‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ Actress Amanda Peterson FOUND DEAD

Amanda Peterson, the actress who starred with Patrick Dempsey in romantic comedy “Can’t Buy Me Love,” has died. She was only 43.

Peterson was found at her home in Greeley, Colo., on July 5, by family members who went to check on her after growing concerned when they hadn’t heard from her in a couple of days.

“She had some illness and a sleep apnea problem that may have contributed,” her father told reporters on Monday, July 6. Peterson got her start in Hollywood in the early 1980s, when she scored a small part in the movie musical Annie, as well as bit roles in shows including Silver Spoons and Boone. Her big break, though, was in 1987’s Can’t Buy Me Love. Peterson played popular high school cheerleader Cindy Mancini, who agrees to fake-date Patrick Dempsey’s nerd character in exchange for money. The movie inspired a remake in 2003, Love Don’t Cost a Thing, starring Nick Cannon and Christina Milian. h/t usmagazine

An official cause of death has not yet been determined.