After decades of seeing her life’s stories being told by the rest of the world, Pamela Anderson stepped up and took ownership of her legacy in a two-fold manner, both with the now-released memoir Love, Pamela and the documentary Pamela, a love story (which is streaming now with a Netflix subscription). The attention-grabbing actress and model’s surprisingly frank and candid new projects come in the aftermath of Hulu’s largely acclaimed true crime series Pam & Tommy, which dramatized her roller coaster relationship with rocker Tommy Lee, and the crimes surrounding their infamous sex tape. 25 years after the pair divorced, the Baywatch vet has shared that they still communicate from time to time.
As hard as it may be to believe, Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee were only betrothed for three years, from 1995-1998, though their relationship and romance has become the stuff of celebrity legend, as unfair as that may be to both of them. Speaking with Ronan Farrow for Interview Magazine, she addressed Lee’s absence from her Netflix documentary, saying their son Brandon would likely have more insight into why he didn’t appear, but said they have had some positive conversations over the years. In her words:
I’ve spoken to Tommy a few times. It’s always cordial and we ramble to each other sometimes and I can tell we miss each other’s voice. But he’s moved on. He has a wife. And the last thing I want to do is be disruptive in anyone’s life. Not that I could be. They’re probably like, ‘Oh god, here she goes again.’ But it’s part of my story.
Even though very few people in the world have had romances that were on par with Anderson and Lee, I think many would understand how it feels to be able to somewhat easily reconnect with a former significant other and fall back into the same kind of communication patterns. Despite any and all of the problems that arose for them, from the sex tape robbery to the domestic disputes to career setbacks, it appears nothing could completely squash the basic connection that drew them together to begin with. Which is a great thing for all involved, especially sons Brandon and Dylan. The duo were a big part of the documentary process with director Ryan White, who has praised the actress for her endless honesty amidst publicized allegations about Tim Allen reportedly flashing her during Home Improvement days, and about Sylvester Stallone's alleged offers.
Anderson name-checked Tommy Lee elsewhere in the interview when asked how her many years as a sex symbol affected and played into other romances. She said:
Well, it brought a lot of interesting attention. With Tommy and I, we had such a wild and romantic passion-fueled life. And then everybody else just paled in comparison. Literally, Tommy put full armor on and would ride in on a horse.
Not that she sounds like she wants to return to that or anything, as she’s now obviously at a far different stage in life than she was during that tumultuous point in her early 20s. And it isn’t just because she’s been living in her Canadian homeland as of late.
Fans can check out a lot more of Pamela Anderson’s wild and shocking stories (including those about her boob jobs) through Netflix’s Pamela, a love story, which is currently streaming, and her memoir Love, Pamela, which is available to purchase everywhere.
