Tommy Lee's Wife Brittany Furlan Details Her 'Very Close' Relationship with His Ex Heather Locklear: 'I Love Her' (Exclusive)

It's all love between Brittany Furlan and Heather Locklear — even if the actress was once married to Furlan's husband Tommy Lee.

In fact, it's that connection that bonded the two women in the first place, Furlan says.

"Heather and I are very close. She's awesome, I love her," she tells PEOPLE. "I think she's the most kind, down-to-earth person. We met through Tommy, obviously, and became close. She's just very cool, very nice, just supportive and just a cool chick all around."

The comedian and actress, 36, married Mötley Crüe rocker Lee, 60, in 2019 after two years of dating. Their union came nearly 30 years after the drummer and Locklear, 61, called it quits in 1993 after seven years of marriage.

Furlan says she's thrilled to be on good terms with the Melrose Place star, as keeping things friendly with Lee's exes is something she's "definitely tried" to do.

"There's a lot that goes on that I don’t share publicly that kept that from happening, [but] she's very, very nice, so I've managed to have a relationship with her and I am so grateful for that," she says. "She tells me funny stories. Everyone glorifies his relationship with Pam, but he was married to Heather for [nearly] eight years!"

Though Lee was married to Pamela Anderson from 1995 to 1998, Furlan says her husband calls Locklear "the one that got away" in his band’s collaborative 2002 autobiography The Dirt.

"She was the love of his life. I see it, because she's just a fun, sweet, caring, awesome person," she says. "Tommy even says he messed up in that relationship. He cheated on her. To this day, that's why they're still really good friends."

The former Vine star says she's even scolded Lee for messing up a good thing with the star, with whom she frequently shares a friendly rapport in the comments section of their Instagrams.

"I yell at my husband, I'm like, 'I can't believe you cheated on her. She’s so cool,'" she says. "That was a different time. He was 25 years old, 26 years old. Not to make excuses, but he's a very different man now from all those years ago. You live and you learn."

Things between Locklear and Lee, who first met at an REO Speedwagon concert, remain friendly; in 2016, the actress shared a photo of the pair kissing on what would have been their 30th wedding anniversary, and captioned the post, "Happy 30 years baby."

She went on to marry former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, with whom she shares daughter Ava, 25. They split in 2007. Lee is dad to sons Brandon, 27, and Dylan, 25, with Anderson. 

Furlan, meanwhile, is currently diving back into the world of stand-up comedy, and has regularly been performing shows in Los Angeles.

“I literally just joke about everything in my life. Some people will attack me for it and make fun of me, but I use comedy to cope with whatever I’m dealing with,” she says. “It just fulfills me in so many ways and it’s so nice to just get to do it. I’m just loving it and I’m just enjoying my life with it so much. There’s no better feeling to me than making people laugh."