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What a tragic waste of young talent. News reports say actress Brittany Murphy went into cardiac arrest this morning at age 32. I always found her performances fresh in both comedies like Clueless, Just Married and Little Black Book, and dramas like 8 Mile, Don't Say A Word, Girl Interrupted, and Sin City, and the dramedy Uptown Girl. She was about to have a career renewal with several movies coming out in 2010.
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What a tragedy. My heart and prayers go to her family. May her light shine bright always…..
I was wondering when she was going to start making another of her good films and it was very same Sunday I watched one of her wonderful acting on tv. I had a good cry in the end of the film that she was killed and I try to stop crying by telling myself that thanks god she is only acting and alive.
Only hours later I saw on the online news..The shocking sad news!
I am angry at her relatives why they did not take care of her well, she looked very skinny and pale in her recent photos . I am still crying for her and she was really a little sun shine and a very good actress. What a big loss!
A tragic waste of young talent? How sad is it that Hollywood types like Nikkie can’t react to her death like a normal human being. Guess her life can only be measured by her worth in this town.
A normal human being would guess she killed herself with drugs and not have much sympathy for her except to wonder how things could have been different. I liked her in her movies. All sympathy to her family.
Rip Britney Murphy wish u find peace and be a beAutiful angel in heaven
and with my condolescent to her husband and families .
I agree. What the hell?! Bad choice of words.
It’s a Hollywood news website about Hollywood and the industry. If you want Hollywood news you look here. If you want a drippy, emotional human outpouring about someone’s death in this industry, go bug their family and friends. Nikki does just fine.
I loved her in Drop Dead Gorgeous. It makes me feel creepy to type that title. What on earth could have happened? She was truly gifted at comedy. What a loss…
The only time I saw her was in “Just Married.” And that was because the TV ads made me immediately fall in love with the character she was playing. What a tragedy.
This is shocking!
This is a trajedy. I loved her in Clueless, and recently saw Little Black Book on TV. She was great. Not sure if that was really her singing voice, but if it was, wow. What a loss.
And who’s this husband?
Shanie F.
It was really her singing voice. She had a great voice.
yes. that was her singing voice. She also did all of her singing in Happy Feet.
In addition to being extremely talented, she was a really genuine and sweet person — rare in Hollywood. And she had an amazing voice, so I bet that was her singing. She did a demo for a Janis Joplin film and she was amazing. This is such a tragic loss, and my heart goes out to her family, especially her mother. I know how close they were.
She DIED? That’s just nuts!!!!!! She was great in Clueless, 8 mile, and Little Black Book. Didn’t care for Just Married, but that’s because I can’t stand Ashcan.
Poor thing. A heart attack. It just makes no sense. Were drugs involved? What movies did she have coming out?
Very sad to hear that she has passed away
Sad.
Of course when a young person dies of cardiac arrest, I can’t help but think that drugs were involved. Whatever the cause, this is sad.
So sad. Based on her IMDb entry, she’d been working her butt off. No wonder she suffered cardiac arrest.
R.I.P
A true waste of talent, a shame to see her go
This is very tragic indeed. Only 32 years old.
My thoughts & prayers go out to her family.
What a shock she was so young … very very sad
Very sad. I met her briefly and found her to be a very sweet person. I was shocked to hear this.
Tragic. Always a true professional on set, and a sweetheart off.
(:
RIP Brittany Murphy. Loved your films and its tragic to loose you
. Rest in peace and enjoy heaven babe. XXX
If you listen to the rumblings beneath the surface you’ll see there was erratic behavior on and off movie sets, and much speculation about substance abuse. Anyone who knew her will tell you same.
Angling to be the first to piss on the grave, huh, Jay?
It’s not necessarily pissing on the grave. Like it or not, healthy, privileged young stars rarely drop dead at age 32 of natural causes. Of course it happens; just not very often. Minimizing the role of drugs in the deaths of young stars is a disservice to everyone.
