'80s Can't Buy Me Love Star Dies at 43

Amanda Peterson, who starred as cheerleader Cindy Mancini in the 1987 rom-com Can't Buy Me Love, has been found dead in her apartment in Greeley, Colo. She was 43. While the official cause of death isn't known, Peterson's dad tells TMZ "she had some illness and a sleep apnea problem that may have contributed." Her mom says "she had some medical problems with her heart," per CNN. Peterson had suffered from pneumonia and sinusitis in recent years; she reportedly lived in a home with mold problems last year. Family members grew worried when they hadn’t heard from her on Friday. Her body was found by police on Sunday. An autopsy is scheduled for today, reports the Greeley Tribune.

Though best known for her movie role opposite Patrick Dempsey, Peterson also starred alongside Ethan Hawke in Explorers in 1986 and appeared in NBC’s TV drama A Year in the Life beginning in 1987, reports the Hollywood Reporter. The latter role earned her a Young Artist Award, known as a "Young Oscar," notes the Tribune. Peterson left the entertainment industry in 1994 and made Colorado her home. She'd most recently been trying to work as a writer, according to TMZ. With the news of her death, celebrities including Lance Bass, Scott Foley, Mario Lopez, and Sarah Michelle Gellar took to Twitter to remember the actress, who leaves behind a husband and two children, reports Us Weekly. (We've lost these stars recently, too.)