What Really Went Down Between Pamela Anderson And Rick Salomon?
The following article contains mention of unhealthy substance use and domestic abuse.
A year on from the "Pam & Tommy" series Pamela Anderson openly disapproved of, the "Baywatch" alum is ready to set the record straight on her life. By way of both her memoir, "Love, Pamela," and Netflix documentary, "Pamela, a Love Story," she's opening up about things people previously didn't know about. One of the most notable inclusions is what really happened between her and her third (and, technically, fourth) husband, poker player Rick Salomon.
To start, let's recap Anderson and Salomon's two marriages. Their initial trip down the aisle was back in 2007 in a Las Vegas ceremony. Mere months later, Anderson requested an annulment. Details on the matter were kept quiet, but one thing that was made public at the time was that Anderson had ended things, and she'd done so on the basis of fraud. A whole yikes, for sure — but that wasn't the end of this particular couple. In 2014, Anderson told E! News that the two had gotten hitched again. However, their matrimony wasn't to be, and things ended soon after. In 2015, the former couple chalked up their split to their respective lifestyles, though sources close to the former lovebirds told People, "Pamela will always be the love of [Salmon's] life."
Having said that, Anderson's new book and documentary just gave us all a little more insight as to what really went down between the doomed pair.
Something suspicious was found in their Christmas tree
The first time Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon parted ways took place back in December 2007. That particular detail is an important one, as the couple was gearing up for the holidays when all hell broke loose. "My assistant found what he thought was a crack pipe in the Christmas tree," she recounted in her memoir, "Love, Pamela." Anderson added that Salomon refused to take responsibility, accusing her assistant of setting him up, but still, she said "I couldn't risk it." In "Pamela: A Love Story," she chuckled at the thought of the entire situation and Salomon's continued insistence that it was someone else's more than a decade later. "Who else would have a crack pipe in the Christmas tree? Wasn't me," she laughed. For what it's worth, Salomon has stuck by his story, even after the documentary's release. In a comment to the New York Post, he reiterated, "I smoked crack for 25 f***ing years, but the crack pipe in the Christmas tree was 1000% not mine."
Despite the abrupt end to their marriage, Anderson revealed that they remained friends. It's not all that surprising, then, that the actor and her ex-husband walked down the aisle a second time a few years later. "When he got sober, and was sober for years, we decided to try it again," she said in the documentary, complete with hopeful background music in tow. However, she pointed out, "It didn't last long either." So, what went wrong the second time?
Things took a darker turn on their second attempt
Despite the drama involved in Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon's first split, the annulment itself was kept relatively quiet in the public space. However, their second attempt was significantly more tumultuous, and this time, all the difficult details emerged. For starters, Anderson revealed that Salomon had a habit of taking it out on her when his poker games didn't pan out, often resorting to verbal abuse. Her legal team also shared that the ex she had in common with Paris Hilton had threatened to publish naked photos he had of Anderson and that he would send them to her as a reminder. On top of all that, the Broadway actor also alleged that he tried to suffocate her once while they were having sex.
All of the above led to Anderson filing — and being granted — restraining orders against him in March and April 2015. By the end of April, they were finally divorced. And, once they were no longer legally bound, both expressed regret for how things panned out. In a joint statement, they said, "There are private and personal family sensitivities to consider and we retract any hurtful comments made in haste and distaste ... we wish each other and our families well."
However, wishing one another well didn't mean they could go on as if nothing happened. Sources told People that Anderson had distanced herself from her ex entirely. Given what went down between them, she made the right call.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.