The Real Reason We Never Heard About Pamela Anderson’s Sons – Until Now

Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee's romance fueled rumors for years. The infamous lovebirds were one of Hollywood's most controversial couples - yet no one knew that much about their children. Here's a look behind closed doors.

There's Something About Pam

There was always something special about Pamela Anderson. Before she appeared in the centerfold or guarded the beaches of California, she was just a Canadian gal living life. In fact, her career began by accident.

She became the spokesmodel for a beer company after they noticed her wearing their shirt. Later, she moved to LA to pursue modeling and acting. Her first acting role was on Home Improvement, and then she made big waves as C.J. Parker on Baywatch. Later, she became a famous Playboy model - and caught someone special's attention...

Pam & Tommy

Tommy Lee knew there was something special about Pamela Anderson - and he would do everything he could to let her know. Their love story is one for the ages, making headlines and heads turn for years. But their romance has also spawned many controversies and sagas of their own.

Yet, before there were legal battles and passionate affairs between the lovers, the infamous drummer had a tumultuous love life all on his own. He was married to Elaine Starchuk in 1984, only to be divorced a year later. Then, he was married to Melrose Place actress Heather Locklear from 1986 to 1993. This is just the start.

Talking About Tommy

Tommy was born in Athens, Greece, before his family moved back to the United States when he was two years old. And music was practically born into his soul. When he was just four years old, he received his first set of drumsticks. It was love at first drum for the future musician.

When he was a teen, he dropped out of school to try and make it big with his band, Suite 19. He had become a regular on the famous Sunset Strip. With his friend, bassist Nikki Sixx, they recruited two more guys, Mick Mars and Vince Neil, to form the Mötley Crüe. The band had made it big - and Tommy Lee sky-rocketed to stardom.

New Year's Kiss

It was New Year's Eve, and love was in the air, or at least something close to it. Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson were at the same club, celebrating the end of 1994. Lee recalled in his autobiography, The Dirt, "Suddenly, a waitress came over and said, 'Tommy, here's a shot of Goldschläger. It's for you, from Pamela Anderson.'" 

Lee was under a spell. He continued, "She was wearing all white, her hair was the most perfect shade of blond I had ever seen… and she stood out so radiantly from everyone around her that it seemed like a beam of black light was shining on her from above." The night ended as Lee kissed Anderson goodnight and got her number.

Chaos in Cancún

After New Year's, the lovers spent the next six weeks talking on the phone nonstop. Anderson kept pushing off saying yes to meeting up, but when she finally agreed to go on a date with Lee, work got in the way! She was sent to Mexico for a photoshoot. So, Tommy did what any lovestruck man would do: He hopped on a plane.

Anderson told Larry King in an interview, "He found out I was at a photo shoot down there, and he followed me down. The first thing he said to me was, 'I'm going to marry you.'" The Ritz-Carlton wouldn't let Lee in because of their dress code. So, the couple had their first date at a nearby bar. Then, things really took off.

A Rockin’ Love

Anderson and Lee were head over heels in love with each other. Their impromptu romance in Mexico was filled with passion, rock, and roll. Only three days into their fling, Tommy asked the biggest question of them all: on February 18, 1995, he asked Pamela to marry him.

Lee wrote about that night in his memoir. "That night at a disco called La Boom, I took off my pinky ring, put it on her finger, and asked her to marry me. She said yes, hugged me, and stuck her tongue down my throat." The next day, the lovebirds married on the beach in swimsuits and got tattoos instead of rings.

Public Frenzy

After a five-day honeymoon on a houseboat on Lake Mead, the couple settled back into their daily life. If settling is what anyone can call it. The public was obsessed with the newest and hottest couple on the scene, and they wanted to know as much about them as possible.

Anderson and Lee were constantly chased down by paparazzi and were followed by the flashing lightbulbs anywhere they went. It all started the moment that they got off the plane from Mexico. Lee wrote, "It was like we had gone from the total-freedom paradise of Cancún to this hellish prison of Hollywood Babylon."

