Brittany Murphy 's sudden death remained shrouded in mystery after she collapsed and passed away just days before Christmas in December 2009. The 8 Mile star was just 32 when she died, after growing increasingly ill with flu-like symptoms in her "haunted" Los Angeles mansion that she shared with husband Simon Monjack and mother Sharon. She had told her mother in the lead up to her death that she felt like she was dying and needed help. Fans around the world were stunned when news broke that the