Brittany Murphy had an ongoing heart murmur

Brittany Murphy's husband told reporters the actress was suffering from an untreated minor heart condition and had been ill for ten days prior to her death.

Simon Monjack said the 32 year-old starlet, who died on Sunday night in her Los Angeles home, suffered from mitral valve relapse — otherwise known as a heart murmur — which didn't require medication.

He says that in the 10 days before her death she spent much of her time in bed watching films and treating her laryngitis and flu with herbal tea, ginger and lemon.

Monjack told CNN yesterday that Murphy's mum's "heart is breaking" and that his bond with her would continue following his wife's death.

"I hope she stays, I can't imagine my life without Sharon — she's my link to Brittany," he said.

Brittany's father Angelo Bertolotti had not spoken to his daughter since the two hooked up and said when they married "she cut off communication with a number of people who cherished her … she lived in denial about him."

The two first met on a photo shoot when Murphy was 13 and Monjack was a 21-year-old photographer before meeting again 15 years later and marrying a year after that.