Jeana Keough

Jeana Keough
Born	Jeana Ellen Myers 9/18/1955
Birthplace	Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Television personality, realtor, actress, model
Known for	The Real Housewives of Orange County, ZZ Top music videos, Playboy Playmate
Education	Whitnall High School
Spouse(s)	Gary Tomasino (divorced); Matt Keough (m. 1984; div. 2019)
Children	3
Website	http://www.jeanakeough.com/

Jeana Ellen Keough (née Myers; formerly Tomasino; born September 18, 1955) is an American television personality, realtor, actress, and model who first gained national attention through her modeling career in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She appeared as the Playboy Playmate of the Month in November 1980 and became one of the most recognizable faces in early music video culture as one of the three women featured in ZZ Top's iconic videos for "Legs," "Sharp Dressed Man," and "Gimme All Your Lovin'." Decades later, Keough found a second wave of fame as an original cast member of the Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of Orange County, which premiered in 2006 and became one of the network's flagship programs. Outside of entertainment, Keough has maintained a career as a real estate salesperson in Orange County, California. Her life on and off screen—marked by professional reinvention, family milestones, and personal challenges including a prolonged divorce—has kept her in the public eye for over four decades.

Early Life

Jeana Ellen Myers was born on September 18, 1955, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She grew up in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and attended Whitnall High School, located in Greenfield, Wisconsin, from which she graduated in 1972. Details about her parents and upbringing prior to her entry into the modeling industry have not been extensively documented in public sources.

After completing high school, Keough pursued opportunities in modeling and acting, eventually relocating to pursue her career in entertainment. Her early years in the industry set the stage for what would become a multifaceted career spanning modeling, film, television, and real estate.

Career

Modeling and Playboy

Keough began her professional career as a model in the late 1970s, working under her first married name, Jeana Tomasino. Her modeling career reached a significant milestone when she was selected as the Playboy Playmate of the Month for the November 1980 issue of Playboy magazine. The Playmate feature brought her considerable visibility in the entertainment and modeling worlds and opened doors to further opportunities in Hollywood.

Music Videos and Acting

In the early 1980s, during the formative years of MTV and the music video era, Keough became one of the most recognizable figures in the medium. She was cast as one of the three women—often described as "beautiful muses"—who appeared prominently in a series of ZZ Top music videos. She appeared in the videos for "Gimme All Your Lovin'," "Sharp Dressed Man," and "Legs," all released between 1983 and 1984 as singles from the band's album Eliminator. These videos became staples of early MTV programming and remain among the most iconic music videos of the 1980s. The New York Post later included Keough in a retrospective of women who "set MTV on fire" during the network's formative era.

In addition to her music video appearances, Keough pursued acting work during this period. Her credits in film and television, documented by the Internet Movie Database, reflect a career that included various roles alongside her modeling work.

Real Estate Career

Following her years in the entertainment industry, Keough transitioned into real estate, establishing herself as a salesperson in Orange County, California. She became based in Aliso Viejo, California, and built a career in the competitive Southern California housing market. Her real estate work became a significant aspect of her identity on The Real Housewives of Orange County, where the financial pressures of the housing market—particularly during the economic downturn of the late 2000s—were depicted as part of her storyline. A 2009 report by the Orange County Register documented the financial challenges faced by Keough and others in the local real estate market during that period.

Keough has continued to work in real estate in the years since her departure from reality television, maintaining her professional presence in the Orange County market.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Keough's most prominent television role came when she was cast as one of the original housewives on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Orange County, which premiered on March 21, 2006. The show, set in the gated communities of Orange County, California, followed the personal and professional lives of a group of women living in affluent Southern California neighborhoods. Keough was a resident of Coto de Caza, one of the communities featured on the program.

Keough appeared as a main cast member for the first five seasons of the series. During her tenure on the show, her storylines centered on her family life, her real estate career, and her relationship with her husband, former professional baseball player Matt Keough. The show depicted the couple's marital difficulties, which became a recurring theme throughout her time on the program. Her children—Shane, Kara, and Colton—also appeared on the series, and the family's dynamics were a central element of her storyline.

