Gerry Anderson is Pamela Anderson’s brother, who is four years younger than she is. Anderson fondly recalls her childhood memories of playing with Gerry outside their cabin in Ladysmith, British Columbia. Some of her earliest memories are of sitting with Gerry outside, waiting for their parents to stop fighting. As the eldest child, Anderson felt a sense of responsibility toward her younger brother. She writes, “Times like this, I’d take Gerry outside and sit on the stairs” (31). Anderson recalls how her brother was affected by their father’s abuse of their mother, and she blames these experiences for his interest in drugs and drinking at a young age. Anderson recalls being frightened and outraged when her brother was admitted to the emergency room after overdosing as a teen. She remembers, “Our lives flashed before me like a sad dream. Maybe he wanted a way out” (49). Anderson’s sense of protectiveness over her brother continued through his adolescence, and she wanted to help him get a fresh start in life. She remembers, “Freeing yourself is mandatory before you can help to free others. And I always knew when I got on my feet, I’d come back for Gerry” (53). True to her word, Anderson shares that she and Gerry remained close over the years, and after her initial success in Los Angeles he came to live with her, working as an extra on Baywatch. Later, Gerry was her companion on charity trips, planting trees with the Inga Foundation.

Kid Rock, also known as Robert James Ritchie or “Bob,” is an American musician and singer best known for his country rap and country rock songs. Originally from Michigan, Kid Rock began his career in Detroit before achieving mainstream success in the mid-1990s.

In her memoir, Anderson explains her brief marriage to Kid Rock. She fondly recalls enjoying his musical talent and expresses a weakness for his brand of rock star persona. She writes, “He was sexy, and his talent was seductive. He lured me in, and I was helpless in the face of his rock-star advances” (144). She recalls their love of partying together, presenting him and his friend group as rowdy, writing, “We were kicked out of everywhere we went. That says a lot for Vegas” (145). While Anderson appreciated Kid Rock’s dedication to music, his community of “gritty and soulful” musicians and the “huge effort” he made with her children, she also characterizes their marriage as fraught with personal differences (148). Anderson remembers how their relationship ended quickly after Kid Rock had an angry outburst toward her during a screening of Borat in which Anderson had a cameo. Her recollection portrays Kid Rock as a jealous and spiteful partner. She remembers, “Bob stormed out, calling me a whore and worse” (149).

Tommy Lee is an American musician best known for his band, Mötley Crüe. Lee was married to Pamela Anderson from 1995 to 1998. Anderson portrays Lee as a wild, spontaneous romantic, recalling how he pursued her for months after meeting her at a bar. When he followed her to Mexico, Anderson agreed to marry him there, and the two began their marriage as near strangers. Anderson recalls their impromptu beach wedding, writing, “The minister met us on the beach, and a few friends we’d met the previous night were our wedding party. I was in a bikini, Tommy in board shorts. We sat on lawn chairs sipping chi chis with the pastor” (110). Anderson’s early memories of their romance paint Lee as a playful romantic, and she describes his affectionate and fun demeanor.

However, she also candidly acknowledges the consequences of his abusive behavior. For instance, his controlling tendencies harmed her career and her mental health. She recalls, “I was worried about upsetting Tommy. He got so angry and jealous when I had scenes with other men, especially if I was kissing someone else” (118). Lee’s frightening and violent antics on the set of her film brought Anderson to “a depth of despair I’d never felt,” prompting her to attempt suicide (119). Later his abuse parted the couple for good and led to a prison sentence for Lee. Anderson gives Lee credit for trying to change, and for his loving parenting, remembering how the whole family was “so in love” (121). Despite Lee’s violence against her and their eventual divorce, Anderson has forgiven him for his mistakes. At the end of the memoir, she thanks him for “just being you, and for being the catalyst of everything good in my life” (240).

Rick Salomon is an American professional poker player from New Jersey. Salomon has won high profile poker tournaments and is also known for some of his celebrity relationships, including his two brief marriages to Pamela Anderson in 2007-2008, and 2014-2015.

In Love, Pamela, Anderson candidly reflects on her unusual marriage to Salomon, who was a longtime friend. While Anderson had no intention of pursuing a romantic relationship with Salomon, his sudden insistence that she marry him to cancel her friends’ debts to him was intriguing to her. She remembers, “He always had eyes for me, but I thought of him only as a friend” (162). Anderson weighed the strangeness of Salomon’s proposal with his shy and intelligent personality, feeling sure that he really “adored” her (164). She writes, “Though his ask to me may have been bold, he was actually a shy person. Extremely bright, an observer, but also a bit maniacal. Scary, interesting, tough, funny” (164). Anderson blames Salomon’s addiction issues for the end of their short marriage, but reveals that they stayed amicable afterward, remaining mum on their second marriage, which took place years later.

Grandpa Herman was Pamela Anderson’s paternal grandfather. Anderson recalls her close relationship with Herman, who passed away when she was 11 years old. While Anderson enjoyed her relationship with her grandfather, she also acknowledges that he had struggled as a parent and was abusive to her father when he was growing up. Anderson presents her grandfather as a generally loving man who made mistakes and perpetuated the cycle of abuse in her family but redeemed himself in his role as a grandfather.

