'It's the Wildest Thing': Hayley Hasselhoff Reveals the Signs Her Mother Pamela Bach Has Given Her 5 Months After Her Death

Hayley Hasselhoff said her late mom, Pamela Bach, is still with her — in the most unexpected ways.

The 32-year-old actress opened up about the emotional signs she's felt since losing her mom five months ago. In a candid sit-down, Hasselhoff shared how certain moments have made her feel like Bach is still guiding her through life.

“We got offered to go and attend the Cannes Film Festival prior to my mother’s passing,” Hasselhoff revealed. “And then, after my mother’s passing, it didn’t feel authentic for me to attend unless we paid homage to my mother because she actually was in attendance in Cannes the last year.”

When it came time for the red carpet, she wore a gown inspired by her mom’s 1996 Golden Globes look — a Jimmy Gamba piece Bach once wore herself — but what really made an impact was what happened after the trip.

“When I got back from the Cannes Film Festival, I had pulled out one photo album, and I brought it home with me,” she said. When she finally opened it, she was overwhelmed.

“It’s the wildest thing,” she said through tears. “I’m going to get emotional. It’s pictures of our family in Cannes [when sister Taylor Ann Hasselhoff and I were] kids, and I [thought], ‘Out of every photo album that I could have just stumbled across, bringing home and not even looking in, the fact that it’s this one?’ I think it’s just reminding me that my mom is with me in every step, and she’s cheering me on. I know that she knows how much work is a saving grace for me and how much I love what I do.”

Pamela, who was married to David Hasselhoff from 1989 to 2006, was found dead in her Los Angeles home on March 5. She was 61. The L.A. County Medical Examiner confirmed the cause of death as suicide by gunshot.

Now, almost half a year later, Hayley is just trying to keep moving forward the best she can, “moment by moment.”

“Grief has many faces, and with that, I’m giving myself grace in living without self-judgement,” she shared, explaining that she’s been on a rollercoaster of emotions since March. “Navigating a heavy heart, I’ve chosen to lead with love and strive to make my mother proud with every step forward.”

She added that holding onto the things that make her happy — like her career — has been essential.

“It’s so important during these periods of time to hold on to the things that still bring you joy, and work is that for me,” she said. “So I’m going to hold on to that, and I’m going to continue. She was my biggest supporter.”

Hayley’s also made it her mission to support others going through the same pain.

“I’ve been in this mental health community for many, many years prior to my mom’s passing,” she explained. “I’ve worked with so many different non-profits prior to this, and a lot of those conversations that we’ve had prior are around suicide prevention, but they don’t touch on death."

“So, after the loss of my mother, it felt like it was only authentic for me to continue [taking] the story forward with the knowledge that I’ve just gained in a perspective of: How do we protect somebody’s legacy and dignity after death by suicide and love on them in a way that you would after any unexpected passing, so they can transcend with peace and love and light?” she said.

Parade interviewed Hayley.