Pamela Anderson recently shared a terrifying moment from her past, revealing she was almost attacked on a flight by a man who mistakenly believed she was a member of the Dixie Chicks.
The 57-year-old Baywatch star opened up about the harrowing experience during her appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. When asked by host Josh Horowitz if she had ever been confused with another celebrity, Anderson recalled the shocking encounter.
“One time, I was on a flight, and this guy came up to me asking, ‘Do you know what this country’s done for you?’ I was like, ‘Oh my God. What have I done?’” she explained.
The situation quickly escalated when the man’s anger turned physical. “He growled at me,” Anderson said. “A stewardess had to handcuff him to the chair because he was trying to attack me.”
According to Anderson, the man had mistaken her for a member of the Dixie Chicks. “I almost got killed on a plane!” she said.
The traumatic event left Anderson shaken and fearful of flying for a time. Looking back, she reflected on the strange experience, laughing at the absurdity of it all. “When you look back and he’s growling at you… I was scared to fly after that a little bit.”
Horowitz noted the incident was likely just “the 400th weirdest thing” in Anderson’s life, prompting her to agree, “That was minor!”
While Anderson did not specify when the incident took place, the Dixie Chicks (now known as The Chicks) became the center of controversy in 2003 when lead singer Natalie Maines publicly criticized then-President George W. Bush and the Iraq War during a concert in London. Her remarks sparked widespread backlash in the United States, leading to boycotts and death threats against the group.
Although Maines later expressed regret for the statement, she maintained that she felt Bush was not “owed any respect.”
Anderson’s recent podcast appearance comes amid a renewed spotlight on her life and career.
She starred in The Last Showgirl, earning her first Golden Globe nomination. Despite her critically acclaimed performance, the Best Actress award went to Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here.
The former Playboy model and cultural icon from the 1990s and 2000s has also been the subject of significant media attention. Her life story inspired the Netflix documentary Pamela, a Love Story, while her tumultuous relationship with Tommy Lee was dramatized in the Disney+ series Pam & Tommy.
Reflecting on her journey, Anderson spoke about reclaiming her identity after years of being defined by public scandals.
“I want to be defined by what I do, not what has been done to me,” she said. “I needed to remember who I was. Once I did that, things just started percolating.”
