‘Pam & Tommy’: Pamela Anderson Will Never Watch the Series, ‘Not Even Years From Now’
The Hulu limited series Pam & Tommy has fleshed out the reality of what happened in the late 90s concerning Pamela Anderon and Tommy Lee’s sex tape scandal. Anderson is far from happy with the series despite fans becoming invested in the storyline. The Baywatch actor has previously expressed her distaste over televising the worst moment of her life. A source close to Anderson claims she will never watch Pam and Tommy, not even the trailer.
‘Pam & Tommy’ chronicles the actor and rock musician’s three-year marriage
Lily James stars in the leading role as Anderson. Lee mimics her from the bleach blonde hair to the voice and even prosthetics. Pam & Tommy tells the real story before the boom of the technological age that led to Hollywood’s first viral sex tape. In the first few episodes, fans see more than they expected. Pam and Tommy, played by Sebastian Stan, get swept up in a romance and marriage.
That is not the crux of the storyline. As newlyweds renovate their home, Tommy angers a disgruntled carpenter and is fired without pay. As retaliation, Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogan) steals Tommy’s safe and stumbles upon their private honeymoon tape. Wanting to make money from the two celebrities, Rand and a partner post the video on the internet and distribute tapes.
Pam & Tommy may be about the couple, but it focuses on how the scandal affected Anderson, her career, and her image as a woman in the industry. After becoming a sex symbol on Baywatch, Anderson wanted to take her career on a serious route, but the tape gave her unwanted fame.
A source says Pamela Anderson will never watch ‘Pam & Tommy’
According to Entertainment Weekly, a source close to Anderson explains how the Hulu series brings up a dark time in her life. Fans can only imagine what it is like for Anderson to relive the moment as the world watches again.
“I do know she’ll never, never watch this. Not even years from now. Not even the trailer,” said the source. The story behind the scandal deeply affected Anderson as she went through the legal system. Anderson learned her supposed value in Hollywood and as a celebrity.
“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,” explained the source.
Fans have become invested in Pam & Tommy over how much of the original story has been portrayed on screen. The source claims one of the most damaging aspects of the series is how I recreated everything, especially the “moments from the boat.” Since Pam & Tommy’s planning stages, Anderson wanted nothing to do with it.
Pamela Anderson’s #MeToo story is not so simple
The sex tape scandal broke out in the late 90s when the internet and social media barely existed. What the public learned from the paparazzi was concrete and undebatable. James took on the role in Pam & Tommy to bring awareness to how women are treated in the industry.
James reached out to Anderson multiple times in post-production, during filming, and on other occasions. Anderson never responded back. While the #MeToo movement is going strong, the source claims, “Pamela is somehow still the exception to the rule. She’s still up for grabs.”
Despite Anderson not approving the series, Hulu gained the rights to the Rolling Stones article it is based on. While the public becomes aware of the reality of the scandal, the damage has already been done for Anderson and now focuses on her philanthropic work.
