Brittany Murphy died on December 20 after going into cardiac arrest, and was subject to an autopsy on December 21. Toxicology reports are pending, so there isn’t yet a final word on how this actress died at only 32 years old. These results often take several weeks to determine.

However, official investigations point down some uneasy roads. A survey of Murphy’s bedside cabinet showed a daunting roster of pills. The Boston Herald revealed that she had prescriptions for Klonopin, Ativan, Hydrocodone, Fluoxetine and Carbamazepine , among others – medicines used for anxiety or depression, with one of them designed to treat both diabetes and bipolar disorder.

Other reports, including the Dallas Examiner, have also discussed her use of Vicodin, suggesting she used it regularly to treat pain resulting from plastic surgery. In late 2008, MakeMeHeal.com cited the possibility of Murphy having lip injections and rhinoplasty, since comparison photos showed facial differences. The actress never confirmed the rumors.

But Vicodin, plastic surgery and cardiac arrest were factors in the case file of an even bigger star: Michael Jackson.

“Mixing a number of these drugs could have resulted in her death,” Dr. Bruce Goldberger, a professor and director of toxicology at the University Of Florida College of Medicine told RadarOnline.com about Murphy’s passing. “At the moment, it is pointing toward an overdose – or, at least, that will have to be ruled out by the autopsy or toxicology results.”

And to be sure, those results are still pending; a verdict of death by overdose remains ill-advised. Murphy’s husband, Simon Monjack, is well aware of rumors about her drug abuse and has denied them as far as her death is concerned.

“My wife did not take anything on the morning of her death that would have caused her to be sick or ill, let alone die,” he told New York Daily News. “It’s beyond even the sickest speculation.”

At this point, unfortunately, nearly everything about Brittany Murphy’s death is only speculation – be it sick or reasonable. Medical reports of the near future, though, will either put to rest some of these troubling rumors or confirm them.

RELATED STORIES:

Choices to Make Your Lips Fuller

Kelly Osborne, Mya and Donny Osmond have made it to the Dancing With The Stars finals.

This season the stars played tribute to Michael Jackson and enjoyed performances by Taylor Swift and Shakira. Last week Joanna Krupa was eliminated, leaving Mya, Osborne and Osmond to compete for the big title.

Mya told MTV that she was surprised to be in the finals with Osborne. “I didn’t think it was in her personality to do something like this, but it’s great that she is,” she said. “And I actually met her last night, and she’s very cute and funny, so she’s very sweet. I was just surprised, ’cause she’s more of a rebel to me.”

Osborne is still a rebel, having told Digital Spy that she would rather “be ugly” than look like everyone else in L.A. But that hasn’t stopped her from wanting a boob job like mom Sharon. “I’m already planning my surgery. I just haven’t got anything saggy yet! My mum’s just had about everything you can have done, so I know the right and wrong way to do it.”

But, fellow dancer Donny Osmond isn’t so sure. Osmond has admitted to having Botox, but says he didn’t like it. He told the UK Daily Mail that he had it done “just once and I wouldn’t do it again because afterwards there was no expression on my face.”

The Dancing With The Stars Finale airs Monday, November 23.

Sammy Sosa is now said to have “bleached skin” – but this is a story blown out of proportion, he explained. It began with his recent appearance at the Grammy Latino Awards. He looked much more pale than usual, a contrast not far from what people saw in Michael Jackson. But, Sosa had a clear explanation for the new look.

“I spent many years playing at 1:20 p.m. in Chicago for 19 years,” he said in a recent interview on the Univision show First Impact. “You know that the skin gets damaged, and so what I did, now that I’m not playing, not getting so much sun, well, I have a cream that I apply before going to sleep and it lightens my face a bit.”

Sosa, often laughing during the interview, added that media lights and camera flashes are also making him look lighter than he is, even with the cream, which he obtained in Europe.

Certainly he wasn’t trying to resemble Michael Jackson – a comparison that’s been made. To him, all the varied speculation seems almost like comedy. No matter what, Sosa wasn’t trying to reverse his original color.

