“Not a victim, but a survivor.” Pamela Anderson is ready to tell her truth in a documentary with Netflix. On March 2, Baywatch actress and former Playboy model announced news of the upcoming documentary in a handwritten note containing a Netflix letterhead which stated, “My life/ A thousand imperfections/ A million misperceptions/ Wicked, wild and lost/ Nothing to live up to /I can only surprise you /Not a victim, but a survivor /And alive to tell the real story.”
According to The New Daily, the film is set to show Anderson as “she looks back on her professional and personal path and prepares for the next steps of her journey,” with exclusive access to the source herself as well as never-before-seen archive footage and personal journals.
This news comes after renewed interest surrounding her life has been brought back into the limelight due to Hulu’s limited series Pam & Tommy, based on the release of her and then-husband Tommy Lee’s stolen sex tape. The Hulu series stars Sebastian Stan, Lily James and Seth Rogen in a fictionalized retelling of the whirlwind romance between Baywatch Star and Mötley Crüe Drummer in the mid-90s and the tumultuous times. It also shows the story of a disgruntled handyman who leaked the couple’s infamous sex tap after being fired by Lee who owed him $20,000.
While the series is based on Anderson’s life, it was made without her approval, which has sparked much debate online. A source told Entertainment Tonight, “The upcoming Pam & Tommy Hulu series has been very painful for Pamela Anderson and for anyone that loves her. It is shocking that this series is allowed to happen without her approval.”
Showrunner and actress Lily James had both reached out to Anderson in hopes of getting her approval or participation in the series. James sat down with Porter for an interview and when asked about taking on this new project stated, “I was hopeful that she would be involved. I wish it had been different. My sole intention was to take care of the story and play Pamela authentically.”
Lee has been in contact with Sebastian Stan who plays him in the series and has also shared with 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. There’s different laws now.”
Producers were able to develop the series without Anderson’s permission or participation by optioning the right to an article published in 2014 by Rolling Stone which catalogs the true story of how Rand Gauthier, the couple’s ex electrician stole the couple’s safe and leaked their infamous video.
While more information on the documentary will be released in the weeks coming to its release, many have expressed their support including her sons. Anderson’s oldest son and producer for the documentary, Brandon Thomas Lee, reposted it to his Instagram and captioned it, “The real story.” Dylan Jagger Lee also reposted the note to his Instagram story emphasizing that phrase. The film has been in the making for several years and is described by Netflix as “the definitive documentary about the pop culture icon.” The film will be directed by Ryan White best known for the Netflix series The Keepers and The Case Against 8.
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