Brittany Murphy Has Died at 32

Dec. 20, 2009— -- Brittany Murphy, a 32-year-old actress once considered a rising star in Hollywood, has died, after suffering cardiac arrest.

Murphy was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at 10:04 a.m., Cedars-Sinai spokeswoman Sally Stewart said, though she said hospital rules did not allow her to confirm a cause of death or give any other details.

The actress went into full cardiac arrest, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County coroner's office told ABC Los Angeles affiliate KABC-TV.

Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter told The Associated Press Murphy apparently collapsed in the bathroom Sunday morning and authorities are looking into her medical history, but the cause of death "appears to be natural."

The Los Angeles Fire Department said they received a 911 call at around 8 a.m. today from a home in Los Angeles that belonged to Murphy's husband, Simon Monjack.

"We responded to an emergency call," LAFD spokesman Devin Gales told ABC News. We transported one patient from that location to a local hospital."

"I saw the five firemen bring her down on a gurney, and they were trying to resuscitate her all the way down to the fire truck, and then they had her by the fire truck and they were obviously trying to put tubes down her throat and resuscitate her, and I think she was obviously dead at that time," Clare Staples, Murphy's neighbor, told KABC-TV.

The star of "Clueless" and "8 Mile" was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and she was pronounced dead on arrival.

The Los Angeles Police Department has launched an investigation into Murphy's death, LAPD spokeswoman Norma Eiseman said. Officers from the robbery and homicide division were called in, as they are in most high profile cases, to go to Murphy's home and Cedars-Sinai.

Los Angeles police officers were at the home above the Sunset Strip Sunday afternoon, KABC-TV reported. Also, throughout the day, Murphy's friends and family including Murphy's sister, arrived at the house on Rising Glen Road owned by Monjack.

In a statement from Murphy's publicist, Nicole Perna tells ABC News, "In this time of sadness, the family thanks everyone for their love and support. It is their wish that you respect their privacy."

Murphy got her first job in Hollywood at the age of 14, when she starred as Brenda Drexell in the series "Drexel's Class."

She then went on to guest star on television series such as "Blossom" and "Frasier."

One of her most notable roles was in "Clueless," in which she starred opposite Alicia Silverstone as the bubbly, yet naive high school student Tai Frasier eager for a makeover.

She also co-starred with Angelina Jolie in "Girl, Interrupted" and Eminem in "8 Mile."

Most recently she starred in the romantic comedy "Little Black Book" and "Sin City." Lifetime cast her in a TV movie in 2009 where she played the main character in "Tribute."