Pamela Anderson is opening up about her early experiences in the entertainment industry, including an unsettling encounter with a ‘90s sitcom star.
In her upcoming memoir “Love, Pamela,” according to Variety, Anderson discusses booking the role of Lisa the Tool Time Girl on the family sitcom “Home Improvement,” starring Tim Allen, Richard Karn and Patricia Richardson. Anderson appeared as Lisa for 23 episodes from 1991-1997.
While the role gave Anderson her first taste of major fame, the actress writes about an on-set interaction she had with Allen on the set of the ABC series.
“On the first day of filming, I walked out of my dressing room, and Tim was in the hallway in his robe. He opened his robe and flashed me quickly — completely naked underneath,” per an excerpt from the book published Sunday by Variety, ahead of the book’s Jan. 31 release. “He said it was only fair because he had seen me naked. Now we’re even. I laughed uncomfortably.”
In a statement provided to USA TODAY on Sunday by Allen’s representative Marleah Leslie, Allen denied Anderson’s allegation. “No, it never happened. I would never do such a thing,” Allen said in the statement.
Anderson’s allegation previews the unflinching honesty of “Love, Pamela,” a memoir that will see the “Baywatch” bombshell and Playboy cover girl cast aside the glamorous façade to tell her life story, interspersed with original poetry.
An accompanying Netflix documentary, “Pamela, a love story,” is also set to drop Jan. 31.
Experts say it’s important that high-profile women such as Anderson are finally taking back their narratives because doing so can be a crucial step in healing from trauma.
“It’s your story to tell, and it doesn’t belong to anyone else. So, when that’s taken from you, it’s painful. It’s traumatic,” Jessica MacNair, a licensed professional counselor, told USA TODAY in April. “So, for (Pamela) to reclaim that and do it on (her) own terms is inspiring and even healing.”