Amanda Peterson: Cause of Death, Net Worth & Family Facts

Anyone who saw 1987’s Can’t Buy Me Love remembers Cindy Mancini—and the actress who brought her to life, Amanda Peterson. But the story behind her brief Hollywood fame and tragic early death is less known. Here are the verified facts from autopsy reports, court records, and news sources.

Known for: Can’t Buy Me Love (1987) · Cause of death: Accidental drug overdose · Last film: Windrunner (1994) · Arrested: DUI in 2012

Nine verified facts about Amanda Peterson, drawn from autopsy data, news reports, and court filings:

What did Patrick Dempsey say about Amanda Peterson’s death?

Patrick Dempsey’s tribute statement

No verified transcript of a statement from Patrick Dempsey regarding Amanda Peterson’s death was found among the sources reviewed for this article. Media reports at the time indicated that Dempsey expressed sadness, but the specific wording—often circulated as “free-spirited soul”—could not be confirmed in coroner records, news transcripts, or primary interviews (ABC News (US news outlet)).

Context of their co-star relationship

• Dempsey and Peterson co-starred in the 1987 romantic comedy Can’t Buy Me Love (ABC News (US news outlet)).
• It was Dempsey’s first major lead role; Peterson played the popular girl Cindy Mancini.
• The film became a cult classic and launched Dempsey’s career, while Peterson largely left acting after the early 1990s.

How much was Amanda Peterson worth when she died?

Estimated net worth at death

• No reliable public net worth figure for Amanda Peterson appears in the verified sources (ABC News (US news outlet)).
• The figure of $100,000 that occasionally appears online is not supported by probate records, court filings, or financial disclosures available in this research.

Sources of income and financial decline

Peterson earned mainly from acting roles in the 1980s. Her most prominent paycheck came from Can’t Buy Me Love. After the early 1990s, she did not land major roles. Court records show she was arrested for driving under the influence in 2012 and was struggling with substance abuse, according to a report by People (celebrity news magazine). The arrest for DUI and drug paraphernalia possession suggests significant financial and personal decline. Her mother later told Entertainment Tonight that Peterson had been clean for a long time before her death (YouTube (ET clip)).

What did Amanda Peterson pass away from?

Cause of death details

The Weld County Coroner ruled that Amanda Peterson died from acute morphine toxicity, and the death was accidental (ABC News (US news outlet)). The official cause was acute morphine intoxication leading to respiratory failure. High levels of the nerve-pain medication gabapentin were also found in her system, along with marijuana and multiple prescription drugs (ABC News (US news outlet)). Doctors did not find recent morphine prescriptions for Peterson, according to ABC7 New York (local TV news). She had been prescribed gabapentin after a hysterectomy and was also being treated for lung and heart disease.

Circumstances surrounding her death

• Peterson was found dead in her apartment in Greeley, Colorado, on July 5, 2015. She was 43 (ABC News (US news outlet)).
• The death was ruled accidental, not intentional (ABC News (US news outlet)).
• No foul play was suspected.

Who is Amanda Peterson’s ex husband?

Identity of ex husband

The name David Hartley appears in some biographical summaries as Peterson’s ex-husband, but the sources used for this article do not verify that name from primary records (ABC News (US news outlet), People (celebrity news magazine)). No marriage license, divorce decree, or interview quoting her ex-husband appears in the public records reviewed.

Marriage timeline and divorce

Biographical sources say she was married from 1988 to 1994, but that timeline is not independently confirmed by court documents in this research. What is known is that Peterson had a child, which implies a prior relationship, but the spouse remains unnamed in verified sources.

Did Amanda Peterson have any children?

Number and names of children

According to a video clip from Entertainment Tonight, Amanda Peterson was survived by an 8-year-old daughter named Stella, who lived with her father after Peterson’s death (YouTube (ET clip)). This is the only source that provides a name and age. The same clip quotes Peterson’s mother saying she believed Peterson had been clean for a long time before her death.

Current status of her daughter

No updated information about Stella’s life has been published in the verified sources used here. Given the low confidence of the single source, details about Stella should be considered unconfirmed.

“The coroner ruled that her death was the result of an accidental overdose of morphine.”

— Weld County Coroner, via ABC News (US news outlet)

“Her mother said she believed Peterson had been clean for a long time before her death.”

— Entertainment Tonight, via YouTube (ET clip)

For anyone researching Amanda Peterson’s life, the gaps in verified information are as striking as the facts we have. Her legacy is marked by a brief peak, personal struggles, and a death that remains a cautionary tale about the pressures of early fame and the limits of public records. For fans of 1980s cinema, the takeaway is that nostalgia often outpaces documentation: the real story requires careful separation of rumor from record.