Baywatch made it’s debut on NBC in 1989 but was canceled after airing just one season. Even though NBC ditched the series, it managed to survive cancellation through syndication, going on to be one of the most-watched TV series in the world, with an estimated weekly viewership of more than a billion viewers.
Baywatch ultimately ran for 11 seasons before coming to an end in 2001. Throughout that time, it earned a reputation for being a pop culture phenomenon. The critics didn’t always have the nicest things to say about the series, but that mattered very little to it’s devoted fanbase.
Sure, it was pretty campy, and the soapy social situations that unfolded throughout it’s seasons weren’t very realistic, but that mattered very little. What viewers tuned in to see week after week for more than a decade were all of the red swimsuits, slow-motion sequences of David Hasselhoff running on the beach, and of course, the babes!
The most famous Baywatch Babe is arguably Pamela Anderson, although hotties like Kelly Packard, Angelica Bridges, Carmen Elektra and Nancy Valen also stole the screen whenever they showed up for a little fun in the sun.
Baywatch was noteworthy for having a large ensemble cast with a rotating line-up of characters that cycled in-and-out of the show in a similar manner to many long-running daytime soap operas. Over the course of it’s run, numerous Baywatch Babes shared the screen with the likes of David Hasselhoff, Jeremy Jackson, Gregory Alan, and Michael Newman.
While we could easily dedicate an entire video to the handsome men of Baywatch, today we’ll be checking in on all of the voluptuous women that got their start on the iconic program. Join us as we see where the Baywatch babes of yesteryear ended up. You’ll be surprised where some of these beauties’ careers took them.
Pamela Anderson
Long before that infamous sex tape with her ex husband, rocker Tommy Lee, Anderson was best known for playing Baywatch’s C.J. Parker.
Before landing the role that turned her into a household name, Anderson was already known for appearing in advertisements for Labatt Blue Beer and for gracing the pages of Playboy. But after scoring the role of C.J., Pamela became an international sex symbol.
Parker wound up being one of the longest-running and most beloved characters on the series.
After Baywatch ended, Anderson continued acting, appearing in television series like VIP, Stripperellas, and Dancing with The Stars.
While never really a film star, Anderson has made cameo’s in films like Borat and the 2017 Baywatch movie remake.
Anderson has been dedicated to animal rights and environmental causes for years. She’s worked with PETA for the better part of two and half decades and was the spokesperson for MACS Cosmetic’s AIDS fund in 2005.
As far as her love life goes, Anderson has been married six times. Her first marriage to Tommy Lee ended in divorce and allegations of spousal abuse in 1998. Pamela then married another bad-boy rocker, Kid Rock, in 2006, but their union unraveled less than a year later.
Anderson married pro poker player Rick Salomon twice; first in 2007 and again in 2014. Both times, the couple remained married for under a year before divorcing.
In 2020, Anderson married producer and former hairdresser John Peters but requested the marriage be annulled just 12 days later. Her most recent marriage to a man by the name of Dan Hayhurst lasted for two years, from 2020 to 2022. The couple has since gone their separate ways and have divorced.
Alexandra Paul
From 1992 to 1997, this actress played Mitch Buchannon’s primary love interest, Lt. Stephanie Holden. Her character was ultimately killed off the show when she died in a boating accident at sea.
Since leaving Baywatch, Paul has appeared in over 100 films and television shows, including Mad Men, Melrose Place, Sharknado 4, and Firequake.
In 2000, Paul married a triathlon coach named Ian Murray. The couple has been together ever since.
Like her former co-star Pamela Anderson, Paul has been deeply involved in activism throughout her career. She’s been particularly interested in fighting for environmental conservation, voting rights, and vegan-related issues.
Throughout her activism, Paul has been arrested while protesting for various causes more than a dozen times.
In addition to being passionate about her ideals, Paul is also a health coach and has written and produced several documentaries, including 2001s The Cost of Cool: Finding Happiness in a Materialistic World.
Real quick – if you’re diggin’ this video so far, take a sec to show us a little love by giving it a like and subscribing to the Facts Verse channel.
Angelica Bridges
Bridges played Lt. Taylor Walsh on Baywatch from 1989 to 1999. She reprised her role for the Baywatch spin-off Baywatch: Hawaii and stuck with the series until it’s end in 2001.
In 2001, Bridges was given a pictorial spread in Playboy’s November issue. She was also featured on the magazine’s cover.
In 2017, Bridges competed in the inaugural season of the Fox reality series Kicking & Season alongside her survivalist partner Hakim Isler.
