The two most consistent things in Pamela Anderson’s life, outside of environmental and animal activism, are marriage (she’s had five) and the ability to surprise.
In 1995, the actress married Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee 96 hours after she met him. After a notorious sex tape and two kids, they were divorced three years later. That freed her up to wed Kid Rock (2006-2007), followed up by two broken unions to the same man, party-boy poker player Rick Salomon (2007-2008; 2014-2015).
And on Jan. 20, the 52-year-old stunned the world when, out of the blue, she married film producer Jon Peters, 74.
Even more shocking: the announcement 12 days later that the “marriage” — which took place at a secret ceremony in Malibu, California, that included her sons, Dylan Lee, 22, and Brandon Thomas Lee, 23 — was over.
“Pamela had just spent a month in India on an Ayurvedic cleanse, to start the new decade off fresh. She was doing constant meditation and yoga. She came back very open,” said a source close to the couple. “Jon has pursued her for 30 years. They were texting while she was in India and agreed they’d have lunch.”
But Anderson doesn’t operate at the speed of most people.
“The day she returned, Jon invited family and friends [over for lunch] and proposed to her. He had a friend ‘officiate.’ Essentially, it was a sweet ceremony, but ultimately, [no license] was filed,” the close source said.
Almost immediately after joining Peters in Malibu, Anderson had regrets.
“She was homesick for her ranch in Canada. It’s a sprawling waterfront compound in Ladysmith, British Columbia,” said the close source.
And then there was the matter of being her own woman.
“It was important to Pamela she stay independent, financially speaking. But Jon’s as controlling as he’s creative, and he did not respond well to her autonomy,” said the close source.
“Pamela respected him,” the close source added. “He treated her like a princess. She felt she was ready to be married. It all felt right. Maybe even a sign, a gift from God after her monthlong cleanse. She was vulnerable, and she accepted his proposal. It was only supposed to be lunch.”
Anderson, who grew up in British Columbia, shot to fame as a Playboy Playmate in 1990, followed by a recurring role on the sitcom “Home Improvement” that often found her dressed in Daisy Duke cut-offs. Her next character’s costume was even skimpier — and more iconic: that red tank-style swimsuit she wore on “Baywatch” from 1992 to 1997.
But she quickly became as famous for her relationships as her career, linked to a litany of Hollywood men: actor Scott Baio, “Real World” cast member Eric Nies, “Baywatch” co-star David Charvet, “Lois & Clark” star Dean Cain, Poison rocker Bret Michaels, model Marcus Schenkenberg and surfer Kelly Slater, to name a few of the guys she didn’t actually marry.
She also reportedly dated Peters — who has producer credits on such blockbusters as “Rain Man,” “Flashdance” and “Caddyshack” — in the ’80s, although an insider says that relationship was not as it’s been portrayed. In January, Peters had told The Hollywood Reporter that he and Pam lived together 30 years ago.
“Some of these stories are not wholly accurate,” said the insider. “Jon has a penchant for hyperbole. For a few months, she lived in a spare house he had in LA Eventually, things got uncomfortable and she left. They stayed friends.”
So much so, Peters came to Anderson’s rescue when she and Tommy Lee split following a brawl in which, Lee wrote in the 2001 biography “The Dirt,” he kicked her in the rear and called her a “f–king bitch.” (Lee pleaded no contest to felony spousal battery and was sentenced to six months in prison. The couple reportedly, reunited and split two more times.)
“When Pamela and Tommy broke up [the first time], Jon had offered help,” said the insider. “He hid Pamela — along with her sons and both her parents — on his ranch in Aspen.”
And Peters allegedly never lost his longing for Anderson.
“He never ever gave up on Pam and I’m not sure he has now. He will try to woo her back,” said a friend of the producer. “It won’t work. But he won’t stop trying. Every woman he’s ever been with looks a lot like her.”
The close source agrees that a reconciliation is out of the question: “Pamela dodged a bullet. She was very uncomfortable after finding out certain things. I can tell you she didn’t like learning of his sexual harassment allegations and subsequent payouts.”
In 2001, Peters was jury-ordered to pay a female former assistant more than $3 million in damages after, she accused, he exposed himself to her and her toddler. As Jezebel reported in 2018, sexual harassment complaints were filed against Peters by at least four others; those were dismissed before going to trial and, reportedly, some were settled out of court.
Peters did not respond to requests for comment.
Hiding from Lee was not the only time Anderson sought refuge from a partner. While dating French soccer star Adil Rami for the past few years, the insider said, “She’d run off to Cassis to journal in the ocean breeze. Pam leased a beautiful cliffside villa there and kept it to herself.”
It was just seven months ago that Anderson broke up with Rami.
“The last (more than) 2 years of my life have been a big lie,” she posted to Instagram. “I was scammed, led to believe … we were in big love. I’m devastated to find out in the last few days he was living a double life.”
“That guy was a monster,” said the insider. “She thought they were madly in love. But he was not honest. He was still with the mother of his kids! Lying to everyone. She felt sick. She had actually tried to leave 10 times. Each time, he would run after her, pour on the charm. Sometimes though, he’d get violent. Adil would get irrationally jealous, suspect her of cheating. But that’s a laugh and totally impossible. Pamela is loyal to a fault.”
Rami, who has called Anderson’s claims of violence “completely false,” did not return requests for comment.
Out of all of Anderson’s past relationships, the world has recently been most fascinated with — well, whatever it is she shares with Julian Assange.
The actress visited the Wikileaks founder several times while he was in exile at the Ecuadorean embassy in London for some seven years.
“Pamela is a dear friend of Julian. She thinks he’s one of the brightest minds in existence. She also sees a prisoner who is being mistreated,” said the insider. “Her fondness of Julian is not all that politically motivated, except for the fact that she believes in freedom of the press.”
Earlier this month, Anderson issued an open letter urging Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to intervene in Assange’s legal case.
A longtime PETA associate, Anderson also spends time campaigning for the environment and animal rights.
“She does so much — for Sea Shepherd and saving the whales — that no one is even aware of,” said the insider. “She’s fighting every day to save the herring, the salmon and the whales. She attends town halls and supports green candidates in local elections.”
Meanwhile, in November Anderson went back to what she does best: posing in a bathing suit for the cover of Maxim Australia, looking as “Baywatch”-ready as ever.
The photo crew rented a boat for the shoot, and warned Anderson that there had been an infestation of violent bull sharks in the area that week. According to the insider, Anderson told them: “‘I love sharks. I’m more afraid of humans! I’m going in the water.’ So the magazine hired shark spotters.”
Alas, no sharks were seen.
Absent from TV and the big screen for the past few years, Anderson next has a feature-length documentary in the works and is developing a global initiative centered around anti-sexual assault and self-positivity.
“2020 has a lot in store,” said the close source.
The question is: Will it include romance?
“Pam’s never stopped looking for love, even though she always seems to find it in the wrong places,” said an Anderson associate. “She’s still looking for that bad boy with a heart of gold. Unfortunately, many of the guys she’s been attracted to just have total black hearts. She’s really grown up, come into her own. But these guys, they never grow up.”