TMZ reports actress Brittany Murphy died in Los Angeles of cardiac arrest this morning. She was only 32.

According to the L.A. Fire Department, a 911 call was placed at 8 a.m. this morning from a house belonging to her husband, Simon Monjack.

Sources then told TMZ that Brittany Murphy’s mom found her in the shower and when paramedics arrived, they determined Murphy was in full cardiac arrest. Although paramedics administered CPR all the way to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, she was pronounced dead at the hospital.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that blonde, blue-eyed beauty Cate Blanchett went through a goth phase. Really? I mean, I went through one, too, but I never would have expected that from prim and proper Cate. When asked in an interview about how her beauty regime has changed over time, Blanchett admitted, “I’d go to bed with my makeup on if I’d been out. And I went through a big gothic phase, so my pillow was always covered in black mascara and white pancake makeup.” Never would have guessed it.

After the jump, some more unexpected celebrity phases.

Poor Tina Douglas, mother and manager of Ashanti. Millions of fans are crazy for her daughter, and Tina can handle most of them. Except one guy, Devar Hurd, who got a lot crazier than the rest. He’s charged with aggravated harassment for sending Tina pictures of his penis, as well as long, creepy texts and voicemails about his obsession with Ashanti, who doesn’t even know him. Clearly Devar needs help, and he’s facing two years in prison, if convicted. [NY Daily News]

• Tiger Woods reportedly killed a National Enquirer story about his cheating in exchange for a Men’s Health cover. [HuffPo]
• DoubleX rates the infinity scarf, aka snood, by brands with a very comprehensive point system. [Double X]
• Snooki of “Jersey Shore” has been fired from her receptionist job. [NY Daily News]

Lindsay Lohan continues to party nearly every night despite her apparent personal tragedies. But at least she’s making a mediocre effort to look as if nothing’s changed. [Hollywood, 12/18/09]

“My first reaction was, ‘You’re killing the mother of the show! You’re killing the woman who’s suffered more violence than anybody!’ She suffered more violence than Dexter ever suffered. Dexter witnessed the death of his mother, but he didn’t suffer any physical violence. Rita was beaten and raped by an ex-husband on a regular basis, and yet she still has this innocence and sweetness about her.”

—Actress Julie Benz on her initial reaction to finding out that Rita, the character she played on “Dexter,” would be killed off in the show’s season four finale, which aired last Sunday. [E! Online]

Could Betty White be any cooler? This year, she redeemed “The Proposal,” spoke out on Sarah Palin, and showed off her beer pong skillz. Last night, she appeared on the “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson,” rockin’ a Santa suit. I can’t wait for her to get her Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award next month.

The second season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” the drag queen competition show, is coming soon and because this promo shot is so genius, you can be sure we’ll be watching. It’s a perfect spoof of Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue. Sashay, shante.

• Paula Patton is expecting a baby boy with husband Robin Thicke.
• Leelee Sobieski had a baby girl on Dec. 15. [PopEater]
• Madonna loves Jimmy Choos more than sex. [OK! UK]

Alex Rodriguez is amassing a pile of three-strikes-you’re-out puns after a report that he hit on an all-legs blonde at his favorite Miami restaurant, only to be ignored by her three times in a row. This is just days after his highly publicized split from Kate Hudson, and less than a year after his even more publicized divorce from wife Cynthia. [NY Daily News]

Now we know that as a talented, rich, good-looking man, A-Rod is totally entitled to keep on keeping on in the romance department. But he knows that the media is watching his every move, so you think he’d keep it under wraps for, oh, at least a week. After the jump, let’s take a look at some other celebrity men who show us how not to get back on the horse.