The Real L Word star Francine Beppu dies at her home in Hawaii at 43 after coming out on reality series

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Francine Beppu, who rose to fame on The Real L Word, has died at the age of 43.

The TV star died at her home in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Tuesday, February 17th, according to a family spokesperson.

Her manner of death has not yet been revealed.

Beppu’s family released a statement on Monday, thanking her friends and coworkers for their support, according to TMZ.

Honestly, hearing that statement just broke my heart, but in a beautiful way. It was like they were acknowledging everything we fans feel about her – how incredibly loved she is, and how her light will just keep glowing, even now. It was perfect, really. It just… got me.

The family has asked for privacy as they grieve and shared that they will announce details about a memorial service to celebrate her life soon.

Beppu is best known for starring on The Real L Word, which she joined when she was 28.

The series ran for three seasons, from June 2010 until September 2012. 

The Showtime reality show documented the lives and love lives of lesbian women in Los Angeles and New York City.

Okay, so it’s just… a little weird, but amazing, that my idol, Beppu, worked with her ex, Claire Campbell Moseley, on the show! Claire actually moved to LA and then joined the cast for season two, which means they were working together after everything. I just… can’t get over it! It adds a whole other layer to everything, you know?

In the second season, the main storylines for Beppu revolved around her connection with her mother and the difficulties in her past relationship with Moseley.

Beppu left the show at the end of the second season.

She returned to Hawaii in 2015 and started working with the Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundation, later becoming its president.

Following the 2015 Honolulu Pride parade, she began volunteering with the Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundation. She later took on a leadership role as co-chair of the marketing committee and eventually joined the foundation’s board of directors.

She also worked as the vice president of network strategy for NMG Network. 

I’ve been following her work for a while now, and I’m so impressed! She actually started her own company – it’s a public benefit corporation and a really cool golf club called Badliars Collective. It’s amazing to see someone building something with such a unique mission!

I’ve been following her for a while now, and she last posted in late December, teasing some ‘big announcements’ coming for her brand. I’m really excited to see what she’s been working on!

In 2022, she told the Hawaii Herald, in their first-ever Pride issue, about the experience of coming out to her loved ones.

She remembered feeling isolated and restricted growing up in Nu’uanu, Oahu, and only began to feel free when she left for college at New York University.

Looking back on my upbringing, being the only child of a third-generation Japanese-American father and a mother who was born and raised in Japan, I often felt… disconnected. It’s hard to explain, but there was always this weight of guilt I carried, a feeling that I didn’t quite fit in anywhere. It was a lonely experience, not having anyone who truly understood what it was like to navigate both cultures.

In 2008, she relocated to Los Angeles and landed a role on The Real L Word, a reality show that spun off from Showtime’s original series, The L Word.

Beppu, a cast member on the show, publicly came out to her mother on camera at age 28.

She admitted there were some difficult moments, but ultimately, her mom just wants her to be happy. ‘My parents are truly amazing,’ she added. ‘They’ve been so understanding and I feel really fortunate to have their support.’

Beppu has shared how her experience coming out on TV helped other Asian lesbians who were also in the process of coming to terms with their sexuality.

She shared in a video interview with Sa’Ke Film Group for National Coming Out Day in November 2022 that she hadn’t expected her coming out story to resonate with so many people.

Beppu recalled how ‘stressful’ it was for her at the time, coming out to her family on camera. 

She explained that these kinds of conversations build a strong sense of community, reminding everyone that we’re all there to support each other. Ultimately, she emphasized the importance of prioritizing your own happiness, knowing that those who care about you will want the same.

Beppu explained that, ultimately, everyone experiences similar feelings. However, LGBTQ+ individuals face the added challenge of publicly sharing their identity – a process called ‘coming out’ – which can be incredibly difficult. He emphasized the importance of sharing these stories to foster understanding and support among everyone.

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2026-02-24 07:21