Pam and Tommy will show sex tape theft in most empathetic way, says director

A new Disney series about Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s infamous sex tape will portray the story in “the most empathetic way”, its director has said.

Craig Gillespie said his dramatised version of the events, during which the couple’s intimate video was leaked online in 1997, aimed to expose how “heinous” the situation was for those involved.

“We were really trying to portray how heinous the situation was,” Gillespie told the PA news agency.

“As a society how complicit we were and the judgment and the devouring of something that was deeply personal and to be able to look at it through today’s lens was a huge opportunity.

“About how in some ways we have changed and in some ways we haven’t.

“So we wanted to portray them in the most empathetic way and I think the writers did a great job on that”.

Actress Taylor Schilling, who plays Rogen’s onscreen wife Erica Gauthier, said the series “changes the perspective” on the sensationalised event, which had now become a “universal” experience.

“They were victims of a crime and the collective was complicit by making fun of them and continuing to exploit them,” she said.

“This show, it changes the perspective.

“Who would have thought that that experience that was once reserved for people in the public eye … would become universal.

“Anybody can have that experience. Even if it’s a friend sharing a picture you didn’t consent to, any micro-version of this sort of thing happening.”

Three episodes of Pam And Tommy will premiere in the UK on February 2.

Disney says robust parental controls ensure its streaming platform offers a suitable viewing experience for all.