Photo: Dfree / Shutterstock.com
She's paving the way for body diversity.
By Alice Kelly — Written on Apr 14, 2021
Hayley Hasselhoff just became the first plus-size curve model to appear nude on the cover of a European edition of Playboy.
More specifically, Hasselhoff posed for Playboy Germany, making history for plus-size women in the process.
28-year-old Hasselhoff is the oldest daughter of actor David Hasselhoff, and is already known for celebrating body positivity and inclusivity online.
She shared her nude Playboy cover with her 100,000 followers on Instagram.
"I am deeply humbled and honored to be the first-ever curve model on a European cover of PLAYBOY," she wrote in the caption. "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."
Check out Hayley Hasselhoff's beautiful nude Playboy cover below:
Hasselhoff, who began modeling at 14, is an advocate for mental health awareness online and recently launched a mental health space called "Check in With You."
She says struggled with anxiety as a teenager and wants to use her platform to break down stigmas and open up conversations around mental health.
Hasselhoff hopes to use her Playboy photoshoot to bring awareness to the connection between body image and mental health by encouraging others to embrace their bodies.
"My relationship with my body has always stemmed from my relationship with my mental wellbeing. With May being Mental Health Awareness month, I feel empowered to be able to wake up and know that I get to live unapologetically myself,” she wrote on Instagram.
“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."
Hasselhoff is aware of the struggles that plus-size women face in the modeling industry and in media in general.
She also revealed that she even had to wear her own lingerie for the shoot, as the stylist could not find clothing for her 16-18 size.
How did David Hasselhoff react to his daughter’s Playboy cover?
Hasselhoff’s father is no stranger to either German fans or to posing partially nude in red garments.
The former "Baywatch" star is supportive of his daughter’s career.
In her post, she also spoke about her parents’ encouragement.
"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."
Hasselhoff joins a limited number of other plus-size women who have graced the covers of international Playboy magazines.
In 2016, Fluvia Lacerda became the first plus-size model to grab the cover of any Playboy magazine with her shoot for Playboy Brazil.
Molly Constable, a plus-size model from New York, appeared in a photoshoot for Playboy’s online editorial in 2017.
And Ali Chanel became Playboy’s “curviest ever” playmate in 2020.
These beautiful women are part of the new wave of Playboy as envisioned by Cooper Hefner, who took over the publication from his father, Hugh Hefner, in 2017.
He has expressed a desire to rebrand a more inclusive Playboy, telling audiences at the time, "Creating something that resonates with my generation and the generation that comes after mine is how I'll measure my accomplishments."
Alice Kelly is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York. Catch her covering all things social justice, news, and entertainment. Keep up with her on Twitter for more.