'Can't Buy Me Love' Star Has Died

Best known for her role in the 1987 teen romantic comedy Can't Buy Me Love, Amanda Peterson has died at the age of 43. The Associated Press reported that Peterson was found dead at her home in Greeley, Colorado, located about an hour north of Denver. She is survived by her second husband and two children.

According to the AP, Peterson was found alone and the investigation into her death is ongoing. The official cause of death is not known. Peterson's father told TMZ the former actress "had some illness and a sleep apnea problem that may have contributed."

Peterson had several minor roles in the 80s and early 90s, but she's best known for starring opposite Patrick Dempsey in the romantic comedy Can't Buy Me Love, named after the Beatles' hit song. In the film, Peterson, then just 16 years old, plays popular cheerleader Cindy Mancini who's paid by Dempsey's character to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month. Peterson last appeared in the 1994 film Windrunner and reportedly left the industry altogether soon after.

Scott Foley, Donald Faison, and Sarah Michelle Gellar were some celebrities who tweeted their shock and disbelief at Peterson's death, with many acknowledging Peterson's seminal impact on their teenage years.

Here's the trailer for Can't Buy Me Love. RIP Amanda Peterson.

Image: Walt Disney