Eleven years after Brittany Murphy’s death—and her passing still has left an impact. Born in Atlanta and raised in California, the woman best known for her star-making performance in Uptown Girls and Clueless died at the young age of 32 in 2009.
Though Brittany died of pneumonia, she was dogged by rumors of drug use and eating disorders in the lead-up to her death, which only muddied the nature surrounding her untimely passing. However, it’s clear that the world lost a shining talent with her passing.
The young actress had collapsed in the bathroom of her Hollywood Hills mansion around 8 a.m., according to The Hollywood Reporter’s detailed account of her final hours. The rising star was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, but it was all in vain. She was pronounced dead at 10:04 am, according to The New York Times. At first, an assistant chief coroner for Los Angeles County said that her cause of death “appears to be natural,” but no more information was immediately available. An autopsy was performed a day after she died, and her death certificate listed her cause of death as “deferred.”
It would take a few months before the mystery around Brittany’s tragic death was solved. Amid speculation of foul play and a potential overdose, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office issued a statement on Feb. 4, 2010, stating that Brittany died of “community-acquired pneumonia,” with “contributing factors of iron deficiency anemia” and multiple drug intoxication, per The New York Times. A spokesperson for the office said that the drugs were all prescription drugs but didn’t specify what they were. She reportedly contracted the flu while filming The Caller, a low-budget thriller, in Puerto Rico.
As an actress, Brittany Murphy got her start when she was a teen. The 13-year-old Brittany landed her first recurring role in the 1991 short-lived sitcom, Drexell’s Class. From there, Brittany appeared on a handful of classic ‘90s TV shows like Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, Blossom, Sister, Sister, Party Of Five, and Boy Meets World. Her breakthrough came on the silver screen when she starred opposite Alicia Silverstone in Clueless.
Brittany’s career took off after that, and she landed roles in Freeway (with Reese Witherspoon and Keifer Sutherland), Girl, Interrupted (with Angelina Jolie and Winona Ryder), and Drop Dead Gorgeous (with Kirsten Dunst, Allison Janney, and Amy Adams.) Brittany also voiced the character of Luanne on the beloved animated sitcom King of the Hill.
Last year, on the tenth anniversary of Brittany’s death, her Clueless castmate Breckin Meyer paid tribute to his close friend. “10 years ago, this magical, fantabulous angel left us WAY too early. “She was so crazy talented and the sweetest lil fairy ya ever could meet. Full Disclosure: Travis kisses Tai on the head because Brit and I knew each other for years before Clueless, and she was always like a Lil sister to me.”