Pamela Anderson disclosed that she spent all her savings to afford an early treatment for hepatitis C when it was not yet covered by insurance. Anderson, 59, shared this experience while accepting amfAR's Award of Courage on Sunday in Venice.
Anderson revealed that she lived with hepatitis C for years, carrying a sense of shame and guilt after her diagnosis in the late 1990s. "Back in the late '90s, when I was diagnosed with hepatitis C, there was no cure," she stated, according to reports. "I'm sure that colored and corrupted my decisions. It was not fear of death but fear of what might happen to my young children. It turned my life inside out."
She publicly announced her diagnosis in 2002, at which time she claimed to have contracted the disease from sharing needles with her former husband, Tommy Lee, a claim the musician has denied.
When a cure eventually became available, Anderson described the significant financial commitment required. "Ten blurry years later, there was a cure. I was lucky," she said. "I was offered it in its early stages, and it took everything I had in my bank to pay for it. It wasn't covered by insurance yet, and I felt tremendous guilt that others weren't granted the same access."
Anderson announced in 2015 that she was free of hepatitis C after completing a year-long treatment regimen approved by the FDA. She reflected on the lingering emotional impact of her experience, comparing the shame and guilt to that of childhood sexual abuse, describing it as feeling like she was "carved into my forehead: Damaged goods."
Despite these challenges, Anderson has experienced a career resurgence. Since declaring herself "hep C free" in 2015, she has appeared in projects such as "The Last Showgirl," "The Naked Gun," and "Rosebush Pruning." Her most recent film, "Place to Be," premiered at the Venice Film Festival.
"My truth has come through my work, finding ways to express myself through the arts," Anderson concluded. "I’m not a victim, I’m a victor. I am strong and capable, more now than I could ever dream of … I’m not the damsel in distress, no matter how easy that role is to play."