A Motley Crew

The couple created a motley crew of their own. Pamela gave birth to their first son, Brandon Thomas, in 1996. Lee said about that day, "That was hands down the best day of my life. And half an hour later, I sat down at the piano and the song, 'Brandon' just came out of me." Cue the 'awws!'

Then, a year later, Anderson was pregnant again with their second child. Anderson gave birth to Dylan Jagger in 1997. Both boys were born at home with the help of midwives. The lovebirds had gone from a vacation fling to full-time parents. However, there was something else occupying their minds.

The Infamous Tape

Sadly, on a fateful day in 1995, the family's life took a wild turn: Rand Gauthier had been hired to renovate their home. But after Lee kicked him out, owing him money, Rand sought revenge. He broke in and stole their safe - which held a NSFW tape. "We put it in, & see what it is, & of course, cha-ching... dollar signs fly before our eyes," Rand recalled.

The couple only noticed the safe was gone a few months later - but by then, it was already too late. Lee and Pam, who was pregnant with Brandon, filed lawsuits and raced to stop its release. But they weren't successful. The tape was leaked on something new called the internet. And the world went wild.

The Beginning of the End

Their love was unlike any other. As Pamela put it, "We had fun and our rule was no rules." They were living life to the fullest, always in the fast lane. However, sometimes life in the fast lane can be too much. The couple began arguing more and more.

Then, only a few nights after the birth of their second child, it was clear that it was the start of the end. Anderson recalled in her memoir, Love, Pamela, "Tommy ripped Brandon off me and threw me and Dylan into a wall." Anderson called 911, and Lee was arrested that night. The mom of two knew what she had to do next.

Calling It Quits

Only a few days after the alleged incident, Anderson filed for divorce from Lee. Even though they were madly in love, their marriage could not last. Anderson went to the courts. She filed to reinstate her maiden name and asked for a divorce from Tommy and custody of their two boys.

But what was most important was keeping in mind the children. Anderson shared in her memoir, "I was crushed. I still couldn't believe that the person I loved the most was capable of what had happened that night. We were both devastated, but I had to protect my babies."

Baby Watch

Pamela took care of Brandon and Dylan. She always put her two boys first before anything else. They were the apples of her eye, and this mom was going to do whatever it took to protect her sons. The family lived in Malibu together, where Pamela continued to raise them.

Meanwhile, Tommy was sentenced to 6 months in prison with charges of spousal abuse. He was also charged with a 3-year probation period, where he had to stay away from Anderson, keep away from substances and alcohol, and donate $5,000 to a women's shelter.

Hollywood Heirs

Being the kids of two Hollywood celebrities, Brandon and Dylan grew up in the spotlight. Their lives were unlike most regular kids growing up in America. Other kids would go to Chuck E. Cheese or the ice skating rink with their parents - but Brandon and Dylan would go to movie premieres or music festivals with their mom and dad.

However, growing up among fame is difficult. According to Daily Mail, the boys admitted that they had been exposed to contraband, among other things, at an early age. As much as Pamela tried to protect them, there was only so much their mom could do for the boys. 

Being Bullied

When they were away at school, they were picked on by the other children. They would repeat information in the press to Brandon and Dylan and say nasty things to them. Brandon recalled, "I just remember in school, if anyone ever brought up my mom, I was very quick to fight."

Anderson remembered a specific time when her youngest son came home from school. She said, "I remember one day after school, Dylan came to me in tears, and he was like, 'mum why did you do that tape?' I was like, 'oh gosh, really, we didn't make a s*x tape.'" The mom of two came to another tough decision.

Goodbye Hollywood

Anderson made the hard choice to send her boys to boarding school. She wanted to get them away from the Hollywood scene and into an environment that was better suited for them. So, Brandon and Dylan were sent to Vancouver, Canada, to escape the fast life of Los Angeles.

