Television
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ByNicole Cord-Cruz/
The following article includes mentions of substance abuse.
When you think of "Baywatch," your brain likely paints a picture of Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff clad in fiery red swimwear, running across the beach in slow motion. But really, apart from the two, nearly the entire main cast of the hit series were household names once upon a time, and by once upon a time, we mean the '90s.
Yasmine Bleeth, for instance, was as much the talk of the town as Anderson and Hasselhoff. She was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in 1995 by People, and between the years 1996 and 2003, she was consistently part of FHM's Sexiest Women lists. The actor, while best known for her work as a lifeguard on "Baywatch," also dabbled in a number of film and TV projects, including "Ryan's Hope" and "Nash Bridges." But, tragedy soon struck Bleeth's life, leading her to trade fame and fortune for a life of obscurity.
Those who kept tabs on Bleeth know that toward the end of her career, she struggled with drug addiction. In fact, it was her constant drug use that got her booted off the iconic series. "We had one issue with Yasmine Bleeth, who was doing drugs at the time, and so we were dealing with Yasmine not showing up," screenwriter Douglas Schwartz told Esquirein March 2012. "That's why we let Yasmine go off the show: because it was too difficult to deal with her after awhile." After 2003, she seemingly fell off the face of the earth. But, apparently, it was because she had retired.
Yasmine Bleeth chose to live a quiet life with her husband
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Yasmine Bleeth eventually decided to get help and entered a now-defunct rehabilitation facility named Promises, per Entertainment Weekly. In an essay for Glamour in 2003, she wrote that it was there that she met her husband, Paul Cerrito, who was the main catalyst in her decision to get and stay sober. "They say you shouldn't get into any relationship within the first year of sobriety... But what can I say? We fell in love immediately," she penned. "And because of him, I'm sober today. Nothing used to make me feel as good as cocaine until I fell in love. Now the feeling I have when I'm with Paul is better than how I felt on cocaine" (via Baywatch Luver Proboard).
It's unclear whether it was a deliberate choice to quit acting for good, but Bleeth had not been part of the scene since tying the knot with Cerrito in 2002. As noted on IMDb, her last acting credit was the straight-to-TV film "Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding," which was so far off the original series in terms of quality that you can't exactly call it a fan favorite.
Still, it's probably for the best. In her Glamour essay, Bleeth said that, while it's still a struggle to veer away from drugs, she re-acquainted herself with things that make her happy. "I'm enjoying the simple things again: being social, sleeping in, curling up in a big down comforter," she wrote (via Baywatch Luver Proboard).
Will Yasmine Bleeth return to acting?
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At this point, Yasmine Bleeth has been far removed from Hollywood longer than she was in it. Unlike her co-stars, she's rarely part of the headlines these days, and it doesn't seem like she will make a huge comeback in the near future. It should be noted, though, that she has a single acting credit in 2021 for an indie film called "Whack the Don," but no other information about the project has surfaced.
From time to time, Bleeth has been photographed by the tabloids, the last notable time being in 2020 when she was spotted walking her dog somewhere in California. And while she looked different from her heyday, it seemed like she was enjoying her low-key life.
Besides, fans have nothing to worry about. According to "Baywatch" screenwriter Michael Berk, Bleeth did fine for herself when she was still making bank. "Yasmine basically retired. She ended up getting into some drug problems but meeting a guy in drug rehab, and she's basically retired. I know she gets offers that she turns down," Berk told Esquire. "She was an actress at the time she was a little girl, she was very smart with her money, and I think she invested well."
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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