The relationship between bombshell actress and activist Pamela Anderson and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has sparked interest for years.
And now an April 29 report from Page Six is shedding new light on what, exactly, is going on between them following years of her well-publicized visits to see him inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he's lived in exile since 2012 in a bid to avoid arrest in Britain on bail-jumping charges and possible extradition to America, where he's wanted for leaking classified State Department documents.
Pamela, 50, and Julian, 46, were introduced in 2014, Page Six reports, by fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, who's also been one of Julian's regular visitors. "She loves Pam and knew they'd have mutual interests," one of Vivienne's former employees told the paper. "She didn't introduce them as a proper [romantic] setup. But Viv does fantasize that [if Assange is freed] he and Pam would really be together. She thinks that together they would change the world."
Both have seemingly enjoyed fueling speculation on whether or not their relationship is romantic. "He's a great guy. I don't want to say anything about whether there's a romance. So let's say we're just good friends," the "Baywatch" alum told Grazia magazine in 2017, also claiming that she's been under surveillance because of their relationship.
But later that year, she played down rumors of romance while simultaneously stoking them. "We are friendly, yes — very friendly," she told Piers Morgan. "I love Julian. He's one of the most interesting people I have ever met. He's very brave and there's nothing sexier than courage." When Piers pushed her, she replied, "I wouldn't call it romance — I already have romance in my life," then added, "Can one man do it all?" (Pam has been dating 32-year-old French soccer player Adil Rami since some time in 2017, but it's unclear if that relationship is exclusive.)
Julian, too has praised Pam, telling Australian radio hosts Kyle and Jackie O in February 2017, "She's an attractive person with an attractive personality. She's no idiot at all! Psychologically, she's very savvy."
Julian, a source told Page Six, has a "deep crush" on Pamela because "she's just out of reach. Julian has a thing for blondes and he's always been quite the womanizer. But Pam's much more intelligent than most women with that kind of look — she's no bimbo."
But she could have ulterior motives, Page Six also reports. Insiders told the Post column that one reason Pamela has dressed in figure-hugging clothing during her paparazzi-photographed visits to see Julian at the embassy are to ensure that she stays in the spotlight as her career winds down.
"Pam thrives on attention from famous men, and she thrives on press. It's no accident she shows up to the embassy in those sexy outfits. They are all very contrived," a fashion designer who knows her told Page Six.
In late March 2018, Ecuador officials revealed that they had revoked Julian's Internet access and visitor privileges within the embassy after he violated an agreement not to issues messages that could interfere with other governments.
Page Six published a statement that Pam gave to the New York Post on April 29 lamenting the changes in Julian's life. "I'm deeply concerned about his health and well-being. His human rights have been abused before without sunlight but this is extraordinary. Incommunicado. No visitors. No Internet. No phone calls. No access to outside world. This is torture — a slow, painful death [at] the hands of the U.S. [and] U.K. I feel for Ecuador. They have received so much pressure," she wrote, adding, "Ecuador promised to protect him against political persecution, not just protect him against a death penalty. And he must be protected. We are all Julian Assange."