When it came time to finally share her story,Pamela Andersonsays it was her two sons,Brandon, 26, andDylan, 25, who convinced her to do so. “They were the ones who encouraged me to tell my story,” she says of her two boys from her marriage to rockerTommy Lee.In her new memoir,Love, Pamela, excerpted exclusively in this week’s PEOPLE, and a new Netflix documentary,Pamela: a Love Story, both out Jan. 31, she candidly shares all they went through together, both the good and the bad.“Brandon and Dylan are true miracles, considering their gene pool,” she writes. “They have been through so much, yet they are not full of holes.“Jonny MarlowAnderson, 55, reveals the toll that the 1995 theft of her and Lee’s personal tapes (which were made into a sex tape and sold without their permission) took on their marriage and the relentless attention that came with it.“We dealt with it the best way we knew how and some of it got crazy,” she says. “And Tommy and I, between the two of us, I don’t think we had the maturity level to really handle it all.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Bruce Glikas/GettyAfter Lee was charged withspousal abusein 1998, she filed for divorce.Looking back, Anderson says, “I think we really let our kids down. And that’s something it’s really hard for me to forgive myself about. We should have found a way through it. I couldn’t accept any kind of violent maneuver. It was my childhood fears coming out. I didn’t want that for my kids and as much as I loved Tommy more than anything in the world, I loved my kids more.“In the months and years that followed, she focused on raising their boys. “They saved me,” she says. “I don’t want to put that on my kids but having children changed everything. I’ve loved every moment.“Brenda Chase OnlineNow that they’re grown, she marvels at their talents and tenacity. “Brandon is really creative and is this fiery kind of kid. Dylan is more introspective and more Zen. It’s a good team.“In turn, her sons played a key role in her new documentary. “We didn’t want to make a talking heads film,” says Ryan White, director ofPamela, a Love Story, “so the only people we speak in the film are Pamela’s parents and Brandon and Dylan. The question of what’s it like to grow up as Pamela Anderson’s son fascinated me as a storyteller. It turns out she’s a damn good mother.“For more on Pamela Anderson and her powerful new memoir, check out the story in this week’s PEOPLE.
When it came time to finally share her story,Pamela Andersonsays it was her two sons,Brandon, 26, andDylan, 25, who convinced her to do so. “They were the ones who encouraged me to tell my story,” she says of her two boys from her marriage to rockerTommy Lee.
In her new memoir,Love, Pamela, excerpted exclusively in this week’s PEOPLE, and a new Netflix documentary,Pamela: a Love Story, both out Jan. 31, she candidly shares all they went through together, both the good and the bad.
“Brandon and Dylan are true miracles, considering their gene pool,” she writes. “They have been through so much, yet they are not full of holes.”
Jonny Marlow
Anderson, 55, reveals the toll that the 1995 theft of her and Lee’s personal tapes (which were made into a sex tape and sold without their permission) took on their marriage and the relentless attention that came with it.
“We dealt with it the best way we knew how and some of it got crazy,” she says. “And Tommy and I, between the two of us, I don’t think we had the maturity level to really handle it all.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Bruce Glikas/Getty
After Lee was charged withspousal abusein 1998, she filed for divorce.
Looking back, Anderson says, “I think we really let our kids down. And that’s something it’s really hard for me to forgive myself about. We should have found a way through it. I couldn’t accept any kind of violent maneuver. It was my childhood fears coming out. I didn’t want that for my kids and as much as I loved Tommy more than anything in the world, I loved my kids more.”
In the months and years that followed, she focused on raising their boys. “They saved me,” she says. “I don’t want to put that on my kids but having children changed everything. I’ve loved every moment.”
Brenda Chase Online
Now that they’re grown, she marvels at their talents and tenacity. “Brandon is really creative and is this fiery kind of kid. Dylan is more introspective and more Zen. It’s a good team.”
In turn, her sons played a key role in her new documentary. “We didn’t want to make a talking heads film,” says Ryan White, director ofPamela, a Love Story, “so the only people we speak in the film are Pamela’s parents and Brandon and Dylan. The question of what’s it like to grow up as Pamela Anderson’s son fascinated me as a storyteller. It turns out she’s a damn good mother.”
For more on Pamela Anderson and her powerful new memoir, check out the story in this week’s PEOPLE.
source: people.com
