Donna D’Errico is looking back on the more challenging moments of her life before she found success on Baywatch.
“I was homeless for a while. I was homeless for about three months, way in the beginning before Baywatch,” D’Errico, 56, exclusively told 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 L.A. that contains one of the largest populations of unhoused 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’re a solid part of the community, too.”
“They’re not just outcasts and stuff that everybody looks down on. A lot of people do feel like that, but they shouldn’t be made to feel like that because we’re all people. Some of us have homes to live in, and some of us, unfortunately, don’t,” D’Errico said. “So, they’re categorized in the homeless group. But I don’t like doing that. We’re all people, and some are better off than others, and I want them to know that they’re important and valuable parts of society too.”
While D’Errico reflected on her past, she noted that it’s important for her to give back to the community and the homeless population in L.A. because, like herself, she knows people who have been impacted by homelessness.
“Homelessness has touched me in several 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’s cause, while thanking the organization for the opportunity to give back. “Thank you to @thelamission for allowing me to come volunteer these past many years,” she wrote in a post shared in December 2024. “We served hundreds of Christmas meals today to a great many lovely people who are down on their luck.”
Everything changed for D’Errico when she booked the role of Donna Marco — a blonde bombshell lifeguard in the classic series Baywatch. Since then, she’s primarily focused on her work as an animal rights advocate.
D’Errico was set up with her ex-husband, Nikki Six of Mötley Crüe, by her Baywatch co-star Pamela Anderson, who was previously married to Mötley Crüe member 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, which has earned Anderson high critical praise for her performance, D’Errico said she hasn’t but added, “Whatever she’s got going on, I’m sure it’s fantastic.”
With reporting by Mariel Turner
