Julie E. “Tawny” Kitaen, who appeared in a variety of TV shows and in music videos for the band Whitesnake in the 1980s, and who had a rocky marriage to baseball pitcher Chuck Finley, died at her home in Newport Beach, the Orange County coroner’s office reported. She was 59. No cause of death was given.
Police were dispatched to the home at 1:51 p.m. Friday regarding an “unresponsive female found inside the residence,” said Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve Oberon.
Newport Beach Fire Department paramedics pronounced Kitaen dead at the scene.
An autopsy is planned for early next week.
“We are heartbroken and saddened to announce the death of our mom,” wrote Kitaen’s daughters, Wynter Merin Finley and Raine Finley, on Facebook. “We just want to say thank you for all of you, her fans and her friends, for always showing her such support and love. You gave her life everyday.”
Kitaen starred in the 1984 comedy, “Bachelor Party” with Tom Hanks, and she appeared on reality TV’s “The Surreal Life,” and “Celebrity rehab with Dr. Drew.”’ She posed for a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, and she was known for her fetching role in a Whitesnake video, in which she adorned the hood of a Jaguar.
She also was seen in a “Seinfeld” episode in 1991, in “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys;” and “The New WKRP in Cincinnati,” and she co-hosted “America’s Funniest People.”
As Variety reported, the “video vixen’s” introduction to the rock world came in 1983 when she appeared on the cover of back-to-back albums by heavy metal band RATT. She was dating RATT guitarist Robbin Crosby at the time. She later appeared in Whitesnake’s 1987 hit, “Here I Go Again.” She was briefly married to Whitesnake’s lead singer, David Coverdale.
“Just woke up to some very sad, unexpected news … Waiting on confirmation … but, if it is true, my sincere condolences to her children, her family, friends & fans,” Coverdale tweeted Saturday.
Kitaen went on to marry Finley, a former Angels pitcher, and had two daughters. In 2002, she was charged with domestic violence after Finley claimed she repeatedly kicked him with one of her high heels. He filed for divorce. She cut a plea and entered a domestic violence counseling program.
In November 2006, prosecutors charged Kitaen with possessing 15 grams of cocaine in her San Juan Capistrano home. She entered a six-month rehabilitation program in exchange for dismissal of the charge. Several years later, she was arrested for driving under the influence in Newport Beach. She pleaded no contest to misdemeanor DUI, was sentenced to two days in jail and ordered to attend a first-offender alcohol program and perform community service.
Kitaen tweeted as recently as Thursday, May 6, thanking a fan for drawing a picture of her. Her last Facebook post was dated Tuesday, May 4 and showed a self-taken photograph of her with the message: “When I stare at you, it’s because I want to know what you’re thinking. And I want to know what you’re thinking, it’s because I care about you. Let me know.”
City News Service contributed to this report.
