Catherine Bach Doesn't Look Like 'Dukes of Hazzard' Anymore — After Spouse Died She Raised her 2 Girls

Catherine Bach grew in popularity in Hollywood when she starred in "The Dukes of Hazzard." The actress was unrecognizable from the days she wore her "Daisy Dukes" for the show, has since suffered a significant loss, and was forced to be a single mother.

In the late 1970s and 80s, Catherine Bach earned her name in the series "The Dukes of Hazzard" when she played the role of Daisy Duke. By 2022, it had been almost 40 years since the show ended.

Besides her acting, the star also got noticed as a sex symbol for the iconic hotpants known to fans as the "Daisy Dukes." However, in August 2022, Catherine was now 68 and quite different from that young woman all those years back.

She was spotted out and about for some clothing shopping in Los Angeles. This time, the actress swapped out the tiny shorts she was once famous for, for a pair of sensible workout pants.

Cathrine enjoyed the sun while photographed in an all-black workout ensemble, including matching sneakers. She visited the high-end grocery store Erewhon looking like the way a woman her age was supposed to.

The star sported brown sunglasses but the same looking tousled hairstyle. Her phone hung around her shoulder to her side in a cross-body case that looked like a handbag while she held on to a clear bottle.

What seemed to be another pair of sunglasses hung around the top of her neck. Catherine paid the paparazzi no mind as she went about her errands, and at one point, she was seen pointing in front of her as she spoke to someone.

CATHERINE'S LIFE AFTER "THE DUKES OF HAZZARD" - CHOOSING TO FOCUS ON FAMILY

Sadly for Catherine, her life failed to be smooth, and she lost her longtime husband. On April 30, 2010, entertainment lawyer Peter Lopez, her husband of 20 years, died by suicide, leading his wife's life to change.

Speaking to The Huffington Post in 2013, the actress confessed that the loss left her with more questions than answers. The star said Peter hadn't been an alcoholic or a substance abuser, and their financial matters were fine when her husband died.

So she and her children couldn't understand what had caused the suicide. Catherine and her oldest daughter read books to try and make sense of the loss but settled with the thought that Peter's trauma from his upbringing might've had something to do with the suicide.

After losing her husband, the actress had to be strong for their daughters, Laura Esmerelda and Sophia Isabella, because she realized they were her and her husband's legacy. The star spent the first year trying to get through it.

Her husband's law firm was still open because clients wanted assistance, and Catherine handled that. In 2013, the actress shared that she was considering writing a book to teach people how to protect themselves in sudden-death situations, with her adding:

"I like to think that Peter and I were the most prepared people ever because we took our responsibilities as parents so seriously."

The widow and her late husband ensured their family would be okay if something happened. In 2019, Catherine told Fox News that she was utterly overwhelmed when Peter died because she hadn't seen it coming.

She also wasn't sure how she'd get through it alone. Luckily, the star wasn't ashamed of talking about her loss and threw her energy into caring for her two girls to stop herself from falling apart.

One person noted how their mother started drinking in bed for five years while mourning. Another person revealed they used substances to get over the loss, but Catherine found both options beneath her, so instead, she attended group therapy and:

“I prayed a lot. I went to church a lot. I’m Catholic. I stayed very close to my priest who I really trust… It’s what kept me alive."

HOW BACH GOT HER "DUKES OF HAZZARD" ROLE AND THE BOND SHE HAS WITH HER CHILDREN

In 2017, Catherine opened up to Closer Weekly about how she was almost not cast for the role of Daisy Duke. She revealed that as half German and half Mexican, her agency told her:

"'You’re way too exotic and just not television material’ — and they fired me!”

However, she was determined to prove the agency wrong. At the time, David Shaw, her first husband, worked with the show's writer, Bob Clark, who engaged closely with the series creator Gy Waldron.

Catherine [Bach] still looked incredible while out with Sophia [Lopez], then 20.

Clark thought it would be fun if they met someone he'd based the series on. Catherine told her girlfriend that she wouldn't try for the role after they'd been looking for their Daisy for a year.

The series wanted someone who was meant to be blonde, like country star Dolly Parton and not the actress. Luckily, the star's friend encouraged her to try for it anyway, and two weeks later, Catherine had the role!

Peter's widow revealed that she helped design her character's costume and gushed that everyone still thought of her as "the All-American girl." The role has since been relegated to the back of her priorities as she focused on her children.

In 2016, Catherine still looked incredible while out with Sophia, then 20. The actress and her daughter dined together in West Hollywood at Craig's, a restaurant frequented by celebrities.

The star was dressed in a plunging and figure-hugging black dress during that outing. It reached just below her knees and was cinched at the waist with a thin black leather belt and completed with matching heels and a black quilted Chanel handbag.

The actress' eldest daughter matched her mother in skinny black pants and a semi-sheer feminine white lace top. She completed her stunning look with black open-toe strapped heels.

It appeared that Catherine was also quite close to her other daughter, who was then 17. However, Laura was nowhere to be found during the West Hollywood outing.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.