Anderson told Interview, "I knew they needed some good Canadian roots. They needed to get out of the Malibu Colony and get some reality, and it was the best thing that we ever did." Pam was not only looking out for her boys' safety but also wanted to make sure they turned into good men. 

Heading Home

Brandon enrolled in a Canadian university - only to quit school two weeks into his first semester. He came back to Cali and wanted to pursue acting full-time. However, he had a difficult time in the beginning. LA was filled with many distractions - and Brandon found himself in a bad place surrounded by bad people.

He was sleeping on couches and working in a smoothie shop. "You want to go out to the club every night, girls are everywhere, this and that, and that made me happy for 10 minutes. It was making me happy in the moment, but at the end of the day, when everyone goes home, you don't feel good," he told Women's Wear Daily.

Life in the Hills

Brandon eventually changed his ways. And then, he got the call of a lifetime. MTV asked him to be part of the cast for the revival of The Hills. "You know? I never thought in my whole life I'd ever do a reality show," he recalled. Along with actress Mischa Barton, he joined some original cast members for The Hills: New Beginnings.

In addition to his time on the reality show, Brandon has acted in various films and television shows. He had a small role in the Netflix movie Sierra Burgess Is A Loser and starred alongside Bruce Willis in Cosmic Sin. He also has had success as a model, modeling for brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Dolce & Gabbana. 

Following Dad's Footsteps

Brandon wasn't the only Lee son bitten by the entertainment bug. Dylan shared the same passion for music as his dad. He played in a band called Midnight Kids, but they split up. Then, he started another musical endeavor as part of a band called Motel 7. They released a music video that Pierce Bronsan's son, Paris, directed.

He also has a prolific modeling career. He's worked with brands including Acne Studios, Armani Exchange, Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, Hugo Boss, and True Religion. He has also appeared in magazines like Vogue, NYLON, and more. Dylan is proving that he is more than just a Hollywood name. 

Father-Son Feud

While the family had many happy moments together, some dark times were scattered throughout their lives. There was one instance where Tommy and Brandon made headlines for getting into a physical altercation at home. The police ended up being called to Tommy's Calabasas home.

A source close to Brandon told TMZ that Tommy was drunk and his eldest son acted out of self-defense. Tommy posted a photo on his social media of his bruised face, but it has since been deleted. The father and son have since reconciled from this dark and difficult moment. 

Regrets About Mom

The tables have turned, and now Pam has two protective sons. More than anything, they want the best for her. Brandon said about her tape, "I wish she made the money. She would've made millions of dollars if she just would have signed a piece of paper. Instead, she sat back with nothing and watched her career fizzle into thin air."

Dylan also confessed, "I think it would have been a different story if she did cash in on the tape. It just shows you, right? Like, that thing guaranteed made people millions of dollars, and she was like, 'No.' She 100 percent% about her family being OK and me being OK. Never cared about money."

"Never Got the Chance"

While the kids were growing up, Pamela always thought she'd be able to tell them about her past herself. However, that wasn't the case. She said, "I always thought I'd tell them, age-appropriate — but I never got the chance — they always found out before I could really talk to them about it…"

From her days as a Playboy model to the infamous NSFW tape that was leaked, she thought she would be able to tell them her story her way. Her boys were everything to her, and this could not have been easy for Pamela. The tape kept coming back to haunt them.

Pam & Tommy Drama

In February 2022, Hulu launched its latest series, Pam & Tommy. The eight-episode series starred Sebastian Stan and Lily James playing the famous couple, and the show chronicled the story of how their tape got stolen and the aftermath. Seth Rogen portrayed Rand Gauthier, who stole the video.

The series was nominated for several Emmy awards, but that didn't change Dylan's thoughts toward the project. Anderson's youngest remarked, "Why bring something up from 20 years ago that you know f---ed someone up? The worst part of her life and making a semi-comedy out of it didn't make sense."

In Love With Love

Brandon and Dylan supported their mother as she fell in love again and again… and again. After divorcing their father, Pamela got engaged to model Marcus Schenkenberg but called it off before marriage. Then, she married singer Kid Rock. They also divorced. After, she married poker player Rick Salomon and divorced him - twice.

