Brittany Murphy is Dead at Thirty-Two

Brittany Murphy, actress and star of film and television, passed away at the age of 32 on Sunday, December 20, 2009. Just five days before Christmas, her mother found her unconscious in her shower, according to reports by "People Magazine," TMZ and PerezHilton.com. Although the beloved actress received help and resuscitation efforts, she was pronounced dead upon her arrival to the Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

I first remember seeing Brittany Murphy on "Almost Home," a great, yet short-lived, sitcom of the early 1990s. It was a spin-off of "The Torkelsons." However, her first performance was actually as the star of the sitcom "Drexel's Class." She also guest starred on iconic shows--such as "Murphy Brown," "Blossom" and "Kids, Incorporated"--early in her career.

Brittany went on to be considered a serious and well-respected actress, with her most memorable performances being in films like "Riding In Cars With Boys," "Girl, Interrupted," and "Eight Mile" (which she starred in opposite Eminem). She

Hollywood immediately felt the pain of her loss. Ashton Kutcher, former co-star in "Just Married" and reported ex-love, took to Twitter to express his feelings. He stated, "2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine. My deepest condolences go out 2 Brittany's family, her husband, & her amazing mother Sharon. see you on the other side kid."

Even Perez Hilton, who usually spoke rather unkindly of the actress, was serious and sad in his commentary. He stated, "Absolutely devastating. Especially because this comes as no surprise! We, and those who knew Brittany personally, saw this coming. That does not make this any less horrible."

The tragedy has struck many fans immediately, with Brittany taking over posts on social networking websites, such as Twitter and Facebook. A reminder of her young age and how much life she had yet to live is obvious in the quote the actress had recently told OK! Magazine, ""I hope to have a few. I've always loved kids and babies and always wanted to be a mom."

Brittany will be remembered by the world for her big heart and amazing body of work for such a young person. Her talent was undeniable. Brittany Murphy's representative released a statement from the family. The representative, Nicole Perna, stated, "In this time of sadness, the family thanks you for your love and support. It is their wish that you respect their privacy."

Sources cite:
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20332090,00.html
http://perezhilton.com/category/brittany-murphy/
http://www.tmz.com/2009/12/20/brittany-murphy-dies-cardiac-arrest/