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Pamela Anderson paid a steep price to beat hepatitis C.
After living with the disease for years, the 59-year-old actress said she drained her bank account to pay for an early treatment that insurance didn’t yet cover.
Anderson opened up about her battle with hepatitis C and the shame she carried after her diagnosis in the late '90s while accepting amfAR’s Award of Courage on Sunday in Venice. The nonprofit, which works to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic, also supports hepatitis C research and advocacy.
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Pamela Anderson revealed she drained her bank account to pay for an early hepatitis C treatment that was not yet covered by insurance. (2026 Victor Boyko/amfAR)
"Back in the late '90s, when I was diagnosed with hepatitis C, there was no cure," Anderson said, according to multiple 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."
Anderson went public with her diagnosis in 2002 and claimed she contracted the disease while sharing needles with her ex-husband, Tommy Lee. The Mötley Crüe drummer has denied Anderson's claim.
When a cure eventually became available, Anderson said getting access required a major financial sacrifice.
"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."
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Pamela Anderson said her diagnosis in the late '90s left her struggling with fear, shame and guilt, especially as she worried about her young children. (Carlo Paloni/amfAR)
Anderson announced she was free from hepatitis C in 2015 after completing an FDA-approved yearlong regimen.
"But my experience of shame and guilt was also an unconscious journey. It stays with me; it haunts me," she continued.
"And just like the sexual abuse that I endured as a child, it felt like it was carved into my forehead: Damaged goods. And I presented myself as such."
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Despite the challenges she faced following her diagnosis, Anderson eventually staged a major career comeback.
Since declaring herself "hep C free" in 2015, she has starred in "The Last Showgirl," "The Naked Gun" and "Rosebush Pruning." Her latest film, "Place to Be," premieres Wednesday at the Venice Film Festival.
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Pamela Anderson has since rebuilt her career with roles in "The Last Showgirl," "The Naked Gun" and "Rosebush Pruning." (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
"My truth has come through my work, finding ways to express myself through the arts. It gave me the ammunition I needed, a fertile life to use and play in," 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."
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