Faster Pussycat frontman Taime Downe and tragic fiancee Kimberly Burch were overheard ‘loudly arguing’ before her tragic death on a cruise ship.
Burch, 56, tragically died after falling from a room balcony on the first night of The 80s Cruise aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Explorer of the Seas on March 2.
According to a source close to Burch speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, despite the apparent strong and loving relationship between Burch and 60-year-old Downe, passengers in nearby cabins overheard them arguing loudly in their cabin.
The insider said: ‘The argument was in their cabin, their neighbors heard only yelling but nothing specific being yelled out.
The source mentioned, “Although their relationship seemed wonderful overall, some passengers reported hearing them argue in their cabin. Despite this, there were no visible signs of any issues between them, they appeared to be deeply in love.”
The source added they had heard ‘scattered stories Burch was drunk’ on the night of her death but said Burch ‘didn’t really drink and had helped Downe with his sobriety.’
DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Taime Downe and Royal Caribbean Cruises for further comment.
Faster Pussycat frontman Taime Downe and tragic fiancee Kimberly Burch were overheard ‘loudly arguing’ before her tragic death on a cruise ship – seen hours before her death Sunday
Burch, 56, fell to her death shortly after an alleged heated argument with the rocker, 60, during The 80s Cruise on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Explorer of the Seas (pictured) on March 2
A Royal Caribbean Group spokesman confirmed Burch’s death to DailyMail.com: ‘Our crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort, is working with local authorities, and we are 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.’
Realtor Kimberly had traveled on the seven day cruise to support Taime, who was performing with the punk band. The cruise departed from Miami and was set to visit Nassau, San Juan, and Labadee.
She had been in a relationship with Downe for around six years. Her body has not been recovered.
Hours before her death she posed up with Downe on the ship and wrote: ‘We made it to @the80scruise.’
Kimberly’s mother Carnell Burch told TMZ Taime had called her on Monday to reveal Kimberly had died and that it is ‘still unclear’ whether her daughter jumped or accidentally fell from the ship, although she is ‘confident Kimberly would not purposefully hurt herself.’
Kimberly was drinking on the cruise, Carnell said, which was ‘out of character for her’ and Carnell claimed her daughter had had an argument with Taime before her death.
Downe is the lead vocalist of the iconic 80s metal band – pictured 2013 with Xristian Simon, Danny Nordahl, and Ace Von Johnson
A source close to Burch told DailyMail.com that although Burch and 60-year-old Downe’s relationship ‘looked amazing’ – passengers in neighboring cabins heard them shouting
Carnell added her daughter was not suffering from depression or emotional issues at the time and was excited for the trip, which was in its first day and featured musical acts including Squeeze, Adam Ant, Tiffany and Men at Work.
Kimberly is said to have gone overboard on the first day of the cruise around 11pm PST – with a guest claiming on X she had ‘jumped from the balcony of her 8th floor room’ 80 miles from Miami.
They wrote: ‘Currently on the #RCL Explorer of the Seas for the #80scruise. Unfortunately, we have a “woman overboard’ situation and boats have been deployed. We are currently 80+ miles from Miami at 11pm PST. Not good.
‘It looks like the woman “jumped” from the balcony of her 8th floor room after an argument with her partner. This is our 15th cruise, and the first time we’ve actually experienced this.
‘Clearly, the priority is recovering the woman. And the boat has turned around and is at a dead stop. They have deployed boats for the search. Could be a long night….
Another guest wrote: ‘Person overboard on Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas. On the 80s Cruise. Just saw a great show by Squeeze, then it was announced a person is overboard. Ship is stopped and searching. Other nearby ships helping.
Kimberly is said to have gone overboard on the first day of the cruise around 11pm PST – with a guest claiming on X she had ‘jumped from the balcony of her 8th floor room’ 80 miles from Miami
A room and balcony on Explorer of the Seas is pictured
Kimberly is pictured with Taime and his mother in Seattle 2023
Kimberly is pictured in an Instagram post from 2022
Guests aboard the ship posted messages about the search on X
Kimberly and Taime had been together for around ‘five or six years’
A US Coast Guard spokesperson said the incident happened roughly 20 miles from Freeport, Bahamas.
The Coast Guard deployed a helicopter crew and other personnel to assist the Royal Bahamas Defense Force in their search – which was later suspended.
Kimberly and Taime had been together for around ‘five or six years.’
A passenger also told THR: ‘There was an announcement over the PA saying someone went overboard so the ship was going to stop and turn around to try and locate the person.
‘[The] ship was stopped for a few hours. Safety boats were deployed with floodlights to illuminate the surrounding area. Another cruise ship nearby had its floodlights on searching as well. My wife spoke with some people on one of the decks saying they heard that it was a woman and it was caught on camera. Can’t confirm though.
‘Eventually the ship powered up and off we went. This morning a PA announcement said that the US Coast Guard had taken over the search. We arrived at Nassau, Bahamas a few hours behind schedule. No excursions were canceled. Haven’t heard anything since.’
Kimberly was drinking on the cruise, Carnell said, which was ‘out of character for her’
DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Taime Downe, The 80s Cruise and Royal Caribbean for comment.
Glam metal band Faster Pussycat formed in 1985 comprised of Downe, guitarists Greg Steele and Brent Muscat and bassist Kelly Nickels.
They forged a successful career over the late 1980s and early 1990s, selling over two million records worldwide
They have released four albums, Faster Pussycat (1987), Wake Me When It’s Over (1989), Whipped! (1992) and The Power and the Glory Hole (2006).
They broke up in 1993, but reformed in 2001.
Former drummer Brett Bradshaw died on March 26, 2021, at age 50.
