Popular Sitcom Actress Passed Away At 58

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Actress Cindyana Santangelo, best known for her appearances on Married…With Children and ER, has died at the age of 58. On the hit sitcom Married…With Children, she portrayed the unforgettable character Sierra Madre, a dancer at the infamous Jiggly Room.

According to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, shared by KTLA News, emergency responders were dispatched around 7:15 p.m. to a medical call on Westlake Boulevard. Santangelo was discovered at the scene and later pronounced dead at the hospital.

An official cause of death has yet to be confirmed, with an autopsy still pending. In the meantime, homicide detectives are reviewing the circumstances surrounding her death—a routine procedure when the cause remains undetermined.

According to the New York Post, officials discovered that the actress had recently received cosmetic injections at her home.

​Cindyana Santangelo, born Cindy Lehrer in 1967 in Manhattan, New York, was an American actress, model, and dancer. She was celebrated for her dynamic presence across television, film, and music videos. Santangelo was raised in Los Angeles, where she began her artistic journey as a dancer, featured in notable music videos during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Her standout performances included Young MC’s “Bust a Move” (1989), where she gained recognition for her energetic dance moves, and Jane’s Addiction’s “Stop” (1990), where she delivered the Spanish introduction, leading frontman Perry Farrell.

Transitioning into acting, Santangelo secured guest roles on several popular television series. She portrayed Sierra Madre, a dancer at The Jiggly Room, in the sitcom Married… with Children, and appeared as Angelica in an episode of ER in 1998. Her film credits include a role in The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990) and a part alongside Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett in Hollywood Homicide (2003). ​

Beyond her entertainment career, Santangelo was dedicated to philanthropy and recovery advocacy. She founded and served as the CEO of Mermaids Cove Malibu, a luxury sober living facility for women.

Santangelo is survived by her husband, Frank Santangelo, whom she married in 2001, along with their two sons, Dante and Lucci.