2021 has witnessed the death of several celebrities, and one of them is Tawny Kitaen. The popular 80s It girl, who appeared in everything from movies to music videos, passed away at 59, leaving fans in a terrible shock.
Another set of people who were adversely affected were her children, including Wynter Merin Finley. The eldest daughter of the actress and her second husband, Chuck Finley, Wynter Merin, has had to put on a bold face through the whole period and is committed to preserving the great legacy that her mother accomplished in her lifetime. She is also making waves in her own right as a communication and marketing guru.
Wynter Merin Finley is the daughter of the retired American professional baseball pitcher Chuck Finley and Tawny Kitaen, the late American actress, model, and media personality.
Profile Summary of Wynter Merin Finley
- Full name: Wynter Merin Finley
- Date of birth: 18th March 1993
- Age: 30 years old
- Place of birth: Newport Beach, California
- Father: Chuck Finley
- Mother: Tawny Kitaen
- Siblings: Raine Finley and Briena Finley
- Educational institutions attended: University of Boulder, Colorado, CAPA International Education, London, and Griffith University Queensland, Australia.
- Occupation: Marketing and communications Guru
Wynter Merin Finley is the Daughter of Actress Tawny Kitaen and Her Second Husband – Chuck Finley
Wynter Merin Finley was born on 18th March 1993 in Los Angeles. Her ethnicity is Caucasian, while her nationality is American. Finley is the daughter of two accomplished individuals, namely actress and reality TV star – Tawny Kitaen – and retired baseball player – Chuck Finley. Finley’s mom, Tawny, originally hailed from San Diego, California, and was born in 1961. She grew up witnessing the luxurious lives that Hollywood stars lived and was inspired to follow that route.
Tawny Kitaen initially started as a model, but by the early 80s, she landed her first role in the TV movie Malibu. That small role would lead to an avalanche of other opportunities for Kitaen, and she dominated the 80s. She appeared in films such as Bachelor Party, White Hot, Dead Tides, and Witchboard. She was also tapped by bands such as Whitesnake and Ratt to appear in their music videos. Tawny Kitaen reigned supreme in the 80s and early 90s, but her career started petering out after that. She then spent the 2000s appearing on TV shows such as The Surreal Life, Botched, and Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.
On his part, Wynter Merin Finley’s father, Chuck Finley, hails from Louisiana and played college baseball. He was subsequently drafted by the California Angles in the 1985 MLB draft. This marked the beginning of an 18-year sojourn in the majors, during which chuck played for teams such as Cleveland Indians and St. Louis Cardinals. A left-handed pitcher, he created several franchise records at the Angels. He also collected several individual accolades throughout his career, including five All-Star selections and induction into the Angels Hall of Fame.
Her Parents Were Married for Five Years before Splitting up in Controversial Circumstances in 2002
Finley’s mom and dad began dating each other in late 1990 and got engaged on Valentine’s Day 1991. They then went on to welcome Finley in 1993. The couple continued their romance for the next four years before tying the knot in November 1997. Following the wedding, Kitaen and Chuck continued their life together and welcomed another child in 1998. The couple’s love for each other seemingly had no limits, and they even featured together in the 1999 edition of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.
Many thought that they would last forever, but that was not to be as Finley’s dad filed for divorce in April 2002. He revealed that his wife had physically assaulted him with her shoes a few weeks prior. This made him fear for his safety and that of the children. Hence, he filed for the termination of their marriage. He was granted temporary custody, so Finley and her sibling went to stay with their dad for some time. Meanwhile, their parents continued battling it out in court. Tawny Kitaen made several grave allegations that could have toppled her erstwhile husband’s career, including that he used performance-enhancing drugs.
She also instituted a $12 million breach of contract lawsuit against him, accusing him of reneging on his promise to financially support her for the rest of her life. According to the actress, she gave up most of her lucrative acting gigs when they began dating. Most of these claims did not succeed, and at the end of the day, Tawny Kitaen reached a plea deal on the spousal abuse and battery charges against her. She avoided jail time but was required to enter counseling to manage her issues.
The counseling helped her get her life back on track, and she was able to get joint custody of Finley and her sister. She remained a constant force in their lives and even managed to rebuild amicable relations with her ex-husband. The former warring exes often closed ranks to celebrate their children’s achievements, which remained until Kitaen died in 2021. Chuck Finley is still very much alive but is now retired from the MLB. He resides in Newport Beach, California.
Wynter Merin Finley has a Younger Sister Named Raine Finley
The marriage between Wynter Merin Finley’s parents also produced a younger sister named Raine Finley. Raine was born on 1st June 1998, which makes her about five years younger than Wynter. She grew up in Newport Beach and attended Corona Del Mar High School, a public school in Newport, constantly ranked amongst the best 200 high schools in America. She subsequently enrolled at the Arts Institute for a bachelor of fine arts in sound design. Raine is looking to work in TV shows and movies, but unlike her mother, she does not want to be in front of the screens acting.
Mommy & daddy are SO proud of our graduate "Raine Finley" We❤️U more then life it's self❤️❤️#nextchapter #Familylove #nothingcanpullusapart pic.twitter.com/w6CiY356Cw
— Tawny Kitaen (@Tawny_Kitaen) June 26, 2017
Instead, she wants to contribute to music and other sound-based projects for movies and TV shows. Thanks to her intelligence and network, Raine has snagged an internship position at Warner Bros Entertainment, learning from their sound designers and music supervisors. Asides from Raine, Wynter Finley also has a younger half-sister named Briena Finley. Briena is her father’s daughter from another relationship and was born in 2003, which means that she is ten years younger than Wynter.
Merry Christmas, who needs anything else when you got this 2 by your side❤️ #justusgirls #noboysallowed #MerryXmas ❤️🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄💕❤️😘😘🎄💕✡️🐶🐶👯♀️💕❤️❤️💕#pippa #steve (the only boy allowed!!) pic.twitter.com/46I76TbVlP
— Tawny Kitaen (@Tawny_Kitaen) December 26, 2017
She is a Manager of Marketing Strategy and Operations for Digital Shopping Platform – Shopstyle
While younger sister, Raine, is continuing their mom’s tradition by going into showbiz, Wynter Merin Finley is going in an entirely different direction and is now a marketing and communications guru. Wynter first studied communication at the University of Colorado in Boulder from 2011 to 2015. During her time in college, she did one-year study abroad programs at CAPA International Education London (2013) and Griffith University Queensland, Australia (2014).
She was also a marketing intern for the Los Angeles Angels baseball team (a position that her dad helped her snag) and contributed content to magazines such as Her Campus Media and Yoga Journal. In October 2015, Wynter Merin switched tracks to work as a stylist for the men’s apparel brand, Trumaker. She spent nine months with them, during which she recorded tens of thousands of dollars in sales and outfitted over 60 clients successfully.
After that time, Wynter Merin landed her present job with the shopping platform ShopStyle. She initially started her career as their creative producer from 2016 to 2019 before being promoted to email marketing manager in September 2019. She now serves as their manager of marketing strategy and operations since May 2020.
Key Facts
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