Actress Pamela Anderson recently reflected on her challenging battle with hepatitis C, a diagnosis she received in the 1990s that doctors initially gave her only a decade to live. Speaking at the amfAR Gala in Venice on September 6, where she received an Award of Courage, Anderson detailed the immense financial and emotional cost of her eventual cure.
Anderson, known for her roles in "Baywatch" and "The Last Showgirl," revealed her diagnosis publicly in 2002. She stated that she contracted hepatitis C by sharing a needle with her ex-husband, rock drummer Tommy Lee, an assertion Lee has denied. Hepatitis C is a viral infection that primarily affects the liver, often remaining undetected for 10 to 20 years before liver complications arise. It spreads through blood-to-blood contact, with shared needles or syringes being the most common cause of new infections, according to Dr. William Carey, a senior hepatologist at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
"Back in the late '90s, when I was diagnosed with hepatitis C, there was no cure," Anderson shared at the gala. "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."
A decade after her diagnosis, a cure became available. "I was lucky," she recounted while holding her award. "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 previously disclosed in an interview with Larry King on CNN that she underwent a yearlong treatment regimen, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. She likened the treatment, which involved injections of the antiviral drug interferon, to a year of "having the flu," adding, "Your hair falls out. It's a little kind of chemotherapy." In 2015, Anderson announced that she was hepatitis C free.
Despite her recovery, the emotional scars lingered. "I'm grateful to say now that I am hep C free," Anderson told the applauding audience. "But my experience of shame and guilt was also still an unconscious journey. It stays with me. It haunts me."
The infection impacts about 50 million people globally. In her motivational speech, Anderson spoke about her efforts to reduce stigma, encourage testing, and work with organizations to raise awareness. However, she admitted to a deep personal struggle. "My words did not match my feelings," she said. "I was angry. I was scared. I went into sabotage mode and just like the sexual abuse I endured as a child, it felt like it was carved into my forehead: Damaged goods. And I presented myself as such. I don't think I've ever fully recovered from that news."
Since her recovery, Anderson has been active in film, starring in the 2025 reboot "The Naked Gun" with Liam Neeson and "The Last Showgirl," for which she received best actress nominations at the SAG Awards and the Golden Globes. She also appeared in "Rosebush Pruning," a satirical dark comedy alongside Callum Turner, Riley Keough, and Elle Fanning.
"My truth has come through my work, finding ways to express myself and heal through the arts," Anderson concluded in her speech. "It gave me the ammunition I needed. A fertile life to use and play in."
The infection impacts about 50 million people globally, with many people unaware of it for 10 to 20 years before experiencing liver complications. In her motivational speech at amfAR, a foundation for AIDS research, she said she found ways to reduce stigma, encouraged others to get tested and worked with organizations to bring awareness. Despite her efforts, she still underwent an emotional battle.
