Without Pamela Anderson’s Approval, Hulu’s ‘Pam & Tommy’ Is Just Another Violation Of Her Privacy
Anderson reportedly won't be watching the show.
DFree / Shutterstock / Instagram Anticipation for the upcoming Hulu series premiere of "Pam & Tommy" has fans eagerly awaiting its release, everyone except Pamela Anderson herself.
The limited series stars Lily James as actress Pamela Anderson, and Sebastian Stan as drummer Tommy Lee. The show will follow the couple's whirlwind romance and the moment where their honeymoon sex tape is leaked.
Seth Rogen will also appear in the show, playing Rand Gauthier, the electrician who stole the tape from Anderson and Lee.
Unfortunately, Anderson, who was married to Lee from 1995-1998, won't be watching the series about her and her ex-husband, a source claims.
In fact, it looks like the series completely went against her wishes.
Why won't Pamela Anderson be watching Hulu's 'Pam & Tommy"?
"The upcoming Pam & Tommy Hulu series has been very painful for Pamela Anderson and for anyone that loves her," a source told ET.
"It is shocking that this series is allowed to happen without her approval."
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Earlier this month, James shared that she had tried to reach out to Anderson, wanting to speak with her about the series and get her support, but didn't have any luck getting in contact.
“I was really hopeful that she would be involved. I wish it had been different,” James told Net-a-Porter's Porter Magazine. “My sole intention was to take care of the story and to play Pamela authentically.”
The 32-year-old actress added that she had tried to contact Anderson "right up until we started filming," saying that she's "never worked so hard" on a project.
“I read the books [Pamela Anderson] has written, I read her poetry, I can parrot along to all her interviews,” James said.
But trying to get some kind of approval isn't enough of an excuse to by-pass Anderson's feelings about a personal that was never meant to be public in the first place.
'Pam & Tommy' is just another way in which Pamela Anderson has been violated by the media.
The exposure of the sex tape boosted Anderson's career, but in all of the wrong ways.
Anderson was blocked from many roles in Hollywood, and became the butt of some rather crass jokes at the expense of something the former "Baywatch" actress never wanted the public to see.
In May 2020, when the first pictures of James and Stan in character as Anderson and Lee were released, Courtney Love, a close friend of the actress, accused the show's creators and James of glamorizing Anderson's trauma against her will.
In a since-deleted Facebook post, Love called the show "so f***ing outrageous," writing that its creation is causing Anderson "complex trauma."
“My heart goes out to Pammy,” Love shared, before slamming the series' lead actress. “And shame on Lily James whoever the f**k she is.”
It does seem odd in the irony of the show's retelling of the nonconsensual distrbution of Anderson's sex tape without seeking consent from Anderson herself to tell the story in the first place.
Tommy Lee has given his approval for the Hulu series.
Lee is much more open about the Hulu series, telling Entertainment Tonight that he had shared his thoughts with Stan while attending the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards in September.
"From what he's told me, really beautiful story," Lee said. "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."
Lee confirmed that he will be watching 'Pam & Tommy,' and is even looking forward to the premiere.
"The story's actually cool, what actually happened wasn't," he said, adding that "people need to know" what happened.
Though, there are people on social media who heavily sympathize with Anderson, and respect her decision not to be involved in the production of the show, saying the traumatic events that happened during their relationship affected Anderson more than Lee.
Equally, Lee's approval is only a partial vindication of the series. Without Anderson on board it's hard not to see how once again Lee is benefiting from a situation that hurts his ex-wife.
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Follow her on Instagram.