Pamela Anderson Discusses Past Hepatitis C Diagnosis at amfAR Gala
At the 2026 amfAR Gala in Venice, Pamela Anderson recounted being told she had about ten years to live after a hepatitis C diagnosis in the late 1990s and noted her recovery following treatment approved in 2011.
Pamela Anderson spoke to attendees of the amfAR Gala Venezia on Sunday, describing a hepatitis C diagnosis she received in the late 1990s when effective cures were unavailable. She said her doctor at the time warned her that she likely had roughly ten years left to live. Anderson, 59, linked the diagnosis to a shared tattoo needle with ex-husband Tommy Lee during their 1995-1998 marriage.
"It was a death sentence," Anderson told the crowd, adding that the prognosis influenced many of her life choices, particularly concerning her children, Brandon Thomas, 30, and Dylan Jagger, 28.
She noted that direct-acting antiviral medications approved in 2011 enabled her to clear the virus by 2015, though she said the treatment required substantial personal resources. Anderson also reflected on lingering emotional effects, comparing the experience to past trauma, but emphasized a self-identification as a survivor rather than a victim.
"I’m a victor. I am strong and capable, more now than I could ever dream of," she said, receiving the Award of Courage from the nonprofit organization dedicated to ending AIDS.
Anderson first disclosed her hepatitis C status in 2002 and, in a 2015 interview, indicated she was asymptomatic while awaiting cure.