Pamela Anderson Reflects on Her ‘Death Sentence’ Diagnosis with Hepatitis C

Pamela Anderson shared her past diagnosis of hepatitis C while receiving recognition at the amfAR Gala in Venice.

“It felt like a death sentence. That’s what my doctor told me — that I likely had about 10 years to live,” the Baywatch star revealed at the event on Sunday, September 6, according to Variety. “I’m certain that influenced my choices. It wasn’t the fear of dying but rather the worry of what would happen to my young kids. It turned my life upside down.”

Now 59, Anderson received amfAR’s Award of Courage on Sunday night and reflected on how her hepatitis C diagnosis left her feeling exposed.

“Yet, my experience with shame and guilt was also an unconscious journey. It lingers with me; it haunts me,” she explained. “Much like the sexual abuse I suffered as a child, it felt like I was branded: damaged goods. And I portrayed myself as such.”

Anderson first disclosed her hepatitis C diagnosis in 2002, attributing it to sharing tattoo needles with her ex-husband, Tommy Lee, with whom she has sons Brandon, 30, and Dylan, 28.

During the event on Sunday, she shared that she became “hep C free” by 2015 after a cure was discovered in 2011 but mentioned that “it drained everything I had in my bank” to afford her treatment.

The actress acknowledged that she hasn’t “fully healed” from her medical experiences, but her challenges have fueled her career revival in films such as The Last Showgirl and The Naked Gun.

“My truth has emerged through my work, allowing me to express myself through art. It provided me with the strength I needed, a vibrant life to explore and engage with,” Anderson commented. “I’m not a victim; I’m a victor. I am strong and capable, now more than I ever dreamed … I refuse to be the damsel in distress, no matter how tempting that role may seem.”

Anderson previously discussed her journey overcoming hepatitis C in a 2015 interview with People.

“I believe anyone dealing with a disease that you’re told you can live with still significantly affects your life choices,” she noted. “Twenty years ago, they instructed me that I would die in 10 years. And at that 10-year mark, they mentioned I could live with it and likely die from something else, but it was all frightening information.”

“I’ve been so busy that I think it really hasn’t fully registered yet, but it’s thrilling because now I get 20 more years of my life,” she continued. “They developed a cure recently, and you know Tommy was cured a year ago; I was cured just last Friday.”