Autopsy Planned for Tawny Kitaen

An autopsy will be conducted to determine Julie E. "Tawny" Kitaen's exact cause of death.

Kitaen, who is known for her appearances in several 1980's rock music videos, died Friday morning at her Newport Beach, California, home at age 59. Her autopsy will be performed next week by Orange County coroners, KABC reported.

Kitaen's death was announced over the weekend by her children, Wynter and Raine, in a statement via their mother’s Instagram account.

"We are heartbroken and saddened to announce the death of our mom," they wrote. "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 know her legacy will live on forever."

Police discovered Kitaen at her home on Friday afternoon after responding to a call about an "unresponsive female found inside the residence," Sgt. Steve Oberon of the Newport Beach Police Department said, according to Times of San Diego. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

"The coroner is handling the death investigation, so we don’t know the cause of death," Oberon said. "Our report is pending. The officers haven’t finished their report."

Kitaen’s agent, Michael L. Goldberg, released a statement paying tribute to Kitaen.

"It was my pleasure to represent Tawny," he said, according to Variety. "She was a joy to work with. She was always doing interviews on various podcasts and radio shows, and loved sharing the stories of her life. I’ll miss her."

Born in San Diego, Kitaen first gained attention in 1983, when she appeared on the cover of rock band RATT's self-titled album. The following year Kitaen, who was dating RATT's guitarist Robbin Crosby at the time, featured again on the cover of the band's triple-platinum album "Out of Cellar" and in their music video "Back for More."

In 1987, she delivered one of her most memorable performances in Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" video, in which she danced on car hoods. Kitaen went on to appear in several of the band's other music videos. In 1989, she married Whitesnake's lead singer, David Coverdale, but two years later they split.

Kitaen's career was not just limited to music videos and rock band album covers. She turned her attention to acting and was cast in various films, including 1984's "Bachelor Party," in which she played Tom Hanks’ girlfriend. She also had roles in "Witchboard" and "White Hot," as well as in an episode of "Seinfeld."

More recently, Kitaen participated in reality TV shows like "Botched," "The Surreal Life," and "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew," in which she admitted to having previously struggled with drug addiction. She was married to baseball player Chuck Finley from 1997 to 2002. They shared Wynter and Raine.

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