Tejal Somvanshi
Pamela Anderson says she drained her bank account to beat hepatitis C, calling the diagnosis a “death sentence” during an emotional speech at the amfAR Gala in Venice on Sunday. The 59-year-old actress revealed she paid for early treatment out of pocket after insurance refused to cover it.
“Back in the late ’90s, when I was diagnosed with hepatitis C, there was no cure,” Anderson said. “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, claiming she contracted the virus while sharing needles with ex-husband Tommy Lee, who has denied the claim. A cure was found in 2011, and Anderson said getting access required a major financial sacrifice. “Ten blurry years later, there was a cure. I was lucky. 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.”
The amfAR Gala honored Anderson with the Award of Courage. The nonprofit works to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic and supports hepatitis C research, a common co-infection for people living with HIV. A new report released at the event showed the need for accessible hepatitis C testing globally.
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 said. “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.”
She has since rebuilt her career with roles in “The Last Showgirl,” “The Naked Gun,” “Rosebush Pruning,” and “Place to Be,” which premiered at Venice Film Festival on Wednesday. “My truth has come through my work, finding ways to express myself through the arts,” Anderson said. “I’m not a victim, I’m a victor.”