“I’m not a racist, I’m not like that,” he said. “I’m a person that lives a happy life, and I want people to calm down and want them to know the truth, that I didn’t do this with that intention.”

It’s now known that Michael Jackson seemed to have bleached skin for a reason: vitiligo, a natural condition that destroys pigment and creates white spots. The condition is rare.

The ultra-pale tone of Jackson’s later years came from doctor-administered creams intended to even out his appearance, which was made uneven by vitiligo. This situation was no sure fault of Jackson’s, though it came during multiple bouts of plastic surgery that further boosted a bizarre appearance.

Sosa, whose case resembles Jackson’s in no way at all, is dealing only with a temporary change.

RELATED STORIES:

• More on facial rejuvenation!

The upcoming Michael Jackson concert documentary This Is It has spawned a campaign called “This Is Not It.” It is backed by a global group of Jackson fans who declare the new film part of a commerce monster – the very one, they feel, might have exhausted and overwhelmed the King of Pop himself and caused his bad health during his 50-concert London tour.

The film, set for a limited two-week run in theaters beginning October 28, is a compilation of rehearsal and interview footage recorded while Jackson prepared the tour.

“The movie is made of a careful choice of footage taken during Michael Jackson’s last rehearsals for the ‘This is It’ Tour,” the campaign site reads. “Out of 110 hours of footage, a few scenes were selected in which Michael Jackson smiled and showed that, in spite of being in a dire state, he was still the greatest star in the world. In the weeks leading up to Michael Jackson’s death, while this footage was being shot, people around him knew that he looked like he might have died.  Those who stood to make a profit chose to ignore it.”

Kenny Ortega, director of both the Jackson concerts and this film, couldn’t disagree more. “It’s just not true that he didn’t want to do it or was being forced to do it or expected to do it,” he said. “This was something he truly wanted to do. ‘This Is It’ never did anything other than nourish and excite him.”

Jackson’s death on June 25, 2009 was reportedly the result of a drug-induced cardiac arrest. Some sources have called Jackson’s overdose the finale of a dependence that began after he had several bouts of plastic surgery. Jackson denied multiple cosmetic operations – and only admitted to undergoing rhinoplasty twice.

But, many pictures indicated not only rhinoplasty, but also cheek implants and chin alteration. Los Angeles surgeon Dr. Wallace Goodstein, who operated alongside Jackson’s main surgeon, reported witnessing Jackson undergo 10 to 12 surgeries over two years.

The new film, of course, is meant as a monument. It isn’t likely to offer fans an insights concerning Jackson’s reliance on plastic surgery or his reported use of drugs. All audiences will see is Jackson hard at work on tour, leg-deep into where his talents lay. Fans can watch him on a big screen one final time, and decide for themselves how healthy he looked.

Justin Bieber is just 15, but you wouldn’t know it by his voice. The teenage pop star, discovered on YouTube, skyrocketed in popularity with his second single, “One Less Lonely Girl.”

Bieber rose to fame after posting videos covering such greats as Usher, Chris Brown, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. His current manager saw him on YouTube, and got him signed to Island Records.

Another thing a bit more mature than Bieber? His taste in women.  Bieber names Beyonce and Megan Fox among his celebrity crushes, two women who are far from looking anything like they did when they were Justin’s age.

Jennifer’s Body and Transformers star Megan Fox is reported to have gone under the knife for rhinoplasty and breast augmentation, with some celeb sites calling her Megan “Faux.” Beyonce has reportedly also benefited from the same procedures, as well as a lip reduction.

But, crushes aside, Bieber is enjoying the benefit of youth and boyish good looks to get the fan support and adoration of millions of ‘tween girls, so he’ll likely have his pick of Disney starlets in no time.

At midnight Oct 11, Michael Jackson released his very last song. “This is It” premiered on his official Web site to mixed reviews with the L.A. Times saying, “If the song sways, it never quite hits a groove.”

While alive, Michael Jackson was a controversial figure in the plastic surgery world, with some close to him saying he was an example of what happens when no one will tell you “no.”

