Catherine Bach says she is 'on the up' after health scare

Dukes of Hazzard star Catherine Bach says she is "on the up" after a serious health scare. Speaking to PEOPLE at a Nov. 9 fundraiser in Beverly Hills, she described her 2025 hospitalization as "very serious" and said her family helped her through it. Her update is short, but it gives readers their first detailed account in her own words.

Who Catherine Bach is

Catherine Bach was born Catherine Bachman in Warren, Ohio, and studied at the University of California, Los Angeles, according to her Wikipedia entry. She is best known for playing Daisy Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard, the CBS series. Her Wikipedia entry also notes earlier film roles, including Thunderbolt and Lightfoot in 1974.

After the series ended, Bach took roles in lower-profile films and television. She starred in the Canadian family drama African Skies from 1992 to 1994, and in 2012 she joined the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless as Anita Lawson. For Los Angeles readers, the soap and her long career in the city are part of why her health update matters.

What she told PEOPLE

Speaking at Cure Addiction Now's third annual Fundraising Evening, held at the Beverly Hills Hotel to raise money for substance use disorder research, Bach said she is "on the up." "I'm good ... Everything's on the up and up," she told PEOPLE. "It was very serious. Yeah. It was a very serious situation."

Her daughter, Laura Lopez, attended with her and told PEOPLE that her mother is "back and better than ever." Bach said Lopez "took care of me during that time" while she dealt with her health issues. Lopez is 28, according to the report.

What happened in 2025

Fox News reported, as cited by PEOPLE, that Bach was hospitalized in October 2025 after developing an embolism following surgery. She was scheduled to appear at Cooter's Place in Nashville at the time, and she canceled.

Her former Dukes of Hazzard co-stars spoke publicly. John Schneider wrote on Facebook that he had texted Bach, who responded right away, and that she assured him she was going to be fine. He wrote that she was "truly disappointed not to be traveling" that weekend. Ben Jones, who has since died, also wrote on Facebook, as quoted by Parade magazine, that Bach had been admitted to a Los Angeles hospital on an emergency basis, and that the embolism probably developed after a recent surgery.

What she plans for the holidays

Bach told PEOPLE the family will be home for the holidays. She has three dogs, and her mother is 96. Asked about a New Year's bucket list, Lopez said, "Just health, happiness." Bach replied, "Health, wealth for everybody ... And good times."

Why fans care

For many viewers, Bach is the face of Daisy Duke, and Their public messages in 2025 showed how close the cast remains. When a long-running TV star has a health scare, the fans who grew up with the show tend to follow the update closely.

Our take

Bach's account is short, but it covers what matters most to her: she is recovering, and her family is close. For Los Angeles readers who watched her on TV or on The Young and the Restless, this is good news from a familiar face. We wish her a healthy holiday season.

What is your favorite memory of Dukes of Hazzard? Tell us in the comments below, or post about it on the community board.

Where this comes from

The quotes and details about her 2025 hospitalization and holiday plans come from PEOPLE's Nov. 10 exclusive interview. The Fox News and Parade references come from PEOPLE's account of those reports. Her career details come from her Wikipedia entry.

What do you think? Tell us in the comments below, or post about it on the community board.

LA This Weekend Team