Showtime Star Dead at 43: Family Confirms Death of Francine Beppu

The Real L Word star Francine Beppu has died at age 43.

Beppu’s family confirmed to TMZ on Monday that the Showtime reality personality had passed away on Feb. 17 at her home in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her family has not disclosed her cause of death at this time.

“It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of our beloved Francine ‘Naoko’ Beppu,” Beppu’s family said in a statement to the outlet. “The outpouring of care and concern from her friends and colleagues is a testament to the tremendous impact she had on everyone around her. We are deeply grateful to know how cherished she was and how brightly she will continue to shine through all who knew her.”

The Beppu family wrote that they appreciated “the many gestures of love for Francine and kindly [ask] for privacy and time” as they “navigate this unimaginable loss and honor her memory.”

Beppu starred on The Real L Word, which premiered on Showtime in June 2010 following the success of the network’s drama series The L Word, and ran for three seasons. The reality show followed lesbians in Los Angeles and New York as they navigated everything from their careers and social lives to their relationships and families.

Aside from her time in front of the camera, Beppu worked for Sony Electronics as well as for Viacom, where she helped launch Logo, as the first LGBTQ+ cable channel, according to a 2023 conversation she had with Hawaii Business.

Beppu, who worked as VP of integrated marketing at NMG Network at the time of the interview, said at the time, “For a few years into my career, I wasn’t out. It affects you. It’s stressful to not share who you are when you’re at work. I see a trend in larger companies having a DI [diversity and inclusion] program.”

She continued, “I think there’s been progress in understanding the complexities, and happy employees make better workers.”