Tawny Kitaen (Born Julie Ellen Kitaen August 5, 1961 - May 7, 2021) was an American actress and model.
She appeared on MWC in the season 9 episode, "Shoeway to Heaven" as Dominique.
Early Life[]
She was born as Julie Ellen Kitaen in San Diego, California to Terry and Linda Kitaen, as the oldest of three children. She eventually dropped out of Mission Bay High School, as she had struggled with dyslexia since childhood. After getting a chance to go backstage at a Peter Frampton concert at the age of 14 and seeing how the singer's girlfriend, Penny got even better treatment and more backstage access than her, she was inspired to live that type of lifestyle. [1]
Career[]
Starting in the 1980s, she became a model and actress.
One of her first commercial appearances was the Jack LaLaine gyms. At the time, she was known primarily as a model, but the experience inspired her to become an actress.[2]
She became well known in the 1980s music scene due to her appearing on the album covers for the band, RATT, as she had been dating the band's guitarist during and after high school in the early 1980s. She also appeared in several music videos for the band Whitesnake, as she would later marry the band's singer.
Her notable acting roles include Bachelor Party, Seinfeld, The New WKRP in Cincinnati and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys . She also co-hosted America's Funniest People from 1992 to 1994.
In the mid 2000s, she appeared in several reality tv programs including The Surreal Life, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew and Botched.
Death[]
On May 7, 2021, Kitaen was found dead in her Orange County, California home, with police saying that there were no signs of foul play, suicide or drugs/alcohol abuse. Her brother, Jordan, believed that she may have died from a broken heart following the death of their father a few weeks prior to her own death, noting that the father and daughter had a very strong relationship and she was not able handle his death very well. [3].
In October 2021, five months after her death, the official cause was listed as dilated cardiomyopathy, a common type of heart disease. It also listed several other factors including mild coronary atherosclerosis, pain medication, and opioids.[4]Her brother later stated that seeing her heart condition as a factor in her death confirmed his belief that she essentially died from a broken heart after their father's passing a few weeks before her.[5].
At the time of her death, she was in the process of writing her tell-all memoir. Her ghost writer stated that shortly before her death, she told him that some people wanted her dead due to what she would have revealed in the memoir. [6]
References[]
- ↑ Tawny Kitaen Talks about First Concert. YouTube.
- ↑ My very first campaign. @officialtawnykitaen on Instagram.
- ↑ How did Tawny Kitaen die? Actress died weeks after death of her dad with whom she had 'uncanny connection'. MEAWW.
- ↑ TAWNY KITAEN DIED FROM HEART DISEASE... Opioids A Contributing Factor. TMZ.
- ↑ Tawny Kitaen's brother reacts to her cause, manner of death: 'There's a peaceful closure'. FOX News.
- ↑ SECRET FEARS Tawny Kitaen ‘was ready to tell all about stars’ & believed people ‘would want her DEAD’ if book were released. The Sun.