Hasselhoff Filmed Himself Hammered to See What He Was Like

May 3, 2007— -- Most actors complain, and some even sue, when their private moments are caught on tape and aired publicly.

Take Kim Kardashian's case, for example. Recently, the socialite and friend to the stars won $5 million in damages from Vivid Entertainment after the company released her personal sex tape.

David Hasselhoff appeared in his own home video and quite the opposite happened.

In the video, which has appeared online on Jossip.com and elsewhere, the actor sits on the floor in a Las Vegas hotel room. He is shirtless, and he appears so inebriated that he cannot even eat a burger.

According to "Extra," which spoke to Hasselhoff's attorneys, Hasselhoff asked to be taped. Hasselhoff reportedly wanted to see first-hand how he behaved under the influence.

Cry for Help or a Helpless Cry?

In the video, a worried family member, believed to be his daughter, talks in the background.

"If you get alcohol tonight, you are fired from the show ["The Producers"] tomorrow and the doctor is coming over here in the morning to check your alcohol level. If you have any alcohol in your system, you are going to be fired from the show."

Hasselhoff's estranged wife, Pamela Bach, expressed alarm at the video.

"He's saying he released the tape ... [and] if that's true, it's sad, it's sick," she told ABC News' "Good Morning America." "I don't want my daughter taping him and involving herself just so he can see himself intoxicated. She is not the parent, and I don't want her playing the parental role. It's very upsetting. This is an obvious cry for help.

"I feel sorry for him," Bach added. "We've been trying to get him help for years. This is nothing new. It's just a sad situation and unfortunate for the girls to see their father this way for so many years. I'm just trying to take care of my girls right now they are my utmost concern."

Hasselhoff and Bach have been at odds recently. Last March, Bach filed a domestic violence complaint against the Hasselhoff, though he denied the allegations.

The former "Baywatch" lifeguard continues to fight alcoholism, a battle that was first made public when he checked into the Betty Ford Center in 2002. Hasselhoff entered the rehab center, and à la Britney Spears, left the center after just one day.

In an interview with TV Guide, Hasselhoff said he went out the night he left the center to have one more night of fun before he was rushed, unconscious, to a local hospital. Hasselhoff said he realized he had finally hit "rock bottom." He then checked himself back into the clinic, and his publicist released a statement, admitting Hasselhoff was seeking help for a drinking problem.

An Unfinished Battle

As seen in the video, Hasselhoff is still struggling with his illness.

Since his stint in rehab, Hasselhoff has continued to make headlines for his reported drunken behavior.

In 2004, Hasselhoff was ordered to attend an alcohol treatment program for six months after a drunken driving charge.

And just last year, British tabloids reported Hasselhoff was drunk and "reeking of booze" and not allowed on board a flight out of London's Heathrow Airport. Hasselhoff's publicist, Judy Katz, denied the allegations, and said he was sick and asked to be put on a later flight.

'Lonely' and Troubled

In the disturbing video, Hasselhoff promises to his present company that he will stop drinking. The person repeatedly begs him to stop.

"Tell me you are going to stop, tell me you are going to stop," she says.

Eventually, Hasselhoff answers with a mumbled, "Yep? Yes? Mmmhmm."

When asked why he would do this to himself, Hasselhoff said, "Cause, I'm lonely. I have trouble in my life."

The person responded, "You have me."

To which Hasselhoff replied, "I don't have you in my life ... bulls-- ... I don't have you ... I don't have you."

Katz was not available to comment herself, though she did send the following statement from her client to ABC News:

"I am a recovering alcoholic. ... Unfortunately, one evening I did have a brief relapse, but part of recovery is relapse. Because of my honest and positive relationship with my daughters who were concerned for my well being there was a tape made that night to show me what I was like. I have seen the tape. I have learned from it. ...The tape was never meant to become public, but got into the hands of individuals who are not worthy of mentioning, who maliciously released the tape for their own self purpose. I hope that someone else will learn from the tape, as I have."

ABC News' Andrea Canning contributed to this report.