On May 10, 1986, a year after they first met, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee married Dynasty’s Heather Locklear.
At the time, the then-23-year-old Tommy Lee was at the height of his fame with Motley Crue while 24-year-old Heather Locklear was one of Hollywood’s favourite TV stars.
In a day that was portrayed on screen in Netflix Motley Crue biopic The Dirt, Tommy Lee stood smacking on gum alongside his (mildly intoxicated) Motley Crue bandmates as Locklear made her way up the aisle in front of some 500 guests.
Watch the official trailer for Netflix’s Motley Crue biopic The Dirt here. Post continues below…
"I’ve only thought of getting married once," Locklear told People after the wedding. "I plan for this one to last."
Although Tommy Lee and Heather Locklear’s public images couldn’t be any further apart, with Locklear perceived as America’s sweetheart and Lee seen as a reckless hedonist, the pair were just like any ordinary couple.
According to People, the drummer asked to be introduced to the actress after he spotted her backstage at a REO Speedwagon concert in Los Angeles.
"I was so shy I couldn’t possibly have gone up to her myself," Lee admitted. "But it was Heather or bust."
It wasn't the first time Lee had reportedly fallen in love at first sight.
Just months before meeting Locklear, Lee was married to model Elaine Bergen for a mere 30 days.
Tommy Lee and Heather Locklear's relationship moved fast.
Three months after they first met, Lee proposed to Locklear while riding in a limousine around California.
"I think we'll be the coolest grandma and grandpa in the world," Lee told People at the time.
"We'll be like 85 or 90, I'll still be a rock pig, and Heather will still be gorgeous."
But just seven years later, one of the most famous marriages of the 1980s would be over.
In 1993, the couple divorced amid rumours Lee had cheated on her with a porn star.
By the next year, both Lee and Locklear would be in new relationships.
Read more: The troubled, complex private life of Hollywood star Heather Locklear.
While Locklear went on to meet Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora (they have since divorced), Lee became briefly engaged to American actress and model Bobbie Brown.
During their short time together, Lee spoiled Brown with lavish gifts, including a Ferrari and $10,000 leather pants.
But in the space of just four days, Lee went from being engaged to Brown to being married to Pamela Anderson.
After splitting from Brown, Lee immediately contacted Anderson before travelling to meet her in Cancun where he proposed.
On February 19, 1995, just 96 hours after they first met, Lee married actress and Playboy Playmate Pamela Anderson in an incredibly intimate ceremony on a beach, before they got tattoos of each other's names on their ring fingers.
It's believed Anderson's mother did not even know about the marriage until she saw it on the cover of the publication.
Just months after they wed, the couple's relationship would change forever.
An electrician, who had been working on the newlyweds' Malibu mansion, stole a sex tape the couple had made together on a houseboat. What followed was a lengthy legal process to regain the rights to the stolen footage.
"Not being able to do anything about [the tape] was adding so much frustration and stress to our relationship," Lee told 20/20 in 2004.
"It was just consuming us."
Amid frequent court appearances, the couple went on to welcome two children together – Brandon Thomas in 1996 and Dylan Jagger in 1997.
In 1998, the couple's relationship came to an end.
"Pamela and I got busy having kids so quickly that we never gave ourselves a chance to build a solid relationship," Lee wrote in Motley Crue's 2001 autobiography The Dirt.
Their relationship also took a violent turn.
In 1998, Lee was sentenced to six months in jail after he physically assaulted her during an argument while holding their infant son.
Despite the tragedy of a failed marriage, Anderson says she doesn't see herself as a victim.
On January 31, both Anderson's memoir Love, Pamela and Netflix documentary Pamela, A Love Story were released. They gave a previously unseen insight into her early career as Playboy model and a Hollywood actress.
"I’m not a victim, and I’m not the damsel in distress," she wrote.
"I’ve made my choices in my life. Some obviously were made for me, but I’ve always been able to find myself again. And it’s created a strong person and a strong parent."
Lee and Anderson divorced in 1998 but the model says her ex-husband was and always will remain her "one true love".
Last year, Anderson had to face the revival of her past when Hulu released a limited series about the sex tape scandal, Pam and Tommy. It starred Lily James and Sebastian Stan.
"Never watched the tape. I’m not going to watch this," she said upon its release.
Following the divorce, Lee went on to date a number of women including actress Mayte Garcia, singer Pink and model Naomi Campbell. He was also engaged to Greek-German singer Sofia Toufa, whom he dated for seven years.
On Valentine's Day in 2019, Tommy Lee got married for the fourth time to Vine star and actress Brittany Furlan.
Upon the release of Anderson's new memoir and documentary, the Baywatch actress told The Howard Stern Show she "supports" their relationship.
"He’s married and happy, and she’s good to him and I totally support that and think that’s great," she said.
"I hate to be annoying and going through this again. I’m sure she’s annoyed, but I respect their relationship, and [I’m] just glad he’s happy and he has somebody in his life."
While Anderson's truth is finally being told, Furlan is dealing with the backlash.
Earlier this month, she addressed her fans and several hate comments on social media after posting a video making fun of Anderson's resurgence before swiftly deleting it.
"I just wanted to come on here and let you know I’m OK because I know people have been checking on me, which is really nice and I’m good, don’t worry," she said in a TikTok video.
"And don’t worry about the people that are saying all the mean things they’re saying… I don’t live in that world."
"I’m lucky to have a really loving husband who honestly laughs all this stuff off and could care less," she continued.
"I don’t sweat the comments from people that don’t know me or my relationship or anything like that."
This article was published on March 27 2019 and has since been updated with new information.
Feature Image: Getty.
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Top Comments
That would read a lot more convincingly if he hadn't spent pretty much zero time with any of his other girlfriends and/or wives "building a solid relationship". In fact, that seems pretty much the opposite of what his approach was in pretty much all of them...