Brittany Murphy 'very ill' before death

Dec 21, 2009, 10:02 GMT

Brittany Murphy was reportedly "very ill" in the days leading up to her death.

The '8 Mile' actress passed away at the age of 32 yesterday morning (20.12.09) but authorities have already ruled out foul play, despite persistent rumours she was addicted to prescription drugs.

Coroner's Captain John Kades said: "Foul play is not suspected at this time because there were no outward signs of trauma or other injuries.

"We don't have an autopsy scheduled yet, but we will do it as soon as possible. Given all the worldwide attention, if we can get it done today (21.12.09), we will."

However, sources say several prescriptions were found in the house, written for various members of the household including Brittany - who reportedly suffered from diabetes - husband Simon Monjack and the actress' mother.

One source said: "There were a lot of prescriptions in the house."

Insiders say the actress had been suffering from flu-like symptoms for days - which she was taking medication for - and had begun vomiting shortly before her death, telling her family she felt "very unwell".

According to reports, when her mother found her body in the bathroom of her Hollywood home, there was "a significant amount of vomit" in the room.

One of the 'Clueless' star's neighbours said paramedics were in the house for almost an hour before taking her body to an ambulance on a stretcher.

The onlooker said "One paramedic was still working on her. First, I couldn't even tell that it was Brittany that was on the stretcher. I looked like an older woman. Brittany was completely white and her face was covered with a mask. You could tell that something horrible had happened."

Police later attended the house for what they have described as a "routine" death investigation.

In addition to the autopsy, toxicology tests to look for traces of drugs and alcohol in Brittany's system will also be carried out, but the results will not be known for six weeks.

The actress' family have released a statement about the "terrible tragedy".

It read: "The sudden loss of our beloved Brittany is a terrible tragedy. She was our daughter, our wife, our love and a shining star. We ask you to respect our privacy at this time."

Brittany's estranged father, Angelo Bertolotti - who hadn't seen the actress in several years - also paid tribute to her.

He said: "She was just an absolute doll since she was born... Her personality was always outward. Everybody loved her.

"She was just so talented. I loved her very much."