On January 31st, Netflix will premiere Pamela, a love story. The documentary follows the trajectory of Pamela Anderson’s life and career from small town girl to international sex symbol, actress, activist and doting mother. 

In an exclusive with Vanity Fair, the fifty-five year old model and actor from Ladysmith, BC shares how her son Brandon, who is a producer of the documentary, encouraged her to reclaim her story. “Brandon can talk me into anything, with his sincere heart and a fierceness that only a son could have. He wanted to tell my story, authentically and without distortion.”

Since her big breakout on Baywatch, Anderson has been a tabloid favourite, constantly hounded by the press. In 1996, when a stolen sex tape of her and Tommy Lee was leaked onto the internet, Anderson became one of the world’s first viral stories. In Pamela, a love story she talks about how that breach of privacy impacted her life, and how it still haunts her today, 26 years later.

During the making of the doc, Anderson discovered that Hulu was making Pam & Tommy, retraumatizing her to the events that happened in the nineties. “Nobody knew the truth—even I don’t know 100% of what happened, but I think what is most important is to share my human feelings and how much it hurt and how it undeniably defined me moving forward—in my career and my relationships,” she tells Vanity Fair.

Similar to Harry & Meghan, Anderson decided to work with Netflix to share her side of the story. It wasn’t something that came easy, but she hopes it will help audiences see a different side of her. “I was very hesitant, but looking back, I feel empowered,” she shares with the streaming giant. “I hope that [my story] inspires people to have a great fucking time and not worry so much.”

Here are some of the first look photos Netflix released, including some never-before-seen pics of a very young Anderson. Pamela, A Love Story premieres globally on Netflix on Jan. 31.