Yasmine Bleeth: Where Is She Now?
Once a star on Baywatch, Yasmine Bleeth has seen the highest of highs and lowest of lows in her career. Where is she now?
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Fans of the hit ‘90s television series Baywatch may remember Yasmine Bleeth. She played Caroline Holden, the younger sister to Alexandra Paul’s Stephanie Holden. It was Baywatch that started Bleeth’s fame, so what has she been up to lately?
YASMINE BLEETH EARLY CAREER
Yasmine Bleeth made her feature film debut alongside comedic legend Buddy Hackett in the 1983 film Hey Babe! In the movie, Bleeth shows off her talents as a 12-year-old orphan, Theresa, who is desperate to attend a performing arts school and become a big star. The orphanage is not helping her achieve her dream and she continues to get into trouble by breaking rules.
During one of her rule-breaking adventures, she meets Sammy (Hackett), an alcoholic former Vaudeville star who is searching for a comeback. He sees the talent in Theresa and together they form an act called Buddy and Babe in order to help Theresa raise money for tuition to her performing arts school.
It would be a couple of years after her feature debut before Yasmine Bleeth would find work. This time, it would be on the small screen. She joined the soap opera Ryan’s Hope in 1985 as Ryan Fenelli Hyde, a role that she’d play for four years.
After her time on Ryan’s Hope concluded, she moved on to another soap opera, One Life to Live, for a brief stint.
Bleeth would also get an episode on the sitcom Herman’s Head before her big break came in 1993.
YASMINE BLEETH ON BAYWATCH
The popular TV series Baywatch had already been on the airwaves for four seasons when Yasmine Bleeth joined the cast midway through season 4. Her role as Caroline Holden was first meant to be recurring at best but she was such a hit that producers felt she needed more screen time.
Bleeth joined the cast as a regular starting with season 5 and for the next four years was a main focal point on Baywatch. Not only was she holding her own opposite series star David Hasselhoff, but she was also standing bathing suit to bathing suit with Baywatch beauties like Pamela Anderson, Alexandra Paul, Erika Eleniak, and Carmen Electra.
Yasmine Bleeth’s time on Baywatch also brought her widespread attention. In 1995, Bleeth was named to PEOPLE’s 50 Most Beautiful People list. From 1996-2001, Bleeth was one of FHM’s (a British men’s lifestyle magazine) 100 Sexist Women in the World. She was also named to the 100 Sexist Women in the World list from 2000-2003 in the U.S. version of FHM.
CONTINUING FAME FOR YASMINE BLEETH
When Yasmine Bleeth ended her Baywatch career (more on that in a bit), she moved to another popular series, Nash Bridges, opposite Don Johnson and Cheech Marin. She would hold onto that role for three years.
In between the end of her Baywatch years and the time she spent on Nash Bridges, Yasmine Bleeth also spent some time on the big screen. Her popularity brought her movies like Heaven or Vegas, BASEketball, Coming Soon, Undercover Angel, and Goodbye, Casanova.
THE AARON SPELLING EFFECT ON YASMINE BLEETH
Back in the day, Aaron Spelling *was* television. From the mid-‘60s until he passed away at the age of 83 in 2006, Spelling dominated television with an endless supply of hit series. In the ‘70s it was The Mod Squad, The Rookies, S.W.A.T., Charlie’s Angels, Vegas, and Starsky & Hutch.
In the ‘80s he brought to the small screen such biggies as Fantasy Island, Hart to Hart (both series began in the ‘70s), Dynasty, The Colbys, and Hotel. With the pull and power that Spelling had throughout television, he usually got what he wanted.
So, when the series Titans was being developed, Spelling wanted Bleeth. The problem was that Bleeth was still under contract with CBS and Nash Bridges. Spelling got what he wanted.
Unfortunately for Spelling and Titans, the show lasted one season and Bleeth’s rise to fame came with a cost.
BLEETH’S DOWNFALL
“I never expected to get into drugs,” Yasmine Bleeth said via PEOPLE from a Glamour article in 2003. The battle of drug addiction began as recreational use but quickly spiraled into something she was unable to kick. In her Glamour article, Bleeth described how during that time she would be taking care of her personal hygiene (“plucking my eyebrows, putting on tanning cream, doing a facial”) but it would be the instant gratification to her internet shopping that would satisfy a need. “Jut like the drugs.”
It was her drug addiction that would cause her removal from Baywatch. As Douglas Schwartz, Baywatch show producer revealed in a 2012 Esquire interview, “We had one issue with Yasmine Bleeth, who was doing drugs at the time,” he recalled via US Magazine. “And so we were dealing with Yasmine not showing up and having difficulties, again with men. That’s why we let Yasmine go off the show: because it was too difficult to deal with her after a while.”
REHAB, AN ARREST, AND MARRIAGE
Though Yasmine Bleeth was relieved of her Baywatch duties, it was an issue that she kept well-hidden. “…if I was sniffling, my publicist would tell people I had sinus problems.” Physically, the drugs were taking their toll though. In 1999, the actress would see her body size go from a 6 to a 0.
Everything would change for Bleeth in 2000 when she first checked into the posh Malibu rehab facility Promises (now closed down). Her dependency to cocaine had finally taken over her life and the only way out was rehab.
Almost one year later, after a supposed successful stint at Promises, Bleeth was arrested after driving into the median on a highway on Michigan. When authorities searched her vehicle, they found syringes with injectable cocaine.
The authorities then searched her nearby hotel room only to find more cocaine and drug paraphernalia.
The one good thing that came of all her troubles – she met her husband, strip club owner Paul Cerrito at Promises and the two ended up married in 2002. They are still married to this day.
DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT
Today, Yasmine Bleeth is virtually unrecognizable. After her final role in 2003, returning to her Baywatch roots in the TV movie Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding, Bleeth virtually disappeared. The former Baywatch star was last photographed at a 2003 engagement party and was not seen again until 2015 when she showed up in support of her husband on the 55th annual New Year’s Day Penguin Plunge.
Since then, Bleeth remained in the shadows, unseen until she was spotted by the paparazzi in 2020 while she walked her dog (pictured above). The 53-year-old looks nothing of her former self, though she does appear to be happy while walking her pup.
After 18 years away from Hollywood, it appears that Yasmine Bleeth may be giving it one more try. She is slotted to play the Baroness in a B-horror film called Beautiful Evil. Where she goes from there is anyone’s guess, let’s just hope she remains vigilant in her sobriety.
