Tawny Kitaen shared two daughters with baseball pitcher Chuck Finley. Kitaen is best known for her role in the 1984 Tom Hanks movie "Bachelor Party." Kitaen garnered widespread recognition for her appearances in a number of heavy metal music videos, including Ratt's "Back for More" (1984) and Whitesnake's "Still of the Night", "Is This Love" and "Here I Go Again" (all 1987). [23] Police reported that nothing at the scene indicated alcohol or drugs as a factor in the death. Chuck hated this guy. She reportedly entered a domestic violence counseling program as part of a plea deal after Chuck alleged that she kicked him in the face with her high heels. },false) 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Along with that fame also came some rough patches for the '80s icon. [4] He was called up to the major-league Angels in late May. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. She was an actress and producer, known for Bachelor Party (1984), The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak (1984) and Witchboard (1986). Related Articles Tawny Kitaen's Cause of Death Revealed 5 Months After She Died After a verbal argument in a Land Rover, Kitaen says she asked Finley to stop the car and admits that she did pull his ear. They look like any family, albeit a good-looking one, and for Kitaen, it sounds like thats exactly what she wants them to be. #wordsmatter", "Celebrity Rehab 2 with Dr. Drew | Show Cast, Episodes, Guides, Trailers, Web Exclusives, Previews", "When Ratt Threw Rats at Tawny Kitaen for Their Album Cover Shoot", "Tawny Kitaen List of Movies and TV Shows", "Tawny Kitaen, '80s Music Video Vixen and 'Bachelor Party' Star, Dies at 59", "Celebs Check Into Rehab 2 With Dr. Drew", "Tawny Kitaen opines Robbin Crosby took his own life and declares that he was the love of her life", "Surprise letter: Nicole wrote O.J. [12], She appeared in several music videos in the 1980s for the band Whitesnake, including the hits "Here I Go Again", "Still of the Night", "Is This Love", and "The Deeper the Love". ", TAWNY KITAEN'S BROTHER REACTS TO HER CAUSE, MANNER OF DEATH: 'THERE'S A PEACEFUL CLOSURE', "All Wynter and I care about is that she went peacefully," Raine, 23, chimed. In a phone interview, Finley says that his ex-wife has moved forward with her life and has become a wonderful mother. Kitaen was married to retired MLB pro Chuck Finley from 1997 to 2002, and they shared daughters Wynter and Raine. According to Wynter, once she learned of her mothers heart failure, she researched the symptoms - and it all made sense. [7] During the 1999 season, Finley made 33 starts, compiling a 1211 record with a 4.43 ERA. Another Twitter user simply wrote, "#RIPTawnyKitaen Such a beautiful soul. Let let her family give the official statement. Unfortunately, after several run-ins with the law and a staggering addiction problem, Kitaen's personal life saw two failed marriages. TAWNY KITAEN'S BROTHER ENCOURAGED STAR TO STRENGTHEN HER FAITH BEFORE DEATH: 'SHE WASN'T GREAT BY HERSELF', "I was really young and I think Raine had just been born," said Wynter. This all begs the question about Kitaen and Finley: Are they back together? Tawny Kitaen's daughters said they're taking it a day at a time. But as racy as Kitaen's professional life had been, her personal life was just as scandalous. She was always trying to do new things and forging her own path. Tawny passed away suddenly last week at 59. I witness daily what a tremendous mother she is to our daughters. [7] At the age of 14, with backstage passes after a Peter Frampton concert at Balboa Stadium,[8] she witnessed the VIP treatment afforded Frampton's girlfriend Penny and aspired to achieve it for herself. Tawny Kitaen's divorces: Tragic story of '80s music video vixen's marriages with David Coverdale, Chuck Finley. But in a way, I am relieved that it was natural. [3], Finley began his professional baseball career in 1985 with the minor league Salem Angels, a Class A Short Season team in the Northwest League. Jordan told the outlet he initially believed the patriarchs passing was too much for his sister to bear. And though there have been bumps in the road, which we all experience, I could not be more proud of where and who she is today. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), We drove down together to San Diego say goodbye. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. I called around and tried to find a place for her and her daughter to go, Kitaen says. You will be missed!". She was 59. }); To others, she was Jerry Seinfelds TV girlfriend. Legal Statement. [15], From February to July 1989, she appeared as Lisa DiNapoli on the daytime serial Santa Barbara. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ TAWNY KITAEN REVEALED SHE WAS WRITING A BOOK ABOUT HER LIFE BEFORE TRAGIC DEATH AT 59, "She was very proud of herself," said Raine. }); We have been and will continue to be there for each other, Finley says. ", A young Tawny Kitaen with her parents (Courtesy of Wynter Finley), "They were super close," Wynter shared. But to Wynter and Raine, she was just mom. The former Whitesnake music video star and Bachelor Party. "She lit up every room and took up so much space, but like in the best way," Raine added. She was charged Wednesday and released from jail that night. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { ", The women also recalled how growing up, boys would remind them of their mothers iconic status by blasting "Here I Go Again. The couple got married in 1989 and divorced just two years later. [1] He was selected by the California Angels in the 15th round of the 1984 MLB draft, held in June, but he did not sign. She walked past reporters and photographers without speaking. He was previously married to Tawny Kitaen. In 2008, she talked about her addiction publicly on the reality series "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew," per Rolling Stone. Kitaen was arrested Monday night after arguing with Finley as they drove home from dinner, said Tori Richards, spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney's office. A spokesperson for the Orange County Sheriff's Department in California confirmed to Fox News on Wednesday that the. (Courtesy of Wynter Finley), "She was already experiencing it," said Wynter. Tawny Kitaen, the sultry video vixen who appeared in rock music videos during the heyday of MTV and starred opposite Tom Hanks in the 1984 comedy "Bachelor Party," died in May at age 59. She asserts that her stay in his home is temporary and that shell soon be moving to another home, a five-minute drive away. He described the two as having an "uncanny connection. Everyone has issues outside of being a major league player that they have to deal with in life," Shapiro said. ", "I'm shocked. Just like any other family. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ Kitaen's other credits include such titles as Witchboard, White Hot and Dead Tides. [11], Kitaen began her acting career in 1983 with a minor role in the television movie Malibu. Pour out several bottles of White Rain hairspray (I was going to say pink bottle AquaNet, but Tawny's mane was far from crunchy and was more like a White Rain-dusted fall of . SANTA ANA, Calif. (CNS) Newport Beach actress and model Tawny Kitaen, best known for her roles in 1980s music videos and ex-wife of Whitesnake singer David Coverdale and former Angels pitcher Chuck Finley, died of heart disease, the Orange County Coroner's Office confirmed Friday. Kitaen pleaded not guilty to the charges of domestic violence, and the case was dismissed in 2003 after she attended court-mandated counseling. Besides her domestic violence work, Kitaen has also lent her life experiences in the form of counseling. Now, Kitaen says she abstains from drugs and alcohol. [3], Kitaen was raised in the Jewish faith. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. They had two daughters, Wynter and Raine. Finley also filed this detailed list of drugs he contends were prescribed to--and abused by--Kitaen. The "Bachelor Party" star died from dilated cardiomyopathy, TMZ reported Wednesday, citing the Orange County Coroner's Office. The 'music video vixen', who was a Whitesnake signature back in the day, was known for her appearances in music videos for songs such as 'Here I Go Again', 'Still of the Night', 'Is This Love' and 'The Deeper the Love'. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. Tawny Kitaen. When she and Finley divorced, she released a statement saying she was being treated for a dependency on prescription drugs and vowed to become the healthiest and the best mother possible to her two daughters. In July 2002, she agreed to a plea bargain to avoid her former spouse, entered a spousal battery counseling program, and donated to a battered women's shelter, according to the AP (via Cleveland 19 News). [5], Finley made his MLB debut with the Angels on May 29, 1986, during a 74 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Ke vyuvate nae lokality aaplikcie, pouvame, Spravova nastavenia ochrany osobnch dajov. But in an exclusive interview, her ghost author chillingly told The Sun that she feared some people would rather see her dead than have her book be published. But a year after that appearance, Kitaen was arrested again, this time for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to the New York Daily News. I believe she has a heart to help people in need.. I love it down here because people really leave you alone, she says. Two weeks after the incident, Finley filed for divorce and took out a restraining order against Kitaen, per the AP (via Cleveland 19 News). A judge issued a restraining order barring her from having any contact with Finley. She was also in a relationship with lead singer David Coverdale at the time. It was surprising.. }); During spring training, Finley was struck by a bat and sustained a broken orbital bone under his right eye. Kitaen is best known for her appearances in rock music videos and for her role in . Other. Police arrested Kitaen after noticing abrasions and scrapes on Finley. ", "She didn't know why he had taken her purse. Finley was born in Monroe, Louisiana, and pitched for West Monroe High School. }) ", Their uncle, Jordan Kitaen, previously told TMZ that his sibling was "devastated" by the death of their father, who died in April "after a long battle with skin cancer." },false) } She was born Julie Kitaen in San Diego, California in 1961, the eldest of three children born to Linda Kitaen (ne Taylor), a housewife and one-time beauty pageant participant, and Terry Kitaen, an employee of a neon sign company. Once they boarded the plane, Tawny told Colin she realized what had happened. "David (Coverdale) and I, when we were married, I quit smoking and he continued," Kitaen had once opened up during an interview with Just a Rock N Roll Junkie in 2015. Thats just who she was. Despite her struggles, fans have always stuck by Kitaen. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. You were so beautiful inside and out. Thats from my birthday, she says. (Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. [26], In November 2006, prosecutors charged Kitaen with possessing 15grams of cocaine in her San Juan Capistrano home in Orange County. ", Episode: "Who Killed Cock-a-Doodle Dooley? Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. American actress, model, and media personality (19612021), The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak, "Tawny Kitaen, '80s rock video star and 'Bachelor Party' actress, dies at 59", "My parents! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { [15][34][non-primary source needed] Kitaen's death was confirmed to The New York Times by her daughter Wynter Finley, who told the paper that the cause of death was not immediately known. It was during this relationship, in 2006, that Kitaen says she developed a dependency on cocaine. Their mother died on May 7 and their grandfathers funeral was on the 10th. However their marriage came to an end five years later in 2002 after Chuck filed for divorce. Tawny welcomed her daughters with her second husband, baseball star Chuck Finley, whom she wed in 1997. His first book The Guncle Guide was released in 2020 and was featured on Katie Couric's list of 100 recommended books of the year. ga('ads.send', { I know how she embraces each and every day with optimism. She says MTV is talking about a 30th anniversary coffee table book and the network has approached her for an interview due to her presence in Whitesnakes iconic music videos, particularly the one in which she kicks up her legs on the hood of a Jaguar. He told The Sun: "She called me in March and said, 'A lot of people would rather see me dead than have this book come out.'". Although she isnt clear on the status of their relationship, she says, We worked things out in our own way..