Ever since Pamela Anderson decided to ditch makeup in 2023, the former “Baywatch” star has been making waves with her natural look, but her recent appearance at the 2025 Met Gala has left many fans doing double takes.
The 57-year-old actress arrived at fashion’s biggest night fresh-faced, wearing a stunning silver Tory Burch gown and sporting a dramatic new angular bob that marked a stark departure from her signature platinum-blond tresses of the ’90s, Vanity Fair shared.
Stepping onto the blue carpet alongside her son, Brandon Thomas Lee, Anderson showcased her new stripped-down appearance that had social media buzzing.
This Is Heart captured the mother-son duo in a video, noting how they turned the prestigious event into quality bonding time while looking “absolutely breath-taking.”
However, the reaction from fans was mixed, with many expressing shock at how different the actress looked from her ’90s heyday.
“Would you ever guess it’s her if they didn’t tell you who it was?” one person wrote, while another added, “I wouldn’t even recognize her unless you told me who she was.”
The comments continued to pour in, with some focusing on specific aspects of her new look.
“Definitely not age shaming but the hair and the brows are a no,” one fan stated, as someone else exclaimed, “That??? Can’t be Pamela Anderson- holy.”
Not all feedback was critical, though.
Some fans celebrated her natural aging process, with one writing, “So refreshing to see a normal look woman naturally growing old, I want that for myself and no guilty.”
Anderson, who was just 25 when she first appeared on “Baywatch,” has undergone a significant transformation over the past three decades.
Once known as one of Hollywood’s hottest bombshells in the ’80s and ’90s, she built her brand on a high-maintenance image featuring platinum blond hair, cosmetic enhancements, and provocative outfits that essentially painted her as a real-life Barbie doll.
Today’s Anderson presents a dramatically different picture.
Gone are the days of heavy makeup, fillers, and her famous 34DD implants. Instead, the actress has embraced a barefaced look, opting for minimal styling and natural hair that reflects her rejection of the superficial standards that once defined her career.
Talk about Famous. PAMELA ANDERSON. How about some Baywatch? pic.twitter.com/EWZVvuYuXD
— FAMOUS WOMEN (@Kevin10919728) June 3, 2023
This transformation became particularly evident at the 2024 Gotham Awards at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, where Anderson’s strikingly natural appearance left fans both intrigued and bewildered.
Her minimalistic aesthetic, while carefully coiffed, highlighted her flawless skin and beautiful teeth, but also showed the natural aging process with wrinkles she proudly displayed alongside her strapless, butter-yellow gown.
Some critics focused on details like her eyebrows, which appear very thin from decades of over-plucking, a common trend in the ’80s. As one observer noted, they look “non-existent and take away from her natural beauty.”
Anderson’s makeup-free journey began making headlines at the 2023 Fashion Awards in London, where she appeared on the red carpet sans cosmetics while wearing a cream-colored Victoria Beckham pantsuit. She was there to present the Pandora Leader of Change Award to actress Michaela Coel.
Pamela Anderson has continued to be photographed and to appear at events makeup-free, and it makes me happy.
Not because I am anti-makeup, but because she has remained true to herself after trying to please others for so many years. pic.twitter.com/goBSWOuXJs
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) December 6, 2023
The actress has been open about her decision to forgo makeup, explaining her philosophy while preparing for the Vivienne Westwood show at Paris Fashion Week.
“I didn’t come to Paris Fashion Week and think, ‘I’m not gonna wear any makeup,’” she revealed. “I just thought, I don’t know, something just kind of came over me, and I was dressing in these beautiful clothes, and I thought, ‘I don’t want to compete with the clothes. I’m not trying to be the prettiest girl in the room. I feel like it’s just freedom. It’s a relief.’”
The former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant emphasized that she no longer needs a stylist or glam team to “freestyle” her fashion sense.
She also shared a touching revelation about her mother’s wisdom: “My mom always told me, ‘At some point in your life you’re not gonna want to wear makeup on your skin.’ And she’s right.”
As the debate continues about Anderson’s evolved appearance, one social media user offered a philosophical reminder after spotting her at the Met Gala, “Just a reminder guys they might be beautiful and baddies now but everyone gets old find you one who’s beautiful on this inside also.”
