David Hasselhoff's divorcewatch is heating up now that previously sealed documents have been released to the public.
In the court papers, which were filed earlier this month to support a restraining order request by the actor's estranged wife, actress Pamela Bach, but not released until Thursday, Hasselhoff is accused of both verbal and physical abuse.
Hasselhoff, 53, filed for divorce from Bach, 42, on Jan. 12 after a little more than 16 years of marriage. She filed her own divorce petition the following day. The split was initially characterized by the couple's camp as amicable; each was granted temporary custody of one of their daughters, Taylor, 15, and Hayley, 13, although it is unknown which daughter went with which parent.
But Bach's court papers indicate that things quickly soured. She claims that twice in the month after filing for divorce--on Feb. 18 and Feb. 24--Hasselhoff terrorized her. On Feb. 18, while she was headed to Hasselhoff's Westwood apartment to exchange custody of Hayley. On her way over, she claimed he called and threatened her, leading her to fear for her safety, abort her drive over and hire a personal security guard on the spot.
In the documents, she claimed the former Knight Rider vowed to "break through my security gate, drive his car through the house, beat the door down and go into the house and take my [sic] all of my jewelry and sell it." (Portions of the heavily redacted documents can be viewed online at TMZ.com.)
A similar incident occurred on Feb. 24, resulting in police coming to her home. However, the officers declined to issue Bach an emergency protective order.
She further alleged that in December of last year, Hasselhoff "grabbed me and pushed me hard into a car. In the past, he has also broken my nose and called me 'whore,' 'c--t,' 'bitch,' 'slut' and 'drug addict' in front of our children."
Bach did deny, however, that the actor had ever threatened her with a weapon, despite rumors to the contrary stemming from a judge's order earlier this month for Hasselhoff to relinquish any firearms he may possess.
On Mar. 6, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark A. Juhas refused to grant Bach a temporary restraining order on grounds of alleged domestic abuse, but did sign an order barring the "Hooked on a Feeling" singer from contacting or harassing his wife.
Juhas ordered Hasselhoff to stay at least 100 yards away from Bach unless he is exercising child visitation rights, give up any guns or firearms in his possession, cease making derogatory comments about her in front of their children, and refrain from selling, transferring or otherwise hiding any current assets from his wife in preparation for the divorce proceedings.
The judge further ordered both actors to submit to a psychiatric child custody evaluation to be performed by a mental health specialist.
Hasselhoff claimed in a court declaration that "for the last few years of our marriage" Bach had abused prescription and illegal drugs and behaved in a generally "volatile and erratic manner."
Both are due back in court Apr. 4 for a hearing to determine whether the temporary restraining order should be extended up to three years.