HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Brittany Murphy died of pneumonia complicated by iron deficiency anemia and prescription drugs, the L.A. County coroner’s office revealed Thursday.
Officials said the star’s primary cause of death was community-acquired pneumonia. They declined to specify what types of drugs were found in her system, but said they were all prescription medications.
Her death has been ruled as accidental.
“This death could’ve been preventable,” Assistant Chief Ed Winter told People magazine. “Murphy was planning on seeing a doctor, but she unfortunately passed away before she did. This was a case of a person with pneumonia who was anemic who was taking medication when she should’ve been getting medical treatment.”
Murphy, 32, died on Dec. 20 after going into cardiac arrest at her home in the Hollywood Hills. The actress landed her first Hollywood job at age 14 when she appeared on the Fox television series Drexel’s Class. In 1995, she landed her first major movie role alongside Alicia Silverstone in Clueless. Other notable film roles would follow, including 1999’s Girl, Interrupted with Angelina Jolie, 2001’s Don’t Say a Word with Michael Douglas and 2002’s 8 Mile with Eminem.
In more recent time, the Atlanta-born star voiced the part of Luanne Platter in the Fox animated series, King of the Hill.
Murphy also found success on the music scene during her career, teaming up with DJ Paul Oakenfold in 2006 to release the hit single “Faster Kill Pussycat,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Dance Club Play chart.
