The fiancee of Faster Pussycat frontman Taime Downe has tragically died after falling off a cruise ship.
Kimberly Burch, who has been engaged to Downe since 2022, was accompanying the rocker aboard The ‘80s Cruise. The nostalgia-themed event features acts such as Bret Michaels, Quiet Riot, Gary Numan, Nile Rodgers and Berlin. Faster Pussycat was among the scheduled performers.
While details surrounding Downe’s death are still emerging, the U.S. coast guard reported that the incident took place approximately 20 miles away from Freeport, Bahamas. The Coast Guard, cruise ship crew members and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force all quickly engaged in a search and rescue for Burch, to no avail. Her body still has not been found.
In a conversation with TMZ, Burch’s mother, Carnell, said that Downe called her on Monday to tell her the tragic news. Carnell further relayed that her daughter had been uncharacteristically drinking on the cruise, and that she and Taime had gotten into a heated argument shortly before her death.
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A representative for Royal Caribbean Cruises noted that the company is “providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our guest’s family, we have no additional details to share.”
Burch’s social media pages are loaded with pictures of her travels alongside Downe. The couple has been all over the world together, often in conjunction with Faster Pussycat performances. The band – best known for their 1989 album Wake Me When It’s Over and its hit single, “House of Pain”’ – has become something of a regular on rock-themed cruises. Their next scheduled performance is aboard the Monsters of Rock Cruise, an event they’ve played several times in the past.
