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The world was shockedwhen 80s star Amanda Peterson was found dead in herColorado home on July 5 at just 43 years old. And while there was a lot of mystery at firstas to what caused the death of the young actress, it has finally be revealedthat the Can't Buy Me Love actress died of respiratory failure brought on by a"morphine effect" from an accidental drug overdose, accordingto TMZ, whichcited the Weld County Coroner.
Amanda reportedly hadseveral different prescription drugs in her system when she died including benzodizepines,opiates, phenothiazines, and marijuana. It was the presence of gabapentin,a drug prescribed for pain, that the medical examiner said she had six times thenormal level in her system.
Amanda Peterson became famous in the 80s for her hit movie Can't Buy Me Love Photo: Twitter/@variety
Prior tothe autopsy results being released, Amanda's mother Sylvia told Entertainment Tonight that shehad seen her daughter a few days earlier and saw no signs of her being sick, butlater said she had various health issues, including sleep apnea.
Sylvia also told People Magazine, "She was just so much fun, and she was just great. She had a cute sense of humor [and a] love of history –just a very, very cute person."
Atthe time of her death, Amanda's Can't Buy Me Love co-star Patrick Dempsey spoke out aboutthe tragic loss. "In my memory, she will always be vibrant andyoung," Patrick tweeted. "Gone too soon. Sending mythoughts and prayers to Amanda's family."
Theduo appeared as an on-screen couple in the 1987 hit and catapulted Patrick intostardom while it was Amanda's most famous role. In their 20s at the time, thestarlet starred as high school cheerleader Cindy Mancini, whom Patrick'scharacter, Ronald, pays to pose as his girlfriend.
Asidefrom her bond with Patrick, Amanda also touched the lives of many other starswho spoke out on social media after the sad news broke. "WhenI first came to L.A. and started auditioning, Amanda Peterson gave me advice,tips, friendship," wrote Neil Patrick Harris. "She justpassed away at age 43. #RIP."
Sarah Michelle Gellar echoedthat sentiment writing, "When I was younger, I used towant to be #AmandaPeterson. I even asked my mom for awhite leather fringe jacket #RipAmandaPeterson."