# Tawny Kitaen
**Tawny Kitaen** (born Julie Kitaen; 1961 – May 7, 2021) was an American actress and model best known for her appearances in 1980s rock music videos, especially Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again", and for playing [Tom Hanks](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-hanks)'s fiancée in the 1984 comedy film *[Bachelor Party](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-party-1984-film)*.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name and dates | Born Julie Kitaen in 1961, in San Diego, California; gave herself the nickname "Tawny" at about age 12[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tawny-kitaen-dead/2021/05/08/6b8cb5e8-b035-11eb-ab4c-986555a1c511_story.html) |
| Signature video | Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" (1987), in which she cartwheels across the hoods of two Jaguars; the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard pop singles chart on October 10, 1987[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-10/whitesnakes-iconic-video-features-jaguars) |
| Film break | Debbie Thompson, Tom Hanks's fiancée in *Bachelor Party* (1984); she replaced Kelly McGillis shortly after filming began[3](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/57005-BACHELOR-PARTY) |
| Marriages | David Coverdale, 1989–1991; baseball pitcher Chuck Finley, 1997–2002, with two daughters, Wynter and Raine[4](https://as.com/us/us/2021/05/08/tikitakas/1620495147_285084.html) |
| Later television | Recurring role on *Santa Barbara*, starring role in *The New WKRP in Cincinnati* (1991–1993), guest role on *Seinfeld* (1991), and reality series *The Surreal Life* and *Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew*[5](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/tawny-kitaen) |
| Death | Died May 7, 2021, at her home in Newport Beach, California, at age 59; the Orange County coroner's office confirmed the death but did not initially provide a cause[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tawny-kitaen-dead/2021/05/08/6b8cb5e8-b035-11eb-ab4c-986555a1c511_story.html) |
## Early life
Kitaen was born Julie Kitaen in San Diego, California, the oldest of three children[6](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-05-08/tawny-kitaen-bachelor-party-whitesnake-music-video-star-dies-59?curator=MusicREDEF). She chose the name Tawny herself at about age 12[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tawny-kitaen-dead/2021/05/08/6b8cb5e8-b035-11eb-ab4c-986555a1c511_story.html). She dropped out of Mission Bay High School in San Diego and began modeling as a teenager[7](https://www.biography.com/actor/tawny-kitaen). In high school she dated [Robbin Crosby](https://www.edgepedia.org/robbin-crosby), guitarist for the glam-metal band Ratt, which led to her first work in the rock world[6](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-05-08/tawny-kitaen-bachelor-party-whitesnake-music-video-star-dies-59?curator=MusicREDEF).
## Ratt and the covers
Her fame began in 1983 when she appeared on the covers of two releases by the heavy metal band Ratt: the band's self-titled 1983 EP, on which only her lower body was shown, and the 1984 album *Out of the Cellar*[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tawny-kitaen-dead/2021/05/08/6b8cb5e8-b035-11eb-ab4c-986555a1c511_story.html) • [5](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/tawny-kitaen). She also appeared in the video for Ratt's "Back for More"[5](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/tawny-kitaen).
## The Whitesnake videos
The video era that made her famous began in 1987, when the British hard-rock band [Whitesnake](https://www.edgepedia.org/whitesnake) shot a promo and director Marty Callner decided it needed a star[6](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-05-08/tawny-kitaen-bachelor-party-whitesnake-music-video-star-dies-59?curator=MusicREDEF). Kitaen, then dating the band's lead singer, [David Coverdale](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-coverdale), appeared in the videos for the band's biggest songs from its 1987 album: "Still of the Night", "Here I Go Again", and "Is This Love", and later "The Deeper the Love"[5](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/tawny-kitaen). The glossy, high-budget clips became a fixture on the music channel MTV, and the band's 1987 album sold more than eight million copies in the United States[8](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/whitesnake-1987-album).