Jackson only ever admitted to two nose jobs, and said he had a skin condition called vitiligo that caused his pale visage.  But, the surgeon who worked alongside the King of Pop’s doctor said he was a frequent customer.

“He had multiple surgeries,” Dr. Wallace Goodstein told People Magazine. “He came in approximately every two months. It was about 10 to 12 surgeries in two years, while I was there[Jackson] had multiple nose jobs, cheek implants and he had a cleft put in his chin. He had eyelid surgery … You name it he had it. He had so many things that were inappropriate.”

The concert film “This is It” hits theaters for a limited two-week run in the U.S. beginning October 28.  A two-disc CD soundtrack accompanying the film will be released October 27.

Janet Jackson’s tribute to her late brother Michael during the spectacular opening of this year’s MTV Video Music Awards paired the iconic pop stars together one last time.

The number kicked off with an homage to Michael Jackson’s smash hit, “Thriller”, which took top prize at the 1984 VMAs, and culminated with Janet singing and dancing against a video backdrop of her brother performing “Scream”.

Michael had made several appearances at the VMAs throughout his career, including a 2001 performance with N’Sync, and the tribute number was the perfect opener for this year’s awards ceremony, bringing the crowd to its feet.

Janet looked first-rate on stage, as always. The same had long been said about Michael until his detours into plastic surgery became increasingly bizarre. Among his siblings, he put forth the most effort in changing his look and was a willing host to repeated facial work.

Michael’s sister has had her own fair share of speculation about possible cosmetic surgery, although aside from a rhinoplasty early in her career, the signs of the knife are less obvious. Janet may have nipped her recent weight fluctuations in the bud the hard way – through diet and fitness – or taken a surgical shortcut.

“Janet’s weight appears to yo-yo considerably these last few years, and it makes speculating plastic surgery on her very difficult,” plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn told MakeMeHeal.com in 2008. “I would surmise that, while she appears to have had a breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, and possible liposuction in the past, it is difficult to determine whether she has had anything done more recently.”

There’s no telling if Janet Jackson has the regular habit of plastic surgery as her late brother. If so, to her credit, she has hidden it well.

Michael Jackson died June 25, but a fake video showing Jackson still alive tested exactly how much fans are willing to believe.

The video, which shows Jackson leaving a coroner’s van, was produced by German broadcaster RTL in Cologne, Germany, for its magazine Explosiv. Jackson’s face isn’t clearly seen, and the footage was intended to look fake, RTL spokeswoman Heike Schultz said. RTL posted the video to YouTube for a single day, and received 880,000 hits while generating a fair deal of rumors and speculation.

“We wanted to show how easily users can be manipulated on the Internet with hoax videos,” she told the Associated Press. “Therefore, we created this video of Michael Jackson being alive, even though everybody knows by now that he is dead – and the response was breathtaking.”

During his life, ardent fans and the public at large followed closely Jackson’s changing appearance. His cosmetic surgery adventures began in the mid-1980s, though Jackson denied most of them. Dr. Wallace Goodstein, a Los Angeles surgeon who belonged to the same practice as the doctor he claims was Jackson’s plastic surgeon, said that at one point, Jackson had a dozen cosmetic surgeries over two years.

Goodstein said he witnessed Jackson’s rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, cheek implants and chin alteration. Jackson’s long surgical history took a toll on the pop star in the mid-’90s with almost irreparable cartilage loss to his nose. However, not long before he died, Jackson enlisted dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein to rebuild his nose by injecting it with hyaluronic fillers.

Jackson also suffered from a rare condition called vitiligo that caused uneven skin tones. He finally found a solution through Klein, who used creams to even out the color. Unfortunately, the new color appeared very pale, making Jackson look even more bizarre.

Sadly, cosmetic surgery played such a significant role in Jackson’s life and image that his appearance in many ways overshadows the memory of his musical genius. Rather than enhance his features, the excessive operations distorted his face and only fed what many say was an obsession with his physiognomy. Still, as the RTL hoax video shows, fans are still on the look-out for the King of Pop, and hold him close to their heart, despite his mystifying visage.