She was briefly married to her bodyguard Dan Hayhurst. Nowadays, Pamela is enjoying the single life and living in her grandparents' farmhouse in Canada. Dylan said about his mom's many marriages, "She loves getting married. Maybe it's her favorite thing in the world, falling in love."

Moving On

Finding the one after Tommy's marriage with Pam dissolved took him some time. Lee fell in love with a singer named Sofia Toufa, who went by the stage name SOFI. They were together for three years and even got engaged but eventually called the relationship off. Everything changed while he was swiping on Raya.

He matched with Vine personality Brittany Furlan, and the pair fell in love. She recalled, "I matched with him, and he was just so persistent. He was just like, texting me every day…" It seems that some habits die hard. The two married on Valentine's Day 2019 and have two dachshunds named Neena and Teenie.

Setting the Story Straight

Fast forward to 2023, and it was time for Pamela to tell her story her way. After years of keeping quiet, she was ready to take control of her narrative. With Brandon attached as a producer, she released a documentary about her life - and all the ups and downs. The doc, titled Pamela, a love story, premiered on Netflix on January 31.

Anderson focused most of her time on writing her memoir. Meanwhile, Brandon was heavily involved with the documentary. During a Q&A about the film, he told his mom, "You're such an icon of so many people, and you’re such a tastemaker in a visual medium that I thought this was the opportunity to represent that."

The Tell-All

Anderson's memoir Love, Pamela hit the bookshelves the same day the Netflix documentary was released. The book is an intimate and honest look at her life from her perspective. From her childhood in Canada to her tumultuous love with Lee, Anderson does not hold back, and it wouldn't have happened without her sons.

She did it all because of her boys. She thanks Dylan and Brandon in the acknowledgments, writing, "this was your idea." They knew that despite her hesitation, she needed to tell her story in her own words. They supported her every step of the way and pushed her out of her comfort zone.

Pain From the Past

Brandon was heavily involved in the project, serving as a producer and starring in the documentary. Dylan also appears throughout the documentary. It was not easy to look at their lives and film themselves. There were difficult moments on set for Pamela as she watched old home videos and reflected on her journey.

It was also challenging for the boys. Brandon recalled, "The first time I watched the first five seconds, I couldn't even hold it together. Usually, the car rides home for me were tough because I just tried to stay in there and stay in work mode, but for sure it was a difficult experience."

"Truly in Love"

In her memoir, Pamela reflected on her time with Tommy. She wrote, "My relationship with Tommy may have been the only time I was ever truly in love." Through their ups and downs, he was always the one for her - and it seemed no one else could live up to him.

Anderson remembered a simple time. She wrote that she and Tommy "just wanted to have babies and be together forever." Despite no longer being together, she still cares for her ex-husband and his well-being. She wrote, "Tommy is the father of my kids and I'm forever grateful." All Anderson cared about was her boys.

On & Off

The rollercoaster ride of their parents' relationship has finally come to a halt. However, there was a time that the boys had to watch as mom & dad would get back together, break up and then make up days later. After the divorce, Anderson and Lee dated again. Lee told PEOPLE, "The boys miss Pam and me together."

He continued, "When we're together, they're so happy. At the end of the day, that's truly what my heart wants. I want us all to be together." Although they did not grow old together, their love for one another will always remain special. They made two wonderful children who are on the brink of taking over Hollywood.

What’s Next for the Lee Boys?

There is so much that Brandon and Dylan have been through. From growing up in the spotlight with paparazzi chasing after them to forging their career paths in entertainment, they haven't had an easy road. Yet, they are lucky that they have such a strong support system behind them.

Anderson said about her eldest, "Brandon's the businessman. He's this fiery kind of kid. He's just really creative." While she noted that her youngest is "more introspective, more Zen." Together, they make an unstoppable team. What will be in store next for the Lee boys? We can't wait to find out...