WITH their sexy, slow-motion runs down LA’s golden beaches, stars David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson helped make Baywatch a global phenomenon.
Now the iconic 90s show is making a comeback, with a 12-episode run in the works for next year.
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The new series will be produced by Fox Entertainment and Fremantle, the company behind the original hit, with the new cast yet to be announced.
At its peak, Baywatch – which ran from 1989 to 2001 – was the most-watched show in the world, pulling in over a billion viewers across 200 countries.
But the fame and fortune came with a price for many of its stars, some of whom ended up battling drug addictions and finding themselves at odds with the law.
Here we take a look at just how many stars of the show have been hit by the ‘curse’ of Baywatch.
David Hasselhoff
Baywatch legend David Hasselhoff, 73, fell hard after quitting the hit show – spiralling into booze-fuelled chaos.
At his lowest point, The Hoff checked himself into the famous Betty Ford Clinic for treatment… only to bolt after just one day.
Instead he holed himself up in a nearby hotel, raided the minibar and passed out.
His wild lifestyle took its toll on his love life, too – with two failed marriages to US actress Catherine Hickland, 69, and Pamela Bach, 61.
The true horror of his addiction hit home when daughter Taylor Ann, 35, posted a now-infamous video of him lying on the floor slurring and clawing at a cheeseburger as she begged him to stop drinking.
Hasselhoff later admitted: “I’m a recovering alcoholic.”
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But he bounced back – becoming a TV favourite as a judge on Britain’s and America’s Got Talent.
In 2018, he wed 45-year-old Welsh beauty Hayley Roberts in a lavish Italian ceremony.
Hayley was working as a shop girl at Debenhams in Merthyr Tydfil when she met The Hoff in 2011, after boldly asking him for a selfie while he was in Cardiff filming Britain’s Got Talent.
But earlier this year he was seen being pushed in a wheelchair looking frail and worlds away from his ripped Baywatch days – weeks after the tragic suicide of ex-wife Pamela, 61.
Pamela’s rep Terry Ahern revealed the star had been “plagued” by the fallout from a 2003 motorbike smash that broke her neck and back.
The freak accident happened while the couple were riding together and a gust of wind made him lose control and hit a curb.
In May, an insider claimed: “David is living on borrowed time and has lived hard. He had a life that people could only dream of but he also spent decades self-medicating through alcohol and other substances, which he does regret.”
The actor’s rep insisted he was “fine” and waiting on knee surgery.
Fans also recently spotted him flogging cringe-worthy casino ads on Twitter to his 500,000 followers.
Pamela Anderson
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At the height of her career, THAT body made Pammie a pin-up for teenage boys everywhere.
She was on more Playboy covers than any other model, but soon after she quit the show in 1997, her life went into freefall.
First there was the disastrous marriage to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, 54, in 1995. They had two sons, divorced in 1998, remarried and divorced again in 2001.
She admitted the widely circulated stolen sex tape she made on board a luxury yacht with Tommy was the biggest mistake of her life.
After their split she married model Markus Schenkenberg, 48, but it was over in under a year.
Pamela went on to tie the knot with rap star Kid Rock, 46, but that relationship did not fare much better and ended in a bitter divorce.
She married poker player Rick Saloman, 49, divorced after a year but then the couple got married again in 2014. It was over by April 2015.
The 58-year-old has also battled painkiller addiction and was diagnosed with the life-threatening disease Hepatitis C – but in recent years she’s reinvented herself.
Gone is the heavy make-up, with Pamela now embracing a stripped-back, natural style, saying it makes her feel “free” and authentic.
Earlier this year fans thought she had finally found love with Hollywood hardman Liam Neeson, 73, after the pair were spotted holding hands, kissing and canoodling.
But insiders say the cosy displays were merely a publicity stunt to plug their film – a reboot of The Naked Gun, which hit cinemas this summer.
Yasmine Bleeth
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Once crowned FHM’s “Sexiest Woman” multiple times between 1996 and 2001, Yasmin’s three-year run on Baywatch made her a household name.
But fame came at a cost, as the now 57-year-old star struggled in the spotlight and turned to drugs to cope.
