Once a top-paid Hollywood star, Pamela Anderson has experienced financial turbulence more than once, but she has recently bounced back thanks to reality TV, book sales, modeling gigs, and brand partnerships.
The unforgettable Baywatch star famously sprinted through Malibu in a red suit, but her massive fame didn’t shield her from serious money troubles.
After losing a reported fortune and falling into debt, the Canadian-American actress rebuilt her finances through smarter business moves and a recent surge in public attention.
Pamela Anderson’s Net Worth in 2025
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Pamela Anderson’s estimated net worth is $20 million as of 2025 (per Celebrity Net Worth). The Canadian-American actress has accumulated (and rebuilt) most of her wealth through high-paying modeling deals, brand endorsements, and reality TV appearances.
The 58-year-old once boasted a remarkable net worth of $70 million in her prime, before losing over half of her fortune due to extravagant spending, poor investments, and legal issues (per CEO Today).
Anderson's primary sources of income have undergone significant changes over the past decade. Notably, the Baywatch star earned a modest $1,500 per episode during the first season of the hit series.
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Although she reportedly earned $300,000 per episode near the end of her run, the actress still received relatively little money compared to her co-star, David Hasselhoff, who was a producer on Baywatch with an ownership stake that proved lucrative when the drama was added to Amazon’s Prime Video library in 2019. In a candid interview with Variety, Anderson expressed dissatisfaction about her relatively low pay in the beach-themed series despite her starring role.
“The producers of ‘Baywatch’ made a fortune,” she disclosed. “I just didn’t have the representation back then. Or the know-how. You don’t realize when you’re doing a TV show that it’s going to be that popular, so you kind of sign your life away.” As a matter of fact, Anderson’s older son felt that his mother “was definitely being taken advantage of.”
Image credits: Pamela Anderson Online / Facebook
Brandon continued, “It still feels strange that there hasn’t been any discussion with Amazon or the ‘Baywatch’ producers about her getting her fair share.” Film producer Jon Peters also opened up about Anderson’s financial struggles after their quick breakup in 2020, saying he paid off her six-figure debts.
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“I dropped everything for Pam,” Pamela’s husband of 12 days told the New York Post’s Page Six. “She had nearly $200,000 in bills and no way to pay it, so I spent it, and this is the thanks I get.
There’s no fool like an old fool.” In 2013, Anderson put her luxurious four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath Malibu house on the market for $7.75 million — but she failed to sell it at that time (per PEOPLE).
Fame, Fortune, and the Real Cost of Being an Icon
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On the surface, Pamela Anderson appears to be the typical Hollywood blonde bombshell who is well-paid, but her expensive legal battles, mounting debts, and unpaid taxes tell a different story. In 2009, Anderson surprised fans when she was added to California's list of Top 500 Delinquent Tax Payers, with a $1.7 million lien filed for unpaid taxes.
Additionally, in 2012, the US government issued two separate tax liens against her for unpaid taxes for 2011, demanding she pay the owed amount immediately (per Yahoo). Meanwhile, the IRS stated that the Baywatch star owed a total of $260,000, while California claimed she owed $112,000.
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In 2023, Pamela’s brief ex-husband, Jon Peters, made a shocking revelation by sharing the details of his own will. During a candid interview with Variety, the Batman film producer disclosed that he plans to leave a significant amount of money to Pamela, stating that she will always hold a special place in his heart.
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“I will always love Pamela, always in my heart,” Peters told the outlet. “As a matter of fact, I left her $10 million in my will, and she doesn’t even know that. Nobody knows that. I probably shouldn't be saying it. So that's for her, whether she needs it or not.”
If the claim proves valid, Anderson is expected to see a significant increase in her net worth after years of rebuilding her financial position. Aside from finances, Anderson recently shifted negative tabloid attention from her financial situation to her remarkably youthful appearance at 57.
The actress was named “the most beautiful woman in the world” after a viral, makeup-free appearance at the 2024 San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain.
