Hollywood actress Brittany Murphy

Brittany Murphy: British husband has 'world destroyed' by actress's death

The British husband of Brittany Murphy, the Hollywood actress, has said that his "world was destroyed" by her sudden death at 32.

Simon Monjack said that his wife of two years had been suffering from laryngitis and was "tired" after working on two films, but there was nothing to indicate that she was seriously ill.

Monjack said Sunday began as "a regular day". Then Murphy's mother, Sharon, walked into the bathroom of the couple's Hollywood home and discovered the actress lying unconscious on the floor.

"Sharon went into the bathroom because [Murphy] had been in there a long time. Her mom screamed for me and I ran then called 911," he said. "My world was destroyed yesterday."

In his first interview since Murphy's death, Monjack denied that his wife was linked to people who were "bad influences" on her life. "I don't know why anyone would think that. She found love. We found love. Brittany didn't get to where Brittany was with anyone controlling her."

Monjack is expected be questioned by the authorities as they attempt to establish a cause of death. There is no evidence of foul play and the LA County Assistant Chief Coroner, Ed Winter, said the death "appears to be natural".

An autopsy has been concluded and the coroners are awaiting the results of toxicology tests, which could take several weeks.

The investigation is expected to focus on whether there were any prescription drugs in Murphy's system. According to the website TMZ.com, several kinds of prescription medications were found in her home.
On the flight back from the film set in Puerto Rico, Monjack was taken ill and was rushed to hospital when the plane landed in LA. Reports claimed Monjack had stopped breathing, but Murphy later played down the incident and said he had suffered an asthma attack.