Thanks to one of the best true crime shows in recent memory — Pam & Tommy — and Pamela Anderson’s own documentary on Netflix, Pamela: a love story, there’s been a lot of reflection over the past year or so about the marriage between the Baywatch star and Tommy Lee. The pair had a whirlwind romance in 1995 before becoming embroiled in their infamous sex tape scandal, but the Mötley Crüe drummer’s current wife downplayed that relationship in recent comments. Brittany Furlan called Heather Locklear — not Anderson (or herself) — “the love of his life,” as she opened up about being “very close” with the Melrose Place star.
Brittany Furlan, who married Tommy Lee in 2019, got real about her husband’s former marriages, saying that while much is made of his three-year partnership with Pamela Anderson, people forget he was married to Heather Locklear for much longer. Furlan spoke highly of the Dynasty actress, as she told People it’s important to her to try to stay friendly with Lee’s exes, saying:
There's a lot that goes on that I don’t share publicly that kept that from happening, [but Heather Locklear’s] very, very nice, so I've managed to have a relationship with her and I am so grateful for that. She tells me funny stories. Everyone glorifies his relationship with Pam, but he was married to Heather for [nearly] eight years!
While it’s true that Heather Locklear’s marriage to the rock star has so far lasted the longest of Tommy Lee’s four (his union with first wife Elaine Starchuk lasted a year from 1984 to 1985), Pamela Anderson is the mother of Lee’s two sons, Dylan and Brandon, so that probably adds some weight to the legitimacy of relationship. It also really can’t be overstated how much the couple’s stolen sex tape cemented their place in pop culture history.
However, it’s Heather Locklear who Brittany Furlan has formed a relationship with. She said they met through Tommy Lee and called her “the most kind, down-to-earth person.” Furlan continued to rave about the actress, saying:
She was the love of his life. I see it, because she's just a fun, sweet, caring, awesome person. Tommy even says he messed up in that relationship. He cheated on her. To this day, that's why they're still really good friends. … I yell at my husband, I'm like, 'I can't believe you cheated on her. She’s so cool.’ That was a different time. He was 25 years old, 26 years old. Not to make excuses, but he's a very different man now from all those years ago. You live and you learn.
The fact that the Mötley Crüe star and Heather Locklear had been divorced for over two decades by the time Brittany Furlan came into the picture likely helped with any possible weirdness, and it’s always good when unnecessary drama can be avoided, right? Furlan didn’t comment on her relationship with Pamela Anderson, but text messages she sent to Tommy Lee did cause a bit of a stink earlier this year.
If you want to watch Lily James and Sebastian Stan’s portrayals of the scandalized lovebirds, you can stream Pam & Tommy with a Hulu subscription, or you can get the story straight from the source by streaming Pamela: a love story via your Netflix subscription.
