It is no secret that Pamela Anderson & then-husband, Tommy Lee, were centered in one of the biggest scandals of the ’90s. They were the OG Kravis. The “it” couple of their time, if you will. Their relationship was all over Hollywood and was very well known. They lived a life of luxury as they sipped on cocktails day and night and passed joints by the pool of their Malibu adult “play” house. In February of 1995, after only knowing each other for four days, the two wed and began their three-year marriage. Pamela & Tommy then had two sons, Brandon Thomas Lee and Dylan Jagger Lee. The whirlwind romance ended when Pamela filed for divorce in 1998.
The two were exploited in a self-made, almost hour-long sex tape after it was leaked to the whole world to see by an ex-employee seeking leverage over them. After nearly twenty-five years of the sex tape being released to the public, the stars, specifically Pamela Anderson, are refacing the trauma of the invasion of their privacy.
The new series on Hulu dropped on February 2nd is a recollection of their times together. The eight-episode series features well-known actors, Sebastian Stan staring as Tommy Lee and Lily James as Pamela Anderson. The first three episodes feature Seth Rogen as the then-employer to ex-employee and his journey to ruin their fame after Tommy Lee dismissed him from the two’s home renovation. Seth Rogen’s character is set after revenge when he breaks into the then-married couple’s home and finds the tape along with other items of Tommy & Pam’s he steals.
When the tape was released, Pamela Anderson faced incredible trauma and agony while Tommy Lee faced very little being a man in a misogynistic Hollywood time. You can argue that they faced a similar kind of torment as they were both present in the tapes, but I, along with many, claim Anderson faced much more severe suffering. It was clear that Pamela struggled further than Tommy as a woman in the entertainment industry when receiving more news & media coverage than he did at the time of the incident. This continued to haunt her through her career and lifetime, and today here it is again.
Pamela is back to the taunting invasion of privacy she once faced over twenty-five years ago again as she is forced to relive it in this Hulu original series. The two 90’s Hollywood stars did not give this series consent, and it seems only to haunt Pamela and Tommy to this day.
In an interview with US Weekly, Lily James explained, “I was really hopeful that she would be involved. I wish it had been different. My sole intention was to take care of the story and to play Pamela authentically.”
Tommy did reveal he was “stoked” about Pam & Tommy, as he was telling Entertainment Tonight, “I know Sebastian, he’s playing me. From what he’s told me, really beautiful story. I think a lot of people would think it’s one thing, but it’s really about privacy and how things got crazy then.” Pamela has not yet publicly announced anything. She quit social media in January of 2021, explaining, “This will be my last post on Instagram Twitter or Facebook. I’ve never been interested in social media. And now that Im settled into the life Im genuinely inspired by reading and being in nature. I am free.” Pamela has been living a quiet life off social media in Canada, while Tommy continues to be on social media with his wife, Britany Furlan. The unfortunate round of events has clearly shown that the media puts value on entertainment above all else. After the way the media and entertainment industry have continuously chased down Pamela, it looks like she will never escape it.
Words by Roxana Abtin
Graphics by Danna Macias Rodriguez.