Pamela Anderson Says She Refused To Meet Lily James As She Prepared For ‘Pam & Tommy’ Role

 Pamela Anderson, 55, has seemingly confirmed HollywoodLife‘s report that she was “mortified” by Hulu’s 2022 Pam & Tommy miniseries, which included the drama that unfolded after her sex tape with then-husband, Mötley Crüe rocker Tommy Lee, was stolen in 1996. In fact, she was so revolted by the production that she refused to even look at a letter sent to her by Lily James, who portrayed her in the show, as she prepared to take on the role. According to an interview with Pamela published by The New York Times on Jan. 13, Lily wanted “nothing more than to honor” the Baywatch star, but her attempt fell flat.

“It was already hurtful enough the first time [the tape made headlines]. It’s like one of those things where you’re going, ‘Really? People are still capitalizing off that thing?’” the former Playboy model explained to New York Times journalist Jessica Bennett. The article revealed a “scanned copy of that letter still sits in Ms. Anderson’s inbox somewhere, unread.” Pamela never watched the series.

Lily, who plays a young Donna Sheridan in the Mamma Mia! franchise, previously spoke about Pamela’s absence from Pam & Tommy. “I was really hopeful that she would be involved. I wish it had been different,” she admitted to Porter magazine on Jan. 10. “My sole intention was to take care of the story and to play Pamela authentically.” She also confirmed that she had reached out to the star prior to filming.

Pamela, however, has plans to tell her story and set the record straight. In the trailer for her upcoming Netflix documentary, Pamela, A Love Story, she says she is ready to “take control of the narrative for the first time.” Speaking of the release of Pam & Tommy, she said, “I didn’t sleep last night at all. I blocked that stolen tape out of my life in order to survive. And now that it’s all coming up again, I feel sick.”

Despite the distress the leaked sex tape caused her, Pamela said she’s resilient. “I didn’t feel like I had a lot of respect,” she continued on in the trailer. “I had to make a career out of the pieces left. But I’m not the damsel in distress. I put myself in crazy situations and survived them.”

Pamela is also releasing a memoir called Love, Pamela on Jan. 31. In an Instagram post about the book, she said she “repainted scenes in detail” from her childhood to her time at the Playboy mansion. “A celebration – of imperfections,” she continued. “The book is a unpolished attempt. I had no co writer. My life – as a mother, as an activist, and as an actress. I am so proud of this book.”