Actor, curve model pioneer, and longtime mental health advocate Hayley Hasselhoff joins Karena Dawn for an honest conversation about losing her mother and the year of transformation that followed. Hayley shares how grief reshaped her relationships, her career, and her sense of self, and walks through the personalized mental health toolbox she's relied on since childhood struggles with OCD and anxiety. She also reflects on becoming a curve modeling pioneer at 14, the confidence lessons she's learned along the way, and her ongoing work with Project Healthy Minds and NAMI.
How do you find your worth again after losing the person who knew you best, and learn to become your own biggest cheerleader?
Grief doesn't follow a rulebook. Rebuilding your sense of self after loss means learning to fill your own cup first.
Timestamped Highlights
(00:26) Grief, Loss, and Learning to Carry Her Mother With Her
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Hayley on why she'll always describe herself as "okay" rather than "good"
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What the year following her mother's passing taught her that grief itself didn't
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How she still feels her mother's presence guiding her decisions
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Why she refuses to live with regret during this season of her life
(11:59) From 14 Year Old Curve Model to Body Positivity Pioneer
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How Hayley got signed at 14 and what it was like growing up in front of the camera
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The unexpected confidence boost that came from being surrounded by other curve models
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How her family's support shaped her ability to express herself through art
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What she'd tell a young girl struggling to find her own confidence today
(32:16) Building a Mental Health Toolbox That Actually Works
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Hayley's long private struggle with OCD, anxiety, and panic attacks
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The moment that pushed her to finally speak publicly about her mental health
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How Redefine You and her partnership with Project Healthy Minds came to be
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Her one piece of advice for anyone questioning their own worth
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