Brittany Murphy Dies

[Princess]

One thing is for certain: Brittany Murphy was sweet.

When so many celebrities use that specific word to describe the fallen star, we know it's not only a matter of opinion, but pure fact.

Clueless may have been filmed 15 years ago, but the candy-like taste of her presence remains on the lips of her costars.

"I'm so saddened to hear this news. I loved working with Brittany. She was so talented, so warm and so sweet," Alicia Silverstone tells People. "I always felt connected to her as we shared a very special experience in our lives together. I feel love in my heart for her-and hope she is at peace."

"Brittany was one of the sweetest people you will ever meet," Donald Faison, who also appeared with Murphy in Uptown Girls, tells E! News in a statement. "She had the voice of an angel and a genuine heart of gold. I'm very happy to have known and worked with such a special person. My heart goes out to all of her loved ones."

But it's not just Clueless homies mourning the sugary starlet.

"It is a terrible loss for us as actors and to the industry but even greater for her family," Murphy's Girl, Interrupted costar, Whoopi Goldberg, tells E! News. "My thoughts and prayers are with them."

"Brittany Murphy was in Drop Dead Gorgeous with me and was the sweetest and most adorable," Denise Richards writes on Twitter. "Tragic, sad & devastating. Her poor family."

"So so sad about Brittany Murphy. I did David & Lisa with her. Amazing talent. Incredible singer! SHE should have played Janis Joplin. I'll miss," mourns Debi Mazar.

"Another sad, sad loss," writes her Spun costar, Eric Roberts. "She was a sweet, smart girl & a real actress."

[Princess]

LOS ANGELES - The unexpected death of 32-year-old Brittany Murphy, who gained fame in such movies as "8 Mile" and "Just Married," appeared to be from natural causes but police are investigating, officials said.

Murphy died about 10 a.m. Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to the hospital.

She was transported to the medical center after the Fire Department responded to a call at 8 a.m. at the home she shared with her husband, British screenwriter Simon Monjack, in the Hollywood Hills.

Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Murphy apparently collapsed in the bathroom, and authorities were looking into her medical history.

An official cause of death may not be determined for some time, since toxicology tests will be required, but "it appears to be natural," Winter said. He said an autopsy was planned for Monday or Tuesday.

Los Angeles police have opened an investigation into Murphy's death, Officer Norma Eisenman said. Detectives and coroner's officials were at Murphy and Monjack's home Sunday afternoon but did not talk to reporters. Paparazzi were camped outside the multistory home, located above the Sunset Strip.

Neighbor Clare Staples said she saw firefighters working to resuscitate the actress Sunday morning. She said Murphy was on a stretcher.

Murphy's husband, wearing pajama bottoms and no shoes, appeared "dazed" as firefighters tried to save her, Staples said. "It's just tragic," she added.

Murphy's publicist, Nicole Perna, said in a statement: "In this time of sadness, the family thanks you for your love and support. It is their wish that you respect their privacy."

Messages left for Murphy's manager and agent by The Associated Press were not immediately returned.

Murphy's father, Angelo Bertolotti, said he learned of her death from his son, the actress's brother, and was stunned.

"She was just an absolute doll since she was born," Bertolotti said from his Branford, Fla., home. "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."

He said he hadn't heard much about the circumstances of Murphy's death. Bertolotti divorced her mother when Murphy was young and hadn't seen Murphy in the past few years.

"She was just talented," Bertolotti said. "And I loved her very much."

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."

Her on-screen work had lessened of late, 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 the 2006 feature "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 AP 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 said. "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 sent a message on Twitter 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."

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

[Destiny's Darlings©]

RIP

[Princess]

TMZ has learned Brittany Murphy had a will when she died -- a will she executed before she met husband Simon Monjack.

Sources say the will left her estate to her mother, Sharon Murphy.

The house Brittany owned and died in was held in trust -- a trust created several years before she met Monjack. He is not listed on the title.

We do not know if Murphy amended her will after she was married. So far we have no evidence Murphy drafted a codicil (amendment) to the will.

[Princess]

Brittany Murphy's sudden death brought sharply different reactions from two men who loved her, as her husband expressed shock and sorrow while her half-brother angrily called her a victim of Hollywood.

Murphy, 32, was pronounced dead Sunday at the hospital. An autopsy has been completed, but a determination of the cause of death will await the results of toxicology tests in a few weeks. Officials say early indications suggest no foul play was involved.

"My world was destroyed yesterday," husband Simon Monjack, who was in the house at the time she was stricken and who watched as paramedics tried in vain to revive her, told Access Hollywood on Monday afternoon.

It was Murphy's mother who found her unresponsive, he says. When Murphy didn't come out of the bathroom after a long time, her mother checked on her - then screamed for Monjack, who dialed 911, he says.

Up until then, it had been a "regular day" for Murphy except that she had been tired lately from work and what had seemed to be a minor case of laryngitis, Monjack says.

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Murphy's half-brother Jeff Bertolotti, meanwhile, expressed anger at the death of his sister, whom he hadn't seen since 2001 after "the Hollywood walls went up" and the closest he could get to her was a phone call to a manager that wasn't returned.

"People come into the town with their dreams and get chewed up alive and those who make it get chewed up alive anyway. And that's what happened to Brittany," he tells PEOPLE. "She's a casualty of that town."

Although acknowledging he knows "nothing" about her husband and others around her in recent years, Bertolotti says, "I'm not saying it's their fault, but I do think they should have taken care of her better. I think she should have been cared for.

"Look, if she died at 32, something is not right," he adds. "What happened? I don't get it. At 32 years old something happened. I don't know what. I'm sure there was no foul play. It's just that something is wrong. … It's heartbreaking. I was crazy about that kid."

Source: people