Pamela Anderson released a Netflix documentary and her memoir this week, and amid reclaiming her own narrative, she’s found a fan in Britney Spears.
Spears — who has been the subject of a slew of recent documentaries, though she hasn’t been involved with any — is praising Anderson for speaking out. “I’m such a fan of Pamela Anderson,” the pop star said on Thursday in a since-deleted Instagram post. “She was the only sex icon at one time in America and she still is !!!”
“Pamela gave me an understanding that people should support you exactly where you are in that moment of your life … unless cruelty rules the world,” Spears said.
Spears also praised Anderson’s children for standing up for their mother. “I really respect the fact that her children stood up for her relating to the fact that people were trying to sell her story from the past,” Spears posted.
Anderson’s 26-year-old son, Brandon Thomas Lee, whose father is Tommy Lee, produced her Netflix documentary, “Pamela, a Love Story,” and helped put together the deals for that doc and her HarperCollins memoir, “Love Pamela.” Throughout the press tour, he has spoken out about how his mother was disrespected throughout her decades-long career, particularly in the ’90s when she shot to superstardom on “Baywatch.” (Speaking to PvNew for Anderson’s cover story, he said his mom should be getting a cut of “Baywatch” royalties. “She was definitely being taken advantage of,” he said. “And it still feels weird how there hasn’t been some sort of discussion with Amazon or the ‘Baywatch’ producers to get her her fair share.”)
Spears, on the other hand, has spoken in recent months about her fraught relationship with her two teenage sons, after her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, was slammed for giving media interviews about their famous pop star mother. Ever since her 13-year conservatorship was terminated, Spears has not been holding back, frequently posting about her family dynamics with sister Jamie Lynn Spears and father Jamie Spears, who she has accused of “abusing” her during the conservatorship that he oversaw for most of the 13 years.
Spears writes about Anderson’s sons: “They said, ‘Why the hell bring up things that happened 20 years ago if that really messed up my mom ???’ Referring to the embarrassing subject being sold in a comedic TV comparison … he’s right !!! He went on to say because of the embarrassment she went through a very dark period in her life … I mean when I read THAT, I was like DAMN !!!”
The pop star then appears to sarcastically comment about the documentaries that have centered around her story without her involvement, writing, “With 4 documentaries released about me last year with people I adore speaking about my past !!!” She also says, “Unfortunately, the way my past was portrayed in those documentaries was extremely embarrassing !!! It felt semi-illegal !!!”
In response to Spears’ post, Anderson’s son, Brandon, commented: “Thank you for this. You and my mom have both deserved better.”
Other notable figures also chimed in, including Rosie O’Donnell, who said: “proud of u b. keep healing.” However, the post was deleted from Spears’ account soon after.
Comparisons have been drawn between Anderson and Spears, in the sense that they were both young women who were catapulted to fame in the ’90s and abused by the media and paparazzi who stole their privacy. Now, the two women are sharing their own stories on their own terms. Spears is also expected to release her own memoir, having landed a landmark deal for a tell-all book.
