Brittany Murphy "barely there" on film shoot and recent drug rumors

Brittany Murphy died unexpectedly at the age of 32 years on on Sunday, December 20, 2009. Initial reports said the actress had died of "cardiac arrest." TMZ.com later reported that Murphy, who was found unconscious in the shower, had a history of diabetes, according to her mother, but this was unconfirmed. Prescription drugs were reportedly found in her home but no further details were available. Despite her husband's wishes to opt out of an autopsy, one will be conducted, along with a toxicology report. Murphy, who starred in "Clueless," "8 Mile," and "Sin City," had several other films in the works before her untimely death.

Rumors of "Erratic Behavior"
According to reports, Murphy was displaying signs of trouble during the shoot for "Something Wicked." According to The Wrap, a source said Murphy would seem to forget her place during filming and was "barely there" for the shooting. Her behavior was so unpredictable that her character "had to be rewritten due to her erratic behavior." The source also said that she would frequently lose consciousness between takes. It was speculated that Murphy had been using prescription drugs.

Fired from "The Caller" and Simon Monjack's Trouble Breathing
In late November 2009 Murphy was reportedly 'fired' during the filming of "The Caller" in Puerto Rico and replaced by "Twilight" actress Rachelle Lefevre. Soon after, Murphy's husband, Simon Monjack was briefly hospitalized after a flight from Puerto Rico to Los Angeles. Upon arriving to L.A., Monjack was "unresponsive" and Murphy said she thought he may have been suffering an asthma attack as he was having trouble breathing. After the flight and rumors that Murphy had been fired, Hilton blogged:

"Our source also tell us that Brittany was so pissed about getting booted from the film that she didn't want to leave Puerto Rico and had plans to sabotage the film. But here's the really interesting part. Her husband, Simon Monjack, got into a fight with some locals, which makes us wonder: could there be a connection between this whole Puerto Rico incident and her hubby arriving at the El Lay airport 'incoherent'???"

Murphy's publicist denied the allegations that Murphy had been fired in an interview with "OK! Magazine." He said Murphy and the production team had creative differences and denied allegations that she was "difficult on the set."

Drug History: Vicodin, Cocaine, Anorexia or Naturally Thin?
In the past, Murphy had become noticeably thin. It was rumored that Murphy was either anorexic or had a drug addiction. In 2005 she denied that she had a cocaine addiction and said her "worst vice is caffeine" and said the rumor "couldn't be further from the truth." She said, "I have known people over the course of my life that have had bad problems with drugs, and it's something really serious." Murphy was also rumored to have been addicted to the prescription painkiller Vicodin.

Brittany Murphy Saturday Night Live Video Pulled
In a December 5, 2009. Saturday Night Live skit, comedian Abby Elliot played an incoherent Murphy in a "Weekend Update with Seth Meyers." Following the death of Murphy, the skit had apparently been pulled by Hulu.

Drugs or Natural Causes?

Some have speculated that Murphy's death may have been related to drugs. Perez Hilton blogged "people just don't typically die at 32 of natural causes." Others feel it is too early to jump to such conclusions and believe the family's privacy should be respected. (See: "Perez should be fed his own testicles over Brittany Murphy rumors.")  Do you think it is wrong to speculate over the cause of Murphy's death or do you think drugs have again led to the demise of another beloved star? Feel free to comment below.