She fondly remembers how he taught her some Finnish, writing, “We liked that we could speak in front of others and they wouldn’t understand” (20). She credits her connection with nature to her grandfather, who passed on his knowledge to her. She explains, “Grandpa’s strong connection to and deep respect for nature was a profound legacy. He was the one who convinced me that elves and fairies exist, that the trees can talk to us and to each other” (22).

Pamela Anderson’s mother is Carol Anderson, referred to simply as “Mom” in the book. Anderson praises her mother’s sense of humor, charm, and commitment to her children. Anderson appreciates how, growing up, her mother made the most of the little they had. She calls her a “magical mood setter” who would always make holidays and birthdays special without spending a lot of money (22). She fondly remembers her mother’s silly jokes, writing, “Mom was funny. Lucille Ball funny” (23).

Anderson’s mother is portrayed as a beautiful woman who loved makeup and beauty. Anderson remembers her example of “effortful beauty” and her advice to use lots of makeup (23). The author also presents her mother as a hardworking person who did so much to provide for the family. She recalls how her mother supported the family by “waitressing, picking strawberries, digging clams, selling vacuum cleaners” (22). Later in life, Carol was supportive of her daughter’s ambitions as a model and actress, and she eventually moved to California to help Anderson raise her children.

Barry Anderson is Pamela Anderson’s father. Anderson portrays her father as a troubled genius who struggled to find outlets for his intelligence and build stable relationships. She explains, “My dad was incredibly smart, in Mensa, huge IQ” however, his habitual drinking brought out his dark and angry side, which he mostly took out on his wife (31). While Anderson recalls her mother as generous and gentle, she remembers “dad’s love was different—clever, genius, always slightly angry, but mostly frustrated with himself” (18). Anderson laments her father’s abusive behavior toward her mother, which continued throughout her childhood and adolescence, causing her to act out to distract her dad from his rages. She writes, “It’s sad to look back knowing I probably caused her a lot of grief, instigating trouble when she tried to keep things perfect, so Dad wouldn’t get mad at her or us” (33). However, Anderson also acknowledges that her father grew up with his own experiences of abuse, and this knowledge helps her forgive him for his mistakes as a husband and father. She writes, “I loved my dad in all his perfect imperfections. I get it. Nothing ever made me love him less, nothing ever will” (55).

Hugh Hefner was the founder of Playboy magazine and served as its editor-in-chief for decades. Hefner is renowned for his contributions to the magazine, which brought nude photoshoots to mainstream American readership in the 1950s and 1960s. The magazine was a part of the country’s sexual liberation movement and stirred controversy among the public for its racy content. Hefner’s position as founder and editor made him a celebrity himself, and he became notorious for the lavish parties he hosted at his mansion for the Playboy models and celebrity guests.

In Love, Pamela, Anderson speaks highly of Hefner, whom she calls by the nickname “Hef.” Describing their first meeting, she recalls his polite yet playful personality: “This felt like the epitome of chivalry, a true gentleman—elegant, passionate, so charming, and yet with that little-boy giggle” (71). Hefner’s famous mansion felt surreal to a young Anderson, who describes it as “like nothing I’d ever seen, a sprawling stone house, more like a castle. Like Disneyland, without the fireworks” (70). Anderson enjoyed being a part of Hefner’s employ, where she felt included and respected. She felt that his gentlemanly demeanor made his parties fun rather than exploitative or creepy, writing, “Only Hef could pull this off like a gentleman and get away with it” (92).

Auntie Vie was Pamela Anderson’s great-aunt, who was a “big influence” on her as a young woman (59). In her memoir Anderson shares her happy memories of living with Auntie Vie for a few months as a teenager. She considered her aunt a role model and fondly recalls Vie’s zest for life and their many common interests, such as cooking and caring for animals. She describes her aunt’s colorful personality, writing, “Auntie Vie was a character straight out of a movie—feather boas, negligees, wigs, and false eyelashes. She was a widow with a divine spice for life […] Auntie Vie never had much money, but she lived in a glamorous world she created for herself” (57-58). Anderson remembers remaining close with her auntie, even basing her VIP character on her personality.

Brandon Thomas Lee is Pamela Anderson’s eldest son with ex-husband Tommy Lee. Anderson recalls her joy at becoming a parent to Brandon, but also how her fame and relationship with Tommy Lee made his early years a stressful experience. She shares her pride in his work ethic and his many talents, from his theatrical performances as a high school student to his early work experiences in retail and finance. Anderson is particularly proud of Lee’s decision to pursue rehab as a young man, which she calls a “proactive” decision he made before he fell into crisis. She explains, “He wanted to do it on his own, not because he had to, but because he wanted to understand who he was” (197). Anderson calls Brandon Lee and her other son, Dylan, “true miracles, considering the gene pool” (195).