Kimmarie Johnson Dies at 50; Beverly Hills, 90210 and Dude, Where's My Car? Actress

Kimmarie Johnson, the model and actress who appeared on Beverly Hills, 90210 and in the comedy Dude, Where’s My Car?, died Wednesday, Nov. 4, in Los Angeles. She was 50.

Her niece, Rhonda Scott, confirmed the death to outlets including Variety, Deadline, TMZ and ABC News. Johnson suffered a “heart event” at her Los Angeles home on Oct. 27 and was taken to Cedars-Sinai Hospital, where doctors diagnosed what Scott described as a “heart aneurysm condition.” TMZ reported that she died peacefully Wednesday afternoon after her heart stopped. ABC News noted that an official cause of death has not been confirmed.

This article summarizes published reports and is not medical advice.

What did her family say?

In a statement shared with Variety and ABC News, Scott said: “She radiated a light so strong and bright. People who came in contact with her felt nothing but positive energy. We will miss her tremendously and will continue to honor her life forever.”

Deadline reported that Johnson is survived by her son, Cameron Nino, an L.A.-based musician, and her niece.

Early life, pageants and modeling

Johnson was born Kim Marie Johnson on April 8, 1976, in Pittsburgh, according to Variety and Deadline. She studied elementary education and child psychology at California University of Pennsylvania before moving to New York to pursue modeling, Variety reported.

She modeled for brands including Vidal Sassoon, Oscar de la Renta and United Colors of Benetton. In 1992 (Deadline) / without prior pageant experience (Variety), she won Miss Pennsylvania USA and finished in the top five at Miss USA in 1993.

Acting career highlights

After moving to Los Angeles in the mid-1990s, Johnson booked television and film work:

• A 1998 episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 (Variety and Deadline identify the character as Jane; ABC News refers to Judy — outlets differ on the character name)
• The 2000 comedy Dude, Where’s My Car?, as one of the alien “jumpsuit chicks”
• Episodes of V.I.P. (with Pamela Anderson) and Wanda at Large
• Additional credits including Carman: The Champion, Spanish Fly, The Summer of Massacre and the 2017 series Tucker’s War, which Deadline listed as her final credit

Deadline said she scaled back acting after giving birth to her son in 2003 but continued to appear occasionally.

SkinGlow and later years

In 2011, Johnson founded the skincare and beauty brand SkinGlow by Kimmarie, Variety and Deadline reported. ABC News said she appeared on the cover of a digital edition of Grazia Slovenia in August and attended the Los Angeles premiere of the Michael Jackson biopic Michael in April, according to her Instagram.

FAQ