"Here I Go Again" became one of the most iconic music videos of the 1980s: Kitaen spends much of it in a white negligee, writhing and cartwheeling across the hoods of two Jaguars parked side by side[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-10/whitesnakes-iconic-video-features-jaguars). The song topped the [Billboard](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-magazine) pop singles chart on October 10, 1987[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-10/whitesnakes-iconic-video-features-jaguars). In a later interview she described improvising her moves on the cars: choreographer [Paula Abdul](https://www.edgepedia.org/paula-abdul) watched a few of her gymnast's moves, told director Callner she did not need Abdul, and left; Kitaen then did "whatever I felt like doing" on the cars when Callner called action[9](https://obits.pennlive.com/news/tawny-kitaen-1961-2021-actress-known-for-music-videos-and-bachelor-party). Callner told the Los Angeles Times in 1987 that he had looked for a performer who "could carry a whole video like Tawny Kitaen does for Whitesnake"[10](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-10-25-ca-16183-story.html).
The videos earned her a lasting label. The Washington Post described her as the rock world's "video vixen"[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tawny-kitaen-dead/2021/05/08/6b8cb5e8-b035-11eb-ab4c-986555a1c511_story.html), and in 2011 the singer [Lady Gaga](https://www.edgepedia.org/lady-gaga) told the oral history *I Want My MTV* that the Jaguar moment was "one of the greatest moments in video history"[6](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-05-08/tawny-kitaen-bachelor-party-whitesnake-music-video-star-dies-59?curator=MusicREDEF).
## Film and television
Her film career had begun alongside the modeling. She had a title role in the 1984 adventure film *[The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-perils-of-gwendoline-in-the-land-of-the-yik-yak)* and starred as Debbie Thompson, the fiancée of Tom Hanks's character, in the 1984 comedy *Bachelor Party*[5](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/tawny-kitaen) • [11](https://www.womansworld.com/entertainment/celebrities/tawny-kitaen-what-happened-to-the-here-i-go-again-video-vixen). The AFI Catalog records that the original leads, [Paul Reiser](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-reiser) and [Kelly McGillis](https://www.edgepedia.org/kelly-mcgillis), were dropped after two days of filming and replaced a month later by Hanks and Kitaen[3](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/57005-BACHELOR-PARTY). Her later feature credits include *Witchboard* (1986), *Crystal Heart* (1987), *Happy Hour* (1987), and *Three of Hearts* (1993)[12](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/PersonDetails/253485).
Her television credits include a guest role as one of [Jerry Seinfeld](https://www.edgepedia.org/jerry-seinfeld)'s girlfriends in a 1991 episode of *Seinfeld*, a recurring role on the soap opera *Santa Barbara*, and a starring role on the sitcom *The New WKRP in Cincinnati* from 1991 to 1993[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tawny-kitaen-dead/2021/05/08/6b8cb5e8-b035-11eb-ab4c-986555a1c511_story.html) • [5](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/tawny-kitaen). She also appeared in *Hercules: The Legendary Journeys*, co-hosted *America's Funniest People*, and guest-starred on *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation*[5](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/tawny-kitaen). In the 2000s and later she appeared on reality programs, including the sixth season of *The Surreal Life* (2006), the second season of *Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew* (2008), on which she disclosed her struggle with substance abuse, and *Botched*[7](https://www.biography.com/actor/tawny-kitaen) • [1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tawny-kitaen-dead/2021/05/08/6b8cb5e8-b035-11eb-ab4c-986555a1c511_story.html). She was last seen on television in the 2017–18 series *Moms Anonymous*[5](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/tawny-kitaen).
## Personal life and legal troubles
Kitaen married Whitesnake's lead singer, David Coverdale, in 1989; the marriage ended in divorce in 1991[4](https://as.com/us/us/2021/05/08/tikitakas/1620495147_285084.html). In 1997 she married [Chuck Finley](https://www.edgepedia.org/chuck-finley), a [Major League Baseball](https://www.edgepedia.org/major-league-baseball) pitcher; the couple already had a daughter, Wynter, and a second daughter, Raine, was born in 1998[7](https://www.biography.com/actor/tawny-kitaen). By that time she had largely left professional work to raise her children[7](https://www.biography.com/actor/tawny-kitaen).