After five seasons as a full-time cast member, Keough departed the show. Her exit was reported by Reality TV World, which confirmed her departure from the series. She subsequently returned to the show in guest and recurring capacities in later seasons. Bravo documented the final Season 5 events in Coto de Caza, marking the end of her full-time run on the series.

One of the more memorable incidents from Keough's time on the show occurred during an altercation with castmate Tamra Judge (then Tamra Barney), in which Judge threw a drink in Keough's face. Bravo later featured the moment in a retrospective segment. Despite the on-screen conflict, Keough and Judge later reconciled. In March 2024, Judge shared a photo of a reunion with Keough and fellow former castmate Tammy Knickerbocker, describing the get-together as a "blast from the past."

Post-Housewives Career and Appearances

After leaving The Real Housewives of Orange County as a full-time cast member, Keough continued to make occasional appearances in media related to the franchise. Bravo featured her in segments about her post-show life, including an article about her experiences after leaving the series. She also appeared on the health and wellness reality program Thintervention, and Bravo reported on the benefits she experienced from the program, including health improvements for her family.

In November 2025, Keough made headlines when she publicly stated that current RHOC cast member Shannon Beador had been "mean" to her "for no reason," a comment that generated coverage in entertainment media.

As of December 2025, Us Weekly included Keough in a feature on former RHOC cast members and their current activities, noting her continued involvement in real estate and connection to the Bravo franchise's extended community.

Personal Life

Keough was first married to Gary Tomasino; the couple later divorced. During this marriage, she was professionally known as Jeana Tomasino, particularly during her modeling career and her appearance in Playboy.

In 1984, Keough married Matt Keough, a former Major League Baseball pitcher who had played for the Oakland Athletics and other teams. The couple had three children together: Shane, Kara, and Colton. Shane Keough pursued a career in professional baseball, playing in the minor leagues. In December 2022, Shane married Francheska Perez in Florida; his sister Kara had a role in the wedding. Kara Keough married former NFL player Kyle Bosworth in February 2014, an event covered by The Huffington Post.

In May 2021, Bravo dedicated a special segment on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen to the children of Real Housewives cast members, which included updates on Keough's three children and their lives.

Keough's marriage to Matt Keough was a prominent subject during her time on The Real Housewives of Orange County. The couple's relationship difficulties were depicted on the show, and they lived separately for much of the period during which the show aired. Keough confirmed at BravoCon 2019 that her divorce from Matt Keough had been finalized. In a 2021 interview with Bravo, she explained that the lengthy process of finalizing the divorce had been complicated by various factors over the years.

Matt Keough died in 2020. His passing prompted reactions from several of Keough's former RHOC castmates, including Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge, who publicly expressed their condolences.

In September 2025, Keough's son Shane celebrated her 70th birthday with a social media tribute that included photographs of Keough in her role as a grandmother, offering a glimpse into her family life in recent years.

Legacy

Jeana Keough occupies a distinctive position in American popular culture, having achieved prominence in two separate entertainment eras. Her appearances in the ZZ Top music videos of the early 1980s made her part of a defining moment in the history of MTV and the music video format. The New York Post recognized her as one of the women who helped shape the visual identity of the fledgling music television network.

As an original cast member of The Real Housewives of Orange County, Keough was part of the foundation of what became one of the most successful and long-running reality television franchises in American television history. The Real Housewives of Orange County spawned numerous spinoffs across multiple cities and countries, and the original cast members, including Keough, are credited with establishing the format and appeal that sustained the franchise. Her storylines—dealing with marital strain, financial pressures during the housing crisis, and the challenges of raising children in the public eye—introduced themes that would become recurring motifs throughout the broader Real Housewives franchise.

Keough's transition from entertainment to real estate, and her continued presence in the media landscape decades after her initial rise to fame, reflects a career characterized by adaptability. As of 2025, she remains connected to the Real Housewives community through public appearances, media commentary, and her relationships with former castmates, while maintaining her professional career in real estate in Orange County.