Entertainment NOW

2 • January 29 - February 4, 2023 Entertainment Now By Sarah Passingham TV Media P eople who lived through the wild tabloid craze of the 1990s and early 2000s know that the ul- timate covergirl of that era of celebrity gossip rags is Pamela Anderson. The "Baywatch" star, reigning Playboy cover queen and animal rights activist takes audiences behind the scenes of the many chapters of her life in the feature documentary, "Pa- mela, A Love Story," premiering Tuesday, Jan. 31, on Netflix. Anderson's life has been dis- sected by the writers of maga- zines, books and blogs, and by TV entertainment reporters for decades. But in "Pamela, A Love Story," she offers viewers her own perspective on the events of her life. Anderson recounts her upbringing, ca- reer and marriages alongside introspection on "her lifelong pursuit of love," according to a December article on Netflix's Tudum. Deploying her signa- ture sense of humor, Anderson remarked upon her many whirlwind romances by saying, "When you're not looking for love, it finds you ... and I guess I'm easy to find." Born in Ladysmith, B.C., a small town on the coast of Vancouver Island, Anderson moved to Los Angeles after early success posing for Play- boy magazine before pivoting to acting. She featured in the popular ABC sitcom "Home Improvement" as Lisa before becoming the breakout bomb- shell C.J. Parker in "Baywatch" from 1992 to 1997. Anderson also pursued a film career, notably starring in the cult hit "Barb Wire" in 1996 and mak- ing a semi-autobiographical appearance in 2003's "Scary Movie 3." Arguably more known for her love life, Anderson has been married several times, most famously to heavy metal band Mötley Crüe's drummer, Tommy Lee, with whom she shares two sons. Anderson was married to and divorced from "Cowboy" singer Kid Rock in 2006, after which she married and divorced poker player Rick Salomon twice — first in 2007 and again in 2014. Most recently, Anderson returned to her hometown to build a dream home, as documented in the HGTV series "Pamela's Garden of Eden." While there, she met a Ladysmith local, and the pair married in 2020 but divorced in 2022. All from relatively different worlds, the husbands all seem to have one thing in common: no bad blood. "Pamela, A Love Story" director Ryan White ("Good Night Oppy," 2022) told Vanity Fair in December that "all of [Anderson's] hus- bands are a part of her story, so they're all in our film, includ- ing the most recent one." It's not all about the juicy details, though, as White highlighted the sweet silver lining of being someone who so easily falls in love, saying, "No matter how many times it hasn't worked out for her, she still is a hope- less romantic and looking for true love in every way." These days, Anderson mostly stays out of the limelight, but a recent miniseries and some family motivation pushed her to make "Pamela, A Love Story." The 2022 Hulu miniseries "Pam & Tommy" dramatized the events surrounding the theft and distribution of a tape be- longing to and depicting Ander- son and her then-partner, Lee. Anderson was not involved with "Pam & Tommy," and com- ments shared with Entertain- ment Tonight by a source close to the star last January made it clear that Anderson was not interested in its exploration of that time in her life. The source told Entertain- ment Tonight, "[Anderson] feels so violated to this day. It brings back a very painful time for her." The source added, "It is shocking that this series is allowed to hap- pen without her approval." Anderson herself shared in an email to Vanity Fair that it was persuasion from her old- est son, Brandon Thomas Lee ("The Hills: New Beginnings"), that made her pull out her per- sonal archives. Anderson shared, "Brandon can talk me into any- thing with his sincere heart and a fierceness that only a son could have ... he wanted me to tell my story authentically and without distortion." Brandon also sat down for the documentary and serves as a producer for the film alongside White, Primetime Emmy-nominated "The Keepers" producer Jessica Hargrave and Outstanding Nature Documen- tary Emmy winner for "Trophy" (2017), producer Julia Notting- ham. While Anderson looks back on years past, she also looks ahead in "Pamela, A Love Story," or rather into a dance studio mir- ror. Anderson took Broadway by storm in an eight-week run of "Chicago" as Roxie Hart in spring 2022, and all of the preparation and rehearsals were caught on camera for the film. "You can't discount Pamela. She's been discounted her whole life and she totally pulled it off," White told Vanity Fair about Anderson's stage turn and the valley between public perception and the real Anderson. A memoir, "Love, Pamela," will release in tandem with the premiere of the documentary on Jan. 31, and with her side finally out in the open, Anderson admitted to Vanity Fair that that is enough reflection for now. She shared, "The documentary I haven't seen, and I have no intention of seeing. I gave full access to my archives and diaries, and I hope that through full transparency, it makes sense to somebody." Take a peek inside the life of one of pop culture's most infa- mous blondes and catch the pre- miere of "Pamela, A Love Story" when it drops Tuesday, Jan. 31, on Netflix. Cover Story Pamela Anderson and Gregory Butler, in a scene from "Pamela, A Love Story" Bombshell: Anderson tells all in 'Pamela, A Love Story' Farmers Insurance 2 x 2 Letters & Numbers Sudoku Fill in the grid so that every row,every column, and every 4x4 box contains the digits 1 through 9 AND the letters A-F. Solution on page 12.

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