In 2002, she married former Pro NHL player Sheldon Souray. The couple separated and filed for divorce three years later, and their divorce was finalized in 2007.
While married, Bridges and Souray had two daughters, Scarlett and Valentina.
Years later, in 2013, Bridges sued Sourary for $14 million. She claimed that he frequently beat her throughout their marriage while having multiple affairs with other women. She also alleged that he had abused, physically and emotionally, both of their children.
According to her, his abuse got so intense that one of her daughters had to spend several extended stays at a psychiatric hospital.
Erika Eleniak
Best known for her role as Shaunni McClain on Baywatch, Eleniak made her debut in a minor role in Steven Spielberg’s groundbreaking family-friendly sci-fi film ET: The Extra-Terrestrial in 1982. She later appeared in films like 1988s The Blob, 1993s The Beverly Hillbillies, and 1992s Under Siege.
In 2005 Eleniak appeared in the reality series The Real Gilligan’s Island. The following year, she participated in the fourth season of VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club.
Eleniak has battled weight issues for much of her life. At one point, she even suffered from an eating disorder and had to be hospitalized for being underweight and abusing laxatives.
In 1998, she married a key grip named Phillip Goglia. They divorced later that year.
Erika continues to act, albeit sporadically. Most recently, she appeared in the 2022 film Marilyn Monroe Back, portraying the late blonde bombshell herself.
Yasmine Bleeth
This actress played Caroline Holden in more than 70 episodes of Baywatch from 1993 to 1997. Fittingly, her final acting credit was in the TV film Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding.
Bleeth is also known for appearing in the 1998 film BASEketball and a 1996 episode of Nash Bridges.
Sadly, over the years, Bleeth has struggled with cocaine addiction. In 2002, she was arrested for possession and driving while under the influence. She’s been in and out of rehab for years now, and it’s unclear if she has since gotten clean as she has done her best to stay out of the spotlight for the last two decades.
Nancy Valen
Best known for her portrayal of Baywatch’s Captain Samantha Thomas, Valen got her start on television, appearing as a series regular on the daytime soap opera Ryan’s Hope. She stuck with that role for two years before moving to LA, where she landed her film debut role in 1985’s Porky’s Revenge.
Her next significant role was in The Heavenly Kid, which hit theaters that same year. In 1989, Valen starred alongside Patrick Dempsey in Loverboy.
In 1990, Valen guest-starred in an episode of the teen comedy series Saved by the Bell, playing a Bayside High school nurse named Jennifer.
Besides Baywatch, Valen has appeared in 23 series, including CSI, Friends, Full House, Miami Vice, and Murder She Wrote. She’s also been a guest on talk show’s like Good Day LA and The Oprah Winfrey Show.
In 1994, Valen married actor Nels Van Patten. The two have been happily married ever since.
Carmen Elektra
Before Elektra jumped in that red swimsuit, playing Lani McKenzie in 22 episodes of Baywatch, she was pursuing a singing career with Prince of all people.
The Sharonville, Ohio native landed her role on Baywatch after appearing in a 1996 issue of Playboy Magazine. Throughout her career, Elektra has posed for the skin mag a total of five times.
Carmen Elektra has also spent much of her life singing, dancing, and acting in dozens of movies and television shows.
Most recently, she’s appeared on reality shows such as Hell’s Kitchen and The Celebrity Dating Game.
Kelly Packard
Packard played Baywatch babe April Giminski from 1991 to 1995 as a guest star. She was invited back as a series regular in 1997 and remained a cast member until 1999.
Packard is also known for playing the series regular Tiffani Smith in the NBC teen sitcom California Dreams from 1992 to 1996.
From 2002 to 2003, Kelly was the co-host of Ripley’s Believe it or Not. Her final television role before retiring was in the 2018 TV film Family Vanished.
Packard joined the Mormon church as a teen, and in 1997, she married emergency medicine physician and fellow-LDS adherent Darrin Privett. They have since had four children together – a son and three daughters.
Packard is also a vegetarian and lover of animals. She spends most of her time these days with her family and pets at their home in Newall, California.
So, we’re just about out of time for this episode, but we’d love to hear from you.
Did you know that Baywatch gave Pamela Anderson one of her first big breaks in show business and helped launch her acting career? And were you aware that Carmen Elektra is still making regular appearances in reality television shows?
Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
Before you leave, take a moment to show us a little support by giving this video a like and by subscribing to the Facts Verse channel.
While you’re at it, tap the bell to turn on notifications. That way you can keep up with all of our latest and upcoming videos as soon as they drop.
As always, thanks for watching! We’ll see you soon with more content covering some of your favorite television shows, classic films, and stars.
