Pamela Anderson recently shared candid insights about how her Hollywood sex symbol status affected her two sons during their formative years. The 57-year-old actress revealed she was unaware of the challenges her children faced while growing up with a mother who was heavily sexualized in the entertainment industry.
"Being a working mom and being in this entertainment world and having your mom be sexualized in some way— I didn't realize my kids were going through them at the same time," Anderson said during Variety's "Actors on Actors" series conversation with actress Mikey Madison.
The former Baywatch star, who rose to fame in the 1990s and appeared on 13 Playboy covers, is mother to Brandon, 28, and Dylan, 26, whom she shares with ex-husband Tommy Lee. While she protected them from media attention during their childhood in Canada, the implications of her public image eventually surfaced during their teenage years.
Brandon, now an Emmy-nominated producer, reflected on his mother's career transformation following the release of her 2023 memoir "Love, Pamela" and Netflix documentary. "The category she was in before, she was just very objectified... her whole career was just positioned towards the male gaze," he explained.
While Anderson acknowledges she might have made different choices in hindsight, she maintains no shame about her past. "I'm not ashamed of the choices that I made," she stated, adding that life experience has given her new perspectives.
Now that her sons are adults, Anderson feels liberated to focus on her career, including her latest role in "The Last Showgirl." The film represents a new chapter in her professional life, allowing her to draw from personal experiences while moving beyond her previous public persona.
The actress's evolution continues as she embraces aging naturally and redefines her public image. Her sons, now grown, have become her strongest supporters, encouraging her to remain authentic while pursuing new opportunities in the entertainment industry.
Note: Only one link was inserted as it was the only one contextually relevant to the article content. The other provided links about Stargate and Jenna Fischer were not directly related to the article topic.