Pamela Anderson To Tell Her ‘Real Story’ In Doc: I’m ‘Not A Victim, But A Survivor’

The “Baywatch” star responded to “Pam & Tommy” — which was made without her permission — while announcing her new Netflix project.
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Pamela Anderson is taking control of the narrative.

The “Baywatch” star posted a photo to Instagram Wednesday of a handwritten note that appears to be written on Netflix stationery. The statement announces a new project in which she will “tell the real story” of her life, apparently alluding to the popular Hulu series Pam & Tommy,” a dramatization of the release of the sex tape that derailed her career.

Anderson never consented to the creation of “Pam & Tommy” — a story about a sex tape that was released without her permission.

“My life. A thousand imperfections. A million misperceptions. Wicked, wild and lost. Nothing to live up to,” the statement says. She shard it after wiping her Instagram page of its earlier posts.

“I can only surprise you. Not a victim, but a survivor. And alive to tell the real story,” she concludes, before signing her note with lipstick-stained kiss.

Pamela Anderson in 2019.
Pamela Anderson in 2019.
Edward Berthelot via Getty Images

A documentary about Anderson’s life has long been in the works, according to a Netflix press release. The film’s logline describes the project as “an intimate portrait ... of Pamela Anderson as she looks back at her professional and personal path and prepares for the next steps on her journey.” It will feature exclusive access to Anderson as well as never-before seen archival footage and excerpts from personal journals. It is directed by Ryan White (“The Keepers,” “Ask Dr. Ruth”) and does not yet have a title. Anderson’s son Brandon Thomas Lee, also serves as a producer on the project.

Pamela Anderson and her son, Brandon Lee, in 2019.
Pamela Anderson and her son, Brandon Lee, in 2019.
Pascal Le Segretain/amfAR via Getty Images

In January, Entertainment Weekly reported that Anderson was not involved in “Pam & Tommy” and never gave anyone on the project permission to make the series, which was based on a 2014 Rolling Stone article about the bizarre way Anderson’s sex tape — which also involved her then-husband Tommy Lee — was stolen and distributed.

The showrunners of “Pam & Tommy” and series’ star Lily James, who plays Anderson, attempted to reach out to Anderson at different points throughout the development of the show, according to EW, but Anderson never responded.

“We particularly wanted to let Pamela Anderson know that this portrayal was very much a positive thing and that we cared a great deal about her and wanted her to know that the show loves her,” showrunner D.V. DeVincentis told EW. “We didn’t get a response, but considering what she’s been through and the time that we were reaching out, that was understandable.”

Courtney Love, Anderson’s longtime friend, reportedly spoke out about “Pam & Tommy” in a now-deleted Facebook post in 2021, according to Vanity Fair.

In her post, Love allegedly said that she found the concept of the show to be “so fucking outrageous,” and said its existence was “further causing” Anderson “complex trauma.”

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