Pamela Anderson Was the ‘DNA of Playboy.’ Then She Launched a War on Porn.

One of the most iconic and recognizable faces of Playboy, Canadian-American model and actor Pamela Anderson holds the record for the most cover appearances and even fronted the magazine’s final nude issue. So what led her to eventually come out against pornography?

Anderson first graced the cover of Playboy in October 1989 at just 22 years old—after Hugh Hefner saw her in an ad for a Canadian beer company. Impressed by her look, Hefner sent her an invitation to pose nude for the publication, launching her career as a model. Recalling her debut photoshoot to ET Canada in 2023, she said, “It was my first feeling of freedom.”

Posing nude made her feel empowered

Growing up, Anderson had a violent home life and was sexually assaulted three times before she reached the age of 18. While these experiences made her shy and feel shame about her body, she credits Playboy for empowering her and allowing her to reclaim her sexuality.

After her first shoot, Anderson moved to California to continue modeling and was soon honored as Playmate of the Month in February 1990. She went on to appear on the cover of Playboy a record 14 times over the course of 27 years, solidifying her status as a global sex symbol. Anderson became such an integral part of the magazine that Hefner referred to her as the “DNA of Playboy,” according to her 2023 memoir Love, Pamela. She was also the last model to appear nude in the publication when she posed for the January/February 2016 issue at age 48.

Pamela Anderson stars in the action comedy series V.I.P. in 2001.

She doesn’t consider Playboy porn

That August, however, she penned an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal titled “Take the Pledge: No More Indulging Porn.” Sharing a byline with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, Anderson warned against the dangers of porn in the wake of former U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner’s 2016 sexting scandal, calling it a “public hazard of unprecedented seriousness.”

Two months later, she told The Guardian she doesn’t consider Playboy to be pornographic, describing the magazine’s nudity as “innocent” and “highbrow,” unlike online porn. “I do believe that internet porn is addictive, getting weirder and weirder, and darker, and I think it does lead to violence against women,” Anderson said.

She’s worried about impact on relationships

But the reasoning behind her anti-porn stance is not quite puritanical. In fact, the model and actor’s main concern is how porn impacts romantic relationships. “I think we should really look at ourselves and think is this affecting our relationships and causing a lack of intimacy?” Anderson continued. “Because I’m talking about having better sex, better loving relationships, and more respect for women.”

Catherine Caruso

Associate Profiles Editor

Catherine Caruso joined the Biography.com staff in August 2024, having previously worked as a freelance journalist for several years. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she studied English literature. When she’s not working on a new story, you can find her reading, hitting the gym, or watching too much TV.