During the mid-’90s, Tommy Leeand Pamela Anderson were two of the most well-known stars in Hollywood. Tommy, 58, is a founding member of rock band Mötley Crüe, and Pamela, 53, became a bona-fide star thanks to Baywatch. Now, a pivotal time in the former couple’s relationship is heading to the small screen. Lily James will star as the blonde bombshell with Sebastian Stan playing Tommy Lee in the Hulu series Pam & Tommy, following the stars’ legal battle over a leaked video of the couple being intimate. Before the series gets underway, here’s a refresher on the pair’s relationship.
A Whirlwind Wedding
Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee wed after being together for only four days [AP Images].After his divorce from actress Heather Locklear in 1993, Tommy met Pamela at a New Year’s Eve party in 1994. Although the two were friendly, they weren’t immediately romantic with one another. But their relationship completely changed after their first date, which ultimately took the couple to Cancún, where they wed on the beach 96 hours later. The couple exchanged their vows on February 19, 1995.
Their Public Legal Battle
The couple’s intimate honeymoon tape was stollen mere months after their marriage [AP Images].Just months after getting married, Pam and Tommy found themselves in a legal battle that would completely consume their relationship. A private video of the couple being intimate was stollen by the couple’s former electrician, Rand Gauthier, and eventually circulated for profit. Tommy and Pam took action by filing a $10 million lawsuit to stop anyone from making a profit off of the sensitive, private video.
However, roughly two years after the contents of the video began circulating to tabloid outlets and more, a judge filed an injunction in 1997. Pam and Tommy were able to maintain ownership and sign the copyright for the video. They later signed it over in November 1997 to Seth Warshavsky, the founder of Club Love, to legally sell copies of their video.
Tommy and Pam, though, tried to sue Warshavsky for allegedly tricking them into signing over the video. Pam and Tommy were under the impression that the video would be made available for a one-time webcast. Club Love eventually folded.
Their First Son
Pamela and Tommy welcomed their son Brandon in 1996 [AP Images].Despite the legal issues they were dealing with just as their marriage began, Pamela and Tommy still started their family. On June 5, 1996, the couple welcomed their son Brandon. After Brandon was born, however, the stress of media coverage and their ongoing legal battle began to get to the couple. Their relationship was often heated, due to everything that was still going on in their very public life. But after welcoming Brandon, the two seemed to keep their relationship afloat with another addition to their family.
A Family Of Four
Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee welcomed their second son, Dylan, in 1997, making them a family of four [AP Images].On December 29, 1997, Tommy and Pamela welcomed their second child, a son name Dylan. Unfortunately, this came at a time when Tommy and Pamela’s relationship was really put to the test, and subsequently began to falter. Circumstances escalated to physical altercations, at times. This dark chapter in the couple’s relationship ultimately went on to be their union’s end.
End Of Marriage & Divorce
Physical altercations between the couple escalated at the end of their marriage [AP Images].The instances of physical altercations between Pamela and Tommy, chronicled in the Mötley Crüe memoir The Dirt, became increasingly violent. At one point, an argument between Tommy and Pamela became so volatile that their children, who were merely toddlers, became distraught by what they had witnessed. This ultimately brought Pamela to the decision to file for divorce.
By May 1998 Tommy was sentenced to six months in Los Angeles County Jail for felony spousal battery, after pleading no contest. It was also stipulated that Tommy would have to undergo counseling, do 200 hours of community service, and pay $6,200 to a battered women’s shelter. If he violated his probation, Tommy could serve three years in prison, according to the Los Angeles Times.
At this point, Tommy and Pamela were completely over. After Tommy served his time and received the counseling he needed, the two put the focus back on their children. They were active in both of their sons lives, leading many to believe that there was potential for the two to eventually reconcile and get back together.
Post-Divorce Relationship
Rumors swirled that Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee might reconcile in the early aughts [AP Images].In the years that followed their divorce, the former couple seemingly stoked rumors that they would rekindle their romance. In 1999, Pamela even said that she pictures herself with Tommy “old, toothless, on a bench somewhere with our tattoos.” By 2000, though, the idea was seemingly tossed out of their future plans, as Tommy and Pamela entered an intense custody battle over their sons.
Although fans were under the impression that Tommy and Pamela would eventually resolve their relationship troubles and get back together, it never came to fruition. Both Tommy and Pamela have gone on to marry a number of times since their split.