Yeah me too, I was not surprised to hear this news. Sad, but not surprised. I’m only surprised to hear so many were surprised. Reality check, this is what drugs do. I wish everybody would communicate this fact to all the young stars. We all know there is a lot of drug use in Hollywood whether it reaches the ears of the public or not. Don’t shove it under a rug for PR’s sake. It’s such a waste. Murphy was a very unique and interesting actress when very few starlets are all that unique or interesting. She aimed for a more commercial career and she shouldn’t have because it required her to be banal and bland. But I’m sure she would have found herself back to better roles in smarter films eventually. Had those around her who should have been cleaning her up not supplying her with drugs allowed it.
I’ve known two young women who dropped dead of cardiac arrest because of extreme dieting. It’s not necessarily drugs. And it could even be a congenital condition. No need to slander the dead here.
I believe he is just being honest
I was shocked to hear of Ms. Murphy’s death, but I too am curious about the substance abuse allegations. I had recently heard that her husband was hospitalized for some “unpublicized” ailment. Makes a person wonder. Then again, both incidents may be totally unassociated.
Yep. The big H. Not that the media will report it.
Yes, I agree
May she rest in peace. It just goes to show that everyone of us should enjoy life because none of us are promised tomorrow.
So sad. She was extremely talented. She had a really bright career. I’ll always remember her from Clueless and Girl Interrupted. RIP baby girl.
I always liked her. She was always a bit of sunshine and brightness, and just so cute.
she was such a sweet sunshine…
i am shocked…
RIP from Germany
I hold out some vain hope that this will become more of a cautionary tale than Heath Ledger’s passing did. In that case, people glorified the actor, and talked little about the EPIDEMIC of prescription drug use in Hollywood, of which he was a casualty. Whether or not drugs or an eating disorder were the immediate cause of Murphy’s death is yet to be determined, but both surely played a role in her demise over the past few years. Her death should be a reminder to the people making money off of other troubled starlets, that they need serious treatment or death is a distinct possibility!
The EPIDEMIC of prescription drug use is not solely limited to Hollywood. It’s everywhere. Frankly, I know more “normal” people in the Midwest hooked on prescription pills than I do here in LA.
Spot on. I hope that her death was truly due to “natural causes”, but to go into cardiac arrest at 32 raises suspicion. Hollywood should be referred to as Enabler-ville because true friends would/should have given her some help if she needed it.
Very sad to see her go. She was one of my first celebrity crushes and I too found her to be more interesting than the typical starlet.
But wasn’t Uptown Girls a comedy?
What the hell happened?
So sad, I just watched Clueless yesterday on DVD while being snowed in…she’s so funny and cute in that movie. Hope you’re in heaven rollin’ with the homies~
RIP Brittany Murphy
That’s sad news. So young, too. It’ll make it even sadder if drugs are shown the cause. Why do people think drugs are cool? Sigh. RIP.
Because they are. It’s drug abuse that’s not cool.
People who abuse their bodies and don’t get help have a short future.
A long, sad Hollywood list, that’s for sure.
Stay classy, Anita.
I loved her in LITTLE BLACK BOOK. I loved her in 8 MILE. This doesn’t make any sense. What happened to the girl from Clueless? She changed somuch.
Where was her half assed management team? Making a quick buck at her expense. I was at her wedding and if you had told me she would have lasted this long with those swine working the crap out of her I would have been surprised. Regulate the business.
“Working the crap out of her?” I mean no disrespect to Brittany whatsoever but this comment is an insult to people that actually WORK. Trench diggers. Police Officers. Dads trying to support their families with three REAL jobs.
If making 7 figures for sitting in a trailer for most of one’s “work day” while sipping cool bottled water and memorizing lines is “working the crap out of her” then what is laying asphalt in the middle of a desert road on a hot Arizona summer day?
Been in the biz for a while and have a friend at this level so you can refrain from any “You don’t know what you’re talking about” comments. You “work” your ass off because you never know how long it will last (ESPECIALLY women, unfortunately). She could’ve stopped whenever she wanted.
This is truly sad. I had the opportunity to meet her once, as well, many years ago. She was a darling.
I’d also heard, probably from the same circles as the poster above, the “rumors” of substance abuse. What a shame.
Sad, but not surprising. To quote a line from the Player “You know what they say about rumors? They’re always true.”
it was an anorexia fueled heart attack. nothing more.
Agreed. Friend of mine worked with her, said she was super nice, a real delight to be with, which makes the loss very sad. May she rest in peace.
