Former Baywatch Star Yasmine Bleeth Looks Unrecognizable Now

The following article contains mentions of substance abuse.

Yasmine Bleeth, the '90s "Baywatch" star whose electrifying blue eyes could stop traffic, once had a career hotter than the Floridian sun. A successful child actor and model, Bleeth nabbed A-list stardom in 1993 as Caroline Holden on the hit lifeguard series. Her slow-mo-running-on-the-beach days came immediately after her head-turning stint as LeeAnn Demerest on "One Life to Live." With her tan skin and highlighted, honey-brown locks, Bleeth cut quite the memorable figure in the iconic "Baywatch" red swimsuit. Quickly becoming the stuff of fantasies for a generation of teenage boys, Bleeth was crowned one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 1995. After hanging up the swimsuit, Bleeth continued flexing her acting muscles on notable shows like 1998-2000's "Nash Bridges," portraying an undercover cop alongside Don Johnson.

However, things weren't always smooth sailing for the brunette bombshell. Before scoring her life-changing "Baywatch" role, Bleeth took an 8-month hiatus from acting after her mom died from breast cancer in 1989. Turning down numerous offers during that time, it wasn't until "One Life to Live" that she stepped in front of the camera again. Moreover, Bleeth's well-documented struggles with cocaine addiction got her, among other things, fired from "Baywatch" in 1997. Since late 2000, Bleeth has only filmed one project — 2003's made-for-TV movie "Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding" — until a brief comeback role in 2021's indie comedy, "Whack the Don."

Since stepping away from Hollywood, Bleeth's occasional public sightings have revealed an unrecognizable new look for the erstwhile sex symbol. 

More than two decades later, Yasmine Bleeth is looking drastically different than in her "Baywatch" days. During a rare September 2023 sighting, the 55-year-old, largely retired actor was photographed shopping at a Los Angeles Whole Foods with a friend. Looking happy and carefree during the trip, Bleeth appeared significantly fuller-figured as she rocked a makeup-free face and simple low ponytail. Sporting a denim jumpsuit over a simple pink tee, Bleeth completed her errand-running 'fit with beige Birkenstocks and a chic white tote. 

Rarely seen publicly since the early '00s, Bleeth was also previously photographed in February 2020 — sans glam — while walking her dog. Fans, for the most part, reacted to the paparazzi shots with positive support. While some noted the stark difference in Bleeth's appearance (with one writing, "Whoa, never would've recognized her"), more observed Bleeth's healthy glow. One such person wrote, "She looks happy, and that's attractive," while another highlighted Bleeth's "beautiful smile." Another summed it up by musing that it was "quite nice to see someone move on past the Hollywood culture to live their life on their own terms."

Certainly, Bleeth's low-key daily beauty routine is far less laborious than that at the height of her career. In an essay for Glamour's February 2003 issue, Bleeth recalled that while starring opposite Don Johnson on "Nash Bridges," she spent "hours plucking my eyebrows, putting on tanning cream, doing a facial." 

Besides natural human aging, Yasmine Bleeth's past cocaine use might have impacted her evolving looks over time. In the essay she penned for Glamour's February 2003 issue, the "Baywatch" alum extolled the drug's gradual deterioration of her health and appearance. "I had an infection that had completely eaten out the inside of my nose, leaving it raw and bloody," Bleeth harrowingly detailed, recalling that, at one point, blowing her nose would cause "pieces of skin" to fall out. Additionally, Bleeth's curves may have returned in 2023, but her cocaine usage once facilitated a dangerous amount of weight loss. According to her essay, she dropped from a size 6 to a size 0 in no time. By early 2000, Bleeth ceased looking like herself. Naturally "a fleshy girl," Bleeth lamented that she had "lost [her] softness." 

With cocaine becoming an all-consuming habit for her by the late '90s, Bleeth needed to retreat from Hollywood before she could achieve lasting sobriety. Despite meeting her husband Paul Cerrito while rehabbing in late 2000, Bleeth fell off the wagon just two weeks later. Her true wake-up call came in September 2001 when she was arrested for driving her car off the highway while high and in possession of cocaine. Pleading guilty to the drug charges, she ultimately served two years probation. Staying at Cerrito's mom's home in the following months, Bleeth took the time to nourish herself back to health, even regaining 20 pounds.

If you or anyone you know is struggling 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).