How Pamela Anderson contracted ‘death sentence’ diagnosis as she opens up about it in heartfelt statement
Pamela Anderson revealed she was given ‘10 years to live’ in the 1990s, when she was diagnosed with hepatitis C.
The Baywatch star, 59, made the admission while on stage at the 2026 amfAR Gala Venezia, an event to raise funds for medical research, in Venice, Italy, on Sunday (6 September).
As explained by the NHS, hepatitis C is a virus spread through contact with infected blood. Many people have no symptoms, but if it's not treated, it can cause serious damage to the liver. Treatment cures the infection for most people.
Anderson said: "Back in the late 90s when I was diagnosed with hepatitis C, there was no cure.
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"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.”
She continued: "It was not fear of death, but fear of what might happen to my young children. It turned my life inside out."
“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."
How Pamela Anderson contracted hepatitis C
The actress publicly revealed her diagnosis in 2002, and, as per Elle Australia, at the time said it was after she shared a tattoo needle with her then-husband, Tommy Lee.
Speaking about the shame and guilt that followed her diagnosis, Anderson said at the event: “It felt like it was carved into my forehead: Damaged goods… And I presented myself as such.”
She told the audience that the treatment cost ‘her entire savings,’ but being able to afford it also left her with ‘tremendous guilt’ when she thought about those who couldn’t.
As reported by ABC News, Anderson completed a 12-week regimen with a drug called Sovaldi and officially announced she was cured in 2015.
She said at the time: “Twelve weeks and gone, yes. I feel like I got back 20 years back of my life.”
Symptoms of hepatitis C
As outlined by the NHS, people with hepatitis C do not have any symptoms.
If you do get symptoms, they may not start for several weeks, months, or years after being infected. Symptoms can include
- A high temperature
- Tiredness
- Tummy pain
- Loss of appetite
- Feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
- Yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes (jaundice) – this may be harder to see on black or brown skin
If hepatitis C is not treated, it may eventually cause other symptoms such as:
- Extreme tiredness
- Itchy skin
- Anxiety and depression
- Memory and concentration problems
How hepatitis C is contracted
You can get hepatitis C if the blood from an infected person gets into your bloodstream.
The most common ways this happens are:
- Sharing equipment to inject drugs, including needles and syringes
- Having medical or dental treatment in a country with poor infection control
Less common ways for hepatitis C to be passed on include:
- Having a blood transfusion in the UK before 1996
- Sharing equipment for snorting drugs, such as straws and notes
- Sharing other items that could have blood on them, such as toothbrushes and razors
- Having a tattoo or body piercing using unsterilised equipment (this is unlikely in licensed UK premises)
- Having unprotected sex where blood is present
- From a mother to her baby during pregnancy
You cannot get hepatitis C by hugging, kissing or sharing food or drink with someone.
Topics: Pamela Anderson, Health, Celebrity, Entertainment, News
Madison Burgess