Amanda Peterson, ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ Star, Died From Accidental Morphine Overdose

Can’t Buy Me Love star Amanda Peterson’s cause of death has been ruled an accidental drug overdose, according to autopsy and toxicology reports.

Amanda Peterson’s Cause Of Death Was Fatal Drug Overdose

On Wednesday, the Weld’s County Coroner’s Office released the reports, which found that Peterson, 43, had overdosed on morphine, reported the Greeley Tribune. Also found in her system was Gabapentin, a post-surgical pain medication. Gabapentin was found in Peterson’s blood at six times therapeutic levels. Despite the high amount of the drug, it was concluded that it was the morphine that caused Peterson’s death.

While Peterson had been prescribed Gabapentin, as well as a number of other medications for lung and heart disease, she had not been prescribed the morphine, which had belonged to a friend.

“We can’t say she has never been prescribed morphine, but we couldn’t find any recent prescriptions in her medical history, so she wasn’t a veteran [knowledgeable] opiate user,” Weld County Coroner Mark Ward told the Greeley Tribune. “The amount of morphine she ingested coupled with her heart and lung disease resulted in a fatal event.”

Peterson was found dead at her home in Colorado July 5, the Greeley Police Department told E! News. Family members, who’d been trying to get in touch with the former actress, grew concerned when she failed to reply to phone calls.

Peterson was best known for playing the popular but kind cheerleader Cindy Mancini in Can’t Buy Me Love opposite Patrick Dempsey. Prior to that star-making turn, she appeared on TV series Boone. Following Can’t Buy Me Love, she acted in a number of TV projects, including a guest-starring role on Doogie Howser, M.D.

After starring in 1994’s Windrunner, Peterson decided to step away from the spotlight to live a quieter life back in Colorado.

Peterson is survived by husband David Hartley, and her two children.