As hard as it is to gauge so many things regarding the current state of pop culture, from TV ratings to box office wins, celebrity memoirs rarely fail to capture the attention of the masses, particularly when it comes to shocking revelations. As such, an ever-growing amount of anticipation has been building ahead of Pamela Anderson releasing her new book, titled Love, Pamela. Sure enough, some of the Baywatch star’s stories from the impending publication have started to spread early, and one such bombshell involves Anderson claiming her former Home Improvement co-star Tim Allen flashed his penis at her on the set of the ABC sitcom, when she was 23 years old.
According to Anderson’s claim, Tim Allen’s alleged flashing took place concurrent to the start of filming, indicating that nearly her entire tenure on the network comedy would have happened with that perverse incident in her memory. He has since responded to the allgation. Here’s how she explained it in Love, Pamela, according to Variety:
On the first day of filming, I walked out of my dressing room, and Tim was in the hallway in his robe. He opened his robe and flashed me quickly — completely naked underneath. He said it was only fair, because he had seen me naked. Now we’re even. I laughed uncomfortably.
No further context from the book was shared, although it was noted by the outlet that Tim Allen was not available for a response.
Filming for Home Improvement's pilot episode reportedly took place in April 1991, three months ahead of Pamela Anderson's 24th birthday. Less than two years prior, Anderson appeared as the cover girl for Playboy's October 1989 issue, becoming its Playmate of the Month in February 1990, sparking nationwide interest in the Canadian model. It was after her initial Playboy fame that she'd moved to Los Angeles, eventually joining the Home Improvement cast as "Tool Time Girl" Lisa, which she stuck with for two seasons, though with far fewer appearances in Season 2. It's unclear if or how the alleged flashing played into her decision to leave the show, which coincided with her landing the career-exploding role of C.J. on Baywatch.
Tim Allen would have been 37 years old at the time, and had spent part of the prior year developing the sitcom's concept with co-creators Carmen Finestra, David McFadzean, and Matt Williams. The comedian, whose real name is Timothy Dick, landed the sitcom based on the success of his stand-up comedy, which was largely fueled by the same machismo vibe that went into the character of Tim Taylor.
Pamela Anderson made plenty of headlines in the last year based in part on her not speaking out much about Hulu's 2022 release Pam & Tommy, which starred Lily James and Sebastian Stan in the titular roles. Beyond alleged second-hand disinterest, Anderson remained largely mum about the caper-driven series that dramatized the period of time surrounding the former couple's infamous sex tape being stolen and sold to the public, though she's since confirmed that James reached out ahead of time (though to no avail). All that said, fans will be able to finally hear her thoughts about Pam & Tommy in the upcoming memoir.
Love, Pamela will hit stores and online retailers on Tuesday, January 31, so be sure to pick up a copy. Fans can also catch Anderson in the 2023 horror movie Alone at Night from director Jimmy Giannopoulos, which co-stars Wednesday’s Luis Guzmán and Pretty Little Liars vet Ashley Benson, and also features an appearance from Paris Hilton.
