Alert – 14470779: Friends reveal her secret heartache, missed warning signs… and the decision that ‘could have saved her life’

The tragic suicide of David Hasselhoff’s ex-wife Pamela Bach-Hasselhoff has sent shockwaves across the globe.

Just weeks ago, the 62-year-old former actress was pictured posing happily with her grandchildren. 

Then, on Wednesday night, she was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her $2million Hollywood Hills mansion.

Adding to the heartbreak is the fact it was her own daughter, Hayley, who found her body, and was heard hysterically screaming and crying at the scene.

The authorities have said there was no suicide note found at the house. But close friends of Bach-Hasselhoff left ‘crushed’ by her death have now revealed fears they missed crucial warning signs.

They told the Daily Mail that Bach-Hasselhoff never fully recovered from the fallout of her divorce, and believe her recent decision to avoid attending charity events ‘could have been a cry for help that they missed’.

A source close to the late actress and her family explained: ‘On February 10, Pamela’s close friend Monique Woolley invited her to the Monique Woolley Foundation’s gala, which supports survivors of suicide. The event was scheduled for February 15, just a week later.

‘Pamela was always open to attending events, especially ones that were thrown by her close friends. However, she replied that she wouldn’t attend but would love to meet Monique for drinks sometime to catch up.’

Close friends of David Hasselhoff’s late ex-wife Pamela Bach-Hasselhoff believe she ‘never fully recovered’ from her divorce, a source told the Daily Mail

The source said friends have been left ‘crushed’ after missing out on signs that she was in low mental state as she continued to deal with fallout from her divorce

The insider continued: ‘At the time, it seemed kind of odd that she did not want to go. After hearing the news, Monique and others are crushed and they believe that this could have been a cry for help that they missed. 

‘They believe that attending this event could have potentially saved her life. She was depressed in the past couple of years, but no one expected this.’

Bach-Hasselhoff was married to the Baywatch star, 72, from 1989 to 2006, when he filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. 

The pair had a contentious divorce; she accused him of domestic abuse and they had public arguments about spousal support continuing until 2017. 

Hasselhoff denied all allegations of abuse, telling TMZ in a statement: ‘David Hasselhoff categorically denies that he has engaged in the conduct alleged by his wife.’

The actor added that he would not make further comment ‘out of consideration for his children.’

The former couple shared two daughters, 32-year-old Hayley and 34-year-old Taylor. Bach-Hasselhoff is also survived by a granddaughter named London, who Taylor welcomed with her husband Madison Fiore in August 2024.  

The insider noted that the long-lasting tension after the split took a toll on Bach-Hasselhoff’s wellbeing.

‘Pamela’s relationship with David was deeply troubled. Her friends believe that their 17-year marriage, left lasting scars on Pamela that she never fully recovered from,’ the source said.

Bach-Hasselhoff who worked as an actress, was found dead at her $2million Hollywood Hills home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Wednesday night

The insider revealed: ‘Monique and others are crushed and they believe that this could have been a cry for help that they missed [when she pulled out of an event]’ (Bach’s home pictured)

‘Taylor’s friends are especially worried now, as she was incredibly close to her mother, who considered Taylor a source of light in her life,’ they added.

Taylor also worked in the entertainment business as an actress and singer, starring in shows such as the original Baywatch, and is now a fitness instructor and luxury real estate agent.  

‘In the last few weeks of her life, Pamela shared many special moments with her daughter. Pamela was also deeply in love with her grandchild.’  

The source claimed the family was left somewhat fractured following the pair’s messy divorce.

Indeed, Hasselhoff complained several times about the $21,000 a month alimony he had to pay his ex-wife.

He also cited his own reduced income of $112,000 at the time, and eventually saw his payments lowered to $10,000 per month in 2016.

Eventually, his payment went down to $5,000 a month from 2017 until 2020.

However, the Viper actress later hit back and in legal documents argued she had made ‘good faith and reasonable efforts’ to secure work as an actress, but given her age, ‘the current market for actresses’ and the time she took out to raise her family, hadn’t been successful.

The insider continued: ‘They believe that attending this event could have potentially saved her life. She was depressed… but no one expected this’ (image shared on Dec 31)

Bach-Hasselhoff is survived by two daughters, Hayley and Taylor, and granddaughter London

She argued David made around $1 million a year still, whereas her prime earning years were spent raising their daughters and taking care of their home so the ‘Knightrider’ star could pursue his own career.

