Brittany Murphy Tribute Onlinetributes.com.au

The shock death of Hollywood actress Brittany Murphy at 32 "appears to be natural", says the coroner's office.

Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Murphy apparently collapsed in the bathroom, and authorities were looking into her medical history.

An official cause of death may not be determined for some time, since toxicology tests will be required, but "it appears to be natural," Winter said. He said an autopsy was planned for Monday or Tuesday.

Murphy, known for her roles in films such as Clueless and 8 Mile, was pronounced dead at 10.04am local time at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, hospital spokeswoman Sally Stewart said.

She was taken to the hospital after the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call at 8am at the home she shared with her husband, British screenwriter and director Simon Monjack, in the Hollywood Hills.

Monjack reportedly told hospital staff he did not want an autopsy performed on the actress. But the Los Angeles County Coroner was insisting one be performed, TMZ said.

The website also reported that Murphy's mother Sharon told paramedics her daughter had a history of diabetes.

"In this time of sadness, the family thanks you for your love and support," Murphy's publicist, Nicole Perna, said in a statement. "It is their wish that you respect their privacy."

It was Murphy's mother who found her collapsed in her shower, celebrity gossip site TMZ reported.

She was found by paramedics in full cardiac arrest and could not be revived, TMZ said.

read more at the Sydney Morning Herald