A leading pathologist has said that tragic actress Brittany Murphy could have survived if she had been taken to hospital sooner.
A new investigation into the Clueless star's death, filmed for Autopsy: The Final Hours Of Brittany Murphy, has found that the actress was so afraid of paparazzi outside her home that she had become a recluse and this may have caused a delay in seeking medical help.
The actress' mother called emergency services after Murphy collapsed in her arms at the home she shared with husband Simon Monjack but it is understood that the 32-year-old had been experiencing trouble breathing for several days and the pathologist said that if an ambulance had been called to the home when she first fell ill, her life could have been saved.
"By the time Brittany collapsed in her bathroom, there was probably nothing the paramedics or hospital staff could have done to save her. But had she been taken to hospital 24 hours earlier and given intravenous drugs, there is a very good chance she would have survived and would still be here today, " said Dr Richard Shepherd.
"Brittany was so sedated it’s quite possible neither Simon nor Sharon had any idea how ill she actually was. That may be the reason why they didn’t call an ambulance."
The actress died of pneumonia and anaemia in 2009, with the same condition claiming the life of husband Monjack just months later. The documentary will be aired on Channel 5 on Thursday.
