How Pamela Anderson Hid Her Heartbreak and Dreams of a Stable Family Behind the Mask of a Candid Blonde
Work on the sensational series Pam and Tommy started back in 2018. The creators of the show tried to be as accurate as possible in portraying a snippet from the life of the hottest blonde of the ’90s, Pamela Anderson, and her musician husband Tommy Lee. Makeup artists spent hours making the actors look like the spitting image of the famous couple, while designers labored on recreating the interiors of each location. All in all, the project promised to amaze audiences.
But instead of being delighted, the real Pamela was horrified by the show. After all, the creators had touched on a subject which was incredibly painful to her.
Pam and Tommy
The mini series Pam and Tommy became one of the most successful projects of 2022. In the ’90s, everyone was talking about the love story of actress Pamela Anderson and her musician husband Tommy Lee. They often hit the headlines for their bold lifestyle and various antics. And in the 21st century, director Robert Siegel breathed new life into the story.
However, the real-life subjects of the series were not thrilled that someone was bringing up their past. Pamela Anderson made no secret of her anger at the fact that she wasn’t even asked if she wanted a screen adaptation of her first marriage. The topics that were raised hurt the famous blonde. According to her, it was “salt on the wound.”
Tommy Lee wasn’t thrilled either. He wrote to his ex-wife: “Don’t let this hurt you like it did the first time.” They had had enough attention from the press on their relationship back when it happened. The ex-partners didn’t want it brought up again, at all. But the makers of the show didn’t ask for their opinion.
Why this hurt Pamela
“I put myself in crazy situations and survived them,” Anderson once said of her personal life. She has always been wild and the center of everyone’s attention, for which she often was criticized by the public and the press. At one point, magazines wrote that getting married and divorced was no big deal for Pamela. But this was far from the truth.
The first serious relationship that the public saw the Baywatch star in was with Tommy Lee. They met in 1995 and got married four days later. The marriage only lasted a couple of years, but in that time, the couple had two sons. Their breakup was loud and messy. The newspapers and talk shows discussed every little detail of it.
In the following years, the actress had an on-again-off-again relationship with Kid Rock, and went through a miscarriage with him. After that, she was in relationships with Rick Salomon and footballer Adil Rami. The actress has been married a total of six times. However, each time it ended in divorce and heartbreak.
“Feels like I’ve been stuck in a time warp. Not able to let go of MY family picture. It’s been sad and lonely and frustrating. I’ve raised my kids alone in hope of a miracle,” Pam wrote in her blog. But each time, she felt she ended up choosing the wrong person. Sometimes, as in the case with Kid Rock, she realized that she was making a mistake immediately after the ceremony at the altar. But her desire for a real family was strong. So Anderson would embark on another marital journey doomed to have a sad ending.
The actress skillfully concealed her personal tragedies behind the image of a hot blonde, adored by everyone. Pamela wore this mask in front of the cameras. She says: “People see me as a dumb blonde. It’s an advantage, because then I have nothing to live up to.”
The real Anderson, though, was different. It would have been impossible to climb that high without any talent or determination. She described the “real her” as more than just a girl with an attractive figure: “I represent success, hard work and fun.”
The love of her life
Perhaps, if the filmmakers had decided to make a movie or a TV series about any other of the actress’ relationships, she would have let it slide. Anderson is no stranger to being the subject of gossip and discussions. But in this case, it was a different story. “My relationship with Tommy may have been the only time I was ever truly in love,” she wrote in her memoir.
He was the actress’ first husband and the first one to break her heart in front of the entire world. Tommy and Pam lived under constant stress from the press, which unceremoniously pried into their personal lives. At one point, according to the actress, they just couldn’t take it anymore. That night, the argument was happening in front of their two young sons. The situation was heating up and Pam ended up having to call the police. With Tommy’s arrest, their marriage ended.
“The divorce from Tommy was the hardest, lowest, most difficult point of my life,” shares Anderson. Either way, the couple’s relationship didn’t end after the divorce. The couple raised their sons together. Today, they still haven’t let go of each other completely. The actress says Lee visits frequently. And she will be grateful to him for the rest of her life for giving her their sons.
That which is truly important
On a show, Pamela was recently asked whether she was ready to get married for the seventh time. The actress replied that if she does decide to do so, it’s definitely not in pursuit of a great love. Nowadays, Anderson dreams to find someone with whim she will feel comfortable and interesting to be around. And, of course, someone with whom she can finally build a strong marriage.
And in fact, she has plenty of love in her life. The most important people to her are her children. Brandon Thomas and Dylan Jagger Lee grew up away from the pesky paparazzi and the ever-curious public eye. So today, when they accompany their mom on the red carpet, many are seeing them for the first time. Moreover, the boys have decided to follow their own paths into showbusiness.
Tommy and Pam’s eldest son has appeared in films and is producing his own line of clothing. He can be seen in Blackjack: The Jackie Ryan Story and Cosmic Sin. Their younger son, on the other hand, is conquering the music scene. Dylan Jagger Lee is involved in the project Motel 7, and has previously modelled for brands such as Saint Laurent, Armani Exchange, Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, Hugo Boss, and others.
The boys say they got lucky with their parents. Pam and Tommy made sure that the scandals surrounding them wouldn’t affect their children. And now, no matter what difficulties or adversity befalls Pamela Anderson in her personal life or at work, she always finds support in her two sons, touchingly calling their family “a good team.”
As for the TV series Pam and Tommy, the famous blonde decided to respond to its creators. Together with Netflix, she produced the documentary Pamela: A Love Story and wrote the memoir Love, Pamela, in which she told her real story.
How would you feel if a film or TV series was made about your life without your permission?