The source added: ‘Over the past decade, many in the industry tried to discredit Pamela due to her outspoken comments about David and their troubled marriage. 

‘Given David’s influence, it was heartbreaking to watch Pamela face constant negativity from his supporters for speaking her truth.

‘He battled with her both in and out of court, even trying to cut off the spousal support he owed her, which was a major point of contention.’ 

The insider continued: ‘Pamela never fully recovered from their divorce, making it especially inappropriate for David to release a statement on behalf of the family before anyone else had the chance to speak.’

Shortly after news of Bach-Hasselhoff’s death spread, a representative for Hasselhoff told the Daily Mail: ‘Our family is deeply saddened by the recent passing of Pamela Hasselhoff. 

‘We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time but we kindly request privacy as we grieve and navigate through this challenging time.’

TMZ was first to report Bach-Hasselhoff’s death. Paramedics were called to her house on reports of an unconscious woman shortly after 10pm Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, Bach-Hasselhoff’s ‘dearest’ friend told the Daily Mail that the actress had seemed ‘so happy and excited’ about her new granddaughter and was planning to move house to focus on the baby.

Hayley reposted an Instagram carousel showing her parents attending the opening of Jurassic Park: The Ride at Universal Studios in 1996. She captioned the post with a simple heart emoji

The insider continued: ‘Pamela never fully recovered from their divorce, making it especially inappropriate for David to release a statement on behalf of the family before anyone else’

Tracy Lynch Britton, 69, said she couldn’t ‘wrap her head’ around the news when she was informed by the Daily Mail of her pal’s passing on Thursday morning.

‘I’m just so stunned because there was so much happiness in her life. Everybody has their ups and downs, but her, not to this degree,’ Britton said.

‘I spoke to her just about a week or so ago. She was needing some help because she decided she wanted to sell her house. We talked so much about her granddaughter.’

Britton also revealed that Bach-Hasselhoff was finally on good terms with her ex and recalled: ‘I was with her at a Tom Jones concert a few months ago. We ran into David. He was lovely to her.

‘It was a really sweet moment. It was not anything but kind. She was so excited to see him, and he was excited to see her.’

However, Bach-Hasselhoff’s neighbor John Osiecki, 70, told the Daily Mail that he and his wife Hiromi kept their distance from the star due to the ‘drama’ she caused in the neighborhood.

‘Our gardener said “don’t ever tell her my phone number, she wants to hire me, but I don’t want to work for her. She’s crazy. She smokes too much marijuana”,’ Hiromi said.

‘Then one time she saw my gardener was working in my yard, came into my yard and talked to him. It was trespassing. I was really uncomfortable.’

She said both Pamela’s next-door neighbors got into arguments with her over issues such as trash cans and parking spaces, and added that Pamela ‘got a really huge pit bull-type dog’ which bit another neighbor’s smaller dog, leading to a fight about veterinary bills.

David Hasselhoff, Pamela Bach, and daughters Taylor Hasselhoff and Hayley Hasselhoff 

Hiromi added: ‘I wanted to stay away from her. She told my husband she wanted to hire me as an assistant. I was like, “no way”. It was such an odd thing to say to my husband. I didn’t want anything to do with her.’

Despite the tensions they had with their neighbor, John noted that her death had been ‘shocking’. 

‘She was chatty. She would talk to a lot of people when she walked her dogs. She didn’t seem like the type of person who would want to kill herself,’ he said.

Bach-Hasselhoff’s debut movie role was Francis Ford Coppola’s Rumble Fish in 1983.

She met Hasselhoff on the set of Knight Rider. Then in 1989, she also snared a role in Baywatch, playing café owner Kaye Morgan. 

Some of her other TV roles included jobs on The Young and the Restless, The Fall Guy and Sirens.

She did not return to acting in recent years but appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2011. 

Bach-Hasselhoff was regularly active on Instagram, where she shared images with her family until December.

Her last post on December 31 said: ‘Happy New Year, everyone! As we step into 2025, my heart is full of gratitude, especially for my precious grandbaby, London.

‘Watching her grow and seeing her smile light up my world is truly the greatest blessing. My wish for all of you this year is health, happiness, and an abundance of love. May 2025 be filled with beautiful moments, laughter, and all the blessings your hearts can hold. Here’s to a year of making cherished memories, spreading joy, and embracing every precious moment!’

Ever the doting mother, her final social media comment was a love heart eyes emoji under a sultry snap posted by her daughter Hayley on Instagram just hours before Bach-Hasselhoff’s body was found.