People of all ages and from all parts of the globe will recognize her name, and most of them know bits and pieces of her story. The rise and fall of Pamela Anderson's career has been well documented, and is far too interesting to ignore. As reported by Page Six, she has gone from the highest levels of fortune and fame, to living in a trailer park facing heavy debt, and everywhere in between. Her relationships have been tumultuous, and much of her personal life as transpired under the scrutiny of the public eye. In spite of being famous for her modeling and acting career, Pamela Anderson has not managed to sustain her wealth, and very recently, she opted for a very different type of lifestyle, and has completely abandoned social media.
Making It Big
Pamela Anderson's very first acting job was on the set of Home Improvement, with Tim Allen. She took on the role of his assistant, Lisa, and it was there that she first debuted as an actress.
The show was a huge success, and she attracted a whole lot of attention as the helpful aid that kept bringing Tim Allen his requested tools so he could embark on a series of home improvement disasters. The show got her noticed and she was soon offered a role on Baywatch, which at that time, was nothing more than a budding pilot.
Anderson stunned as C.J. Parker and her role on Baywatch quickly began to define her character. Fans could tell she was cut out for this job, as she dominated the beach with her perfectly fit body and unique look.'
Baywatch was the catalyst to other acting roles, and in no time at all, Anderson was being offered roles on the big screen. She starred in Raw Justice, Barb Wire, and Naked Souls.
She also posed for Playboy, making her the talk of the town... for a very long time.
Money was coming in at a fast pace, and it was apparent that Pamela Anderson had made it into the big leagues.
Rocky Relationships
Describing Pamela Anderson's relationships as being 'rocky' is a definite understatement. Always attracted to the 'bad boy' image, she managed to marry, and subsequently divorce 2 rock stars along the way.
The first hint of Anderson's wild side came when she started dating Tommy Lee. The two were eventually married, and later divorced, but not before they made a total spectacle of their relationship. In true rock star form, Tommy Lee and Anderson displayed inappropriate, reckless behavior, and at one point, Lee was arrested for a one-sided altercation with Anderson. Of course, there was also that pesky 'bedroom tape' that depicted their most intimate moments. That ended up circulated online for the world to see.
Anderson went on to date and marry Kid Rock, and they, too, had a very wild, rambunctious relationship. The rock star lifestyle was lived to the fullest degree, and the two fought a lot and found themselves centered in a lot of controversy prior to their divorce.
She was also married to Hollywood producer Jon Peters for just a few days before he chalked it up to a mistake and called it quits, and had a very public, incredibly nasty divorce from Rick Salomon. This is just to name a few troubled encounters.... Anderson's relationship timeline includes many men, lots of breakups, and a number of disturbing incidents.
The Rise
Pamela definitely partied much of her life away. She went from being one of the most recognized faces on a wildly popular hit show, to living in a trailer park, and fans were stunned. The ratings achieved by Baywatch were absolutely through the roof, and Anderson played a pivotal role in the success of the show. Her name became synonymous with the signature red swimsuit and dangerous waters and fans religiously tuned in to get their fix of the rising star.
During the show's peak, Anderson was earning a whopping $300,000 per episode, or $6.6 million per season. She had a lucrative deal with Playboy, and her image was recognized across the globe.
Pamela owned property in Canada as well as a very luxurious mansion in Malibu worth well over $15 million.
The Fall
Unfortunately, Pamela Anderson's party-based lifestyle and lavish spending habits soon took their toll. Her toxic relationships started to take over her life and rather than monopolizing on her success, she began to get caught up in personal struggles, which soon depleted not just her energy, but her finances, too. The Mirror also indicated that; "first-class travel, sprawling properties decked with gold, lavish cars – have emptied out the bank balance as the flood of mega-money roles slowed to a trickle."
She also faced tax evasion charges, and owed a substantial amount of money to the IRS. According to ABC News, the estimated tax debt was $493,000. Pamela Anderson was drowning. She took on a huge home renovation and found herself unable to see it through. She turned to selling furniture and contents of the home to try resolving this matter.
One of her exes, Jon Peters, was married to Anderson for a very short while, and even gave Anderson $200,000 to pay off some old debts. Within days he changed his mind and decided to abandon the relationship.
Alone and confused, Anderson decided to renovate her multi-million dollar home, and ended up not being able to complete the job. At the height of her career, she was worth $35 million, yet in 2010, she released multiple statements to the press confirming that she was living in a trailer park. She was quoted by The Mirror as saying; "“The boys and me love the trailer park, it’s a special community, we’re happy here, it’s the most beautiful place, it’s where I take my motorcycle, my surf board."
Her New Life
It's clear that Pamela's life has taken a turn, but what is even more clear is that she has no desire to return to Hollywood to try earning her way back to the top. She has maintained a massive, loyal following and there are a number of ways she could plan a comeback that would surely prove to be lucrative, but she has absolutely no interest in this at all.
Instead, Pamela Anderson is fading away - on her own accord.
She married former bodyguard Dan Hayhurst in a private ceremony on January 27t, 2021. The two tied the knot at her residence in Canada, which is a property that was owned by her grandparents many years ago. Dan works in construction, and by all accounts, Pamela Anderson has retired and is enjoying living in the mountainous region of Vancouver.
Pamela Anderson is living humbly now. She is done with the ups and downs that come along with fame, and she is absolutely finished with social media.
In fact, this January, she took to Instagram to say goodbye to her beloved fans, and promptly shut down her social media channels, forever closing the door on her old life.
Sources: ABC News, The Mirror, Us Weekly, Page Six