Julie "Tawny" Kitaen was born in San Diego , California in August 1961 to a Jewish-American father, Terry Kitaen, who was an employee of a neon sign company, and Linda Taylor Kitaen, a housewife and a former beauty pageant queen. She became famous in the 1980s for appearing in several hard rock videos, first for Ratt's "Back for More" as the girl in the 1950s-style skirt at the jukebox and a couple of years later in several videos for for the band Whitesnake, including the hit "Here I Go Again". Kitaen was married to Whitesnake lead singer David Coverdale from 1989–1991. She had recurring parts on multiple television series such as Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and co-hosted America's Funniest People from 1992–1994. She was arrested for drug possession in 2006,has been in and out of rehab programs, was part of The Surreal Life cast in 2006, and was one of the patients in Season 2 of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.
Kitaen was romantically linked at various times to Robbin Crosby of Ratt, Tommy Lee of Motley Crue , O.J. Simpson, Jerry Seinfeld, Bob Saget, and Jon Stewart. Kitaen married Deep Purple and Whitesnake singer David Coverdale in 1989, but the two divorced in 1991. After her marriage to Coverdale ended, she married baseball pitcher Chuck Finley in 1997. They had two daughters, Wynter Finley in 1993 and Raine Finley in 1998. Kitaen appeared in a feature of professional athletes and their wives in the 1999 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
 |
| Tawny in Perils of Gwendoline |
Kitaen began her acting career in 1983 with a minor role in the television movie, Malibu. In 1984, she starred as the title character of the erotic-adventure movie The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak (a.k.a. Gwendoline). She also co-starred in the movie Bachelor Party as the bride-to-be of a young Tom Hanks and was the star of the 1986 horror movie Witchboard. She also starred in the not so well known film "Crystal Heart" in 1986.
Kitaen became associated with the glam metal scene because of her high school sweetheart, Ratt guitarist and founder Robbin Crosby. Her legs appeared on the cover of Ratt's self-titled EP wearing black stockings and red pumps, pictured with white mice climbing up her legs. Then, in ripped-up clothes, she appeared on the cover of Ratt's Out of the Cellar. She also can be seen at the beginning of the Ratt video "Back for More" as the girl in the 1950s-style skirt at the jukebox.
In 1987, her boyfriend was David Coverdale, the lead singer of Whitesnake, and she appeared in several of the band's music videos, the most famous of which was for the song "Here I Go Again", in which she did the splits and rolled around on the hood of two Jaguars while wearing a white negligee. She also appeared in the videos for "Is This Love" and "Still of the Night". In 1989, she appeared in the video for "The Deeper the Love" and "Fool For Your Loving".
After her music-video appearances, Kitaen took on a number of television roles. She was co-host of America's Funniest People with Dave Coulier from 1992-4, and was a regular cast member on The New WKRP in Cincinnati from 1991-3. She guest-starred in the episode The Nose Job of the sitcom Seinfeld in 1991 and in Season 9 Episode 1 of Married... with Children called 'Shoeway to Heaven' in 1994. She had a recurring role as Deianira in three of the Hercules: The Legendary Journeys television movies in 1994, and then in the regular television series. From 1992-6, she provided the voice of "Annabelle" in the animated television show Eek! The Cat.
Kitaen was one of the cast of the sixth edition of the VH1 reality television show, The Surreal Life, which began airing in March 2006. In addition, in late 2007, she appeared on Rock of Love Season 1[citation needed]. Kitaen also appeared in the second season of the VH1 reality TV show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, which began in October 2008. Dr. Drew Pinsky voiced concern for her use of triazolam after she admitted to using more than 0.5 mg per use. Pinsky guaranteed her that taking the drug (as with any benzodiazepine) in such high doses will eventually cause her to have a seizure. (Questionable previous sentence since benzodiazepines actually suppress seizures). For fear of her life, Pinsky cut the dosage in half, despite Kitaen's protests.
 |
| Former music video babe striking more MILfy pose |
