Anorexia claims in Brittany Murphy death
Los Angeles coroners will today perform an autopsy on actress Brittany Murphy as speculation mounts that anorexia may have played a part in her sudden death one day earlier at age 32.
Police and coroner's officials said no foul play is suspected in the actress's cardiac arrest on Sunday morning in the bathroom of her Hollywood Hills home.
Assistant Coroner Ed Winter said initial reports showed the Clueless actress's death may have resulted from heart-related causes but said the autopsy would include toxicology tests. Results will not be known for six to eight weeks.
Celebrity website TMZ, which first broke the news, reported there was "a significant amount of vomit" in the bathroom area where Murphy was found unconscious in the shower.
TMZ said Murphy was taking medication for 'flu-like symptoms for several days, and there were a lot of prescriptions in the house.
Other news reports focused on Murphy's emaciated appearance in recent weeks. Us Weekly printed a photo on its website of Murphy's last known public appearance on the red carpet at a fashion event in Los Angeles on December 3, which showed the actress in a sleeveless dress with bone thin arms and legs.
People.com quoted one unnamed friend as saying Murphy had "insane self-image issues", and MSNBC.com columnist Courtney Hazlett said some magazines decided against running photos of her in December because she looked sick and "painfully thin".
In 2005, Murphy denied widespread rumors she had an eating disorder and that her weight loss was due to cocaine use.
Murphy starred in films like Girl Interrupted and 8 Mile 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.
Earlier this month, she left the set of indie thriller The Caller, over what her publicist has said were 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.
Murphy was last in theaters two weeks ago with the low-budget thriller Across the Hall. She recently finished work on the Sylvester Stallone action film The Expendables.
A statement issued on behalf of her family said: "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."
Kutcher, a former boyfriend of Murphy, wrote on his Twitter page on Sunday that "(Today) the world lost a little piece of sunshine. (S)ee you on the other side kid."
- Reuters
Sponsored links
Degrassi star died five years ago
Homegrown is best - Barnaby Weir
Kiwi actors add star power to festival
Franklin, Wonder to sing at funeral
George Clooney 'drinks too much'
Film review: The Ides Of March
Kimbra to tour US with Foster the People
Banking on return of blue magic
Brothel scares and stresses neighbourhood
Prisoner spent nine months planning breakout
Bain defence still less than convincing
'Naughty' toilet traps terrified toddler
Tattoo tribute makes them brothers in arms
Trap for burglars catches policeman
Armed thieves loot Greek museum
Million-dollar view, shame about the house
Disease 'adverse event' - kiwifruit growers
Telco keeps Christchurch options open
Fay aims shot at OIO over Crafar
Hurricanes weather elements to beat Chiefs
Travellers stranded after Air Australia goes bust
Guptill blasts Black Caps to victory in first T20
Quake felt across lower North Island
Hurricanes weather elements to beat Chiefs
Police car pig painter mystery unsolved
New York apartment sells for NZ$105m
Brothel scares and stresses neighbourhood
One dead after Northland crash
Stranded Aussies pay to go home
O'Connor attacks Smith's stance
Protester refuses community work
Helicopter companies still owe $5 million
Blackberry jams preserve the past
Residents tell of crime concerns
