Pamela Anderson looked stunning at the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday (January 5). The Baywatch star attended the award show wearing minimal makeup, sparking conversation about her natural beauty.

The Baywatch star donned an elegant black gown by Oscar de la Renta that featured a ruched bodice and was paired with matching opera gloves.

She accessorized the look with black heels and a clutch, adding a touch of sparkle with a Pandora necklace, earrings, and a bracelet. Still, it was her natural makeup look that became the subject of controversy.

Several people felt that Pamela, who had previously spoken about her decision to ditch makeup and embrace her natural beauty, was failing to stick to her rule.

“She’s definitely cheating on the makeup spectrum,” one user remarked.

Pamela Anderson sparked controversy after attending the 2025 Golden Globes

Image credits: pamelaanderson

“You can see if you look closer, she has makeup on, but yes, she is still very beautiful,” another user wrote.

“The thing is, she is wearing minimal makeup and not makeup-free,” noted someone else. “You can see she has a light foundation, thin eyebrow pencil (or coloring), and lip gloss. Filling in those 70’s brows and wearing a little mascara would make all the difference, but it’s just my opinion.”

Meanwhile, others congratulated the 57-year-old actress on her nomination and classy look.

Image credits: Michael Buckner/GG2025/Penske Media

“I’m loving your Renaissance! You are an inspiration to every woman!” wrote one fan.

“Growing old gracefully. More beautiful than ever,” said another.

“You were the main reason I watched the show. I wanted so much for you to win! But you are the winner as far as I’m concerned. I loved you in the film,” a separate fan gushed.

“Thank you for being you! When one of the most glamorous women shuns makeup, it makes us all realize how silly it is to feel obligated to be beautiful,” someone else said, praising the star for going against the norm.

Throughout most of her career, Pamela was known for her strong smoky eye and lip gloss look.

The Baywatch star was nominated for Best Actress in a Drama for her role in the film The Last Showgirl

Image credits: Dan Doperalski/GG2025/Penske Media

Image credits: Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images

Speaking with Drew Barrymore on her show last October, the former model explained that her decision to ditch makeup came as a way to reconnect with herself after experiencing an identity crisis and realizing she had been “playing characters” her whole life.

“I wanted to remember who I was. I found I played characters my whole life. I was painfully shy as a kid; even doing Playboy, for instance, was a huge leap of faith for me. I was physically sick doing it, but I didn’t want to be shy anymore,” she began.

“I just thought, well, ‘This is what my fantasy of what a model is, or a playmate is, or a rock star’s wife is, or what anything is. I’m going to do it the best,’ and I’ve been playing these characters along the way.

“It just hit me a couple of years ago, and I was just shaking my head, going, ‘Who am I?'”

She donned an elegant Oscar de la Renta gown and appeared to wear a minimal makeup look

 

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“I just started taking it all back, and then started peeking out without makeup, and then I started realizing, ‘Oh, I feel great as me; I don’t want people to think of me as all those cartoon characters I created for protection.'”

The first time that Pamela attracted attention for her bare-faced look was at Paris Fashion Week in 2023. 

At the time, she didn’t think people would notice the change, but she continued to send a positive message to society.

The Canadian star said she felt “free” in the makeup-less look. “It’s taken a while. I’ve had my little journey with it. We all are our own worst critics.”

Image credits: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Pamela was nominated for Best Actress in a Drama for her performance in The Last Showgirl, which marked her first Golden Globes nomination.

She was accompanied by her 28-year-old son, Brandon Thomas, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Tommy Lee.

In the Gia Coppola-directed film, she plays a seasoned showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after three decades.

While some applauded the star for walking the red carpet with minimal makeup, others took issue with her look, saying she was “cheating”

Image credits: pamelaanderson

 

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The indie film was also nominated for Best Original Song for Beautiful That Way by Miley Cyrus, Lykke Li, and Andrew Wyatt.

“Thank you to the @goldenglobes for the beautiful evening—congratulations to all the winners, fellow nominees, and inspired filmmakers… It was exciting to be surrounded by so many talented artists… I can’t wait to be back,” she wrote on Instagram after the event.

“You can still wear makeup and look natural,” a Facebook user wrote

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