Celebrity4 min(s) read
Pamela Anderson has opened up about being given what she described as a "death sentence" diagnosis and its lasting impact on her life.
The 59-year-old actress reflected on being diagnosed with hepatitis C in the late 1990s while accepting the Award of Courage at the amfAR Venezia Gala 2026 on Sunday (September 6).
Anderson, who has since been cured of the infection, revealed that doctors initially told her she might have just 10 years to live.
"Back in the late 90s when I was diagnosed with hepatitis C, there was no cure," she told the audience, per Variety. "It was a death sentence. That’s what my doctor told me, that I probably had around 10 years to live. I’m sure that coloured 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," she added.
Hepatitis C is a virus spread through contact with infected blood. The virus can "cause both acute and chronic hepatitis, ranging in severity from a mild illness to a serious, lifelong illness including liver cirrhosis and cancer," according to WHO.
More than a decade after her diagnosis, effective treatment became available, and the former Playboy star said she was fortunate to receive it early. However, access came at an enormous financial cost.
"10 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 [because] it wasn’t covered by insurance yet, and I felt tremendous guilt that others weren’t granted the same access.
"I am grateful to say now that I am hep C free but my experience of shame and guilt was also an unconscious journey. It stays with me. It haunts me," she added.
Anderson said she used her public platform to raise awareness and encourage others to get tested, but behind the scenes, she was struggling with what the diagnosis meant for her.
"My words did not match my feelings; I was angry and scared. I went into sabotage mode," she said.
The Baywatch star also revealed that the shame she felt reminded her of the sexual abuse she endured as a child.
"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 said.
Anderson admitted that she still hasn't "fully recovered" from receiving the diagnosis, although she believes she may have "finally come to terms" with what happened.
The actress publicly revealed in 2015 that she had recovered from hepatitis C.
"I am CURED!!! - I just found out #nomorehepc #thankyou #blessing #family #prayer #live," she wrote on Instagram at the time, per Los Angeles Times.
Speaking to ABC News that year, Anderson again reflected on being told she had approximately a decade to live.
"They said I would die in 10 years. When someone tells you something like that, you kind of act differently subconsciously," she said.
The star spent more than $100,000 on the drug treatment through her health insurance.
"Twelve weeks and gone, yes. I feel like I got back 20 years of my life,” she said.
In recent years, Anderson has seen a career resurgence, taking 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 said acting and the arts have given her a way to process her experiences.
"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," she said.
She 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."
