I gasped as soon as I heard the news via text message that actress Brittany Murphy had died from a heart attack. And oddly enough the first thing that came to mind was that her husband, Simon Monjack, was hospitalized three weeks ago after he was found not breathing. Could the two events be related?

Actress Brittany Murphy died today from a heart attack at the age of 32-years-old.

Multiple sources told celebrity news website TMZ.com that she went into full cardiac arrest and despite multiple attempts, could not be revived. Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Devon Gale said emergency services were called to the house she shares with her screenwriter husband Simon Monjack in Los Angeles at 8am local time.

Brittany Murphy in 'Sin City'

According to reports, her mother Sharon Murphy discovered her daughter unconscious in the shower. Paramedics determined that Brittany was in full cardiac arrest and immediately administered CPR. They continued mouth-to-mouth as they sped to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, several miles away from her home, but Brittany was pronounced dead on arrival at 10.04am.

Monjack, who she married in 2007, was not thought to have been at home at the time.

Speculation immediately began surrounding the cause of Brittany’s sudden death from cardiac arrest, the same cause of Michael Jackson’s death in June. Police are still investigating the Murphy’s apparent dependency on prescription drugs. Even celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton hinted on his website there might have been some other cause behind Brittany’s sudden death today. He wrote: ‘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. Our thoughts are with her family and friends during this extremely difficult time.’

There have been fears in the past that Brittany suffered from eating disorders which many said was tied to a cocaine addiction, but she vehemently denied this. She said on the claims: “Wow. No, just for the record I have never tried it in my entire life, I’ve never even seen it, and I don’t leave the house too much, except to go to work,” she said. “My worst vice is caffeine. [The rumor is] really pretty darn far-fetched — it couldn’t be further from the truth. I have known people over the course of my life that have bad problems with drugs, and it’s something really serious.”

“I am also way too high-strung,” she continues. “I can’t even take a Sudafed. Can you imagine? My God. I think my heart would explode. I mean, literally something terrible. That’s awful.”

In October, cops got a call from neighbors complaining that a frantic Murphy was on her balcony screaming about gunshots being fired near her home in Hollywood. The noise was found to be coming from a generator.

It was reported earlier this month that she was fired from a new movie role in “The Caller” for allegedly being difficult on the set and was reportedly replaced by Rachelle Lefevre, of “Twilight” fame, but this was denied by Brittany. Murphy and Monjack quickly boarded a flight in Puerto Rico to return to home when things quickly went out of control. Simon Monjack was taken to the hospital following his flight from Puerto Rico to Los Angeles. He was reportedly incoherent when EMT’s arrived on board. TMZ reports that his wife, Brittany Murphy, assumed he was suffering from an asthma attack, however, EMT’s revealed that it was a more serious condition. In the 911 call they say Monjack “stopped breathing” but they “revived him.” Monjack was released from the hospital the following day.

Her rep, Nicole Perna, said in a statement today: ‘In this time of sadness, the family thanks you for your love and support. It is their wish that you respect their privacy.’

Murphy drew a lot of criticism for being with shady screenwriter Simon Monjack in a secret wedding in May 2007. When her then-boyfriend disappeared for 10 days in April 2007, Murphy claimed he had been kidnapped by agents of this mysterious figure and ransomed. “When he came back, he had head injuries,” said a source. “He was pale and sometimes had trouble standing.” However, the alleged kidnapping seems to exactly coincide with the dates reported by The National Enquirer that Monjack, a British citizen, was jailed by U.S. immigration authorities for overstaying his visa.

Monjack, a screenwriter, is not short of enemies. Several anonymous sources have posted unflattering stories on the Internet about his past relationships. On June 13, a man identifying himself as Arturo Globenfeldt posted a message on Monjack’s Imdb.com page claiming he owes him $16 million in film investment money.

Celebrities began paying tribute to her on their Twitter pages today as soon as the news broke including rocker Fred Durst, who wrote: ‘RIP Brittany Murphy. What a sweet human being. My prayers are with her friends and family.’

Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian wrote: ‘OMG!!!! This is horrible news when anyone passes. I’m so sorry for her family. Send prayers out please.’

Actress Jessica Simpson wrote: ‘Brittany Murphy was an incredible ray of Light to so many people. Her smile was contagious. My prayers are with her family and loved ones.’

Singer Hilary Duff wrote: ‘RIP Brittany Murphy forever in our hearts.’

Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy, 2002

Brittany, an only child, was born in November 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia, but was raised in New Jersey. She shot to fame after her breakthrough appearance as Tai in the film Clueless in 1995. The actress went on to star Girl, Interrupted with Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie in 2000 and alongside rapper Eminem in his semi-autobiographical film 8 Mile in 2003. Brittany played a mentally-disturbed young woman named Elisabeth alongside Michael Douglas in psychological thriller Don’t Say A Word in 2001. She also appeared with Kirsten Dunst in the black comedy Drop Dead Gorgeous in 1999 and Just Married in 2003 with Ashton Kutcher, who she dated for a year after they met on the set.

Today, Kutcher paid tribute to Brittany on his Twitter page and wrote: ‘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.’