BAYWATCH is back with a sexy new cast of up-and-coming stars hungry to earn legendary status like the 90s beach beauties before them.
But there are very real fears behind the scenes that on the other side of the red swimsuits, California smiles, and gym-honed beach bodies is a and derailing lives.
The new Baywatch cast are reportedly fearful of the show’s infamous curse Credit: BackGrid
Livvy Dunne is one of the hot new lifeguards Credit: Splash
Brooks Nader is another who’s launching an acting career on the reboot Credit: Getty
The sun-kissed scenes from the 90s are etched in the memories of TV lovers around the world, but what they’re less familiar with are the shattered dreams left in its wake.
Numerous stars have gone from poster boys and girls to dealing with addiction, homelessness, and the long arm of the law.
Those involved in the reboot will be desperate for new stars like , Livvy Dunne, Shay Mitchell, and Jessica Belkin to avoid the same fate as some of their forebears.
Such is the worry that sources told Radar that some of those involved have discussed the idea of exorcising the curse with the help of a spiritualist.
An insider said: “Some of the crew and cast have even floated the idea of bringing in spiritualists to ‘ward off the Baywatch curse.’ It sounds extreme and even comical, but the fear is real.
“This reboot cast is stepping into something that feels bigger than just a job, and people are looking for reassurance in whatever form they can find.”
While another source said the hardships faced by past stars now haunts the new production as it gathers steam and more and more people clamour for the first episode.
“That legacy hangs now over the reboot, with the new cast fearing they could be struck by the same ‘curse’ that has afflicted nearly every original member of the cast,” said the mole.
has faced more scrutiny than most due to her transition from influencing to acting.
Online trolls claimed she’s not worthy of the role, though the Sports Illustrated model eloquently fought her corner when asked about the backlash.
Yasmine Bleeth was crowned FHM’s Sexiest Woman multiple times Credit: Rex
But she struggled with drug addiction after leaving the show Credit: Getty
Pamela Anderson’s marriage to rock star Tommy Lee overshadowed her acting career Credit: Getty
David Hasselhoff was caught drunk lying on the floor in a leaked video filmed by his daughter
She told the Mail : “I think that the times are different and everyone is so multi-hyphenate now, and you can be both an actor and an influencer and have influence. And that’s the beauty of the culture that social media has created.”
Brooks said it was a “pinch me” moment when she first slipped into the famous red swimsuit and admitted she felt “nervous” filling the cossies of beauties like and .
Ex-gymnast Livvy, 23, is another who is making her acting debut on the show and addressed her casting by writing on social media: “I’m not a lifeguard, but I play one on TV, time to get to work.”
While landing a part in the beach drama is a dream for any aspiring actor, it’s no guarantee of a long and fruitful career in the industry.
Nicole Eggert, who played Summer Quinn from ’92-’94, told the Still Here Hollywood podcast that she faced “a lot of no’s and closed doors” when auditioning for other parts, with her extensive acting training counting for little.
Such was the toll the knockbacks took that she stepped back from acting completely.
While Pamela Anderson’s acting career famously stalled when she played the lead in the critically-panned action thriller Barbed Wire.
Her love life overshadowed her acting career, particularly her 1995 marriage to Mötley Crüe bad-boy Tommy Lee and the sex tape they made on board a houseboat on Lake Mead.
Pammy was the ultimate 90s pin-up Credit: Rex
Baywatch spouse Loni Willison is now homeless Credit: TheImageDirect.com
She was previously married to troubled co-star Jeremy Jackson Credit: Getty
Jeremy Jackson was booted out of the Celebrity Big Brother house following the groping of Chloe Goodman Credit: Channel 5
Pamela, 58, called it “the biggest mistake of her life” and the infamous leaked footage became a global phenomenon as video tapes were sold and promoted by shady websites in the fledgling days of the internet.
Three more failed marriages followed to model Markus Schenkenberg, rap star Kid Rock, and poker player Rick Saloman, with true love eluding her.
She battled painkiller addiction and was diagnosed with the life-threatening disease Hepatitis C after she and ex Tommy shared a tattoo needle. At one stage she was even told she would be dead within 10 years.
Thankfully, she made a full recovery and in recent years she’s reinvented herself, ditching make-up and reclaiming the narrative about who she really is.
The pin-up also formed a close friendship with Wikileaks founder while he was holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. More recently, she had a short-lived relationship with her Naked Gun co-star .
Another blonde beauty tarred by the Baywatch curse is Loni Willison, 42.
The former fitness magazine cover star wasn’t in the show, though is best known for her turbulent two-year marriage to Hobie Buchannon actor Jeremy Jackson between 2012 and 2014.
In recent years, heartbreaking photographs have shown her rifling through bins for food, unrecognisable from her glam marriage era and, to this day, she refuses to be helped.
Her ex-husband was devastated by the change, telling the 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.”
Jeremy, 45, has had issues of his own. He made up to $3m from Baywatch, but spent it ondrugs as he chased an ever-dwindling high.
He would go on to become addicted to steroids as he worked on building a buff image, before an ill-fated reality TV appearance in the UK ended in disgrace.
Celebrity Big Brother bosses booted him off the show after he exposed co-star Chloe Goodman’s breasts, which he later called “a terrible drunken mistake”.
The downward spiral continued and he was jailed in 2017 for 270 days after stabbing a woman in a heated argument.
Even show patriarch and experienced leading man , 73, wasn’t immune to the curse.
He plunged into alcohol addiction after quitting the show and at his lowest ebb was filmed by his daughter lying on the floor after a drinking session, tragically pawing at a cheeseburger.
It proved to be the much-needed wake-up call he needed to properly address the issues, after a previous rehab stint lasted just one day.
In recent months, the Hoff has been pictured looking frail being pushed through an airport in a wheelchair and walking using a cane.
Yasmine Bleeth, a multi-winner of FHM’s “Sexiest Woman” award, was another who battled substance addiction.
Just months after leaving Baywatch in 1997, she spent a night in jail after police found cocaine in her handbag following a car crash.
It was in rehab that Yasmine met husband Paul Cerrito, shortly after his release from jail for drug offences.
Even David Hasselhoff struggled with the trappings of fame Credit: Getty
Baywatch’s Erika Eleniak is returning in the reboot Credit: Instagram/officialerikaeleniak
She played Shauni McClain from 1989 to 1992 Credit: Rex
The pair were later arrested together in 2001 for cocaine possession and carrying needles.
Yasmine is still married to Paul, who now owns a strip club and works full-time as a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Research.
Despite all the chaos and trauma of the past, there is still hope for the stars of today.
Erika Eleniak, 56, has returned to the fold as Shauni McClain, proving there are past stars who still have a fondness for the show in spite of its well-documented troubles.
Knowledge of past mistakes and improved welfare for cast and crew are likely to help neuter any potential pitfalls, with TV bosses well aware they have a duty of care to look after the talent.
And the cast of the 2017 film version, featuring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario and Kelly Rohrbach, are proof that life can thrive after donning the famous swimming costumes.
Though released to mixed reviews, the big screen caper was devoid of any cast horror stories and none of the top talent has seen their lives take a downward turn… yet.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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