Just months after leaving Baywatch in 1997 she spent a night in jail after police found cocaine in her handbag following a car crash.
Yasmin later revealed her addiction was severe: she once collapsed during a glossy magazine photoshoot and even went five days without sleep.
It was in rehab that Yasmin met husband Paul Cerrito, shortly after his release from jail for drug offences.
The pair were later arrested together in 2001 for cocaine possession and carrying needles.
Her troubles continued when she was found high on cocaine while driving in Detroit, resulting in 100 hours of community service and another stint in rehab.
Yasmin is still married to Paul, who now owns a strip club and works full-time as a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Research.
In 2021 she attempted a comeback with the indie comedy Whack the Don – but it failed to reignite her career.
Jaason Simmons
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Best known for his Baywatch role and trademark grin, Jaason was battling personal pressures and pay disputes long before leaving Baywatch in 1997.
He initially blamed his hectic schedule for the end of his six-year marriage to wife Romey, but later admitted that wasn’t the real reason.
“Everybody knew I was gay among the cast,” he confessed. “I just didn’t speak about it publicly. I was quite shy and introverted.”
Before coming out he reportedly had several failed relationships with women, including rumoured flings with co-star Alexandra Paul – who recently admitted she acted as his ‘Beard’.
At the After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun premiere last August, Alexandra reflected on their arrangement, explaining how they let everyone believe they were in a relationship so Jaason wouldn’t have to disclose his sexuality.
“Back in the 1990s, 30 years ago, if you were a gay actor in Hollywood, it could seriously harm your career and even put you at risk in public,” she explained.
“That just shows what a good actor he is because yes, he was gay. He and I were very, very close on the show, and I became his beard, so to speak.”
Jaason publicly came out as gay in March 2008, 11 years after leaving Baywatch, revealing his relationship with Irish actor John O’Callaghan in New Idea magazine.
John adopted their son, Odin, before they married, making Jaason a stepfather.
Today, Jasson continues to act and is a passionate animal and environmental activist.
Gena Lee Nolin
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The blonde bombshell was so popular on Baywatch that she was reportedly paid a staggering £1million to pose naked on the cover of Playboy in 2001.
After leaving the show in 1998, Gena starred in her own TV series, Sheena, which ran from 2000 to 2002.
But behind the smiles Gena was quietly struggling with a crippling thyroid disease that went un-diagnosed for years.
She battled exhaustion, depression, hair loss and severe mood swings.
“The weight issue was made worse as I also had to pour myself into a bathing suit,” she later said. “So I would starve myself. I’d eat a salad or a can of tuna a day and that was it.
“I was exhausted. I soldiered on with the help of anti-depressants.”
Today Gena remains a glamorous actress and health advocate, focusing on thyroid awareness through her Thyroid Sexy platform and social media.
She’s also penned a bestselling health book and has another on the way, while making appearances on shows like The Doctors to share her experiences and promote healthy living.
She is married to professional ice hockey player Cale Hulse, and the couple share two children.
Loni Willison
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Once a blonde swimwear model and favourite on fitness magazine covers, Loni Willison seemed to have it all while married to Hollywood hunk Jeremy Jackson, 44, best known for his role as Hobie Buchannon on Baywatch.
But the 42-year-old’s life has taken a devastating turn since their split, and Loni is now believed to be living rough on the streets of Los Angeles.
Friends say she’s been homeless for years, and she’s even been spotted rummaging through bins for food.
Her troubles followed a messy divorce from the Baywatch actor, reportedly after an incident where he allegedly attacked her.
Since losing her marriage and career, she’s allegedly turned to alcohol and drugs, with a disturbing video showing her smoking with a fellow homeless person.
Other sad photos reveal her sleeping on the ground, covered in dirt with blackened nails, open wounds and multiple injuries.
Last year Jackson opened up about his heartbreak, telling the Daily Mail: “Losing her was like the death of somebody, and I tried to bring her back and I couldn’t.
“The woman I was in love with is gone, and whoever she is mentally now is not who I knew.”
Despite offers of support, Loni reportedly shuns help, remaining on the streets and living a life far removed from the spotlight she once knew.