Wow, that’s sad.
Similar to several posts above, I’ve heard rumors of eating disorders and substance abuse with her. Ask anyone in the past 5 years who’s had to get insurance on her, the premiums are on the Lohan level.
We will miss you! God Bless kiddo … see you later…
I always liked her. I had recently seen “Little Black Book,” and was just pointing the film and her out to a good friend of mine, just saying, “there’s something unique about this girl, that I just can’t put my finger on.” She’s utterly charming in that movie, as she was in a lot of other things. I’ll remember her much more fondly than almost any other Hollywood actress of her generation, that’s for sure…
What does everyone mean, “A waste of talent?” Such a strange phrase. How is talent wasted when someone passes away? “Loss of talent,” okay. RIP.
Hard to believe that somebody that young dying suddenly of natural causes.
I find this so tragic, so much of a charade and comic relief. We take type-set souls and make them into automatons, gifts of holly-wood. I just watched “Deadline” and fell in-love again with B. Murphy. I know that our worlds were light years away, a fool I am not. I just had a conversation with my son who is sixteen. I remember feeling as washed away with sadness with N. Wood’s passing. A fool I am, maybe? Blessings to her and her family. So mote it be now and forever.
ROb Mac
I Will never Forget her.
She Had a really good Actress talent.
Rip
“2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine.”- Ashton Kutcher
i hope her agents and managers who literally stood by and DID NOTHING while everyone in this town knew what was going on feel like the bottom feeding scum they are today.
WTF?
Such a shame. With every year I get this business less & less.
I can’t believe this…I do love her.
She was a great actress. Her smile brought me a happiness.
Rest in peace
Sad, sad, sad. Cardiac arrest at 32? Wow.
What a tragedy. My heart and prayers go to her family.
The media toilet. . .er. . .outlet we all know and tolerate as TMZ was the outlet to break the news, and no one will get more traction out of this than them now that they’ve marked it.
I didn’t take Nikki’s reaction to be cold at all. I heard the rumors had already started on KFI.
I didn’t know Brittany’s work except for her cover of the Queen tune Somebody To Love from “Happy Feet”. She did a phenomenal job on that song, and that’s what I’ll remember her for.
I interviewed Brittany Murphy in 2001 for the LA Times; she was an incredible flickering spirit, and she had the potential for greatness as you mention Nikki. This is a tragedy, you are right. Brittany Murphy was no powder puff. She’d been the breadwinner. For the interview she invited me over and insisted that I drive her for lunch in my car, even though that was tricky for insurance reasons — she went through my stuff in a good way, found Chet Baker in the glove box and said ‘Anyone who loves Chet Baker must be cool.’ At lunch she started to order the chicken to do a ‘Girl Interrupted’ thing — I told her she didn’t have to shine it on, and she ordered a salad. What came through was a gifted human being down to her bone marrow – she had flashes like that. And she really loved her mother Sharon, whom she lived with at the time… who must be beyond heart broken. I watched her career and wondered about the choices she made, but thought she would come roaring back with all the “200 people” inside her.
What was edited out of the Brittany Murphy interview:
Then Murphy lapses into disbelief: “You talked to Penny? You’re kidding! She is so great; she’s like an aunt or something. What did she say about me? I bet she said I have to pee a lot.”
“I talked to Michael [Douglas] the other day,” Marshall says. “We both know she goes to the bathroom a lot. She has the bladder of a 4-year-old…”
Editor’s response:
>…we won’t be using anything about her peeing a lot in the L.A. Times. I think it’s kind of amusing and sweet but I think we’re still too stuffy, some would say proper, officially to allow it.<
“Where was her half assed management team … working the crap out of her? Regulate the business.”
Oh please, she was 32-year-old adult. Nobody was forcing her to do anything.
R.I.P. Britney. May you find peace…
All I know is that when I worked with her, she was abusing a lot of substances at the time. She was engaged to my ex-CEO at one point, and he was a total cokehead. Maybe she eventually cleaned up her act…I don’t know. We’ll just have to wait for the autopsy results.
She was a incredible talent!
I just watched her last movie Deadline and her eyes were like pinholes. She was so frail also. I assume this was a heart attack brought on by drugs or a mixture of anorexia and drugs.
