Pamela Anderson says Hugh Hefner was the only man who ever treated her with respect
Pamela Anderson is making a lot of bold claims between her memoir and Netflix documentary - but this might just be the wildest so far.
The Baywatch star has said that, over the course of her life and career, only one man has treated her with complete respect. That man? Hugh Hefner.
Yes, that's Hugh Hefner of the Playboy Mansion.
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Before she got into acting, Pamela, 55, made a name for herself by modelling for Playboy, and went on to appear on the magazine's cover 14 times - more than any other model,
It's easy to see, then, why Pamela would have had a close relationship with editor-in-chief and founder Hugh Hefner.
When Hugh passed away in September 2017, his legacy was somewhat tarnished by multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, manipulation, rape, and molestation from former models, partners, and employees on the shocking ten-part A&E series Secrets of Playboy.
Most of these allegations have not been subject to criminal investigations or charges, since they don't constitute proof of guilt.
But, if you ask Pamela, Hugh was her knight in shining armour.
Asked in an interview with The Times if any man had ever 'treated her with complete and utter respect', Pamela answered, 'Hugh Hefner.'
The actor says her troublesome childhood made her a 'painfully shy' young woman.
But when Hugh gave Pamela her first Playboy shoot, she says that she was finally able to 'take her power back'.
"Doing that first photoshoot gave me this little kind of portal on what it felt like to be a sensual woman," she recalled.
"My sexuality was mine. I took my power back."
Elsewhere in her media tour, Pamela has spoken about her reaction to mini-series Pam & Tommy, which she claims was made without consulting her.
Speaking on The Howard Stern Show, Pamela admitted that watching the trailer for the series, which starred Lily James and Sebastian Stan, felt like being 'run over'.
"No one called me, I'm still alive, no one asked me, it's nothing to do with me," she said.
"I felt kinda run over by that one. I don't think they portrayed Tommy or I very accurately.
"I haven't seen it but I've heard from people that it's a very shallow representation of us. I wish they would've called."
Despite Anderson's claims, executive producer D.V. DeVincentis says that the crew repeatedly tried to contact her about the series but never heard back.
"We particularly wanted to let Pamela Anderson know that this portrayal was very much a positive thing and that we cared a great deal about her and wanted her to know that the show loves her," he said.
"We didn't get a response, but considering what she's been through and the time that we were reaching out, that was understandable."
Pamela's memoir Love, Pamela, and her Netflix documentary Pamela, A Love Story, are both out on January 31.
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV
Ali Condon