Tawny Kitaen Was Ordered By Judge Not To Drink Alcohol Or Use Illegal Drugs Weeks Before Her Tragic Death
May 18 2021, Published 7:05 p.m. ET
Tawny Kitaen was attending court-ordered AA meetings in the months before her death.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, at the time of her passing, the actress was facing jail time for an arrest for driving under the influence. The incident went down on July 22, 2019, in Newport Beach, California.
Prosecutors officially brought a misdemeanor charge against Kitaen on October 22, 2019. A couple of months later, Kitaen originally blew off a scheduled arraignment and an arrest warrant was issued. Eventually, she hired a lawyer, and the warrant was recalled.
In early 2020, the judge allowed Kitaen to remain out on bond as long as she attended 3 self-help meetings weekly and show proof to the court. The case dragged on for several months due to delays caused by the pandemic.
According to court documents, In September, the court warned Kitaen to start attending her AA meetings because she “owes 45 past self-help meetings.” The court docket says her probation was revoked in October.
A couple of weeks later, Kitaen finally showed up to court with her lawyers. She presented proof that she attended 15 self-help meetings. She pleaded not guilty to all counts.
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The court records note the judge ordered Kitaen was allowed to remain out on bond. He said she was not allowed to drink alcohol or take illegal drugs. He ordered her to be subject to random drug tests and prohibited her from driving without a valid driver’s license. The actress was also ordered to continue attending 3 meetings a week.
A pretrial hearing was scheduled for May 18. Days before, on May 7, Kitaen passed away at the age of 59. The cause of death has yet to be released. The actress struggled with addiction issues for years.
In 2006, Kitaen was arrested after police found 15 grams of cocaine inside her Orange County home. She entered a rehab program and the charges were dismissed.
Kitaen was arrested for driving under the influence in 2009. Sources say they believed she was under the influence of prescription pills.