Activism, Netflix, and Financial Literacy
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The world will always remember the first viral sex tape in the internet era featuring Hollywood icon Pamela Anderson and her first husband, Tommy Lee. The private tape of the newlyweds was never intended for public viewing but was stolen from their home and became one of Hollywood’s biggest scandals of all time (per The Sun).
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Negative media attention is still attention, and Pamela understands that well, using the situation to create new revenue through activism, books, and streaming deals. Over time, the actress evolved into a passionate activist, founding her own Pamela Anderson Foundation to “stand on the front lines in the protection of human, animal, and environmental rights."
The longtime vegan showcased her iconic figure in a provocative ad for PETA, looking as if she had been tagged by a butcher, urging viewers to give up meat and switch to a cruelty-free vegetarian diet. The versatile star has also made her mark in publishing with four autobiographies and two novels.
Her business savvy was further demonstrated with her successful Netflix documentary, “Pamela, A Love Story.”
Image credits: @pamelaanderson / X
Directed by Ryan White, the intimate documentary highlights the life story of the former Baywatch star, including her tumultuous relationship with Tommy Lee, ongoing abuse, the viral tape scandal, her unfavorable public image, and her troubled career (per E! Online). “I didn't feel like I had a lot of respect,” she said in Pamela, a Love Story.
“I had to make a career out of the pieces I had left.” The struggling actress rebuilt herself by focusing on financial controls, sustainability projects, and teaching younger public figures about privacy and digital rights. The former Playboy model has also recently reinvented her public image with a striking 90s glam look, after years of embracing a “freeing, fun, and a little rebellious” bare-faced look.
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Fans were thrilled to see the star finally dolling up like she used to in her heyday.
“I love her no-makeup look, but this feels like home,” one user wrote, while a second expressed, “Finally! Cause the no-glam glam was wearing me out. Like, we get it! You’ve aged and beauty standards are blah blah, but miss thing. She looks GORGEOUS here. We ALLLLL can use enhancements—that’s precisely why they were created.”
The actress has also been praised for challenging the current beauty standard with her gracefully aged, makeup-free face. A source close to Pam said that she is delighted to be “being applauded for her toned-down looks and recognized for her true talent” (per Daily Mail). They went on, “Pamela has gotten so much positive feedback from women all over the world for her natural glow-up.”
Comparisons with Tommy Lee and Liam Neeson
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While Pamela Anderson spared no effort in rebuilding her lost fortune, her current net worth remains modest compared to that of her ex-husband, Tommy Lee, whose wealth is estimated at an impressive $70 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth's 2025 figures.
The former couple quickly married on a beach in Cancun in February 1995, just days after they met (per PEOPLE). “It really was love at first sight,” Pamela said in 2015. “I only knew him four days before I married him.”
The actress filed for divorce from Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee in 1998, reuniting several times after their split before finally ending their relationship in 2008. More recently, Pamela fueled widespread speculation about her off-screen relationship with famous actor Liam Neeson (per PEOPLE).
The blonde beauty was reportedly dating the $ 120 million-rich Liam to promote their latest film together, The Naked Gun (according to Celebrity Net Worth).
However, a source told PEOPLE that the iconic stars would never participate in such a publicity stunt, while another insider confirmed that “their relationship isn’t just for show. They have a real connection. There’s no reason for either of them to stage something like this." Although Pam is no stranger to dating the rich and famous, the former Baywatch star proved to be smarter than the “dumb blonde” she appears to be (per The Independent).
Her “secret weapon,” in her own words, is that when people look at her, they immediately assume she’s nothing more than a living doll. "When someone doesn’t think you’re intelligent but then you form a full sentence, you’re a genius,” she laughed.
From Baywatch fame to a powerful Hollywood comeback, Pamela Anderson’s financial journey spans decades of television, film, and advocacy. Dive deeper into how entertainment icons build long-lasting wealth in our celebrity net worth collection.