The Finley marriage ended publicly in 2002. She was charged with domestic violence after an altercation in which she allegedly kicked Finley in the face repeatedly while wearing high heels; Finley filed for divorce three days later, and Kitaen took a plea bargain requiring her to enter a counseling program[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tawny-kitaen-dead/2021/05/08/6b8cb5e8-b035-11eb-ab4c-986555a1c511_story.html). In 2006 she was charged with cocaine possession[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tawny-kitaen-dead/2021/05/08/6b8cb5e8-b035-11eb-ab4c-986555a1c511_story.html), and in 2009 she was arrested for driving under the influence[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tawny-kitaen-dead/2021/05/08/6b8cb5e8-b035-11eb-ab4c-986555a1c511_story.html). Speaking to a local Times paper in 2010, she said, "There is still a lot to learn, but I've learned a lot in my life through error"[6](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-05-08/tawny-kitaen-bachelor-party-whitesnake-music-video-star-dies-59?curator=MusicREDEF).
## Death
Kitaen died on May 7, 2021, at her home in [Newport Beach, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/newport-beach-california), at age 59. The Orange County coroner's office confirmed the death but did not initially provide a cause[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tawny-kitaen-dead/2021/05/08/6b8cb5e8-b035-11eb-ab4c-986555a1c511_story.html). Her daughters, Wynter and Raine Finley, confirmed her death the next day on social media, writing that her fans and friends "gave her life everyday"[6](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-05-08/tawny-kitaen-bachelor-party-whitesnake-music-video-star-dies-59?curator=MusicREDEF). Coverdale offered his condolences to her children, family, friends, and fans in a public message[4](https://as.com/us/us/2021/05/08/tikitakas/1620495147_285084.html).
## References
1. [Tawny Kitaen, film actress also in 1980s music videos, dies at 59, The Washington Post (May 8, 2021)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tawny-kitaen-dead/2021/05/08/6b8cb5e8-b035-11eb-ab4c-986555a1c511_story.html)
2. [Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" tops the charts, October 10, 1987, HISTORY](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-10/whitesnakes-iconic-video-features-jaguars)
3. [Bachelor Party (1984), AFI Catalog of Feature Films](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/57005-BACHELOR-PARTY)
4. [Fallece Tawny Kitaen, ícono de videos de Whitesnake, a los 59 años, AS.com (May 8, 2021)](https://as.com/us/us/2021/05/08/tikitakas/1620495147_285084.html)
5. [Tawny Kitaen, Television Academy bio](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/tawny-kitaen)
6. [Tawny Kitaen, '80s rock video star and 'Bachelor Party' actress, dies at 59, Los Angeles Times (May 8, 2021)](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-05-08/tawny-kitaen-bachelor-party-whitesnake-music-video-star-dies-59?curator=MusicREDEF)
7. [Tawny Kitaen - Death, Career & Facts, Biography.com](https://www.biography.com/actor/tawny-kitaen)
8. ["We had a plan but, Jesus Christ, are you kidding?" How David Coverdale turned Whitesnake into international superstars, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/whitesnake-1987-album)
9. [Tawny Kitaen (1961–2021), actress known for music videos and "Bachelor Party", Legacy.com](https://obits.pennlive.com/news/tawny-kitaen-1961-2021-actress-known-for-music-videos-and-bachelor-party)
10. [SEX SELLS: Video director Marty Callner, Los Angeles Times (October 25, 1987)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-10-25-ca-16183-story.html)
11. [Tawny Kitaen: What Happened to the 'Here I Go Again' Video Vixen, Woman's World](https://www.womansworld.com/entertainment/celebrities/tawny-kitaen-what-happened-to-the-here-i-go-again-video-vixen)
12. [Tawny Kitaen filmography, AFI Catalog of Feature Films](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/PersonDetails/253485)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Ki to La*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license