Brittany Murphy Dies of Heart Attack

Actress Brittany Murphy is dead after tragically falling into full cardiac arrest this morning and could not be revived by medical personnel, according to reports.

The New Jersey native was only 32 years old.

A 911 call was made at 8:00 a.m. from a home in Los Angeles that is believed to be owned by her husband, Simon Monjack, the L.A. Fire Department said.

Murphy, whose film credits include Clueless, 8 Mile and Don't Say a Word, was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and was pronounced dead on arrival.

R.I.P. Brittany Murphy (1977-2009) passed away this morning.

While the circumstances resulting in Murphy's cardiac arrest are not known at this time, the actress' young age is bound to raise plenty of suspicions and questions.

Brittany wed Simon Monjack in May 2007, after which she has largely been absent from the spotlight. Her last big films were Sin City (2005) and Happy Feet (2006).

It's far too early to speculate about any drug use being involved, but Monjack himself was just hospitalized after a bizarre incident at LAX airport November 30.

We'll keep you posted as more details become available ...

UPDATE, 5:00 p.m. EST: According to TMZ, Brittany's mom discovered her unconscious in the shower. When paramedics arrived, they quickly determined Murphy was in full cardiac arrest and immediately administered CPR.

The paramedics continued CPR en route to the hospital, but Murphy was unresponsive and pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

The LAPD has launched an investigation.

UPDATE, 6:30 p.m. EST: Murphy's husband, Simon Monjack, told hospital staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center he did not want an autopsy performed on her.

His reasoning for that request is not known. However, despite Monjack's wishes, the L.A. County Coroner's office will in fact perform an autopsy on Murphy.

Murphy's mom apparently told paramedics that Brittany had a history of diabetes. It is unclear if that's true, or if it contributed to her death in some way.

UPDATE, 9:45 p.m. EST: According to the L.A. County Coroner's Office, foul play is not suspected at this time. Some prescriptions were found in the house (what kinds, we don't know), and they will be examined in addition to the autopsy.

The toxicology tests will likely take several weeks.

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