“Pam & Tommy” is now streaming on Hulu, bringing audiences into “the greatest love story ever sold,” as it’s billed. And for its part, the series gets a lot right — including the timeline of events in their relationship.
The series may make it seem like things were sped up between Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee for television purposes — as often tends to happen in adaptations of true stories — but in reality, the two actually did move at an impressive pace.
When Did Pam and Tommy First Meet?
Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee first met in a club on New Year’s Eve in 1994. (And yes, just like Sebastian Stan grabs Lily James’s face and licks it — chin to forehead — on screen, Tommy Lee actually did that to Pamela Anderson). According to Anderson in a 1995 interview, she thought “he was a cool, friendly, nice guy” and gave him her number.
Did Tommy Call Pam That Often?
Once Anderson gave Lee her number, he wasted no time in using it. He really did call her multiple times — most of which she ignored, precisely because it was so intense. Eventually, Lee did get her on the phone, and Anderson did beg him not to follow her to Cancun.
Of course, Lee didn’t listen. One detail left out of “Pam & Tommy” though, is the fact that Lee reportedly bought $400 worth of sex toys and costumes prior to actually meeting up with her again.
How Quickly Did Pam and Tommy Actually Get Married?
Once Lee tracked Anderson down in Cancun, in February 1995, he did convince her to spend the night with him. And yes, they got married on the beach just four days later. According to Lee, instead of getting actual wedding bands, the two tattooed each other’s names on their fingers. And, just like we see it in “Pam & Tommy,” Lee said at the time that neither of them really processed what they’d done until they were on the plane home.
Rand Gauthier Steals the Couple’s Tape
When Anderson and Lee returned home from Cancun, they decided to live in Lee’s home in Malibu. Shortly thereafter (still in February), Rand Gauthier — played in “Pam & Tommy” by Seth Rogen — began working as a contractor at the house.
Indeed, Gauthier was eventually fired by Lee, and the rocker refused to give back Gauthier’s tools. In 2014, Gauthier told Rolling Stone that this moment — complete with Lee holding a shotgun to Gauthier’s face and telling him to leave — was what truly prompted him to steal Lee’s safe, which contained the tape.
Pam and Tommy Have Kids
Though Pamela Anderson largely credits the distribution of the tape as one of the major factors that destroyed her marriage with Lee, the two did stay together through much of the heat of it. In June 1996, the summer after the tape was released, the pair had their first son, Brandon Thomas. In December 1997, they welcomed their second, Dylan Jagger.
According to Lee, the birth of Dylan is actually where their relationship deteriorated. “When Dylan was born, I dropped down to No. 3. Now I was full-on nonexistent. And I couldn’t deal with that,” he told The New York Post.
When Did Pam and Tommy Get Divorced?
Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee got married four days after meeting, and divorced four years after marrying. It wasn’t until 1998 that the pair split up, with Anderson officially filing for divorce in May. Earlier that year, Lee attacked her while she was holding Dylan, and was charged with felony spousal abuse. But this wasn’t the end of their relationship.
Pam and Tommy’s Second Marriage — And Divorce
The two eventually ended up getting married again, in 2008. But this marriage didn’t last as long as the first, and they truly went their separate ways two years later. Since 2010, both have been remarried several times, with Anderson announcing in January that she was getting divorced again.