears to be natural,' he told a crowd of reporters yesterday afternoon.
Winter, who also conducted the investigation into Michael Jackson's death, addressed a crowd of reporters outside Miss Murphy's Hollywood Hills home and said an post mortem would be carried out within the next two days.
'We are involved in an investigation in Brittany Murphy's death,' he said.
Enlarge 
Grieving: Brittany's devastated husband Simon Monjack arrived home on Sunday upon hearing the news of her death
'We'll probably be doing an autopsy tomorrow [Monday] or Tuesday. The final result will be pending toxicology tests.'
Winter said said the actress 'had a little bit of medical history' but would not explain what he meant.
Many celebrities posted tributes on the Twitter soon after the news broke.
Rock star Fred Durst wrote: ‘RIP Brittany Murphy. What a sweet human being. My prayers are with her friends and family.’
And actress Jessica Simpson, wrote: ‘Brittany Murphy was an incredible ray of Light to so many people. Her smile was contagious.’
Murphy's Clueless co-star, Alicia Silverstone, said: 'I always felt connected to her as we shared a very special experience in our lives together.
Enlarge 
Brittany Murphy's neighbour, Clare Staples, tells how paramedics performed CPR on the actress in the street before taking her to hospital
'I feel love in my heart for her - and hope she is at peace. This is truly sad.'
Paris Hilton tweeted: 'So sad to hear about Brittany Murphy, such a tragedy. She was such a beautiful, funny and sweet girl. My heart goes out to her family.'
And Lindsay Lohan wrote: 'My deepest condolences go out to all of Brittany Murphy's loved ones and may she rest in peace.
'She was a great talent with a beautiful soul.'
Her last film was Sin City in 2005 before she put out a record, Faster Kill Pussycat, that reached number seven in the British charts three years ago.
But she had been making headlines for the wrong reasons in recent months.
An arial view of Murphy's home in the hills of West Hollywood
She was reportedly fired from her comeback film being shot in Puerto Rico for being difficult on the set.
Twilight and New Moon star Rachel Lefevre was brought in to replace her.
There were also reports that Miss Murphy’s husband got into a fight with some locals in Los Angeles.
Mr Monjack, 39, whom she married in a private Jewish ceremony in 2007, is believed to have called an ambulance yesterday morning saying his wife was ‘sick.’
Today there were reports that he is objecting to a post mortem examination.
Murphy with her husband Simon Monjack and their pet dog as they got ready to fly out of Los Angeles
In 2005 Miss Murphy was forced to deny allegations she had a cocaine habit, saying: ‘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.
‘My worst vice is caffeine. The rumour is really pretty darn far-fetched.’
Her mother also reportedly told paramedics her daughter suffered from diabetes.
Her spokeswoman, Nicole Perna, said in a statement last night: 'In this time of sadness, the family thanks you for your love and support. It is their wish that you respect their privacy.'
Murphy's father, Angelo Bertolotti, said: 'She was just an absolute doll since she was born. Her personality was always outward. Everybody loved her - people that made movies with her, people on a cruise - they all loved her. She was just a regular gal.
Bertolotti is a convicted mobster and Miss Murphy was raised by her mother first in Edison, New Jersey, and later in Los Angeles.
She appeared in regional productions at the age of nine and landed her first job in Hollywood when she was just 14, playing a starring role as Brenda Drexell in Drexell’s Class.
Aged 18, she took the role of spoiled brat Alicia Silverstone's friend, Tai, in the delightfully anti-LA Clueless, in 1995, which catapulted her to stardom
The success of Eminem's 8 Mile, in which she played the vampish blonde Alex who has a brief but passionate relationship with the rapper, who plays himself, cemented her reputation.
In 2003 she starred in the romcom Just Married, which also starred Kutcher and two years later appeared in her sexiest role to date, in Sin City.
Big break: Brittany Murphy, centre, with Alicia Silverstone and Stacey Dash in Clueless from 1995
Murphy will also be remembered by fans of King Of The Hill, in which she took the voice of Luanne Platter, for 231 episodes.
Only a couple of weeks ago, Brittany spoke about her hopes for the coming year, which included plans to start a family.
Speaking to Access Hollywood at the Tt Collection Pop-Up Party in Los Angeles on December 3, she said: 'As far as having a New Year’s resolution, I’d love to have a child next year.
'But that’s kind of a large one! I’ve been very blessed to have a really great loving husband. I spend more time with my family than anyone else in the world.'
On and off-screen love: Brittany with her Just Married co-star Ashton Kutcher
She had five films in production at the time of her death, including Something Wicked, Shrinking Charlotte and Sylvester Stallone's upcoming film, The Expendables, due for release next year.
In June 2006, she sang on Paul Oakenfold's hit single 'Faster Kill Pussycat' which got ot number seven on the UK singles charts.
She dabbled in music again that same year when she covered Queen's Somebody To Love and Earth, Wind & Fire's Boogie Wonderland for the animated film Happy Feet, in which she played the voice of Gloria the penguin.
Brittany Murphy and Eminem in the critically-acclaimed 8 Mile
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