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Celebrity relationships often have many ups and downs, all in the public eye. That couldn’t be more true than for Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee throughout their marriage in the 1990s. And now, fans will get to relive their relationship all over again.

Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee during Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas Grand Opening Party Hosted by Peter Morton at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | S. Granitz/WireImage
Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee during Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas Grand Opening Party Hosted by Peter Morton at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | S. Granitz/WireImage

Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee got married very quickly

By the mid-1990s, Pamela Anderson had risen to fame as a star on the popular TV show Baywatch. At the same time, rockstar Tommy Lee was at the peak of his success as the drummer of his band Mötley Crüe.

In February 1995, Anderson and Lee got married after knowing each other for just four days. They tied the knot on a beach, with the bride wearing a bikini.

Anderson and Lee had two sons together throughout their three-year marriage. During their tumultuous marriage, Lee was arrested for spousal abuse after he physically assaulted Anderson and was sentenced to six months in jail. The couple finally divorced in 1998.

Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee during Rokbar Hollywood Grand   Opening Party at Rokbar in Hollywood, California, United States | J. Sciulli/WireImage)
Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee during Rokbar Hollywood Grand Opening Party at Rokbar in Hollywood, California, United States | J. Sciulli/WireImage)

Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s sex tape was never meant to be released

On their honeymoon, they filmed an explicit video together on a boat. Later that year, someone broke into their home and stole the only copy of the sex tape, and threatened to leak the video to the press.

Anderson sued the video distribution company Internet Entertainment Group, founded by Seth Warshavsky. Ultimately, the Lees signed a confidential settlement agreement with IEG that allowed them to distribute the tape.

After the couple and the adult video company entered into their agreement, IEG began making the tape available to subscribers to its web sites again. It broke the Internet before breaking the Internet was a thing, as traffic on their sites tripled after the video was released.

Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson during Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson - Show at Sony Studios in Culver City, California, United States | Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson during Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson – Show at Sony Studios in Culver City, California, United States | Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
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Hulu is creating a new miniseries about the sex tape

Now, the saga of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee is getting new life. Deadline first reported in December 2020 that Hulu had given the green light to an eight-episode limited series about Lee and Anderson’s relationship, titled Pam & Tommy.

British actor Lily James will play Anderson, while Sebastian Stan will play Lee. Seth Rogen is also slated to appear in the series as the man who stole their sex tape. Both Lee and Anderson aren’t involved with the series, but they’re aware that it’s being made. The series will chronicle their relationship, from their whirlwind romance and wedding in 1995, the subsequent sex tape scandal, and their dramatic three-year marriage.

Craig Gillespie, the director behind I, Tonya, will be directing the project, while The Founder writer Rob Siegel will be writing the series. Pam & Tommy is set to begin filming in spring 2021.