Such sad news. I never met Ms. Murphy, but I have to say she had an incandescent screen presence that was matched by her witty repartee (judging from her rapier-like quips on the late-night talk show circuit.)
Beauty and brains… this fine young actress, with the right role, would surely have won an Oscar one day. I’m sure of it. Now we will never ever know.
To her parents and loved ones and friends and Hollywood colleagues, I send out my sincere condolences and pray that you find solace in all of the lives Brittany touched through the sweet magic of her art.
God bless and RIP
Loved her, didn’t think much of her creepy husband.
SOMEONE NEEDS TO SPEAK THE TRUTH. I’M CHOOSING YOUR SITE, NIKKI, BECAUSE IT IS THE BEST TRAFFICKED SITE. HERE GOES:
While my heart goes out to her mother, Sharon, someone has to explain to her that the amount of perscription drugs she fed Brittany over the years created not only a need, but an almost worship of perscription medicine. It was the go to place whenever Brittney sneezed, or wheezed, or had a cramp. She was never without a medicine cabinet of drugs. I worked for a woman who worked with/for Brittany for many years. I recall that Britt and her mother were outraged when drug rumors started appearing in the press about five or six years ago. They dismissed it as just angry jealous people from the 8 mile crowd. They always blamed someone else, like there was some kind of conspiracy. They refused to look at their own behavior. My boss spoke to Sharon several times about the pills she was giving her. She urged her not to give her those pills. I’m not sure what the pills were, or what they were for, but I got the feeling they were diet pills. Again, this is conjecture since I didn’t actually examine the bottle. But around that time, I think she was making Uptown Girls, we started getting complaints about Brittany being late, or forgetting lines, or acting nutty. It just got worse on Little Black Book. She’d keep people like Holly Hunter, and Kathy Bates waiting on set. There was always an excuse. A few times I was told to call production and make things up about why she was late. But they didn’t believe us. I remember the producers of Little Black Book calling my boss so angry, and frustrated. She wasn’t remembering her lines, she was late every day. But no one could do anything about it. She was not only too far gone, she was in denial. Then there was the film, Love and Other Disasters, where the director called my boss and screamed, WHY DIDN’T YOU WARN ME? So you see, many people in Hollywood knew the score. They just didn’t discuss it. Maybe it’s because they loved her so much, or maybe it’s because they didn’t want to revisit.
From there it just got worse. She’d go on award shows and just ramble to the point where the audience was embarrassed. People would talk about it for a day, and then just sort of…forget. It was dismissed like she was crazy. But she wasn’t crazy, she was drugged. Nothing illegal however. Somehow that line for her made everything okay. When she married that guy, Simon, and he moved in with she and her mother, it just made sense. No one else would have put up with this.
Honestly she was a sweet girl lost in the world of phramaceuticals. The saddest part is, the only people who didn’t see it, who couldn’t recognize the addiction, were the ones causing it.
RIP Brittany Murphy. You deserved better.
Hey Nik – look into the fact that she was dumped by two agenices – CAA and I believe WMA. She had trouble getting repped by another. Also her longtime manager, Joanne Colonna, and she parted company a few years back. This was a downward spiral waiting to happen…
eating disorders cause cardiac arrest…it is too bad… what a loss
I met her when I was an intern a long time ago. She was incredibly sweet. A bright light. Too bad
RIP Brittany Murphy. So sad. My favorite movie she was in was Freeway with Reese Witherspoon. A total sleeper.
Nobody brings up her best role as Luanne Platter on KING OF THE HILL for eleven seasons. She had an incredible career in her short life.
I still cannot believe the sad news. She will be greatly missed. May she rest in peace.
Yes, it’s sad. And her shitbag “writer” husband is already giving out interviews less than 48 hours after her passing…
She was a train wreck. The human body was not designed to put up with what she did to hers, no matter how “clean” she was at the time of her death.
And nobody wants to talk about this – to enlighten young stars and starlets about what can happen to you if you allow yourselves to partake in the excrement that rides shotgun with fame. It is, as it always has been: burn hot, burn up, burn out.
Lindsay Lohan, anyone?
