Remembering When Tommy Lee Roasted Pamela Anderson on TV

Remember when Motley Crue's Tommy Lee "roasted" his ex-wife Pamela Anderson on a 2005 edition of the Comedy Central Roast?

It was one of the first in the comedy channel's ongoing franchise of celebrity roast specials. Now, it's gaining renewed attention thanks to Lee and Anderson's relationship — and the '90s battle over their leaked sex tape — reaching a new audience through its portrayal in the Hulu miniseries Pam & Tommy.

Watch the video down toward the bottom of this post.

The attention the roast is getting now isn't great, however. This week, radio station 97X pointed to some of Lee's more cringe-worthy digs from the show that took place on Aug. 7, 2005, in Culver City, Calif. (It aired on TV a week later on Aug. 14.)

Tommy Lee (L) and Pamela Anderson at the ‘Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson’ in 2005.
Jeff Kravitz, FilmMagic
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But before zeroing in on Anderson, the rocker kicked things off by taking shots at his fellow roasters.

"If I've learned one thing, it's that all comedians have small dicks," Lee says as fellow musician Courtney Love cheers him on. Comedian Andy Dick then rushes the podium to joke with the drummer.

Lee continues, "Jimmy Kimmel came up to me backstage, and he asked me what it was like to have slept with Pam. And I said, well, it must be like the feeling that a comedian gets when you get a huge laugh. And Jimmy said, 'Could you be more specific?'"

The Motley Crue member didn't just put comedians on blast. No, his roasts were ripe for all comers. He soon turned his attention to Love and others in attendance.

"Courtney Love, God, it's so great to see you," Lee says. "Without a hospital gown and restraints on. And, God, Courtney can really rock the house — or at least throw rocks at the house at 3 in the morning drunk off her ass until the cops take her away."

Tommy Lee (L) and Pamela Anderson at the ‘Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson’ in 2005.
Jeff Kravitz, FilmMagic
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But the bearer of the brunt of his quips, of course, was Pamela Anderson. "This is actually a special time for Pam to be here," Lee says, "because she just turned 38. And her tits just turned 14."

He adds, "Pam, I'll always remember the very first time that we met. … You spotted me from across the room, you walked up to me, and you said those magical five words: I will fuck any drummer."

Lee didn't let himself off the hook, either. "Pam and I shared one of history's greatest romances," he says. "It's like that book…uh, who am I kidding? I've never read a book, I can barely read my fucking tattoos."

Anderson and Lee divorced in 1998 but continued to accompany each other sporadically into the 2000s. She wed Kid Rock in 2006 but they also divorced. Lee married Brittany Furlan in 2019.

The Easter egg-filled Pam & Tommy is now streaming, but a source has said Anderson won't be watching it.

Motley Crue this summer plan to mount their twice-postponed Stadium Tour. Crue singer Vince Neil recently returned to performing after falling and breaking his ribs. Motley Crue recently reportedly sold the rights to their song catalog for $150 million.

Click here to watch Lee's roast if the video doesn't load.

Tommy Lee Roasts Pamela Anderson in 2005

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