Pamela Anderson’s name has been circulating the internet more in the past few weeks than it has in quite some time. While it began in a negative light with the Hulu series, Pam and Tommy, she has recently surprised the world with her new projects, reclaiming her voice in the world of entertainment. In February, the Baywatch actress’s dark past was resurrected in the drama miniseries that depicts the budding relationship between Anderson and Tommy Lee, and the subsequent problems they faced in their marriage and in the public eye after their sex tape was stolen and distributed. While the show does portray Anderson in a relatively positive light, a sharp juxtaposition from how she was perceived in the ‘90s in the midst of the scandal, it has received significant backlash, especially from Pamela Anderson.
While she has not directly commented on the show, it was revealed through various close sources that Anderson felt “violated” and would “never, never watch the show.” She finally broke her silence on the matter in an Instagram post on March 2nd saying, “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.” The Netflix heading at the top of this handwritten note confirms the collaboration between Anderson and the major streaming service. It has allegedly been in the works for years and serves to offer an accurate, authentic, and personal account of her life in the public eye for the past 30 years.
Further details on the documentary remain unknown–neither the release date nor the title has been made public. Despite not knowing much of the premise of this project, Pamela is nevertheless commended (especially by me) for sharing this difficult part of her life. While the media has chosen to reopen the wounds of her life for years, Anderson has pushed through, and this time with the upcoming documentary, it is on her own account. That alone is an amazing accomplishment, but if that’s not enough, Anderson is expanding her talents into the world of Broadway as well. On April 12th, she is set to debut in Chicago as Roxie Hart, a role that will require her to dance, sing, and act. This is a substantial change from her prior experiences in entertainment, giving her a chance to re-establish herself as the talented woman she is. News on Anderson’s upcoming projects began circulating shortly after the release of Pam and Tommy, thus drawing the light onto the actress herself, and not just her dark past. It can be expected, or hoped, that the Anderson documentary will allow her to experience a sense of closure and cause the public to move beyond the infamous sex tape scandal. While she does not owe us, the invasive public that has watched her every move for years, an explanation, we should take this with graciousness and give Anderson the time and respect to present her intimate life with us. Moreover, we’ll have the opportunity to watch her on a Broadway stage for the first time. She’ll be performing for eight weeks straight, with eight shows a week, continuing to prove herself as the strong, dedicated, and amazing woman she is. This is the new era of Pamela Anderson, and it’s our job to sit back and enjoy her in all her grace and beauty.