Pamela Anderson Will Never Watch Pam & Tommy, 'Not Even The Trailer'
In some of the least surprising news I've heard lately, Pamela Anderson will reportedly never watch "Pam & Tommy," the new Hulu original series that documents the unauthorized release of her sex tape with ex-husband Tommy Lee. I know, very shocking that a woman might not want to relive a period in her life that caused her immense emotional trauma. Wild.
According to an insider close to Anderson who spoke with Entertainment Weekly today, the former "Baywatch" star has no plans to give the series a shot. "I do know she'll never, never watch this," the source told the outlet. "Not even years from now. Not even the trailer."
The source also confirmed that Anderson was contacted multiple times about the project. The first time was "years ago," way before filming even began. She was contacted again "while they were in post-production," but she never responded to either inquiry. Showrunners D.V. DeVincentis and Robert Seigel, as well as star Lily James — who plays Anderson and looks so much like her it's almost scary — have previously confirmed that they attempted to contact Anderson during the development process but she never responded to their inquiries.
Tommy Lee, on the other hand, was quick to connect with Sebastian Stan, who plays him in the series. "Tommy doesn't get it," the source added on Friday. "He's in the same mindset he was at the time: that any publicity is good publicity." On behalf of myself and the majority of folks with sanity and compassion, I'd just like to say ew.
Entertainment at the Expense of Someone's Trauma
There's no surprise that Anderson is deeply uninterested in reliving a period in her life where she was taken advantage of at every turn — and in a small way, this series is good because it clues in people who may not otherwise fully know about that reality.
However, there is an honest and warranted debate about whether or not the series continues to perpetuate the cycle Anderson found herself in in the '90s: one of exploitation and a lack of autonomy over her personhood and sexual identity. The source told Entertainment Weekly that they were on Anderson's side in the debate:
"As a friend of Pamela, at least no one will ever ask me again if the tape was really stolen. But imagine if a celebrity today had their nudes leaked and then Hollywood recreated not just the crime but the actual nudes — that would never happen. In the '90s, Pamela's body was deemed by a judge to be public property. There was no question the tape was stolen property, but the court decided it wasn't private property because her body belonged to the world."
The insider also noted that is "still the exception to the rule" in the post #MeToo era. "She's still up for grabs. That's messed up," they explained to the outlet. "Yes, it's brief clips — but to me the most damning aspect is that ['Pam & Tommy'] didn't just tell the story, they recreated moments from the boat."
It's a delicate conversation that deserves more nuance than a news story can give, but there's no denying that "Pam & Tommy," despite its praise, is divisive. It just might not be as divisive as it should be.