Donna D’Errico Remembers Being Homeless Before Starring in ‘Baywatch’

Donna D’Errico looks back on the more challenging moments of her life before she found success Watching the Bay.

“I was homeless for a while. I was homeless for about three months, well into the beginning Watching the Bay,” D’Errico, 56, said alone Us Weekly while attending the Los Angeles Mission’s annual Christmas celebration. During the event, D’Errico gave back by providing food to others experiencing homelessness on Skid Row, a neighborhood in LA that has one of the largest populations of homeless people in the country.

“I understand, and I sympathize with their plight,” the actress continued, adding that “it’s important” for people experiencing homelessness “to know that they are a solid part of the community too.”

“They are not just outcasts and things that everyone looks down on. Many people feel that way, but they shouldn’t be made to feel that way because we are all human. Some of us have homes to live in, and unfortunately, some of us don’t,” D’Errico said. “Therefore, they are categorized in the homeless group. But I don’t like to do that. We are all people, and some are better off than others, and I want them to know that they are important and valuable parts of society too.”

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While D’Errico reflected on her past, she noted that it was important for her to do so give back to the community and the homeless population in LA because, like her, she knows people who have been affected by homelessness.

“Homelessness has touched me in many different ways,” she shared. “I’ve had family who were homeless for a while, friends who were homeless for a while.”

D’Errico also took to Instagram to share her support for the LA Mission cause, while thanking the organization for the opportunity to give back. “Thank you to @thelamission for allowing me to become a volunteer over the last few years,” he wrote in a post shared in December 2024. “We served hundreds of Christmas meals today to a lot of lovely down on their luck people .”

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Everything changed for D’Errico when she booked the role of Donna Marco – a blonde bombshell lifeguard in the classic series Watching the Bay. Since then, she has focused mainly on her work as an animal rights advocate.

D’Errico was set up with her ex-husband, Nikki Six of Mötley Crüe, by her Watching the Bay co-star Pamela Andersonwho was previously married to a member of Mötley Crüe Tommy Lee. D’Errico and Sixx married in 1996 and officially divorced in 2007.

When asked if D’Errico has seen Anderson’s latest film, The last showgirl, who has earned Anderson high praise for her performance, D’Errico said he hasn’t added, “Whatever she’s going on with, I’m sure it’s great.”

With reports by Mariel Turner