Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee: Love Story from Cancun to Controversy

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee exchanged vows on the beach in Cancun, Mexico, on February 19, 1995, just days after their whirlwind first date. The couple, emblematic of ’90s celebrity culture, made headlines with their quick romance, flashy wedding, and tumultuous relationship.

Anderson, known for her role on ‘Baywatch,’ and Lee, the drummer for Mötley Crüe, first met on New Year’s Eve at a Hollywood nightclub. Lee famously said during their first encounter, “I’m going to marry you.” Anderson later recalled, “No one’s ever said that to me in a first sentence.”

“That night at a disco called La Boom, I put a ring on her finger and asked her to marry me,” Lee wrote in his memoir, The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band. After an impulsive yes from Anderson, they wed the following day, with both donning beach attire for the ceremony.

Their wedding was uniquely unconventional. The couple arranged for a hastily organized marriage ceremony through their hotel, obtaining a marriage license and blood tests to fulfill the legal requirements. “We were on the beach getting married before the day was over,” Lee wrote.

As part of their vow to each other, they tattooed their names on their ring fingers, solidifying their commitment in a very ’90s fashion. Despite the passionate start, their marriage would face significant challenges, leading to their separation in 1998.

Anderson gave birth to their first son, Brandon, in May 1996. However, tensions from a stolen sex tape and Lee’s struggles with alcohol addiction quickly began to strain their relationship. Anderson filed for divorce just six months after Brandon was born.

Lee later faced legal troubles when he was arrested and charged with spousal abuse following an incident with Anderson while she was holding their second son, Dylan, born in December 1997. “I couldn’t understand why Pamela had followed through with pressing charges,” he reflected in The Dirt. Lee ultimately pleaded no contest and spent time in jail.

Despite these challenges, the couple’s relationship remained complex. They were seen together several times after their divorce, even kissing at the World Music Awards in 1999. In different interviews, both have expressed a lingering connection. Anderson stated, “There was Tommy and then there was nobody else.”

Years later, in 2005, Lee participated in Anderson’s Comedy Central roast, saying, “You’ve always been there for me, and your spirit and kindness is an inspiration to me.” By 2008, Lee suggested that they were considering giving their relationship another try, humorously noting, “We’ve only given it a try 800 times — 801, here we go.”

Today, as Anderson prepares for the Screen Actors Guild Awards where she is nominated for Best Actress for her role in The Last Showgirl, she reflects on her relationship with Lee, calling it “the only time I was ever truly in love.”