Julie Ellen "Tawny" Kitaen (August 5, 1961 – May 7, 2021) was an American actress, model, and media personality. She began her career as a television actress, appearing in the television films Malibu (1983) and California Girls (1985). She also starred in the comedies The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak and Bachelor Party (both 1984), and the horror film Witchboard (1986). 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). In the 2000s, Kitaen transitioned into appearing on reality television series, including The Surreal Life (2006) and Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew (2008), the latter of which documented Kitaen's issues with substance abuse. Early life She was born Julie Kitaen in San Diego, California in 1961, the eldest of three children born to Linda Kitaen (née Taylor), a housewife and one-time beauty pageant participant, and Terry Kitaen, an employee of a neon sign company. Kitaen's mother was of Scottish and Irish descent, while her father was of Russian-Jewish heritage. Kitaen was raised in the Jewish faith. She began using the nickname "Tawny" at the age of 12 on her own initiative. As a child, she struggled with dyslexia, which led to her to drop out of Mission Bay High School. At the age of 14, with backstage passes after a Peter Frampton concert at Balboa Stadium, she witnessed the VIP treatment afforded Frampton's girlfriend Penny and aspired to achieve it for herself. Modeling Kitaen modeled and appeared in television commercials for Jack LaLanne's European Health Spas in the early 1980s. In a January 2021 Instagram post a few months before her death, she claimed the experience inspired her to become an actress. Kitaen appeared on the cover of Ratt's debut EP Ratt (1983) and the band's debut Atlantic studio album Out of the Cellar (1984). She was dating the band's guitarist Robbin Crosby at the time. Acting career 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, also called Gwendoline. Her other film appearances include Bachelor Party (1984) as the bride-to-be of Tom Hanks’ character, and starring roles