I loved brittany in every movie I saw.SHE HAD THAT SPECIAL SOMETHING ABOUT HER.Mat she rest in peace,and may the reporters let her rest in peace.I hope I didn’t bore you or stray from the subject.I still say she was a very good actress.
This totally sucks.
Little B … fun, funny, very sweet … a twinkle, twinkle star on her way to being oh-so bright. Brittany, so very talented, so compelling. Gosh darn, dam, sucky, icky, yuck. One simply does not have the capacity here on earth to understand this death so soon shit. I certainly do not get it.
Brittany you will be sooooo missed. I will surely watch your films on certain days, and shed a tear or two, or may more, just to see you. But happily, will enjoy every performance, every one.
The God guy shines on you now … and may he watch and care for you still, in that much better place we hear such a lot-o-rumours about. May he grace your family and give them strength. This is devastating, you know.
Besos: bee-utiful … bountiful … blissful … blessings Brittany … much blessings.
Sigh.
Judging by your ramblings, you’ve been taking the same meds she was!
And who are you to judge anything, or anyone? You can burn in hell you incompassionate troll.
I loved Brittany Murphy in movies like Clueless and 8 Mile. She was definetly talented but I always felt that she would be with us for only a short while. Something about her was so pure, so fragile. Her eyes baby innocent and trusting… her voice and mannerisms bubbly like a child’s. I became convinced more so when I found out that she voiced the character, Luanne, the eternal optimist from The King of the Hill. I have a feeling that Brittany was alot like Luanne in real life and I don’t think I’ll be able to watch the show’s reruns without crying now.
Of late, Brittany had been looking too thin, too wired and unwell so there will be a lot of tabloid-like speculations about the cause of death. Irreguardless of the cause of her death, Brittany really needed someone to protect her from all the mess the industry threw at her when she was living. I remember some of the criticisms leveled at her over the years. Too chubby v.s. too thin, cute v.s. leading woman pretty, complex brunette v.s. care-free blonde, single and hopeful v.s engaged/married.
Well she’s free of the mess now. May God rest her soul.
Wanna know what happened to Brittany Murphy?
Simon Monjack, that’s what happened.
You can chart her life & career, pre & post Monjack.
Sad…a lovely, talented young woman.
Someone needs to do a major expose on young Hollywood and drugs, but it will probably never happen
Funny story re: Brittany. She worked an episode of “Nash Bridges” 1st season. We were shooting on a BART train, the bathrooms were down the length of the train out onto the tracks and a quarter mile walk. Every 20 minutes she needed to go to the restroom. Our producer John Nicolella (rest his soul) decided that this was ridiculous. He sent out for a Marine Toilet for small craft. Had us set it up inside one of the conductors booths on the BART train and hung a black curtain for privacy!! LOL. That’s how we solved the bathroom break delays.
Very sad to see her go.
RIP
Brittany Murphy WAS, and STILL will be my favorite actress!!! She was just different than the others. Bless her family and true friends, that they may have strength in this tragic time.
Brittany will be missed!
Riddle me this: How come, every time an actor/musician/general industry person drops dead in this town, everyone goes through this BULLSHIT routine talking about how “worried” they were, about how they saw he/she doing this or that, singing their praises after the fact, but no one ever steps up WHILE THEY’RE STILL ALIVE TO HELP THEM? Honestly, after 15 years here, I’m so disgusted with everyone. None of you give a shit. At all.
I always loved actress Brittany Murphy’s work. Lately she seemed rather skinny and I think hollywood should stop this skinny look right now. They are learning this in the modeling world. Whoever in the Hollywood brass thinks the public loves the skinny look are crazy.. I have no idea what she died from but from reading the above blogs and interviews she seemed a rather nice person in real life…She was one of the better comedic actresses.
I loved her performances. She had that special something that just made you love her. There was something about her that shone through, and touched the audience. She had great range, to go from “Clueless” to “Girl, Interrrupted” the way she did. She reminded me a little of a young Liza Minnelli, not in looks but in the emotion of her performances.
im so sad that she died.i saw her on the movie just married and she was so young and beautiful.i loved her for the first time i saw her on the film. i wish she didn’t have such a bad end
R.I.P Brittany Murphy
you will be always in our hearts
i really can not believe she has gone to be honest but at least she had a good life r.i.p sweetheartxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx