Tawny Kitaen,Bachelor Partyactress and 1980s music video icon, has died at the age of 59.
Kitaen died in her Newport Beach, California home on Friday morning, according to apress releasefrom the Orange County Coroner’s Office, which listed her as Tawny Finley. Her cause of death has not yet been released, and representatives for the star did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
“We are heartbroken and saddened to announce the death of our mom,” her daughters Wynter and Rainewrotein a statement on their mom’s social media pages. “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. We miss her and love her and we know her legacy will live on forever.”
Model and actress Carrie Stevens alsoconfirmedthe news on Twitter.
“It’s true. I don’t [blame] people for not wanting to believe it…. but it is fact,” she wrote on Twitter. “Let let her family give the official statement. They deserve that respect. RIP to a legend.”
Kitaen was born as Julie Kitaen in 1961 to parents Terry and Linda, later taking on the nickname “Tawny” around the age of 12, according toRocks Off Magazine.
Though she had roles in several other movies throughout the 1980s —Witchboard, White Hot,andDead Tidesamong them — Kitaen was perhaps best known as the original music video vixen.
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She famously appeared in several music videos for Whitesnake, including “Here I Go Again,” “Still of the Night,” “Is This Love,” and “The Deeper the Love.” She also appeared on the covers of two albums from the heavy metal band Ratt and starred in their “Back for More” music video.
More recently, she made appearances on reality showsThe Surreal Life,Botchedand a season of VH1’sCelebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.
Tawny Kitaen.Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images
She later married MLB pitcher Chuck Finley in 1997 and had two daughters with him. Their relationship ended in 2002 with Finley filing for divorce after Kitaen was arrested for spousal abuse,PEOPLEpreviously reported. The charges were later dismissed after Kitaen agreed to attend counseling at the time, according toReuters.
She was also charged with possessing 15 grams of cocaine in 2006, entering a rehab program to resolve the charges, according toToday.She was arrested for driving under the influence three years later, reportedVariety.
source: people.com
