Pamela Anderson recalls Hepatitis C diagnosis and her life turning 'inside out'

Kathleen O'Boyle Tue, September 8, 2026 at 1:35 AM UTC

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Pamela Anderson opened up about her Hepatitis C diagnosis (Image: Getty)

Pamela Anderson opened up about her decades-long experience with hepatitis C during an emotional speech at the amfAR Gala in Venice on Sunday night.

During her speech, the 59-year-old actress reflected on the diagnosis, the fear and shame that followed, and the treatment that ultimately allowed her to become "hep C free." When Anderson was diagnosed with hepatitis C in the late 1990s, there was no cure for the viral infection. The Baywatch star said her doctor told her she likely had only about 10 years to live.

"It was a death sentence. That's what my doctor told me - that I probably had around 10 years to live," Anderson recalled. "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." The speech comes as Anderson is surrounded by Tom Cruise dating rumors.

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A cure for hepatitis C was found in 2011, giving Anderson a treatment option that had not existed when she was first diagnosed. By 2015, she said she was "hep C free," although getting there came at a significant financial cost. "It took everything I had in my bank" to pay for treatment, Anderson said.

The actress was honored with amfAR's Award of Courage during Sunday's gala. The nonprofit, which works toward ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic, has also supported hepatitis C research and advocacy, as hepatitis C is a common co-infection among people living with HIV.

Pamela Anderson spoke at the Venice International Film Festival (Image: Getty)

For Anderson, however, the diagnosis was about more than the physical impact of the disease. She said the shame and guilt surrounding her experience stayed with her long after she was cured.

"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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Anderson acknowledged that she still has not "fully recovered" from the news of her diagnosis. At the same time, she said she may have "finally come to terms" with what happened and found a way to turn the experience into something productive through her work.

Anderson told fans about her struggle with the diagnosis (Image: Getty)

In recent years, Anderson has experienced a career resurgence, taking on roles in films including The Last Showgirl, The Naked Gun, Rosebush Pruning and Place to Be, which premieres at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday.

She credited her work in the arts with helping her process her experiences and find a new sense of strength.

"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."

The gala, presented by World Gold Council and held at the Hilton Molino Stucky, was hosted by Taika Waititi and also honored performance artist Marina Abramovi with the Award of Inspiration.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”