Hayley Hasselhoff makes history with curvy 'Playboy' cover: 'Your body does not define you'

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Hayley Hasselhoff — the daughter of former Baywatch star David Hasselhoff — is making Playboy history.

On Wednesday, the 28-year-old proudly posted an image of the German cover on Instagram. "I am deeply humbled and honored to be the first ever curve model on a European cover of PLAYBOY @playboygermany," she wrote. "I am overcome with emotion around what this cover signifies for inclusivity and its greater purpose towards female empowerment. I wanted to use this platform to express that you have the power to love your body without hesitation because of societies’ standards of beauty."

Hayley, who recently launched a mental health space called "Check in With You from Hayley Hasselhoff" added, "My relationship with my body has always stemmed from my relationship with my mental wellbeing. With May being Mental Heath Awareness month, I feel empowered to be able to wake up and know that I get to live unapologetically myself. I hope to inspire women to face their fears of the unknown and to lead a life of purpose in which your body does not define you."

In a January article for Marie Claire UK, Hayley, who signed with Ford Models at age 14, reflected on her private struggle with childhood anxiety, as the topic was not normalized in her social circle. "…I didn’t know how to categorize it. It felt scary, unfamiliar and I would blame myself for not being able to be okay all of the time," she wrote. But her initiative seeks to create a judgement-free dialogue on mental health.

"If there is one thing I would tell my younger self it would be that you are worthy just as you are," Hayley wrote on Instagram. "Now, more than ever, we should be grounded in the exploration of self and feel encouraged to celebrate ourselves in ways that feel most authentic. I can only hope this cover will allow women to know that they are loved, valued and desired just as they are — right here, right now."

But what does David, who made a career out of sprinting down a California beach in red swimming trunks, think of his daughter's Playboy debut? "My dad is very supportive in the choices I make for my own career," Hayley told the Daily Mail. "My mom and my dad are always very supportive in everything that I have done." (Actress Pamela Bach is Hayley's mother).

She added, "To see the progression of where I've gone, to where I am today, I think they're both very, very supportive and they believe in me and all the choices I make in my own career, just like I do for them."

Hayley told the outlet that she wore her own lingerie for the Paris shoot after her stylist could not find clothing in her 16-18 size. "I am very, very proud of the photos — I think they look gorgeous."

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