An actress and model who was compared to Marilyn Monroe is dead at age 58.
Cindyana Santangelo, best known for a recurring role on “Married… With Children,” died Monday, according to TMZ. A medical emergency was reported at her Malibu home, and she was pronounced dead after being rushed to a local hospital.
TMZ reports the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Homicide Division is investigating her death. No evidence of foul play was immediately found, but Santangelo had reportedly recently received cosmetic shots in her home. A cause of death will be determined after an autopsy.
Santangelo, also known as Cindyana Lair, famously had a recurring role as Sierra Madre, a stripper at The Jiggly Room on the TV series “Married… With Children.” In a 1996 episode, “The Agony and The Extra C,” she shows a tattoo to Al Bundy (Ed O’Neill) and Jefferson D’Arcy (Ted McGinley), inspiring Jefferson to get one for his wife Marcy (Amanda Bearse).
Her acting credits also included “CSI: Miami,” “ER,” “The Adventures of Ford Fairlane,” “Tequila Express” and “Hollywood Homicide.”
Santangelo also starred in music videos, earning the nickname “Latin Marilyn Monroe” from Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell. She voiced the siren on JA’s “Ritual De Lo Habitual” album, danced in “Stop” hot pants for Young MC’s “Bust a Move” video, and worked with big names like Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, LL Cool J and The Rolling Stones.
According to her official bio, she is the only actress to have starred in three Top 10 MTV music videos at the same time.
“My heart aches,” a tribute on her official Instagram page said. “I’m still in shock and disbelief. How can you be gone???I will feel your presence in every crashing wave, every salty breeze, and every shimmering reflection of the sun on the ocean’s surface. You were my best friend, my wifey, my kindred spirit. The most gorgeous mermaid in human form… You had a heart as vast as the ocean, a spirit as free as the wind, and a love that ran deeper than the blue depths you adored.”
Survivors include two sons, according to the Daily Mail.