The circus that followed Michael Jackson’s death in late June continues. The Los Angeles County coroner has ruled the death a homicide, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. A search warrant affidavit reveals that the King of Pop had lethal levels of propofol in his body when he died, according to the Los Angeles Times. Dr. Conrad Murray, the personal physician to Jackson at the time of his death and the one who administered what would come to be the lethal injection, will likely face criminal charges.

Dr. Murray has already acknowledged that he administered propofol to the 50-year-old pop star the night he died. Murray reported he had been treating Jackson for insomnia for about six weeks, administering 50 milligrams of the potent drug via IV. The powerful anesthetic (also known as Diprivan) is normally used only in hospitals, and its use is commonly monitored by an anesthesiologist.

Murray believed Jackson was forming an addiction to the powerful sedative, according to records obtained by the Los Angeles Times, and so he chose to give Jackson a milder drug at 1:30 a.m. on June 25th. When Jackson remained awake, Dr. Murray allegedly gave him a shot of lorazepam — a drug similar to Valium — a half hour later, followed by midazolam, another anesthestic used to render someone unconscious before surgery. These medications didn’t induce sleep, so the doctor finally administered 25 milligrams of propofol, and the celebrated star apparently fell asleep right away.

At this point, Dr. Murray admits that he left his patient’s side ostensibly to use the restroom, although other reports indicate that he made several personal phone calls during this time. When he returned, Michael Jackson was no longer breathing. Of course, efforts to resuscitate him proved futile.

The King of Pop presumably received strong sedatives and anesthetics prior to his June bout of insomnia. Some are speculating that he became addicted to the drugs several years ago when undergoing plastic surgery. Although Michael Jackson only admitted to having two cosmetic surgeries on his nose, the transformation of his face over the years indicated that the singer in fact had multiple nose jobs, cheek implants and other work, likely required general anesthesia during each procedure.

The LA County Coroner’s Office has not publicly released the cause of death, and autopsy results have been delayed indefinitely.

It is worth noting, however, that investigators have not accused Murray of procuring the propofol illegally. Jackson had apparently been prescribed the medication from other doctors, including two based in Germany.

“It’s going to be one of the most groundbreaking moments in touring history. I am sure of it,” singer and futuristic fashion icon Lady Gaga told BBC recently, concerning her upcoming tour with rap sensation Kanye West. The pair recently announced that they will perform together for 30 shows, starting this October.

Rather than appear as an opening act, Lady Gaga will actually be co-headlining with West, he explained during an appearance on ABC’s The View.

“She’s talented and so incredible that she’s not an opening act,” he said. “We’re doing it together, with no opening act.”

It seems that the tour isn’t the only thing that Gaga is trying to make bigger and better. The sassy singer is notorious for displaying her ample assets.

Lady Gaga has likely undergone breast augmentation surgery, plastic surgeon Dr. John Di Saia told MakeMeHeal.com, and signs of a nose job are evident from a simple comparison of photos from earlier in her career with more recent snaps.

At a press conference in July, the daring diva showed up in a mysterious mask, which covered the majority of her face. Plastic surgery buzz instantly ensued, and Michael Jackson comparisons were rampant. When asked about her interesting get-up she responded with a typical Gaga remark, “It’s not just a mask, it’s a contemporary art piece.”

Ironically, Lady Gaga and Kanye West share an uncomfortable bond through plastic surgery. While the artist formerly known as Joanne Stefani Germanotta may have undergone a body modification or two, it was a cosmetic surgery treatment gone wrong that killed Kanye West’s mother, Donda, two years ago. An autopsy blamed heart disease coupled with complications from the surgery, and medical experts say that the incident was preventable. Dr. Jan Adams, who performed the breast augmentation and tummy tuck on Ms. West, has since surrendered his medical license.

Is Lady Gaga really a man?

New legislation honors Kanye West’s mom.