A Look Back At Bret Michaels' Short-Lived Fling With Pamela Anderson
Before social media exploded and had everyone glued to their phones, celebrity magazines were the main way people kept up with their favorite (and most hated) stars' lives. Even though these tabloids weren't exactly quality press, they had a knack for releasing details that celebrities would rather have stayed hidden. This was definitely Pamela Anderson and rock musician Bret Michaels' sentiments when the Internet Entertainment Group released their sex tape in 1998.
By then, the couple had already been broken up for four years, after dating between 1993 and 1994. During their relationship, the Playboy model told "The Howard Stern Show" that she had met the rock star at "a business meeting." The "Baywatch" alum added that their relationship's dynamic was how "love should be."
Michaels clearly felt the same way about her because years later, long after they'd split, he described Anderson as a "very intelligent" woman to whom he was greatly attracted in an interview with PR.com. Ultimately, though, the celebrity couple ended their relationship, but the one thing they couldn't agree on was why.
Pamela Anderson claimed that her desire for monogamy was the reason for their split
In 2004, Pamela Anderson revealed why she broke up with Bret Michaels while chatting with Howard Stern. The "Barb Wire" star disclosed that she'd ended things because Michaels simply wasn't interested in monogamy. The rock star reportedly wouldn't stop having sexual relations with other people, and Anderson wanted him all to herself. However, Michaels, who was rumored to have had an affair with Miley Cyrus' mom, Tish Cyrus-Purcell, had a different story to tell when he was interviewed by Blender magazine in 2009.
The singer believes that Anderson's mom was one of the main reasons his relationship with the model ended. Michaels recalled a time when he even pulled in a favor with her favorite band, The Beach Boys, to get her special privileges and win her over. However, the day after, Anderson told him that her mother didn't approve of him, shocking Michaels. "The mom really didn't like the rocker thing or the way I looked — Pamela had never dated a rocker before. I think that played a big part in the relationship," he recalled (via E! News).
Pamela Anderson and Bret Michaels reunited to sue over their sex tape
Four years after Pamela Anderson and Bret Michaels' breakup, Internet Entertainment Group (IEG) got a copy of their homemade sex tape. Now, this wasn't Anderson's first legal rodeo with IEG, as the company was also responsible for leaking her sex tape with Tommy Lee in 1997, while they were still married. This time around, the "Baywatch" alum was determined not to lose to the company again. Thanks to Michaels' reported "sneak attack," the courts ruled in their favor, temporarily restricting IEG from broadcasting the video (via the Los Angeles Times).
This victory was because Michaels stated that he had not sold the video to anyone, and IEG was not able to prove otherwise. However, this was only the beginning of the legal battles between the former couple and IEG. The adult entertainment company attempted to prove that it had the legal right to publish parts of the tape. Luckily for Anderson and Michaels, the courts ruled in their favor once again and finally prohibited IEG from sharing their video.
The former couple did not get a second chance at their romance, but there are no hard feelings between the two, and the musician was quite supportive of Anderson's marriage to Kid Rock in 2006. He expressed a desire to get her a present and wished "them nothing but the best" (via ABC News). Unknown to everyone at the time, Anderson immediately regretted her marriage to Kid Rock after tying the knot. They sadly divorced less than four months later.